Stor-Age Waterfall: SASRIA Claims Process FAQ

 

1. How do I claim?

The documentation as outlined below under points a-e, should be emailed to our insurance broker at the following email address: sasriaclaims@intasure.co.za. The subject of the email must take the following format: Stor-Age Waterfall – <your unit number>. When emailing your claim form, please attach all supporting documents such as replacement quotes, proof of ownership etc.

1. A completed claim form which you can download or print here. Note point 2 below – do not repeat your list of damaged or stolen items in the claims form.
2. A list of contents destroyed or stolen from your unit. Note: You will need to confirm a replacement value of each item. Please provide this list in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet or Word document. Do not complete this list on the claims form.
3. Quotes supporting the replacement value of stolen or destroyed items. Online quotes are acceptable for this purpose.  
4. Proof of ownership where possible. This may take the form of purchase receipts, photos, historical or current insurance policies (i.e. Homeowner or business policies). Other reasonable documentation will be submitted for consideration. This will assist in expediting the claims process although it is not a necessity.
5. An affidavit signed by a commissioner of oaths that the goods have not been, nor will be, claimed under any other insurance policy. 

 

2. I do not have copies of the receipts for the goods lost as they were destroyed in the fire or lost over many years of acquiring the items. Will this prejudice my claim?

Any proof of ownership that can be provided (such as receipts, photos or other documentation) may help with faster finalisation of the process. Based on our discussions with Intasure, we understand that should you not be able to provide this information, your claim should not be prejudiced.

 

3. What information needs to be contained on the affidavit?

The affidavit is a declaration required from Intasure that you have and will not submit a claim for the same items under another insurance policy. The affidavit should contain:

• Your name
• Your ID number or the relevant company information
• Your unit number
• A declaration that you have and will not submit a claim for the same items under any other insurance policy

 

4. Do I need to get formal quotes for every item lost?

Formal quotes are not required. Screenshots from retailer websites will suffice. Should the insurance assessor feel additional information is required, he will request on a case-by-case basis.

 

5. Why is the bank details section greyed out on the claim form? 

The SASRIA policy is in the name of Stor-Age. Once claims are finalised, they will be paid over to Stor-Age who will then make payments to customers along with supporting documentation from the insurer. At this stage, Stor-Age will confirm with its customers the appropriate banking details to be used.

 

6. I am overseas. How do I submit my claim?

Should you have a friend or family member that can assist, this is possibly worth considering, however there is no reason you cannot submit your claim from abroad. We can assist with photographs and other information relating to your unit. Further to this, please note the following:

• All documentation can be submitted via email as outlined in point 1 above
• Screenshots from retailer websites can be used to support replacement value
• An affidavit from abroad will be acceptable

 

7. How long will the claims process take?

The events that unfolded in South Africa recently are unprecedented since the establishment of SASRIA in 1979. With SASRIA being the only insurer to cover this event, the volume and complexity of claims is likely to stretch their operational limits and therefore there is no way for us to provide an estimate of the timeframe. Based on known factors, it is reasonable to assume it is likely to be a slow process. We are and will continue to actively drive this process in conjunction with our insurance broker. 

 

8. The tenant insurance scheme as per the lease agreement references separate limits for theft and fire. Which limit will apply to my claim?

Stor-Age has structured the SASRIA cover to ensure the higher limit relating to fire damage is applied irrespective of whether the goods are destroyed or stolen. 

 

9. Is my parking bay/vehicle covered?

Unfortunately not. Motor vehicles, boats, caravans and other similar items are expressly excluded from the policy. These items should be covered under the personal or business insurance policy of the owner. We advise that you consult with your own insurance broker.

 

10. How much am I insured for?

The cover is aligned to the customer goods programme. We understand from Intasure, that the claim will be determined with reference to the value declared by the tenant for insurance purposes, but subject to the overall fire limit under the programme. Should the value of items lost exceed this limit, we recommend you complete the claim form based on the total value of the loss which will be submitted to the assessor for consideration. The final claim amount is determined by the assessor/insurance company and is not within the control of Stor-Age. Please also refer to point 11.

 

11. I have itemised the goods lost and the value exceeded what I declared on my lease agreement. Should I submit the full list of items lost or will this prejudice my claim?

Please submit the complete listing of goods lost. Intasure has confirmed that the “average” principle does not apply and claimants will not be prejudiced.

