Winter with no ceiling

My experience with Santam has been nothing short of frustrating and disappointing. On the 28th of June 2024, my apartment sustained significant damage due to a collapsed ceiling caused by a burst geyser. Despite promptly reporting the damage and filing a claim, it has been over a month (today being the 6th of August 2024) and the repairs have yet to be completed.

Santam has sent three or four assessors to evaluate the damage, yet none of them have returned to carry out the necessary repairs. The most recent assessor visited a week ago and is now attempting to minimize the extent of the damage, claiming that other structures are unaffected (despite the area being dry by now). This behavior raises serious concerns about potential foul play.

The prolonged inaction has made the apartment uninhabitable, forcing us to incur additional costs for temporary accommodation in the middle of winter. The lack of accountability and urgency from Santam is infuriating, and I have had to chase them constantly with no resolution in sight.

I strongly advise others to reconsider using Santam for insurance, as their service is appallingly poor and their handling of claims lacks transparency and efficiency.