Telkom Happy to Take Premiums but Takes Over a Month to Replace ****** iPhone 17 Pro Max and Without any Resolution

Item: Telkom
Rating: 1
Author: Mmabatho S

I am extremely frustrated with Telkom’s handling of my insurance claim for my iPhone 17 Pro Max, which was ****** at the gym over a month ago.

I immediately followed all the required procedures. I reported the theft to the police, opened a case, and obtained a police docket. I also submitted the necessary information to Telkom as part of the claims process.

Despite doing everything required from my side, Telkom has still not replaced my device and has not provided any meaningful assistance for more than a month.

Instead, the process has been unnecessarily delayed with questions that appear irrelevant to the claim, such as: • Whether the locker had a padlock or combination lock • Whether there was proof of forced entry

This is extremely frustrating because the theft was formally reported to the police and a case was opened, yet the claim seems to be treated as if I must continuously prove that the incident occurred. To top it off the ******* went on to clean out all my bank accounts across 2 different banks through my banking apps. this experience has been very traumatic for me and Telkom subjects me to further trauma and abuse. it is extremely hard to be without a mobile device.

What makes this situation worse is that: • The monthly insurance premiums are very high • The excess payable is also extremely high • Yet when a legitimate claim arises, the support and service are completely lacking.

In the meantime, I have been left without a phone for over a month, while still paying for a service that is supposed to provide protection in situations exactly like this. What is the necessity of paying ridiculously high premiums and having an insurance when we cannot be assisted to soften the blow when life occurs, my insurer cannot replace a device for which I am paying monthly for the replacement thereof.

At this stage, I expect Telkom to urgently resolve this claim and replace my device without any further delays. Customers should not have to struggle this much to receive assistance for a valid insurance claim.

I would appreciate immediate intervention from Telkom’s escalation team to finalise this matter. At this point I just need to escalate this the Ombudsman because what is this, Telkom Device Insurance is just the pits really much like its network.

Claim *** Police case number: 16/02/2026 & 74/02/2026

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Replies (1)

Mmabatho S's updateReviewer Update

16 Mar 2026, 10:13

6+ Weeks Later-Telkom Still Moving the Goalposts on My ****** iPhone Claim

After my previous review, Telkom has now contacted me requesting that I provide a report from the gym confirming that the theft of my cellphone was reported.

I will obtain and submit this report as requested. However, it is extremely concerning that this requirement is only being raised more than six weeks after the claim was first lodged.

During these six weeks, there has been a continuous exchange of emails where Telkom has asked for various pieces of information at different stages, including questions about whether there was forced entry, whether the locker had a padlock or combination lock, and other details relating to the incident.

At no point was I provided with a clear and complete list of the documents required to process the claim. Instead, each time I respond to one request, another requirement seems to arise. This piecemeal approach has significantly delayed the assessment of what should be a straightforward cellphone theft claim.

It is also difficult to ignore that this request for a gym report only arose after my HelloPeter complaint was posted, which raises serious concerns about how this claim has been handled from the outset.

For context, this claim relates to a ****** iPhone 17 Pro Max, for which the insurance premiums and excess payable are extremely high. Yet despite complying with every request made by Telkom, the claim remains unresolved after more than six weeks.

I have now contacted the gym and requested the report and will forward it immediately once received. However, I must be clear that once this document has been submitted, I expect the claim to be processed and finalised without any further unnecessary delays or additional piecemeal requests.

Should the delays continue after this point, I will have no hesitation in escalating the matter to the Insurance Ombudsman, ICASA, and other relevant consumer protection authorities, as consumers should not be subjected to this type of drawn-out claims process. This is not only frustrating but just down right utterly unfair, you cannot treat people in this manner.

Mmabatho S's update16 Mar 2026, 10:13

Reviewer Update

6+ Weeks Later-Telkom Still Moving the Goalposts on My ****** iPhone Claim

After my previous review, Telkom has now contacted me requesting that I provide a report from the gym confirming that the theft of my cellphone was reported.

I will obtain and submit this report as requested. However, it is extremely concerning that this requirement is only being raised more than six weeks after the claim was first lodged.

At no point was I provided with a clear and complete list of the documents required to process the claim. Instead, each time I respond to one request, another requirement seems to arise. This piecemeal approach has significantly delayed the assessment of what should be a straightforward cellphone theft claim.