 

12. What is the SAPS case number?

The case number is: 121/07/2021. 

The above case number can be used for claims being submitted under the Stor-Age SASRIA policy. If you are submitting a claim under your own insurance policy, you may need to open your own case number with SAPS.

 

13. If the items in my unit weren’t stolen but were burnt/damaged, are they covered?

Yes, they are covered. Please follow the same process irrespective of whether goods were destroyed by fire or stolen.

 

14. Do I need to take photos of my unit/vehicle before I remove it/them?

As per point 9, motor vehicles, boats, caravans and other similar items are expressly excluded from Stor-Age’s SASRIA policy. These items should be covered under the personal or business insurance policy of the owner. We advise you to document as much information as possible should this be required from your insurance broker.

 

15. Can I remove items that are at risk of further damage and will this impact my cover?

As long as photographs have been taken to document the content of the unit, it is our understanding that insurers will not penalize the claim as we try to clean up the property and take control of the damage

 

16. If the goods were taken out of my unit by the looters and left in the passageways/road, are they covered?

As with “non-SASRIA” type claims in the past, we understand that losses will be adjusted to accommodate items that are recovered in reasonable shape

 

17. What if Stor-Age throws away/cleans up my items that are outside my unit before they are photographed?

As separately communicated, Stor-Age has implemented a comprehensive and controlled process to ensure, as much as possible, no remaining goods or personal effects are destroyed and that owners are reunited with their possessions wherever possible.

 

18. I took my unit when Stor Town were the owners and did not offer any insurance, or prior to the introduction of the Stor-Age insurance scheme. Am I covered? If so to what value?

To protect our customers, Stor-Age did include all tenants under the SASRIA policy. Customers are to follow the same process to log their claims via Intasure (see point 1). The final settlement value of the claim in these instances will be determined by the assessor based on the merits of each case, but will be subject to the same limits as the standard customer goods programme. Customers are urged to ensure their claims documentation submitted is as comprehensive as possible to help facilitate this process.

 

19. My Stor-Age lease agreement does not reflect a declared amount.  Am I still covered?

Please refer to point 18 above. In this instance the same process will apply.

 

20. Can we claim for more than our standard policy cover because it is going through SASRIA?

The SASRIA policy was aligned to the terms of the tenant insurance scheme. As such the same limitations apply. Refer to point 10 above.

 

21. What advice can you give on getting my insurance claim processed and approved?

Given the volume of claims being registered across the country with SASRIA, we advise customers to complete their claims documentation as comprehensively as possible and to submit as a matter of urgency. Piecemeal submission of the documentation i.e. submitting the claim form today and the list of items and replacements values at a later date, will result in inefficiencies in the processes. Intasure is only able to refer the claim to the assessor once all required documentation has been received.

 

22. Are we insured for theft / fire / one or both – can we claim for both simultaneously?

Refer to point 8 above.

 

23. We rented under a business name. Is this domestic or commercial insurance and does commercial insurance pay out more?

The cover and claims process remains the same irrespective of whether the unit is rented by an individual or a business. We do however advise that should you have your own business (commercial) insurance policy in place, you liaise with your own insurance broker to ascertain if you have additional cover in place.

 

24. How do you / can you put a value against sentimental items or hobby items?

Unfortunately, insurance is only able to provide a financial response to events. Not everything can be measured in monetary terms and, unfortunately, items of a sentimental nature fall into this category.

 

25. What if you don’t know what is in your unit as you inherited the unit?

We understand that this is a unique and challenging situation, however as with any insurance claim the insurer does require a list of items lost. We can only suggest you do your best to list any items you can, even if only able to group into general categories. The assessor will then have to look at the specific circumstance surrounding your claim.  

 

26. Does clause 1.5 under the insurance addendum in the lease agreement in respect of RIOTS mean that even under SASRIA we are not covered?

No, as noted in earlier correspondence Stor-Age took out SASRIA cover to protect our tenants against losses of this nature.

 

Important notice

The recent civil unrest is unprecedented. Stor-Age has never claimed from SASRIA before and we are thus not necessarily familiar with the SASRIA claims process and their timeframes to settle claims. We have provided the above information to the best of our knowledge and belief, based on discussions with our insurance broker and the appointed assessor. As such we cannot be held be held liable or any omissions or misrepresentations, however arising. Should anything change, or new information come to light, we undertake to share this information with you as soon as possible.