Very poor service delivery and avoiding obligations, great at creating confusion

Background This is the second time I am reporting this matter – it was referred back by Hellopeter.com because Alexander Forbes is creating confusion in order to avoid their obligation to address Client claims by using a referral to the Short Term Insurance Ombudsman that was declined in 2017 attempting to use it to void claims and queries raised in 2019/2020.

The 2019/2020 claim and inquiry has to do with two policies that has reference. The two policies has to do with x2 different properties, e.g.1st Policy number ***covering 777 Lucas Meyer Street Tileba, Pretoria and 2nd Policy number ***9 covering a garden flat at Barnstable road, Wierdapark, Pretoria. Both policies are supposed to be under the admin of the Pretoria branch - which is not the case? The Barnstable policy is under the Johannesburg branch - and the only communication regarding this policy was received December 2019 (and no policy was received from 2014 to 2019). But as said in December 2019 an updated policy was received. Which was a renewal of the policy (when they were taken over by Momentum?? And most probably all Branches had to a due diligence preparation) - this policy was cancelled somewhere between July 2014 and March 2015 - I used x2 emails and cell phones, e.g. ***, cell ***, and fouriejef***mail.com, cell *** to forward notice to Forbes that we are consolidating accounts (I got married December 2015and moved to Bloemfontein) and that we are closing the Nedbank account (approx March 2016) – thus, the policy for 777 Lucas Meyer Tileba Pretoria was to be transferred to Standard bank and Banrstable policy was to be cancelled..

Clarifying confusion Facts w.r.t. to policy for 1st property: The property is being rented out. In 2017 the then renters (renter 1) was requested to move out - neglect and damages to infrastructure, overloading plugs, baths overflowing and flooding 2nd floor and ground floor (fortunately only the tiled floors downstairs) - damages to electrical fittings, build-in cupboards - water damage, hinges and shelves, missing keys and damaged doors, kitchen cupboards, carpets, ceilings, wall paint, electric fence short circuits _ latter cabling damaged, to be removed. The new renter (renter 2, Mrs Trudi Pullen) was requested to compile a "to do list". Which was done and repairs to infrastructure commenced - roofing and electrics the priority - thus, a visitor would find chaos in the buildings and the garden). Kitchen cupboard replaced, upstairs build in cupboards repaired, doors replaced, keys bought and cut, overloaded plugs replaced, light switches replaced, ceilings dried out - commenced s****ing paint and fungi off, blocked drains and bath outlets opened and cleaned, carpets dried out and began washing, leaking roof repairs began, and trees trimmed. In approx Oct/Nov 2017 these new renters (renter 2) gave notice - husband could not work and wife as breadwinner was moving to smaller property – a condition of the rental Agreement ws that the Renter had to maintain the property, e.g. mow lawns, trim trees, keep pool in good condition, water garden, etc. As renter 2 started moving out and renter 3 (Richard Beining) started moving in (approx Oct 2017) a severe hail, huge amount of rain storm with severe shear storm winds occurred - gutters overflowed and just about every room had rain water coming through the ceilings, Harvey tiles on the downstairs roof was ripped loose and some off out of position. I put in a claim for the damages, and was prepared just to have the roof repaired - this due to renter 3 (the new renter putting in an offer to rent/buy the property - and they would in any case replace the carpets and repaint the house. An Assessor from Forbes came out un-announced which was a problem as neither I nor renter 2 (the wife – Mrs Pullen, who rented the property) was at home. Her husband was at home - he is bipolar and suffers from depression after retrenchment (medical records available and testimony of wife - Trudi Pullen ***, ***, ***). He in a moment of ironic brilliance handed the Assessor the compiled "To do list". In retrospect looking at events – what was said by who and when (Insurer and Renter and Assessor) this list was then used as main input to compile a negative assessor insurance claim report, listing my “to do list work” that was work in progress, and to be done almost word for word - he was on sight for 30 minutes and compiled a report covering 80 plus challenges which would take any normal and productive inspector, s****ed in building design, carpentry, plumbing, glazing and electricity a good 3 days with the necessary test equipment (isolated and reported x2 faulty plugs out of 48 plus plugs,etc.?) - Forbes declined the report based on "design flaws, neglected infrastructure". I appealed to the Ombudsman who also declined. In my explanation regarding the storm damages I mentioned (1), that placement of the property in the context of other properties next to the house, as well as huge trees at the back of the property and in the front yard/garden was a planning flaw/poor design, (2) so too that the bottom floor of the house (1 section) has x2 roof coverings, being original corrugated iron roof covered with Harvey tiles placed on top of it preventing servicing and tightening of the lower corrugated roof *****s, or sealing of the corrugated sheet seals which also was contextually poor design approach as maintenance was practically very difficult. I bought the property as it was in this state and insured it through Alexander Forbes just as is - I invited Forbes to come and look at the property before insuring it - they declined it as being to much trouble, and that it should not be a problem in future should I submit a justified claim. My exact words was lifted off the " to do list" and used out of context in Forbes' response to the Ombudsman and in communication to me to decline the claim. I dropped the claim and repaired the damages my self - and renter 3 (Richard Beining) is still busy with improvements as time and money allow.

