Unfair Claim Rejection and Poor Service from Santam

I am highly disappointed with the way Santam has handled my recent claim for my Lapa, which was damaged by a severe storm and high winds. I reported the incident immediately, fulfilled all obligations, and waited for Santam to send an assessor; yet, the Lapa collapsed days later while I was still waiting. Communication was inconsistent and unprofessional, and I repeatedly had to follow up to receive basic feedback, which ultimately led me to schedule my own appointment with the assessor after several failed attempts with the broker.

Despite the sudden and storm-related nature of the damage, my claim was rejected based on “wear and tear” and “gradual deterioration”, an assessment that is inaccurate, unsupported by evidence, and inconsistent with the actual condition of the structure before the storm. No thorough investigation, technical justification, or proper photographic analysis was provided to substantiate this conclusion.

The assessor did not ask relevant questions; he asked no questions at all, nor did he request prior information about the Lapa. However, he took unrelated photos and measurements inside my home without providing an explanation.

This raised serious concerns about the adequacy and fairness of the assessment process. The delays and lack of urgency also increased the risk of additional damage to the fences of other 3 other three properties, which I had warned the broker about well in advance.

This is not the first time I have experienced poor service from Santam. Previous claims, including one involving my gate motor and urgent access to my property and another involving roadside assistance, were mishandled, delayed, or dismissed without proper justification. These repeated service failures have caused unnecessary stress, inconvenience, and financial impact, despite my consistent payment of premiums and responsible upkeep of my property.

I am requesting that Santam urgently appoint a different, independent assessor and reconsider this claim based on the actual evidence. I therefore will not be left any choice but to escalate this matter to the media, the South African Insurance Association, the FSCA, and Santam’s Executive Team, as the handling of this claim does not reflect the customer-centred service Santam advertises.

Surely this is not the insensitive image Santam wants to reflect.