BAD INSURANCE

Good day to whom it may concern.

I am bringing this to your attention as I do not know what steps to take further in this matter and hope you would be able to advise me in this process.

On 13 November 2023 there was a catastrophic hail storm in Midrand, where I reside, where we suffered extreme damage to our property. I registered a claim, one day later, on 14 November 2023. From 15 to 16 November 2023 I had to make arrangements at work to take time off for the insurance assessors to come out and do there assessments and try and clean up some of the damage in the garden to try and make it look respectable as I am somebody who prefers not to live in clutter and chaos.

Just to give you an idea of all the damage, my whole patio roof collapsed leaving it very unsafe for my family and dogs that roam around, my pool was and still is filled with mud, rocks and leaves that would be an immense work to clean up. I then also have ceilings and electrical wiring damage, pool pump damage and the garden that me and my wife spent 3 years in since moving in completely destroyed to the roots.

On 17 November 2023 I made contact with them to touch base on where the progress stands and if they received all the info needed. I was told that one of the service providers did not give a detailed report but they will take it in their hands to get the report done.

20 November 2023 I gave them a call again to touch base but had no clear answer just that they would escalate the matter and get back to me.

21 November 2023 I had to call again to find out what was going on. The morning of, I made about 5 calls to them being cut off in most of them and the last call was 44 minutes long without any more information than I had prior to the call. I was again told that my case is being escalated.

22 November 2023 a call was again made from my side because I was told the day before that someone would get in contact with me and never did. Again I was told that my case is being escalated and someone would make contact with me.

23 November 2023 was the first time since the claim was registered (a week and half later) that I was contacted by them. A guy from the head office who I had to explain the whole story to again then told me again that the case is being escalated and that an internal assessor was appointed to review the case.

24 November 2023 received a call from the same guy telling me he just wanted to give me an update but no further news was given than already known. Apparently the claims advisor who said that the detailed report was outstanding mis looked the mentioned detailed report as it was included in the first assessment from the service provider.

27 & 28 November I was contacted by them again but no further news.

Since then everything has been approved according to the insurer. The service provider sent by them for the rebuilding of my patio then came again, never took measurements to begin with the first time he came and also the second time never even had a measuring tape with him, he came bringing another stranger to my house just to give me a call an hour later to say that he is unable to work with aluminum which is 70% of the work and if I can get him a quote from a builder I know so that he can out source it. I rep**** to him saying that I do not understand as he knew 3 weeks prior to the approval what the job entails.

I then gave the insurer a call and told them that I want to use my own service provider, which they rep**** to is fine they just need pictures, a report and a quotation for all the work needed to be done. I sent through everything they asked for a day later as I want it to be sorted out as soon as possible for I have already been waiting a month.

It is now another week later, still waiting on the approval. I was told yesterday 11 December 2023 that some supervisor will come in contact with me today 12 December 2023 before lunch time to give me feedback, again nobody came in contact with me. Which brings us to this email. In the meantime every time it rains the furniture and contents of my patio is getting more and more damaged. The home content insurer is unable to assess the damage of the contents as it is too unsafe to enter the patio to do an assessment. I have to trust that when I am working that my family is safe at home and that the patio hasn't caved in and caused more damage or injury to someone.

I am asking you please to give me any advice on how to resolve this matter. And thank you in advance for taking the time to look into this case. Attached are all details that might be relevant. Please let me know if there is anything else that is needed.

Insurer: OOBA Policy Nr: *** Case nr: ***/1 My ID nr: *** 085

Regards Johan Potgieter