Thus, this is the story of the Ombudsman involvement - which is history and has nothing to do with events in 2019 and 2020.

....except for ..... After declining the 2017 claim an addendum was added to the 777 house policy regarding a generic vague term "infrastructure not insured until repaired" under the policy - the matters on the to do list have been attended to or are in progress. I queried exactly what infrastructure” many times and asked specific lists but never got a clear answer as to what proof regarding what repair had to be provided. The premium payment of R1300 was reduced to R1000 (remember the policy was just to cover buildings and infrastructure on the property - all personal property, vehicles, etc was excluded - this was covered by Ooba at the Bloemfontein house where we lived) thus it was a very expensive policy for nothing? Over a period of 6 weeks to 4 months later I informed Forbes the essential repairs was completed and to please come and inspect the property - they never did this and said I had to send photos and proof of repair (which was impossible as I was away in Bloemfontein permanently and "I had to do it the renter was not allowed to do it? - we did not use contractors and did not have invoices or job cards. So it was difficult to provide proof - I thought the matter was closed and the addendum was removed - which as we now know was not removed.

Reasons for consulting and approaching Hellopeter.com #1: I continued paying the premiums which went up to R1021,72. In October 2019 the downstairs geyser burst during the night damaging downstairs carpets, walls, paint and ceilings. Forbes accepted my claim for damaged and sent a contractor to quote and the geyser was replaced. In this process the contractor clarified the process with Forbes that they could not access the geyser through the roof due to the double layered roof and was authorized to proceed through the ceiling which resulted in further damages to the ceilings. Forbes sent another contractor to quote for ceilings, carpets and walls. However, as I deducted from the Contractors feedback Alexander Forbes upon receipt of the quotation for work (ceilings, carpets and walls) Forbes then went silent and absent for 3 weeks. Upon my/the contractor and the renter 3's inquiry late December 2019/early January 2020 I received a cryptic poorly written email stating that the addendum was never reinstated and they would not repair damages to ceilings and carpets and paint work/walls cracking? Question then is why was the geyser replaced but not the resulting water damages and additional damages to ceilings to access the geyser, if the addendum not to cover infrastructure had not been removed? The damages as a result of the downstairs geyser bursting had nothing to do with the property neglect reported in 2017 - and those neglected matters were attended to. #2 The policy for the Barnstable garden flat I rented and vacated late 2014 and subsequent changing of banking details and cancellation of the policy - Forbes Pretoria branch acknowledged receipt for change of banking details from Nedbank to Standardbank as Debit orders continued to be processed on the new bank. The communication was sent to the Pretoria branch and not the Johannesburg branch as both properties reside in Pretoria. I annually received updated policies for the 777 Lucas Meyer street but over the period June 2014 to December 2019 never once got the renewal of the Barnstable garden flat property policy (except for receipt of a renewal late 2019 which triggered our enquiry and made as aware it was still an active debit order. Receipt of a Policy does many things - it is updated with new rules/conditions/etc, the new tariff and reminds one to amend debit orders? In the absence of a renewed policy one is unable to manage these situations as we were able to do with the 777 Lucas Meyer street policy? Upon my inquiry in January 6, 2020 why the policy for the Barnstable property was not cancelled the Pretoria Branch representative for Forbes, Elsie Mothape said it has nothing to do with her as strangely the Barnstable Pretoria property is somehow under the administration of the Johannesburg Branch and I must query it with them. Which was fruitless and to no effect. So too the debit order was never cancelled after my 6 Jan 2020 mail and went through again beginning February 2020 - the January 2020 and February 2020 premiums was eventually returned but after an enormous argument, many emotional stressful debates and repetitions of the why and how. It was reversed without apology. However, with us (my wife and me) being pensioners we budget and manage our accounting and funds on narrow margins. In January 2020 as the un budgeted Barnstable house policy debit order went through several other debit orders could not go through and penalties were levied on our account which was exasperated by the same debit order again going through in Feb 2020. When I explained to Forbes the situation and financial losses they did not comment or apologize - their attitude is "bad luck try to manage your affairs better this has nothing to do with us"? Quite cold blooded and clinical in my experience - this while they were notified 6 January 2020 by mail and cell phone call to cancel the debit order? #3 After placing the addendum not to cover infrastructure/building cover for the 777 Lucas Meyer street property policy in 2017, and not removing it the premiums remained exceptionally high - it was reduced slightly initially in 2017 but during 2018 it went back to the higher premium. I queried this with Forbes but to date have not had any answer as to why?

In conclusion my assessment and experience is that Forbes/their staff specializes in presenting halve truths blanketing lies, low productivity and poor administration and presenting and using facts out of context to build their own pictures. e.g. using my words in the "to do list" and emails explaining the cause affect of certain building approaches (roof double layer, trees in the garden placement relative to the house causing vortex shear wind phenomena and my words of poor approaches/bad design relative to disable maintenance), and damaging ceilings to replace a geyser and not repairing the ceiling afterwards, replacing a burst geyser but not repairing water damages in the house, etc, none of their claims ever generate a reference number that is posted by email, and or SMS? In my last communication they did start the process of following up via email (upon my insistence) - but only by the management team - and it took ages to access management. So too they operate and rely on a "burden of proof is on the client" and refuse site meetings where complexity and context of situations could be understood prior to accepting and under witting insurance. It is a company that does not walk the extra mile?

Just as additional information The trees I mentioned earlier (1 of 5 in front garden and one at the back of the property - they were of average 8 meters high with crowns 10 meters wide) here above contributing to vortex winds has since events in 2017 been blown over by the wind during severe weather in 2019 - we repaired (mostly done by renter 3 at his time and costs as I am 456 km away in Bloemfontein), removed and cleaned up ourselves as we decided that to approach Forbes would be fruitless and a waste of time - the kitchen cupboard replaced - DIY, drains and basing/bath/shower outlets opened, build-in cupboards upstairs repaired, plugs, light fittings replaced and repaired, replacement keys cut, new doors fitted, electric fence wiring and panels removed, roof leaks repaired and new longer *****s fitted, taps replaced, irrigation in garden repaired, pool cleaned and pumps replaced, carpets cleaned and fungi smells removed, koi pond changed into koi breeding system, thatch on lappa roof repaired/replaced, trampoline repaired, avocado tree on side of house being maintained so not to fill gutters with fruit or debris, all gutters cleaned and being maintained, swimming pool blue and clean, etc, etc, etc - there is a permanent 6 meter step ladder on site for purpose of trimming trees and cleaning gutters.