Hi guys,
I want to share my experiences with Outsurance, and also ask for some advice on what to do. Hopefully they resolve this, I just think other people need to know about how useless they are.
On August 31st last year, I bumped someone else from behind. Nothing serious. Two cars in front of us, a bakkie was carrying a desk, without tying it down. It fell down, causing people behind it to break. I saw a bit too late, and bumped the lady in front. Not going too fast, practically no visible damage to her car except for a dangling strip of rubber, and my car had a smashed headlight and a slightly bent grill.
Anyway, I am insured with Outsurance, with comprehensive cover, and she with Mutual & Federal, also comprehensive I believe. We both claim from our respective insurers. My car is fixed in about a month, mainly owing to a problem importing a part. Her car is fixed by M&F, who then try to recover her excess from Outsurance. I received two calls from Outsurance last year, both asking me to confirm the details of the accident, which I do. In fact, the first one, I remember, they got all of the details of the accident wrong, such as the date. It would be interesting if I could hear the recording of the call again. Anyway, after those calls, I presumed that they had fixed the other lady's car.
This year, on Tuesday, I get a summons. Its from her apparently, asking for R12000 for me. Interestingly enough, the cost of the panel beaters was R12000 ex VAT, meaning that they are not claiming the VAT from me for whatever reason. Go figure. Naturally, I phoned Outsurance, who advise me that the claim is still pending. Still pending. Lodged in September last year. And it has got to the point that I, personally, have received a summons. My name is on that summons - if Outsurance messes up their legal obligations, muggins here has to pay R12000.
So I phone them over the next few days, the legal representative kinda does nothing, claims that an offer has been made and they are waiting for a response. Didnt think a response would take so long. The offer was made on Friday, still not accepted today. Meanwhile the clock is ticking - I have to file within 10 days if I want to defend the action. The other party phones me today, and it transpires that she had nothing to do with the summons, M&F had to do it because they were getting nowhere with Outsurance. Also, Outsurance told M&F that the claim was delayed because I was not communicating with Outsurance. Right. Maybe they should look for those call recordings?
I phone the legal rep, and ask her to email both of us to explain what happened. Naturally, we get an email full of words but no content. Internal processes etc. Also interestingly, she gets the name of the other legal firm wrong, twice. I thought details were important to law? She wont say sorry, she wont apologize, she wont admit that the fault lies with Outsurance. I ask for a timeline, she says that Outsurance received the documents in October. And that "It is the responsibility of the other party to follow up on the progress of their claim and for settlement." So, in other words, Outsurance had everything they needed since October, but didnt do anything since M&F were not phoning them every day.
So Outsurance sat on it for 3 months and did nothing. Nothing. Not a thing. Tell me it takes that long to resolve a claim, when your own agent says they had everything they needed in October?
Also I say to her that she (or another representative) should phone the other lady to apologize. She says:
Does that make sense to anyone? Nobody who works for Outsurance can phone her to apologize for making her wait 4 months to have her excess returned? I told her that I would forward any emails to the other lady anyway.
So let that be a warning, folks. You pay Outsurance to provide you with liability cover, but when it comes down to it, they will be so sloppy that they offer virtually no protection at all. If they mess up with summons negotiation, and the probability is high that they will, I am on the hook for R12000. Do you think they will reimburse me? Oh no, they will run for the hills. And they wont apologize or actually explain what happened. They refuse to - they are accountable to no one, not even their own customers.
I want to share my experiences with Outsurance, and also ask for some advice on what to do. Hopefully they resolve this, I just think other people need to know about how useless they are.
On August 31st last year, I bumped someone else from behind. Nothing serious. Two cars in front of us, a bakkie was carrying a desk, without tying it down. It fell down, causing people behind it to break. I saw a bit too late, and bumped the lady in front. Not going too fast, practically no visible damage to her car except for a dangling strip of rubber, and my car had a smashed headlight and a slightly bent grill.
Anyway, I am insured with Outsurance, with comprehensive cover, and she with Mutual & Federal, also comprehensive I believe. We both claim from our respective insurers. My car is fixed in about a month, mainly owing to a problem importing a part. Her car is fixed by M&F, who then try to recover her excess from Outsurance. I received two calls from Outsurance last year, both asking me to confirm the details of the accident, which I do. In fact, the first one, I remember, they got all of the details of the accident wrong, such as the date. It would be interesting if I could hear the recording of the call again. Anyway, after those calls, I presumed that they had fixed the other lady's car.
This year, on Tuesday, I get a summons. Its from her apparently, asking for R12000 for me. Interestingly enough, the cost of the panel beaters was R12000 ex VAT, meaning that they are not claiming the VAT from me for whatever reason. Go figure. Naturally, I phoned Outsurance, who advise me that the claim is still pending. Still pending. Lodged in September last year. And it has got to the point that I, personally, have received a summons. My name is on that summons - if Outsurance messes up their legal obligations, muggins here has to pay R12000.
So I phone them over the next few days, the legal representative kinda does nothing, claims that an offer has been made and they are waiting for a response. Didnt think a response would take so long. The offer was made on Friday, still not accepted today. Meanwhile the clock is ticking - I have to file within 10 days if I want to defend the action. The other party phones me today, and it transpires that she had nothing to do with the summons, M&F had to do it because they were getting nowhere with Outsurance. Also, Outsurance told M&F that the claim was delayed because I was not communicating with Outsurance. Right. Maybe they should look for those call recordings?
I phone the legal rep, and ask her to email both of us to explain what happened. Naturally, we get an email full of words but no content. Internal processes etc. Also interestingly, she gets the name of the other legal firm wrong, twice. I thought details were important to law? She wont say sorry, she wont apologize, she wont admit that the fault lies with Outsurance. I ask for a timeline, she says that Outsurance received the documents in October. And that "It is the responsibility of the other party to follow up on the progress of their claim and for settlement." So, in other words, Outsurance had everything they needed since October, but didnt do anything since M&F were not phoning them every day.
So Outsurance sat on it for 3 months and did nothing. Nothing. Not a thing. Tell me it takes that long to resolve a claim, when your own agent says they had everything they needed in October?
Also I say to her that she (or another representative) should phone the other lady to apologize. She says:
Does that make sense to anyone? Nobody who works for Outsurance can phone her to apologize for making her wait 4 months to have her excess returned? I told her that I would forward any emails to the other lady anyway.
So let that be a warning, folks. You pay Outsurance to provide you with liability cover, but when it comes down to it, they will be so sloppy that they offer virtually no protection at all. If they mess up with summons negotiation, and the probability is high that they will, I am on the hook for R12000. Do you think they will reimburse me? Oh no, they will run for the hills. And they wont apologize or actually explain what happened. They refuse to - they are accountable to no one, not even their own customers.
