Rejected Nedbank Insurance claim

Over the years Nedbank has offered me incredible service and decent rates for two of my properties that I have with them. At the time, the other bank were unable to make better offerings. I am grateful for that.

The streak of excellence seems to be coming to an end as evident in the recent hellopeter reviews especially with their service and integrity on Home insurance claims.

In November last year, Naturena in the South of Johannesburg experienced two consecutive weeks of unprecedented strong winds that caused damage in my neighbourhood. Roofs of few houses (both tiled and corrugated) in my neighbourhood were blown away (I have documentary evidence of the damages). Their respective insurances fixed those damages in no time (I have documentary evidence).

My roof is thatched I also suffered the damages of this unusually strong wings. I immediately put a claim that took 3 and a half month that finally concluded with a rejection (two days ago). Initially the damage was negligible, I was reluctant to fix it as the claim was pending (in hind site I with I had fixed it myself), over the three and a half month this became progressively worst. The reason of their rejection was pinned on lack of maintenance of the thatched roof (the last time I had maintained the thatch was about two years ago)

As a professional engineer I expected their decision of rejection to be scientific, based on facts and real data that after investigating the thickness of my thatch and the lack of maintenance this could have led to the winds of X km/h to blow away my roof. Whereas had I maintained my roof and kept my roof thickness to be X cm, the roof was going to withstand the wind that was strong enough to blow away both tiled and corrugated roofs in my neighbourhood. By the way I have managed to obtain the this weather information of those two consecutive weeks that show the anomaly in the wind. I suspect that this was not considered by their assessors.

Alas!!!I know there is an unwritten rule, that sometimes the insurer can be ************ by finding a loophole in any claim in order not to pay....this a classical example.

Currently I have initiated a legal recourse (firstly the ombudsman...etc) at the same time I am evaluating the feasibility of continuing doing business with this institution that I had held in such a high esteem.

Regards

Phumlane

(NB!!I am grateful on the avenue afforded by hellopeter...to alert people of my experiences so that they can use these experiences in their decision-making on their future financial commitments on a service/product/institution.....By the way!!! Some people do background research).