OUTSURANCE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CLIENTS DURING LOCKDOWN!

OUTSURANCE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THEIR CLIENTS DURING LOCKDOWN!

Just before South Africa went into lockdown, my phone got liquid damaged. I took it to iStore, got the Insurance Letter and submitted it to Outsurance online. I got a message that I would get a call back, and they didn't call me back. I then called them and spoke to a woman named Nicolette Davids (Heath). From the beginning of the conversation, she was not in the mood, she was irritated and had no patience as I was explaining to her what happened. At this point, I already knew that it was going to be a loooong day.

1. My Cellphones (2x), Laptops, Jewelry and Watches are covered under household insurance. 2. When I took out the insurance, I was told that if anything were to happen to the above mentioned (inside the house), then it will be covered. 3. I was told that the Jewelry and Watches have to be listed and I need to pay an extra fee for them, which I accepted. 4. I was also told to take out a separate cover for theft for Jewelry and Watches, which will be an additional fee. I accepted. 5. I was also told that if anything happens to my cellphones outside of the house, then they will not be covered. For that, I need to take out another cover. We did the estimations, it was too high, so I declined, and decided to have them covered under household contents only. 6. The only documentation that I received from OUTsurance, is my Policy Schedule – and no other documentation whatsoever.

The consultant I spoke to was VERY CLEAR, that my Cellphones will be covered, if anything happened to them INSIDE the house. The liquid damage to my phone, happened inside the house.

Outsurance started using EVERY tactic in the books, not to accept my claim. After a couple of days of back and forths, they send me a letter saying that my claim has been rejected as my items were not listed on the schedule, and telling me that I can go to the Ombudsman to further take my case…. Really??? During this time of Lockdown, when everything is closed, you’re referring me to the Ombudsman??? WHOSE JOB IS IT TO LIST THOSE ITEMS?? Your consultant told me that the only thing that will be listed are the Jewelries and the Watches, and that there was no need to list the rest of the ITEMS!!!! Who am I to have told your consultant what the was supposed to do??? Is it my job or his job??? I am only a client, and if you tell me that this is YOUR way of working, then I will believe you! I don’t work for your organisation!!! I trust that whatever information you’re giving me is true / valid and take your word for it, the same way that you on the other side of the line trust that what I am conveying to you is valid. Hence you sign me up and start deducting all these payments from my account because we’ve reached an agreement based on what we’ve told each other!!!!!!!!!! I have repeatedly requested copies of the recorded conversations which they keep referring to – and till today, 2 weeks later to be exact, I am still waiting for those copies!!! I know for a FACT what was discussed, I remember clearly cause I still asked for an estimate on the additional cover, wasn’t happy with it, and decided to stay on this one. Plus this Nicolette woman, kept telling me how the consultant who signed me up didn’t say this and didn’t say that. Really??? Were you there?? It’s very disheartening to me that during this time that we are battling a Global Pandemic, this is how outsurance chooses to treat its clients. It’s already sooooo hard for us to cope with what is happening, instead of looking at things for what they really are and assist their clients as they are supposed to, outsurance is busy trying to make sure that they bleed their clients dry! This is not the time to pocket as much as you can from your clients, this is not the time to withhold what rightfully belongs to your clients, this is not the time to be deceiving your clients, this is not the time to think about yourselves only. This is not the time for that. This is the time to do what is right! It’s the time for compassion even, as mentioned by our President. It’s the time to see how we can come together and help each other. Here I am, still paying R1200 per month, for a cell phone that I can’t use anymore. I can’t even be in touch with my loved ones during this very volatile time in our nation, simply because my insurance company wants to blame me for something that they were supposed to do? I don’t even know how my Family in other countries are doing, cause the R200 very faulty phone I am currently using doesn’t have apps on it… It takes call only and I can’t even make calls on it at times. Cause it’s a faulty phone. I’ve been diligently paying for my insurance all this time, and this is what I get? At a time when we are not even sure what the future holds for us, this is how Outsurance chooses to treat their clients….