Deceived and misled - DO NOT SIGN UP WITH THESE PEOPLE for Auto Elite or any other policy!

I have had an Auto Elite policy with The Unlimited (as well as an Elite Rescue policy) for over a year already, and now on my first ever claim, which was well below their R3,000 limit, they have rejected on a technicality which I have never been informed was excluded and nowhere on their website or information sent to me initially when I signed up for the policy can I find anything stating that this is excluded. Even worse, when I was called initially to market the policy to me I discussed the exact issue that I now wish to claim with the person that called me. I told them that I have had a policy like this before which turned out to be no value to me as there were so many hoops to jump through when claiming it was near impossible to get a claim approved. I was assured that their process is simple, and when querying the exact issue which I would now like to be done on my car I was told that it would not be a problem and as long as I was below the limit it would be paid, and if it was above the limit I just needed to pay the difference. But surprise, surprise, now when I claim it is rejected. My e-mail to them at ********** (as per their instructions for complaints) on 22 May 2018 follows:

Good day

I emailed my 2nd quote for my first claim on my Auto Elite policy on Wednesday last week. I called in last Thursday, because besides receiving a cheeky email confirming that my email has been received but that emails are not processed on Wednesday’s because that is “talk” Day or whatever, I had received no feedback. After confirmation of my odometer reading with me Nicole said she would mark it urgent. I have explained on my email and to Nicole that my car was going in (and went in) yesterday, Monday 21 May and I would like to have this work done at the same time as I cannot afford not to have a car twice. I called again on Friday as I still had not received ANY feedback. I had to call again yesterday, Monday 21 May and was told the exact same thing that I was told on Thursday and Friday last week, that the claim has gone through for assessment, and that is it, nothing further. After pushing a bit I finally got a promise from Nicole to follow up and get back to me in an hour. My call was at 12:41 yesterday and still no call! I have been paying for this policy for quite some time and this is my FIRST claim ever! And the cheek of the email received last Wednesday to say it’s a day for talking?! So when do claims get processed then?! And no-one is “talking” to me unless I call in first!! I have had to call in again today, Tuesday, 22 May, nearly a week later!! Just to be told that my claim has been rejected!! For something that it was assured to me in the very beginning when signing me up that I would be assisted with. I queried right at the beginning, before accepting the policy, whether this type of work would be covered, as I have had this type of policy before and it turned out to be useless!! I asked whether the policy would be able to assist me with fixing my car's roof where I have paint peeling, and I asked about the roof in the the interior of my car which was sagging at the time. I was told that as long as the cost was within the limit I would be assisted with it. The claim I have put through, which is for the exterior only, is far less than the limit of R3000 but it has been rejected. No-where on the information that was sent to me or that I was told when signing up does it say that this type of repair is not included! I have also now gone onto your website, onto the Auto Elite product page, and nowhere does it mention that this is excluded. I was told by Shannon that it states in the terms and conditions that paint peeling is not covered, but nowhere can I find these terms and conditions that state this. It states on the website, and I was told this, that pre-existing damage is covered in the first claim, but does not specify what type of damage or that paint peeling is excluded. This is my first claim, because I am only been able to get round to doing it now, and have been loyally paying up until now, but all for nothing! I am absolutely livid! I told Shannon today that I want the policy cancelled and I was told that she was putting me through to someone to assist with that, and I was placed on hold, for a while! I am extremely busy, and this is now wasting more of my time! Now I have to chase you people to cancel my policy! You were more than happy to make misleading promises in order to persuade me into signing up, and then take my money all this time! But I have to chase YOU when I want to claim, and then now again I have to chase YOU when I want to cancel my policy! I want this policy cancelled with immediate effect, and I want YOU to contact me in order to confirm this. I also have a emergency/medical assistance policy with The Unlimited which I want cancelled also please, you can look up the policy number for that yourself as you have my details. If I have to phone ONE more time, wasting my time, and more money on a useless policy, I will be contacting the ombudsman and I will take this further. I might in fact do this anyway, as I know what I was told, because I would not have accepted the policy otherwise.

I await your urgent response.

Sincerely >>>>>>

I received an email on the same day confirming receipt of my e-mail and a promise to look into it along with a reference number. I heard nothing back form them and on the 24 May I forwarded the e-mail again stating that I have still had no response and then on 29 May I forwarded them their own e-mail confirming the receipt of my initial complaint with the reference number and I have still had no response whatsoever.

On top of that they have been more than happy to take their money AND have increased my premium for the Auto Elite policy without ANY notification to me whatsoever.

I feel I have been misled and deceived completely by them. I have wasted my very hard earned money on this, even while going through very tough times over the last year I have ensured that my payments have continued. I am beyond upset with these people because this money that I have wasted was sorely needed.