Seesam Kindlustus still stonewalling

After failing to reply to my e-mails for nearly two weeks, I decided to send the Estonian insurance company Seesam Kindlustus a warning, that failure to respond would lead to me starting a procedure against them. That seemed to trigger a response, and I got an e-mail back, but from a different person this time. That person at first actually seemed to try to answer some questions, although it was just better formulated, she didn't really answer any question but one.

The one point that she did answer, is that any compensation paid by Seesam Kindlustus in money will be without VAT. Which I find quite unacceptable, when I go to a shop I have to pay VAT. Why would I have to pay the VAT part of repair costs out of my own pocket!?

I mailed back for clarification about the other questions that were still open (questions I already had asked 1.5 months ago btw), including:

- To provide me with the details of the repairs they are proposing, so as to judge whether these will return my car into it's pre-accident condition to my satisfaction. Something I have asked from the start but have never received an answer to.

- To confirm that while my car is unavailable for repairs (possibly 2 or 3 days) they will provide for or pay alternative transportation for me.

You'd think that it wasn't very difficult to answer the questions I asked. It's either "Yes we will" or "no we won't". It's quite simple really, but apparently not simple enough for Seesam Kindlustus, or maybe they just do not like the fact that I dare to question them. I say that because I got this typical Soviet style response:

Thank you for your e-mail.
We are explain this situation and law as well as possible and we are made our proposals.

We are still waiting your decision - do you want the repair of the vehicle or compensation in money.

In other words, they are just ignoring my questions again. And as her predecessor did, she is also trying to force me to decide between two options, neither of which are acceptable (and in typical Soviet bureaucracy style nothing else is possible). I am supposed to choose for repair works they haven't provided me any details about or choose for taking a monetary compensation that amounts to maybe 50% of the actual damages resulting from the accident. Yeah right!

They just can't get it in their heads that I want fair compensation for my losses. I don't think I should carry any of the costs resulting from this accident (I shouldn't have to pay the VAT, I shouldn't have to pay for alternative transport while my car is not available to me and the repairs should bring my car back into pre-accident state or at least compensate fairly for the damages caused). They are the insurance company for the responsible party and should pay for that, not me. I don't think that's an unreasonable demand.

It's also pretty incredible that an accident that happened 2.5 months ago, still hasn't been dealt with, and all this time I am driving around in a damaged car, thanks to Seesam Kindlustus. Maybe I should put a sticker on my car "Seesam Kindlustus refuses to pay" or "Seesam Kindlustus Ei Maksa" as it would be in Estonian?

I have so had it with that company! The way Seesam Kindlustus deals with customers is just rude beyond belief! Obviously in an effort to minimize their costs and dissuade people from trying to get fair compensation, they stonewall by not answering questions, and try to force people to choose between two bad options.

My advice to everybody reading this, avoid doing any business with Seesam Kindlustus, take your business elsewhere as soon as you can. If you still have to deal with this unethical company because like in my case the other party was insured through them, complain and go the the insurance dispute committee, just like I will probably have to do. Don't let them get away with it! Bad companies, like Seesam Kindlustus, need to be made aware that they can't treat people like that, and if they don't change, they should go bankrupt.

Boycott Seesam - The Case Against Seesam Kindlustus?

The Boycott Seesam blog has been created to follow a particular case of bad customer service by the Estonian insurance company Seesam Kindlustus AS. I am planning to document here the process of the case as well as discover what rights the victims of car accidents in Estonia actually have.

Since I am going to have to delve into the details of Estonian law anyway, I might as well share my findings with the general public. Is it true, as Seesam Kindlustus claims, that in Estonia the victim of a car accident has to bare part of the costs that result from an accident or does Estonian law protect the victim and is Seesam Kindlustus just trying to weasel out of its obligations?

Regardless of the answer to that question, however, one thing is clear, Seesam Kindlustus doesn't like you to question their policies. Their replies to enquiries are invariably curt and aimed at giving you as little information as possible (usually by simply ignoring the question).

To explain how it all started, and how the idea of creating Boycott Seesam came about, here is a copy of my initial post on another forum:

Early January I had an accident, where a person drove into my car from behind when I had stopped for a pedestrian. Not only did that person start to curse in Russian at me with some foul words, but then realizing I was a foreigner he switched to English and said some more colorful things about me and my mother. And what's more he complained that I had stopped for "just one pedestrian"!!! Can you believe it? So I had to call the police. He then complained that I had called the police. He also said he was a "business man" and was in a hurry. A prime example of a self centered person having no consideration for others, and putting other people's life in danger.

Unfortunately this negative experience didn't end there, his insurance company (Seesam Kindlustus) is basically refusing to compensate all the damages caused to me by this accident. According to them I as the victim of this accident have to carry part of the costs and losses resulting from an accident caused by this foul mouthed self centered motorist!

I have tried to communicate with the insurance company (Seesam Kindlustus) via E-mail about these issues, but basically they refuse to answer any of my questions or deal with any of my concerns! When I refer to expenses and costs resulting from the accident, they just ignore it. After several attempts I got an e-mail back that contained these juicy responses:

If you think i have time argue and wright comments and all information whatever clients ask then you are wrong. [...] If you think that we dont have been clientfriendly or honest then i disagree. If you have some complains that you lost time and money about this aacident then you have oppurtunity ask compensation in the court at the quilty driver.

That's customer service from Seesam Kindlustus for you, they don't have time to answer any questions, want to stick the costs of the accident on you, try to deflect your complaints to their customer (doesn't he know what insurance companies are for?) And to top it all off, they believe that they provide good customer service! I guess their customer service standards must be very very low.

It's rude and disrespectful to just ignore what people ask and refuse to answer any questions. Without doubt the "customer service" from Seesam Kindlustus is the worst customer service I have experienced in my life!