If you have had a problem or issue with your insurance company, contact a South African ombudsman to help you sort your complaint out fairly and efficiently.
Because many South Africans and people all over the world own objects like cars, flat screen televisions and computers that are worth a lot of money, having insurance is an important way to ensure that your belongings will be covered for damage or theft. Getting insurance is a smart decision as without it, you could land up losing valuable items and being unable to fix or replace them. Accidents, crimes and even fires happen daily and it is impossible to predict when, how and to whom the next will befall. In order to ensure your peace of mind, having your assets insured is essential.
Choosing the right insurance company
There is a huge need for insurance and to fill the gap, there are many, many insurance companies in South Africa. Some are long standing and have good reputations and other are relatively new and somewhat unknown. All insurance companies want to have happy customers but unfortunately things do not always go as planned. There are some situations where disagreements or discrepancies can occur between clients and insurance companies, and due to both parties needing and wanting what they believe is due to them, it is often difficult to resolve this conflicts.
Conflict between insurance companies and clients
If you have experienced a difficult situation with your insurance provider, you should investigate further and take action rather than just leaving it. After all, insurance costs you money every month in the form of premiums and you should have peace of mind about how your insurance works. However, as most clients do not professional training on insurance or the law, it can be difficult to understand what is going on and resolve the conflict. Because staff at large businesses are often busy and overwhelmed with clients and therefore can get frustrated, from the insurance company’s side the conflict resolution might not be as efficient and professional as it could be, or it might not be happening at all. There is definitely a need for professional advice and mediation in these situations as both parties deserve to be heard and deserve a fair trial by an unbiased third party.
Insurance ombudsman to resolve the conflict
If you have an issue with your insurance company and you are having difficulty resolving it, the best thing to do is to contact an insurance ombudsman to sort out the difficult situation fairly. One important point to remember, however, is that even if you apply for the assistance, the ombudsman will not represent you. They will act as an unbiased outsider and look at the case fairly. If you are in the wrong you will be held responsible. However, if the insurance company in question is in the wrong, you will have the backing of an unbiased professional to back up your case and help you resolve the situation and achieve justice.
Before you can find a South African ombudsman for insurance, however, you must make an official complaint to the insurance company in question. Take note of the following tips to ensure that you do everything correctly and that there can be no fingers pointed at you for not following protocol or behaving wrongly.
- It is always best to make your complaint in writing as you will have a copy of it as proof, and there will be no room for the temptation to burst out angrily and say something you regret.
- Do not use obscene language and try not to be rude, whether you complain in writing or over the phone. Make sure you do not raise your voice.
- Try to deal with the same person every time and make sure you take note of their name and position.
- List your complaints clearly and logically and stick to the point.
If the company does not get back to you and resolve the problem, you can then contact an insurance ombudsman to sort out the situation.