Jamaican claimants yearn for world-class service

Insurance Helpline

With Cedric Stephens

Question: I was involved in an accident on February 14 this year. The driver of a pickup came out of a minor road and drove into the left side of my car. Its crash bar damaged that entire side. The owner, who accepted that he was at fault, was warned for careless driving. The third party wanted to pay to fix my car. However, when the adjuster and my bodywork person said that the two doors and the rear quarter panel had to be replaced, he had a change of mind. He submitted a claim to his insurers. My insurers paid me a small portion of the repair bill. They promised to claim the balance, my excess, and loss-of-use expenses. My premium went up in March because of the accident. To date, I can't recover the balance of approximately J$200,000. Every time that I call my insurers, they tell me they have submitted the claim to the other company. My brokers are of no use since my insurers no longer transact business with them. Can you please help?

- dorcarty@hotmail.com

HELPLINE: I am very sorry to learn about your post-Valentine's Day experiences. I sent a copy of your email to one of my contacts in the third party's insurers and she promised "to send a response shortly". The operative word in that statement is shortly. She was replying to an email that I sent her on Wednesday at 5.41 p.m. Her response arrived at 10.43 a.m. the following day.

Compare your experiences during the past 19 weeks trying to recover over J$200,000 with those of another person who also lives on the island. She ordered an Apple iPad 2 on June 5. After paying US$650 (about J$55,810) by credit card via the Internet, delivery was promised at a US address on June 17.

The vendor notified the buyer by email when the tablet computer was about to be shipped from China to the United States. Details were provided that allowed the buyer to track the item as it made its way to the destination point in Florida. At 10.48 a.m. on June 17, 12 days after it was ordered, the tablet was delivered as promised.

unfair treatment

The sad part of the story about your claim is that even if it was settled tomorrow, you would still be out of pocket. That is because you are unlikely to receive compensation for: (a) the increase in your premium due to the loss of the no claims discount; and (b) the interest that you would have earned on the J$200,000-plus for four months had the money remained in your bank account instead of being spent to fix your car.

What is also unfair is that your brokers and insurers appear to be treating you like an orphan.

The Consumer Affairs Commis-sion (CAC) recently announced the completion of a draft code of conduct for the delivery of banking services. Compliance with the code is not mandatory. It will require the approval of the very powerful lobby, the Jamaica Bankers Association.

The code's authors hope that the code will "encourage (banks) to adopt practices and principles which are in the best interests of the banks, as well as their clients".

The code's 11 non-obligatory duties include the provision of product information, service standards, special treatment for the elderly, disabled and pregnant consumers, and dispute resolution.

In the flat world of the 21st century where local consumers are being exposed to world-class service standards like those connected with the purchase of a tablet computer that is assembled in China, or the provision of other services, why is the CAC acting in such a namby-pamby fashion?

I am very upset by my inability to wave a magic wand and recover your J$200,000. I am forced to await a response from my contact in the insurance company. When will this happen? I cannot say. In the event that I do not hear anything from them by Wednesday, July 6, please rest assured that I will be on the phone with them.

Finally, there seems to be a glimmer of hope for insurance consumers on the horizon.

I renewed my motor policy last week without using the services of a broker. I was very pleasantly surprised by the consistently high standards of service that I enjoyed throughout the entire process. The employees were very courteous and professional. They delivered on all of their promises.

I sincerely hope that all of this company's customers get the same treatment. Further, that I will not have a claim any time soon in order to find out whether the company claims process is just as friendly, reasonably fair, and meets the same high standards.

Cedric E. Stephens provides independent information and free advice about the management of risks and insurance.aegis@cwjamaica.comSMS/text message to 812-7233