Terrible service terrible everything

Good Day

To whom it may concern

I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding the handling of my motor vehicle insurance claim following an accident that occurred on 10 January.

From the outset, the service I have received has been unacceptably poor, unprofessional, and extremely frustrating, resulting in significant inconvenience, stress, and loss of trust in both Prime Insurance and the appointed panel beaters.

Timeline of Events

10 January: My vehicle was involved in an accident and subsequently booked in for repairs. I was initially advised that the vehicle would be fully repaired and ready for collection on 6 March. On 6 March, when I arranged time off work to collect the vehicle, I was informed ,on the day, that there was a “gearbox problem” and that the vehicle was not ready. The collection date was then moved multiple times as follows: 6 March → 13 March 13 March → 17 March 17 March → 24 March 24 March → 25 March

At each new date, I was given assurances that the vehicle would be ready, only for these commitments to be broken repeatedly.

Vehicle Collection – 25 March

The only reason I eventually received my vehicle on 25 March was because I was forced to take another day off work and physically go to the panel beaters.

I was told at 15:30 that the vehicle would be ready shortly but only left with the car at approximately 19:30, after waiting several hours.

Despite being without my vehicle for over three months, the car was still clearly incomplete and unsafe.

Outstanding Defects (Vehicle Still Not Properly Repaired)

Upon inspection and use, the following serious issues remain unresolved:

Air-conditioning not working Right-hand indicator light not functioning Steering wheel very difficult to turn Power steering warning light illuminated ABS warning light illuminated No wheel alignment done (steering wheel not straight) Bonnet does not close properly (despite being marked for replacement) Right front door misaligned and does not close properly Speedometer not working (unsafe and ******* to drive without knowing speed) Damaged rim from the accident has not been replaced Left-hand side suspension/control arm appears loose and unsafe Vehicle does not feel roadworthy and is unsafe to drive

Because of these issues, I refused to sign the delivery acceptance forms, as the repairs are clearly incomplete.

Further Delays and Broken Commitments

I was advised by the panel beater that the vehicle would be collected from my workplace on 26 March for final repairs.

This was then postponed to 27 March, under the explanation that diagnostics could only be done at 12:00.

On 27 March, I received a forwarded voice note stating that the diagnostic technician had a family emergency, resulting in yet another delay. At this point, I can no longer afford to be without my vehicle or continue entertaining ongoing excuses.

Conduct of Claims Assessor

I would also like to raise serious concern regarding the conduct of the assessor assigned to my claim, Abongile Duli, who was extremely rude and unprofessional during our last interaction. This treatment is unacceptable, particularly given the circumstances and the already unreasonable delays.( I want to know what will be done in terms of that assessor)

Outcome and Resolution Requested

This experience has been the worst service I have ever received from an insurance provider.

Prime Insurance’s choice of service providers and overall claim handling has been deeply disappointing.

Given the extent of delays, poor workmanship, and ongoing defects, I strongly believe that it would have been far more appropriate to write off the vehicle and settle the claim.

At this stage, I am requesting urgent intervention, and one of the following resolutions:

Immediate escalation and correction of all outstanding defects by a competent repairer,

Failing acceptable resolution, I will proceed with:

Cancelling all insurance policies held with Prime (two vehicles insured), Lodging a formal complaint with the Short-Term Insurance Ombudsman, and Publishing a detailed account, with evidence, on Hello Peter and social media platforms.

This situation has caused extreme inconvenience and has completely eroded my confidence in Prime Insurance.

I’ve also written a complaint to prime before and i was just told it would be investigated but still the vehicle came back in such a state.

I expect urgent written feedback and a clear resolution plan.