Deflating repair cost to avoid paying claims

<p>We have been paying Prime Meridian Direct client since August 2012 (Motor thrift /Total Lose policy) and never had a claim until 14 Dec 2016</p> <p>My husband had an accident on the evening of 14 Dec 2016 with his Polo Player 2000, a motorbike jumped a red robot and drove into the right-side of the vehicle causing the motorbike driver to fall on top of the windscreen and bonnet damaging the right door, fender and window screen. Luckily, nor my husband or baby was injured in the accident. We called Prime Meridian Direct while at the scene to logged the accident and to have the vehicle towed from the scene, but the operator told us that if the car is not a total write off they won’t cover the towing and storage charges. We are aware of the ridiculous amounts tow drivers charge for towing and storage and opted to not make use of the towing services.</p> <p>We then got my dad to tow my husband’s car and gave Prime Meridian Direct the address of the storage location for the vehicle inspection. The operator said they will send out an assessor to access the damages within 48 hours. The next day (15 Dec 2016) we called Prime Meridian Direct again and the operator told us that they do not have assessors that assess the damages, which was very strange and weird as they have their calls recorded and they giving us two different responses with regards to the assessments of the vehicle. Next thing the operator emailed me a thick stack of claim forms that we need to complete together with exact instructions as to how the pictures of the damages must look. The operator then informed us that it takes 30 days to have the claim processed and since its festive season it might take even longer. At this point we thought what about people that does not have two cars and only have one car that they use on a daily basis to commute. I sat with the forms and it felt like I was writing exams all over again while completing these ********** forms, you have to sketch the accident scene, indicate the road surface, the weather, pay R190 for the AR report from traffic department, scan all these document etc.</p> <p>Furthermore, I send the required claims forms, pictures and reports to them via email and they assessed the car's damages based on pictures (very unprofessional)</p> <p>Sometime after 22 Dec 2016 the claims technician Sune Knipe telephonically gave me the repair cost amount (R10977.840) after which I requested that she send the repair cost summary to me via email, which she did not send initially. She told me that only SAMBRA approved panel beaters may repair the damages on our vehicle and that we should wait for the outcome of the claim to have our car repaired.</p> <p>I called again on 10 Jan 2017 to ask for the claim progress and to request them to please send me the repair cost summary, only then Sune emailed the repair cost summary together with the claim outcome/rejection letter. Prime Meridian Direct concluded that the repairs to the vehicle does not exceed 80% of the trade value (Prime Meridian Direct set the trade value at R25300). Clearly Prime Meridian Direct deflating the repair costs in order not to cover the claim. We then decided to physically take the car to a SAMBRA approved panel beater as Sune indicated and get quotations from them. The one quotation we got was R30918.41 and the other quotation was R27852.67. We sent an email on 12 Jan 2016 to Prime Meridian Direct to inform them that we would like to dispute the outcome and attached the two SAMBRA approved quotations to the email as supporting evidence. The two quotations we got was done via a physical vehicle inspection and the quotation Prime Meridian Direct did was done based on pictures only, judge for yourself. I also requested them let the claim be evaluated by the rules and regulations that governs insurance claims and insurance standards, which they clearly ignored</p> <p>There responds was that they will send us a final outcome within 45 days from receipt of the rejection appeal. Today, 25 Jan 2017, they send us a final outcome of the rejection appeal via email and the outcome is still rejected, stating that our physical vehicle assessment quotations was excessive and their repair cost summary based on pictures is more economical.</p> <p>What a total waste of my time/effort and most importantly my money for almost 5 years.</p> <p>I just want to warn people out there who see these Prime Meridian Direct adverti*****t on TV and perceive this company to be an attractive alternative to comprehensive insurance, you might think that you have insurance with them until you have to claim after a few years and find yourself in a situation like this. Rather take comprehensive insurance and pay the excess to have peace of mind. This company is taking good people for a ride.</p> <p> </p>