Insurance policy for death cover

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Ms Julia Rasebotso passed away on 9 March 2023 (My mother in law). My husband, Albert Rasebotso, took a policy for her years ago. Unlucky for us, there was no beneficiary listed on the policy.

We only learn that when its time to claim. We were sent back to get a letter of Authority fro the master.

We have been going through that nightmare of the MAster's office in JOhaneesburg and to date we have not received the letter of authority. I wish to ask ABSA Life insurance the following questions and I hope to get an answer since we have been trying to explain to the ABSA Northgate branch but we have not been able to get any answers.

  1. Who is responsible for ensuring that there is a beneficiary on a policy? Are we now supposed to know the legalities for everything? Can I please understand the person who assisted in applying for the policy are you telling me was incompetent to even know what you regard as basic, in so that a policy was captured and has been paid for for years whithout a beneficiary waiting for the day we claim to learn that because it will benefit you as ABSA in denying the claim?
  2. Why were we at least not given the option of paying the undertaker, if not the claimant, since this policy was to be utilised for the burial, since it is a funeral cover?
  3. Has any of you been to the Gauteng Master's office and went through the ridiculous process of trying to get a letter of authority? In my opinion the offices are disfunctional. You are sent back and forth for correction of documents or amendments. You are informally asked for R1500 to get speedy assistance for a R5000 policy and if you are not paying like us you eperience lost files, someone being absent for lengthy periods and no one can assist you due to the file being handled by that official. Being asked to additional documents that are not even relevant to the request.
  4. Ms J Rasebotso has no estate that we can claim it is only this policy that is giving us the run around, in the end is it worth it?
  5. Is ABSA really that difficult and were we ABSA's first experience when we thought we chose the right bank that we have been utilising ofor years? Where we wrong in our judgement?

Boipelo Rasebotso

boipelorasebotso@gmail.com