Recently there was an article in Economic Times dated 24.10.2007, Page 21 - "New India asked to pay Rs. 10 Lakh to Clinic"
I am happy that the consumer power managed to get this judgement against New India Assurance (NIA) company.
We have been insuring our cars with NIA for last many years.
I am writing this in order to appraise others of what happens to common customers and the kind of treatment meted out to them by the "esteemed" surveyors many of whom are doing nothing but trying to swindle money out of the customers on the pretext of processing the insurance claim. Many of us Indians take the easy way out by paying this money to reduce our hassles.
Our car met with an accident on the Ahmedabad - Mumbai National highway this September. We swerved off the road while trying to save a cow. The cow was saved but our ordeal had just started. We managed to bring the car upto Thane and sent it to a reputed garage. My husband wrote the entire details of what had happened, how, when and where as per the surveyor's requirement. We also had a photo of the car at the accident site as well as photos of how the car swerved off the road. It was a clear case of getting insurance for the damages. We do not have a track record of missing any premium dates.
We had to wait for more then 3 weeks for the surveyor to complete the entire process. First 5 days the garage people could not touch the car since the surveyor had not checked it. He also asked my husband to repeatedly tell him about the incident though the same was written and given to him. He complained of not receiving a fax and other petty issues. We had to resend the fax multiple times. Then his complaint was that no senior person is available in the garage when he went to visit which is again a lie. Do you need the owner of the garage at your beck and call. I think these demands are absurd. The owner's son was around throughout this incident.
This same car when it had earlier met with an accident was repaired in another garage with much lesser capability and facility and the insurance was claimed from your organization only.
We found the surveyor's behavior highly fishy and we were given the feeling that our work would have been completed easily if we had agreed to some financial considerations.
We could manage without that car for more then 2 weeks simply because we had other resources. There are many people out there in our country who do not own more then 1 car. Imagine their plight when they have to go through these delaying and arm-twisting tactics of your surveyors. I hope the NIA vigilance department does something about these errant surveyors.
This is what is happening in NIA at grass root levels.
I and my husband had done our Medical Insurance through New India. Now we are having second thoughts about the decision.
For the vehicles, we changed to a private company. Reason - pathetic and unethical treatment from the surveyor after an accident of our car. We have also told all our relatives to stay clear of NIA in future for any dealings. We hope that all the others who have insurance with your company get better treatment then what we got. It is a sad state of affairs.
I am a surveyor and I could understand your position provided you could understand the position of a surveyor. Your remarks only show the anger towards the system. But you should understand the system does not comprise cohesiveness of surveyor and NIA. Both are separate. What you are talking is the language taught to yiu by the Garage Owner of that reputed garage. I am sorry but your experiences were bad, but let me guarantee you worser experiences with Private Insurers as well. So go ahead have your say and have your insurance done through Private insurer. God Save you.
ReplyDeleteThe frustration expressed by the client is valid. It is most likely arising out of a distorted image given by the dealer. I too am a surveyor and have had experience in the past with the dealers scaring off the clients. What is surprising is that the client has not approached the insurance company except through this blog. NIA would however be well advised to be cautioned by the fact that in personal insurance claims, sensitisation is of utmost importance and what may pass off as customary apathy in corporate claims, will be intolerable in claims lodged by individual for their personal monetary relief. IRDA also seem to have forgotten their role for the three letters of Insurance, Development & Regulatory but have hung on only to the word authority. The GOI seems to be aware of the skewed priorities of all the new regulators and in the years to come, regulatory torsos will be shaken till they deliver their core obligations.
ReplyDeleteAn officious ! bystander ?