Horribly Traumatic Experience with Vap-sure Car Insurance!!

On the 30th of May 2021 (Sunday) morning, I met up with an accident (hit a car from behind). My insurance organized a tow truck to fetch the car on the scene and took it to their desired storage. I agreed for them to do so as everything was just happening too fast at the moment of the accident and I was quite traumatized and overwhelmed by my surroundings due to being in an unfami**** area at the wee hours of the morning.

During the course of the day on the 30th I went to the Police Station to compile and Accident Report. On the 31st (Monday) I called my insurance to query about the next step that needs to be taken. I was informed to download claim forms, fill them in and send them back to them. I asked/ told the Rep that I was speaking to quite a few times about the car being stored where it was as I was worried that there is a storage fee and I would not have that type of money to pay for storage. I was assured not to worry as they towed it there and the car is in their hands.

I filled in documents as instructed and sent them back the very next day (2nd of June). The documents adhered of: The Vap -sure claim form, pictures of the car taken on the scene of the accident including the disks for both cars (mine and the one I hit from behind), the accident report case number, and the Trip Logbook from tracker (24hours before and 24hours after the accident as requested). The Rep further asked for the contract signed where I purchased the car and the receipt, of which I was able to provide in a matter of minutes from the Manager of the care dealership and forward to the Rep.

The Rep further asked me to get the accident report from the police station. He sent me a form requesting the report. I went to the Police Station on the 5th (Saturday) to take a picture/ get the report as requested by the insurance, I had to take two taxis to reach the police station and 3 to get back home. When I arrived there, I was told that they only open on week days and was advised to come back on Monday (7th of June).

I waited till the 10th of June - Thursday (as I had run out of money and asked someone to borrow me). When I got there on the 10th, I was advised that the Police no longer has the report, it is now in Durban CBD and the Municipality of Transport and was advised to carry money to pay for it. I had to contact someone to lend me more money again as I was not using my taxi fare money for the rest of the month as I am using public transport during this period. I went to work and went to work from the police station and informed the Rep what was said.

Then next day (11 June) I had to google where the Municipality of Transport is so that when the taxi drops me off at the rank I would request to where it is as it is a bit isolated from town and I have never been there. I was able to get there, pay for the Accident Report and send it to thw Rep immediately. I called him to let him know that the documents have been sent successfully of which he said he will check them out and call me back.

On the 14th of June I received a text and a phone call from tracker asking me if I was aware that the battery of the car is being disconnected. I told them that the car is with the insurance as I met up with an accident. I called insurance immediately and was advised that it is probably being taken out as it is winter and to save the battery. It honestly did not make sense to me as they were doing over a week that it has been there. They further stated that their assessor will be inspecting the car and doing quotations to assess the damage. The Rep called me later that day asking me for the address of where the car is, I was a quite shocked that he did not know where it is even though they towed and stored it and told me not to worry. I logged onto my tracker app and took screenshots and sent them to him with tghe coordinates.

On the 17th of June, The Rep sent me a WhatsApp text (as that was our main mode of communication where I sent him all the documents required). He was letting me know that my claim is now with management for assessor appointment.

On the 18th of June , The Rep texted me stating that management would like me to give them a time line of my movements before the accident since the car was involved in an accident at 1:30am, as they would like to know what I was doing at that time of the day. I called him and reminded him of the Tracker Trip Logbook of which he stated that they want to know what I was personally doing in that area. He further on elaborated as to the fact that the reason why they are asking was for instances to find out maybe if the car is being used a mode of public transport etc. I sent them an email explaining my whereabouts in details and why I was there. I called him and let him know that I have sent the email. He said he will contact me as soon as he gets a response from his managers in regards to the claim.

On the 22nd of June, I called him asking about the status of the claim, he said he will contact me when his managers have responded. Later that day he sent me a WhatsApp text : "Hi Lindo, I have just received your assessors report and your car has been declared a write off. I have arranged for it to be uplifted to our yard SMD". I tried calling and no one was picking up and when I looked at the time it was passed office hours, he must of sent it just before his shift ended.

On the 23rd of June, I called and asked what happens when a car is being written off, he told me they take it to their yard and settle the outstanding fee with vehicle finance, and if there are any funds left, pay me. He further asked for me to ask for a a settlement statement (showing the outstanding amount for the car to be settled) from the bank, of which I was able to get telephonically to be sent to me by email within minutes and forwarded it to him. I asked Thulani why was it written off, he never gave me a proper response, he just went on telling me the different reasons why a car would be written off and never specified as to why my car was written off. I asked him to share the quotes they did for the car. He said that unfortunately they are not allowed to disclose them as it is something private. I was quite confused as i am the car owner and what if I wanted to fix the car myself and just wanting to have an idea of how much it would cost. I basically was confused as to under what grounds the car was written off and the whole process as a whole.

