WARNING! STAY AWAY FROM MIWAY THEY A ****!!

My horrific experience with Miway Insurance. I was involved in a car accident on 24 February 2020 and my car was not really damaged and still drivable (I hit the sidewalks on the road and no other car involved)... there was no airbags that came out, no warning lights, no oil licking nor any car part sounds when driving. The vehicle was just at 30 000km and still in good condition after the accident. I was insured and in good standing with Miyway insurance. I lodged a claim with Miway insurance on the 25th of February 2020 and a lady by the name of Ayanda Mukwebo was the person assigned to book my car for an assessment. She booked the car for the assessment at J and D Coachworks in Montague Gardens, Cape Town, South Africa. I drove the car to the place of assessment (J and D coachworks). I left the car with a man by the name of Auston with whom by my knowledge was meant to assess my car. Mr. Auston sent me a WhatsApp message later that day saying “he had to rush to the airport, he would write the report the following day and send it through to the insurance. On 28 of February 2020 Miway insurance sent me a report informing me that my car was being written off. I was surpised and did not really understand why the car was being written off as it was not severely damaged. I then sent an email to a lady by the name of Bridget at Miway insurance asking about the finding on the report which was not adding up to me. I never got answers.

On 27 February 2020 Bridget Matlala from Miway insurance called a towing company to go fetch my car where I had left it for assessment (J and D coachworks), both working together with the guys from J and D Coachworks; they decided to take my car without my knowledge and without my permission to SMD for resale. On 04 March 2020 I realised from my tracker App that my car was then in a different location (Blackheath). I firstly called J and D Coachworks and asked them why they were driving my car without my permission and why was my car in Blackheath and not in Montague Gardens where I had left it for the assessment, they told me that the insurance came and took the car and they were writing it off. I asked them why didn’t they contact me and inform me that the insurance was there to take my car since I had left the car there at J and D Coachworks.

The manager of J and D coachworks told me that they thought the insurance had contacted me first. I called Bridget and asked her why she had allowed my car or moved my car without calling me and without my permission. Bridget told me that on their system it was updated that I had been informed and had agreed that the car could be written off - (of which was something I never agreed nor consented to). I asked Bridget to get me a recording or an email in which I had agreed that the car could be written off and she told me that she was no longer in charge of my claim and a new person was then dealing with my claim and her name was Carline Fell.

Carline Fell called me that day and I told her about the matter and what I had been through, she pretended as if she was listening to me and as if she was going to attend to my complains and the fact that I want my car to be returned back to J and D Coachworks. I further sent Carline Fell the same email I sent to Bridget, I requested Carline Fell to give answers and direct me to the assessor (person) who will answer my questions I had about the report miway insurance had compiled (Casper Howe was the person who compiled the report). Until today the 2nd of April 2020, after four weeks since I lodged my claim - Miway insurance have not answered nor explained anything to me.

On 13 March 2020, I decide to go fetch my car from SMD, when I got there some of my personal belongings were ****** from the car. I sent an email to Carline Fell stating all the things missing from the car; it is so disappointing that even today nothing has been replaced that was ******.

After I took the car from SMD Carline called me and told me to avail the car to them, they will hire a specialist who will download data from my vehicle in order for my claim to be validated. I ask why all of a sudden they want to download data from the car whereas the car was with the insurance all the time and the car was ready for resale and that they are writing off the car.

The Insurance after gathering information took a decision to reject my claim, without stating the reasons why. When I asked for the information that was downloaded from the car, I was told by Carline Fell that the information is confidential. I asked Carline how is it possible that the insurance reject my claim based on the data they retrieved from my car yet she is telling me that the information is confidential. On top of that when Carline called me she told me that since my car is written off the car will automatically come out from the policy. I asked Carline how is a car written off since Casper Howe (person who assessed the car) is failing to answer the email I sent asking about the report and which policy did he use to write off my car because what is in my policy and what they wrote on the report does not correspond. The insurance removed my car from cover without any proper discussions with me.

I am very disappointed with the way MiWay has dealt with my claim. I have been nothing but a good policy holder who pays all premiums on time. The company takes advantage of people. Now I am out of ideas on what I am going to do going forward. I feel helpless. One thing I can guarantee for sure, majority of South Africans will know the type of company MIWay is and will know better than to insure with them. I will make sure of that.