The Vodacom Insurance ****

Due to all my previous postings, one would think I just like bashing Vodacom Insurance, but it's not really the case, it has become evident that this is the only way to communicate, because you can forget working through a call centre or by email .... as said before, Vodacom Management just hide behind these mechanisms.

The great Vodacom Insurance **** continues. As posted before, I will summarise what has happened over the last 5/6 weeks. As a company, we insure a number of devices via Vodacom Insure, but have not really claimed, except now, I dropped my iPhone8 and the screen cracked. The phone was otherwise in pristine condition, been in a cover all its life. I handed the unit into Vodacom George and completed the claim form. Vodacom George sent the unit to Johannesburg, who in turn quoted in the region of R9200, therefore declaring the unit irreparable. I was sent a SMS saying I can collect my unit, except they gave me my broken phone back .... with no explanation ... (the above I got when I eventually got to speak to someone at Finrite .... but there is clearly no communication between the two. The explanation I got was we had to resend the paperwork, and Vodacom Insurance (Finrite) says I was covered to the value of R15 000, so I should select a new phone? This is crazy as apple themselves fix the screen for R3500. Nonetheless, there is no iPhone 8 anymore and I would have to select an iPhone Xs, with HALF the capacity of my current phone and pay in =/- R3500, over and above the 15% excess on the claim, which means I'm not covered for R15 000, but R12 750 = total pain of around R5750, all because I have a cracked screen I eventually declined and told Finrite I would rather repair the phone at Apple, and they said fine ...... except they have disappeared, they don't respond to the mails anymore and there is no way of calling them! So, in summary, I drove to Apple in Cape Town (I live in Knysna), Apple took the phone, repaired it in 1,5hrs, and it's as good as new ... they neither could understand why anyone would refer to it as irreparable. So I've done all the work for them, stopped them from spending R13 500k but rather R3500, but now they seem not prepared to honour their word. So what is the real ****: Vodacom sells you this insurance, then steps back and says 'can't help you, it's Finrite' How does it work financially, we Vodacom and Finrite insist that everything is done through them, Vodacom. Vodacom replaces the unit at retail, not cost. So if we were conservative and said Vodacom makes 30% (I really have no idea) on a unit. then there is the portion you pay in and the portion of excess New Phone retail R18 500, there cost must be about R12500, less R3500 (pay in) R9000, less excess R2250 = R8750 actual cost to Vodacom, fr which you pay premiums on R15000. But we still have the issue of the old phone, why write off a good conditioned phone for a cracked screen? I've been lead to believe a trade price on original Apple screen is in the region or R2500 .... does this unit then re-enter the market somewhere??? While the figures in the above exercise has 'hear say' at the moment, but that's purely because no-one at Vodacom will explain it! I believe, as per the Insurance Ombudsman, Vodacom is compelled to explain the technicalities of the insurance product they sell ...... and I think the consumer council may also have a few questions So Vodacom ..... please respond again because I cannot get hold of anyone be it via calling or email!