Dear Claudienne

In May 2017 I got a loan and purchased a 2012 white Toyota Corolla Axio valued at $1,980,000. The vehicle was comprehensively insured with Advantage General Insurance Company.

Although I worked in Montego Bay, my permanent home address was in Clarendon and the car was mostly kept in May Pen in the care of my older brother who is a licensed security guard. The vehicle was installed with a car alarm, kill switch and tracking device on the same day I collected it from the car mart. The installation was done by an electrician who had installed car alarms before for my brother.

On Friday, October 20, 2017, with my permission, a mutual friend of ours used the car to visit his family. This was done on the premise that I was coming home to May Pen, as I normally do, and that I would be collecting the car.

However, on the morning of October 21, 2017, sometime after 4:00 am my brother called and advised me that the car was missing from where it had been parked. I immediately made attempts to track the car, but this was unsuccessful. I then told him to report the loss to the police station and I would be there shortly.

I was in May Pen by 7:00 am and met the other parties at the police station, where we reported the theft of the car and gave and signed police statements.

The theft of the car was reported to the insurance company’s May Pen office on Monday, October 23, 2017.

In November 2017 I was contacted by a man who said he had been assigned by the insurance company to investigate my claim/case. We arranged for an interview/meeting around my work schedule .

At his request I provided him with information as to how my brother could be contacted. and we had no further communication after that encounter.

In January 2018, I contacted the insurance company for an update and was advised that the investigator was still carrying out his investigation.

There was no communication from the company and I contacted them for an update on numerous occasions. In March 2018. I was advised that the investigator’s report was still outstanding. The agent I spoke with at that time contacted the investigator, who told him that the report was still outstanding because he was finding it difficult to reach my brother.

I then contacted the investigator and arranged for him to meet with my brother. They met on April 20, 2018, in Portmore, St Catherine.

I waited a while before contacting the company and when I eventually contacted them I was advised that the report was still outstanding.

Then finally it got to a point where the company gave the investigator a deadline to hand in the report by May 30, 2018.

After the company gave the investigator a deadline for the report he contacted me; as a result, I had some concerns. which I immediately relayed to the company in writing.

The report was eventually handed in sometime between late May or early June, 2018.

On October 04, 2018, I received the following communication:

“Reference is made to the above loss which we had investigated.

“Our investigation into this matter is now concluded and, based on the findings thereof we have concluded that this loss is not fortuitous.

“In light of the above we will not be in a position to offer you a settlement at this time.”

I would appreciate your guidance as to how to proceed to get the insurance company to review and settle my claim, and for them to actually honour the comprehensive coverage

NH

Dear NH

The Tell Claudienne has been in communication with a claims manager at Advantage General Insurance Company in regard to your issues. In November the claims manager advised that you write to the company and request a review of your case. We note that you wrote and made the request for the review of your claim. After the claims manager acknowledged receipt of your review request he told Tell Claudienne that your claim would be reinvestigated.

When Tell Claudienne spoke to the claims manager in February 2019 he said that the company had received the report of the reinvestigation and that it was being studied.

The column notes that your claim has been approved, so please go to their office and sign the release.

We wish you all the best.