There was a huge gap from then as I was waiting to be informed about the next step, I also did not put pressure on them as I was at home due to mu Aunt's passing, dealing with the funeral arrangements. I decided to text him on the 29th in the morning, asking for feedback and there was not response.

On the 30th he responded stating that he will follow up with his manager as he was not in the previous day. I thanked him and told him that I really need a will and way forward with this as it is depressing and stressful and I just want to get over and done with everything as it has been long enough now. I asked if the car has been moved because it still shows that it is still in the same place they had put it and has not been moved to the yard that he said that they are going to move it to. A few hours later, The Rep sent me a document stating that the claim has been rejected due to the car not being Roadworthy - stating that the tyres are *******ly worn. The email further stated that the reason why I as unable to avoid the accident was due to the tyres. The SMG staff (where the car was stored) was included in the mail and was advised that I am liable to pay any storage fees accrued. I called the Rep immediately as soon as I got to work as I was coming from home that day. He said that the storage fee is from the day the car was towed to SMG. I asked him how is it that I am liable for the fee because I asked him about it after the accident and he told me not to worry as they have the car. He stated that they only take car of the towing fee.

I called SMG to find out how much it with cost to get the car, they told me that my insurance had called the previous week and stated that they are taking the car to another place but they never got back to the after telling them how much it would cost to release the car , which was going to be about R14 000. They said they will be sending me an email with the amount that it will cost as that was last week.

On the 1st of July an email was sent by SMG stating that the amount is R16 675 that i would have to pay. Upon looking at the days that the car has been in there, they were incorrect so I called and informed them if which they apologized and rectified the issue, reducing the amount to R11 500. I made sure that I wake up early as I was going to go loan hunting before going to work (at 2pm - 11pm) so that I can get the car out as to keep the car each day at SMG was R250. I was able to get a loan from African Bank of R11 500 that I would be paying back in a 12 months period. I added R500 to make up the fee requested at SMG to get the car. The R11 500 fee included a stripping fee. I called insurance asking them what stripping was and I was told that its when the assessor assesses the car. I asked why am i liable for that and who authorized the stripping, I got no direct answers. I asked him if I am going to get the car in the same condition it went there, he said maybe not as when a car is stripped some parts get broken. I was slowly losing my sanity at that stage and told him I had to go and deal with this and dropped the phone. I further had to organize a tow truck, which cost me R1000 (I was luck enough to know a friend who knows the tow truck guy for them to reduce the price as I explained that I honestly don't have money. I also had to add R200 for petrol for a colleague of mine to take me there (SMG).

On the 2nd of July I called SMG to ask if the amount is reflecting as yet and informed that we are on our way to fetch the car. When I got there I was welcomed and advised that the amount is reflecting. We has a little chat about the car as to why it was written off. I told them that is it because of the tyres. When they inspected the car with me they confirmed that the tyres are roadworthy according to what they can see and even showed me how it is measured. I asked them to do a checklist for me and take pictures as well and send it to me via email as I am going to be contacting Ombudsman in regards to the matter. I towed the car to my friend's house to keep it there as it was closer than where I lived to my friends how, meaning that it would be cheaper to tow it there as I had depleted all funds at this moment, even from the loans and borrowing from people.

I feel quite exploited as a women who was honest with the insurance throughout the process about me not knowing much about cars and insuring that I provide the correct documents required on time irregardless of the fact that I was using public transport to get these documents, inbetween the traumatic state I was still in, of which some of those documents the insurance could of been able to get themselves, for eg the accident report etc. and the fact that I am now in a space where I am financially drowning in debt because of this situation whereas they could of just let me keep the car in my yard while they investigate and stop saying that they will take care of the fees and now twisting the everything saying that they only pay for the tow truck. I honestly feel that they honestly do not care about the wellbeing of their customers. I have been beyond depressed about this situation, collecting documents suing public transport, going to places that I have never been to, borrowing money left right and centre to get everything in accordance. I even had to cancel a few policies as I won't be able to afford them due to the debt I am in. Inadequate information being provided to me in the process, the car going from written off to claim rejected due to tyres that have just been recently fitted, let alone the fact that I purchased and received this car less than a year ago (21st Aug 2021) of which I do not how it is possible to have tyres worn out in such a short period of time. What killed me the most is them dropping the bomb after stating that the claim is rejected and shifting the storage and stripping fees to me, insurance that they disconnect themselves as fast as they could.