About Auto and General
Auto and General or “Auto & General” was founded in 1985 and is an insurance company that focuses mainly on short term insurance products. The company is part of the large Telesure Group which also owns many other South African insurance companies, such as First for Women, Budget Insurance, Prosper, 1Life, Dial Direct Insurance, and Unity Insurance. Auto and General is led by D. G. Steyn (chairman), L. Vermaak (CEO) and T. J. Creamer (managing).
Where is Auto and General Located?
Like many of the Telesure Group companies Auto and General is located at 1 Telesure Lane, Riverglen, Dainfern, 2191.
What Services do Auto and General Insurance Offer?
With Auto and General Insurance there is a variety of insurance options. These include vehicle, home, business, personal and life insurance.
Auto and General Life Insurance Options
Whilst Auto and General life insurance options are quite simple, there are quite a few different plans to choose from. Their basic plan is called Auto and General life cover, but there are options for disability cover, funeral cover and accident cover as well.
Auto and General Pure Life Cover Basic
The basic Auto and General life insurance policy is called Life Cover Basic, and the main features of this policy are as follows:
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Policy pays out between R50,000 and R200,000 in the event of death;
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Also pays out R25 000 within 48 hours of a claim to help cover funeral expenses;
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Should a terminal illness be diagnosed with the patient having less than 12 months to live the entire cover amount will be paid out immediately;
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Accidental death is covered immediately, death by natural causes and suicide are covered after two years;
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Coverage is whole life, so does not expire when the holder reaches a certain age;
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Premiums are fixed for the first two years of the policy;
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Coverage cannot decrease as long as the policy is active;
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Gives access to Expo-Sure, a testing and treatment programme for those accidentally exposed to HIV.
Auto and General Pure Life Cover Elevated
You can also get a higher level of coverage with the Pure Life Cover Elevated plan. This is the same as the basic plan with the exception of the following features:
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Policy pays out between R200,000 and R10 million in the event of death;
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Includes the option to increase cover if your circumstances change;
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Accidental and natural death are both covered immediately, though there's still a two year waiting period for suicide cover.
Auto and General Personal Accident Insurance
You can also opt for a personal accident policy with Auto and General. This will cover you in the event of injury, disability or death caused by an accident. The policy has these features:
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A tax free lump sum is paid out upon death or disablement;
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Hospitalisation is covered from the day of admission;
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Road Protect will help you with Road Accident Fund claims;
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Option to add a spouse or partner for discounted premiums;
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Option to add children to the policy. Children unborn to 6 years old will be covered for up to R10,000, children 6 to 14 for up to R30,000, and children 15 to 21 (up to 25 if registered as a full time student) for up to 25% of the main member's coverage;
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Access to Expo-Sure for HIV testing, counselling and treatment in case of accidental exposure.
Auto and General Funeral Plan
Auto and General also offer a Funeral Plan policy to cover funeral expenses in the event of death. This policy offers these features:
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Double payout will be given if the main member's death was due to accident;
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HIV and AIDS related deaths are covered;
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Possibility to include parents, domestic employees and parents in law to the policy;
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Repatriation within South Africa, paying for the transport of remains to the funeral home closest to the cemetery chosen by the beneficiaries.
Auto and General Occupation-Based Disablement
You can also choose Auto and General's Occupation-Based Disablement policy, which will give you financial security should a disability or illness mean that you can no longer work within your profession. The features of this policy are:
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Pay out between R200,000 and R10 million should you be permanently disabled and unable to perform your current job or any other job within your field;
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Immediate coverage that does not decrease until five years before the age of 65 or before you retire;
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Life insurance coverage will not be affected in the event of a full disablement pay out;
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Option to increase coverage amount if your life circumstances change;
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Option to add a premium waiver addition that will pay your life insurance and/or dread disease insurance premiums for up to five years should you receive a full disablement pay out.
Auto and General Event-Based Disablement
The other disablement policy available through Auto and General is not connected to your ability to work, and pay out depends only on disability through accident or injury. The features of this policy are:
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Percentage of your coverage (anywhere between R200,000 and R10 million) will be paid out depending on the kind of disability you suffer;
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Immediate coverage for accidental disablement;
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Life insurance coverage will not be affected in the event of a full disablement pay out;
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Option to increase coverage amount if your life circumstances change;
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Option to add the above mentioned premium waiver addition.
Auto and General Dread Disease Cover
Finally, you can choose a dread disease policy which will cover you in the case of diagnosis of a serious illness. This policy offers the following:
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Coverage amount is between R50,000 and R4 million;
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A percentage of the coverage amount is paid out depending on the severity of the diagnosed illness;
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Coverage is for your whole life and does not expire.
What Do Customers Think of Auto and General?
Hellopeter.com, the customer review site, shows over 1700 reviews for Auto and General over the last twelve months which is a lot of reviews compared to other insurance companies. Out of these, the vast majority were positive (1297 positive reviews out of a total of 1726) giving them a 75% positive rating on Hellopeter, which is a good rating compared to many of the companies. Many of the positive reviews speak about Auto and General's good customer service, and speedy fulfilling of claims, which is good news for potential customers. The 25% negative reviews are mainly about unfulfilled claims and almost all of them have received a response from an Auto and General representative.
How User Friendly is the Auto and General Website?
The Auto and General website is very easy to use. Navigation is simple, and insurance is divided into different categories so it's easy to find exactly what you're looking for. There's a fair amount of information available about each policy, but not so much that it's overwhelming. And each policy is explained in clear, easy to understand language. It's truly hard to find anything to criticise about this site, though the company does not show pricing information, which could be helpful for insurance shoppers.
The Auto and General website menu bar
Auto and General in a Nutshell
Auto and General Insurance, or Auto & General Insurance if you prefer, offers a range of insurance products. They have many life insurance policies to choose from, and their easy to use web site makes finding out more about their options simple. On top of this, customer reviews for Auto and General are good, with the company getting a 75% positive rating on Hellopeter. So overall they get a thumbs up from us. The only thing remaining is to check that their prices are fair compared to the other insurance companies, and the best way to do this is by getting a few quotes. You can get up to 2 Free insurance quotes by quickly completing the form on the top right.
* Disclaimer: We do not represent any of the companies, products and/or services reviewed, published or advertised on this website. Nor are we financial, health or insurance professionals or services provider. If you request a quote or purchase a product/service, it will not necessarily be given by the company reviewed on any specific page. Any decisions you make based on the information presented is at your own discretion and we advise that before doing so, you consult with the relevant professional.
Main subject: Auto and General
