Home and HouseholdHousehold

Being ignorant about taking out insurance policies is no excuse! Be Informed!

Picture this: you’re relaxing at home on a stormy Saturday afternoon when unexpectedly, the celling collapses! Suddenly, a flood of thoughts cross your mind: What is the first thing I do? Does my policy cover this? How am I going to pay school fees and the celling that’s now on my floor?

If you’re familiar with every aspect of your policy, you won’t need to stress about these points. Make sure you protect yourself as a home owner before taking out a policy.

Draw up questions you need answers

Being responsible about your home insurance means doing the relevant research – do you know the difference between household insurance and building insurance? Do you understand what a premium is? What is in the fine print (Ts&Cs)? What are the inclusions and exclusions? By asking these questions you will make sure the insurer and policy is appropriate for you.

Do the relevant research

Research as much as possible before taking out a policy or committing to an insurer. Whether it’s online, speaking to independent brokers, chatting to a family member or friend you trust, it’s important you know everything about an insurer before signing on the dotted line. Discuss with your friends and family who they are insured with. Are they happy with their insurer? Do they recommend them? Often, getting “real life” experiences from family and friends is one of the best ways to really get insight in to the ins, outs, pros and cons of an insurer.

“But I didn’t read the fine print”

Being ignorant when it comes to almost any contract is not an excuse. If you read through your contracts and documents and don’t 100% understand every point, discuss the contract with someone you know and trust.

Know your rights as a consumer

Don’t feel powerless as a consumer. If you are aware of your rights you won’t feel like you’ve been taken advantage of. Should you have a query, complaint or question the short-term Ombudsman is there to help. Contact them on, http://www.osti.co.za/. To make sure any insurance claims you make go smoothly, take the time to document every step of the process. Make copies of all documents and interaction you have with your insurer as a precaution. With each conversation you have, whether it’s over the phone or face to face, follow up with an email or letter so you have a paper trail.

To find out about iWYZE’s insurance plans, speak to a consultant by calling 0860 93 94 93

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