A widow is at loggerheads with an insurance company after it rejected her funeral cover claim because of two outstanding premium payments, with one being for the month her husband died.
Geqe Nhlapo claims Clientele Life failed to debit her account in December last year despite her notifying the insurer of this “error”.
She also claimed the company did not acknowledge the premium deducted from her account in January this year, despite her bank statement evidence.
However, Yurika Pistorius, the company’s group compliance officer, disputed Nhlapo’s version of events and said they handled her case fairly in a manner consistent with the policy contract and applicable terms.
Nhlapo, a mineworker from Carletonville, said her dispute with Clientele Life began in February after the passing of her husband from kidney complications.
“They rejected my claim on the basis that I had failed to honour two payments for December and January, which is not true. They did not debit my bank account in December and I raised this with them. I even asked if I can pay cash but they said their policy does not allow it. I then asked them to give me alternative payment options but their call centre said they would call me back, which they never did,” explained Nhlapo.
She also disputed the matter with the company’s adjudicator, but she lost the dispute and the company stuck to its guns.
Nhlapo’s bank statement for December does not show any attempt by Clientele Life to debit her account. However, her R1,109 monthly premium was debited successfully for January, February and March, according to her bank statement.
According to Pistorius, their system reflects that the December premium did not process due to insufficient funds.
“While the client’s January 2025 bank statement may reflect a debit attempt dated January 24 2025, this payment was allocated to the outstanding December 2024 bill as the December premium was still unpaid, Pistorius explained.
“An SMS was sent on January 6 2025, advising the client of the missed premium in December 2024 and indicating that cover would resume once a premium was paid.
“As at the time of death, the client’s January 2025 premium had not been paid. While we regret the outcome, it is our view that the outcome of the matter was fair and the decision is consistent with the policy contract and applicable terms. It is our conclusion that the matter was correctly repudiated,” said Pistorius.
Nhlapo, who joined the funeral cover in August 2023, said she would now approach the office of the National Financial Ombuds Scheme SA, which handles disputes between customers and financial institutions for free.
The ombudsman can be contacted on 0860-800-900 or email via info@nfosa.co.za.
SowetanLIVE
Rejected funeral claim compels widow to take insurer to ombudsman
Mineworker from Carletonville says Clientele Life got debit order wrong but the company has a different understanding
Image: SUPPLIED
A widow is at loggerheads with an insurance company after it rejected her funeral cover claim because of two outstanding premium payments, with one being for the month her husband died.
Geqe Nhlapo claims Clientele Life failed to debit her account in December last year despite her notifying the insurer of this “error”.
She also claimed the company did not acknowledge the premium deducted from her account in January this year, despite her bank statement evidence.
However, Yurika Pistorius, the company’s group compliance officer, disputed Nhlapo’s version of events and said they handled her case fairly in a manner consistent with the policy contract and applicable terms.
Nhlapo, a mineworker from Carletonville, said her dispute with Clientele Life began in February after the passing of her husband from kidney complications.
“They rejected my claim on the basis that I had failed to honour two payments for December and January, which is not true. They did not debit my bank account in December and I raised this with them. I even asked if I can pay cash but they said their policy does not allow it. I then asked them to give me alternative payment options but their call centre said they would call me back, which they never did,” explained Nhlapo.
She also disputed the matter with the company’s adjudicator, but she lost the dispute and the company stuck to its guns.
Nhlapo’s bank statement for December does not show any attempt by Clientele Life to debit her account. However, her R1,109 monthly premium was debited successfully for January, February and March, according to her bank statement.
According to Pistorius, their system reflects that the December premium did not process due to insufficient funds.
“While the client’s January 2025 bank statement may reflect a debit attempt dated January 24 2025, this payment was allocated to the outstanding December 2024 bill as the December premium was still unpaid, Pistorius explained.
“An SMS was sent on January 6 2025, advising the client of the missed premium in December 2024 and indicating that cover would resume once a premium was paid.
“As at the time of death, the client’s January 2025 premium had not been paid. While we regret the outcome, it is our view that the outcome of the matter was fair and the decision is consistent with the policy contract and applicable terms. It is our conclusion that the matter was correctly repudiated,” said Pistorius.
Nhlapo, who joined the funeral cover in August 2023, said she would now approach the office of the National Financial Ombuds Scheme SA, which handles disputes between customers and financial institutions for free.
The ombudsman can be contacted on 0860-800-900 or email via info@nfosa.co.za.
SowetanLIVE
Don't get scammed when buying a car privately
How landlords could avoid rental clashes and eviction mistakes
Motorist happy Sowetan came to his rescue over car insurance claim
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos