Standard Bank Insurance / Geyser Claim / Retired Client Abuse

Good day, (Burst geyser, with additional damages)

I feel Standard Bank Insurance is taking my dad for a big ride. My father is nearly 76 years old, and retired. He's had his Standard Bank Insurance policy for close to 38 years. (Gert Joubert Claim number: 24/089024)

He has approximately put 5 claims in during the 38 years on the property for 1 geyser in the 1980's and again this year. Past this years claim there was an earth quake claim and roof claim which resulted in ceiling damages. The possible collective max amount in the 38 years that he claimed was probably around R100k if that, this includes this years geyser claim, which has ceiling damages as well. Instalments will be difficult to calculate but let's say in the last 10 years he has paid in the region of R180 000. Which places him as a very low risk customer.

He got his own repairs company out to do the repairs otherwise the household would have no hot water over the weekend and possibly for a week, seeing how long a claim takes to be resolved. I assisted him to put the claim in on 15 November 2024. Standard bank asked to split the invoice and send one for the plumbing repairs (burst geyser) and the other for the resulting damages. Standard Bank Insurance will only pay out R12 639.85 less excess of R2 250 which amounts to R10 389.85. The company charged R15 920.00 for the geyser replacement, so the shortfall is R3 280.15. (Excess is excess and not brought into this calc.). There was further damages to the ceilings of course due to the burst geyser which amounted to R7 130.00. Standard Bank Insurance only sent through one Agreement of Loss in that he must sign full and final settlement of this claim and that he wasn't forced to sign or accept the said payment. This is a bully tactic to say the least. Forced amount to settle is R10 389.85, shortfall of R10 410.15 which my dad had to pay additional for the contractor.

Standard Bank Insurance only responds once a day it seems and then they even forget to add attachments onto their emails. Phoning them is like phoning our nearest Post Office which has closed down, you don't get to speak to managers, they are never available, does this mean that they are too important to speak to a 38 year + client. Never missed instalments, paid their bond off, so Standard Bank received their full interest.

Below is the most recent mail to them sent 3 December 2024 around 15h37, which is still not answered, current time typing this is 10h30 on 4 December 2024. No phone call either...

"Good day,

Please may I understand the following:

1. How is your price of R12 639.85 calculated for a 200L Kwikot geyser calculated? Please send me the breakdown.

2. Excess is R1 250 on the Standard Bank Insurance site, yet on your form its R2 250. May you please send me the policy schedule where this is confirmed please.

Inline image (Image showed excess amount of R1 250, and not R2 250)

3. We have submitted 1 claim, a geyser which burst and resulted in further damage to the ceilings. Is there excess again on that?

4. By when will the rest be sorted out? We are doing one thing a day and this is insane. Can we sort this out today please. (3 December 2024)

5. On your agreement of loss, para 2, you say I must confirm that we have not been forced to accept this, yet we are, because at the end of the day I will have no choice. Not just am I out of pocket of R3 280.15, we have to take the loss of having the ceilings repaired which cost a further R7 130. This totals to a complete loss of R10 410.15. Please answer on how can one accept this nonsense. We have been an active policy member for many many years and have put in such little claims over the past nearly 40 years. I'm requesting that you reconsider the amount that you want to pay out for this claim. I strongly believe that you are not reimbursing us for a 200L kwikot geyser. This is the geyser that the house had in and has to be replaced with same.

6. Para 1, this is not the full and final settlement as according to the claim number. What about the ceiling damage?

Please may I have an answer regarding all 6 points before COB.

@(manager) , may you intervene on this situation please. We need clarity. I've spent in excess of R20 000 to have my geyser replaced and don't think me as a retired person are being treated with full fairness here. There are further damages to our property and Standard Bank staff is just pulling up their shoulders regarding the payout.

Please let me have an answer ASAP, or give me an alternative contact person (senior manager) someone that drives Standard Bank customer service, not someone who isn't interested.

Gert"

A further mail this morning was sent by my dad to instruct them that I will try to resolve this situation. This is one of the platforms that I know where Standard Bank prefers to sort situations out as my wife also had a massive run in with Standard Bank where they are just not driven to resolve issues.

I've never had such hard dealings with my own bank or having to put claims forward.

Can someone from Standard Bank Insurance make contact with me to resolve this matter today? 4 December 2024?

My contact number can be found on the last email that I sent to the 1st escalation and 2nd escalation persons.