MOTOR INDUSTRY OMBUDSMAN IS A WASTE OF TAXPAYERS' MONEY TO SERVE THE CORPORATE WORLD

In 2023 I had a case submitted for our Toyota Corolla through Scorpion, the Ombudsman's office referred me back to the insurer, IWYZE. Cynthia Maremane was handling that case, and Khanyisile Ntuli also featured. The insurer ended up enforcing what it originally wanted to do, so complaining to the Ombuds office was just a waste of time. In May 2025 I submitted a complaint after struggling with Absaidirect from November 2024, and I was responded to on 22 May 2025 by Tshireletso with the REFERENCE NUMBER: ***, acknowledging receipt of my submission. On 15 July 2025 I received communication from Cynthia Maremane. I am now using an attorney out of exhaustion with back and forth from both Absaidirect and the Ombudsman. There is no sign that the Ombudsman read through my submission, as they are pressuring me to go through the same processes I had already exhausted with Absaidirect. On 16 September my attorneys were excluded from the communication in which I was told to liaise directly with the insurer to avoid delays, a trick Absaidirect had played earlier on trying to convince me to deal with them directly as attorneys' busy schedules might delay my case. Mind you, I stated that: the insurer had misled me several times and did not comply with acceptable standards of customer treatment.

From the latest assessment done on 15 October at the request of Absaidirect the relevant Toyota Dealer told me to park the in the garage as it was greatly hazardous, the chassis area welded had cracked, was rusted and the car would never achieve proper wheel alignment. MIND YOU WE USED IT SPARINGLY AFTER BEING WARNED OUT MY OWN INSPECTION (PAID FOR BY ME) IN NOVEMBER 2024 FOUND A LOT OF PROBLEMS AND IWAS ADVISED TO KEEEP IT IN THE GARAGE SO I DO NOT GET BLAMED IF AN ACCIDENT HAPPENS. ABSAIDIRCET'S INSPECTION IN ANOTHER TOYOTA DEALER REPORTED THAT EVERYTHING WAS IN GOOD ORDER. From taking the car from the Marvic Panelbeaters in Richards Bay, who had also attended to the TOYOTA COROLLA IN 2023 on 12 November 2025 the TOYOTA HILUX HAS REGISTERED ABOUT 3000KM because we used it in case of emergency. EFFECTIVELY I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT THE CAR FROM THE DATE OF THE ACCIDENT, 29 JULY 2024.

My experience with the Short Term Ombudsmen, including for Banking, is that IT SERVES THE INTERESTS OF BIG COMPANIES/ORGANISATIONS INSTEAD OF VULNERABLE PEOPLE. THE ONE IN THE SUBJECT IS THE WORST AS I HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE FOR BOTH CASES NOW. You get referred back to the insurer. And Absaidirect is not prepared to pay me the retail cover as at 29 July 2025, they still want to repair the car. EVEN AFTER SUGGESTING THAT THEY TAKE IT,M REPAIR IT AND SELL IT THEMSELVES IF THEY FEEL IT IS REPARABLE. There has been 3 inspections already and the last one revealed more and we were already feeling everything when the car was driven. I do not see the importance of the Ombudsman, except wasting time and delaying the process so the customer can give up and yield to the impositions of the Insurer, they know lawyers are expensive for grassroots as big corporation employees are funded by the organisation, not personally financially liable.

AND ONE LEARNS FROM THE G****VINE THAT THE MOTOR INDUSTRY THRIVES ON MAKING PROFITS THROUGH DISSERVICE TO THE COSTOMERS, AS PEOPLE TRY TO MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND THE ACTIONS OF INSURERS AND THE OMBUDSMAN.