Unpaid Funeral Benefits

My contacts are as follows: ********** 595.

My complaint is as follows:- I had two funeral policies with old mutual and both were deducting R169.00 a month via stop order. These policies were for my elderly brother being policy number 69253P ********** 33 for my brother and Policy number 69253P ********** 97 for my brother in law.

In September 2017 my brother passed on and at that time he was within the waiting period of six months.

In December 2017 I walk in at Old Mutual branch in King Williams Town branch to terminate Policy 69253P ********** 33 which belonged to my brother who died in September 2017.

No paper work was required at the branch except being asked for the name and the amount I was paying for the policy which I orally responded to the agent. I was later requested to sign on an electronic signature pad. No printout produced to me as proof of cancellation nor requested to produced at least the death certificate.

I then left the branch. On 08th January 2018 my brother in law with policy number 69253P ********** 97 passed on. I went to the same branch to lodge claim. To my supprise the Agent told me that the policy was cancelled. After long argument it transpired that the Agent when she was terminating my late brother who passed on in September 2018 she paid attention to the amount of installment I was paying which was R169.00 without knowing that there were two similar amount for different beneficiaries. The policy for my late brother died in September was and is still active. The Agent never terminate it. We argued and I was ask to produce proof that my brother who passed on in September was indeed dead. I provided death certificate including the death certificate of my brother in law who passed on in January 2018. To my surprise Old Mutual sent me an SMS declining payment of my claim citing that I am the one at fault.

As far as my understanding; cancellation of policies should be at least in writing or recorded with full details so that my profile or history on taking new policies and cancellation can be on record and tracked by other insurance companies.

In a situation like this you don't really need rocket scientist to notice that there was an element of human error. There is in no way that I can cancel an old policy after a loss of a person who died within the waiting period. Up to date I haven't received any formal written communication containingf particulars of the beneficiary or my deceased brother. NOTHING. should I receive such form of communication I could have contacted old mutual to alert them of the error made. But nothing of such nature. The Agent never ask me for a policy number but she asked for names and premium amount. To ask me to sign on an electronic device which contains no policy details cannot be used as justification of this bad act. The Agents do not turn computer screen to the client to at least view details of what you are about to sign and because we have faith in them as they are called service champions we sign electronically.

Even when I later asked for the computer printout of my cancellation the printed document was neither containing names and surname of the deceased except policy number. Can you please investigate please.

It worries me because I am having more than 3 or 4 Policies with old mutual which I am considering cancelling them. My email.. **********