WITHOUT SURANCE...

... that is what the new name of the popular insurance company should be called because it is exactly what my situation is - “WITHOUT a car”!

It has been 74 days and counting since my accident on the 4th of December 2005 and I have just been told that it will be another three to four weeks before the part even arrives to have my car fixed. So in the end, if by some miracle my car is fixed in four weeks, it will have taken over 100 days to fix my three week “new” Kia Piccanto that I bought in November last year.



After the accident, I was appointed a personal adviser, I sent in my accident report and I was told my car had been towed to Queenswood Panel Beaters. An assessor did a full evaluation and the damage would be R20 000.

Everything was going well until the December holidays, the Outsurance approved panel beaters had ordered my parts and they would take three weeks to arrive, a further ten working days to repair and paint my car. I informed my adviser that I was going to Cape Town to work for a few months and since it was the negligence of the other driver, Outsurance should claim from his insurer and organize to get my car down to me when it is ready. I am still waiting for an answer back on this.



I moved down to Cape Town and waited for the return of my car. My brother and friends helped me with lifts and transport as it was only three weeks till my car was going to be ready.

As 2006 rolled in, Outsurances service rolled out.



The first few weeks of the new year were very quiet, my “personal” adviser, Jeanne Nkuna, hardly kept me in the loop, I had to phone Hennie Louw at the panel beaters and find out what was going on with my car. He told me that it would be ready by the 22nd January but when I phoned again in the middle of that week, he informed me that the seats were broken and needed to order that part. I had already, in my accident report on the 5th December, stated that the impact was so great that the seats had broken. Very strange that it should only now be discovered.



And so the problems began.

I tried contacting my adviser, she was never available. I tried contacting her supervisors, they were never available.

Now I was told that I should have my car by the end of January.

This is where I started to fight with Outsurance.

I decided that due to the incompetence of somebody from Outsurance, the Outsurance approved Assessor or the Ousturance approved Queenswood Panel Beaters, Outsurance is held responsible and I should get a rental while I wait for them to sort their problems out.



Whenever I tried calling anybody at Outsurance, I got the message centre, I have a list of over a dozen reference numbers for the messages taken. I think three calls were returned over that period.

One time I stipulated that they must phone me back between 9am and 11am as I was busy the rest of the day. Of course somebody, the supervisor Mickey Maharaj, returned my call at 1pm so that he could hide behind my voicemail. When I returned that call, forty minutes later, I was told he had left for the day. Eventually I got hold of Gordon Maeta who, after two days because he did not have the authority, was eventually able to assist me, as long as they could add two months car hire premium onto my excess. Now the catch is that the rental is for thirty days and it has already been over twenty days.



I have dealt with supervisors, supervisors’ supervisors and the list goes on. Bertan Naicker, Mr Maharaj’s supervisor never returns my calls. Mr Albert Bosman is the only person I have not telephoned because the message center will not transfer my call. He prefers to deal with emails I was told. So this email has been CC’d to him.



Just this week I phoned Mr Louw at the panel beaters to find out where my car is as my car rental is needing to be extended. He informed me that the parts they ordered, based on my chassis number were the wrong parts and that Kia had to reorder them, but he had already told Outsurance all of this the previous week. I immediately phoned Outsurance to find out why they had not contacted me and once again was told that somebody would phone me back later. When Mr Maharaj phoned me back I asked that something be done and to phone me back on Tuesday 14th February between 9am and 11am with an answer. Today, 15th February, at 5:30pm he returned my call. What service!

He informs me that Kia never had the parts in the country and they must order them from Korea, this will take three to four weeks. Another - who knows how many - to finish after that…



So who’s fault is it? I still don’t know. Everybody keeps passing the blame from one to another. Even within Outsurance.



So the next time you chose an insurance company because they promise you something “OUT”, remember that the little cheque after three years of no claim is hardly worth the peace of mind you get from competent insurers. As soon as this mess is sorted out I will be changing mine.



And on a side note, if you are ever thinking of buying an imported car like a Kia, DON’T! Buy from a manufacturer that you know the parts will be available within a week.



Now most people know how I hate chain mail but if you know somebody who has insurance with Outsurance, please just send them this email so they can be forewarned of the bad service.

I hope somebody learns from my mistakes.

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Darrin Hofmeyr