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-   -   The Ninja & me - 2015 Kawasaki Ninja 650! (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/superbikes-imports/161955-ninja-me-2015-kawasaki-ninja-650-a-6.html)

Just a little above 1 year 6 months. :(

The CBR650F has Nissin hardware. Will be a nice jugaad retrofit if you can put the CBR's front rims on the N650. Its entirely possible that the rims are being sourced from the same supplier as both these bikes are being brought in from Thailand.

So, after almost two weeks I get the dreaded letter from ICICI Lombard's Mumbai office. I knew the claim was rejected as confirmed by the surveyor Chandra Deshpande, but I almost died laughing at the reason given for rejection :uncontrol



Look at the what the letter head says - "Nibhaye Vaade"! Seriously? These guys are the biggest insurance scam artists! :mad:

So, who has experience taking such a case to the Insurance Ombudsman? Guidance bheri bheri appreciated!

Hello Anil, I haven't had any experience with insurance claims. But I just downloaded their Claim Form and there is a clause which says that insurance will be covered if the accident is caused by external means. I am not sure what they mean by external means (probably a third party) - but I am guessing they would have listed what is and what is not "external means". You can try and check with them as to what do they mean by "external means" and then take the case forward.

Edit : "External Means" could be things which are external to the vehicle involved. ICICI claims that the insurance will not cover normal wear and tear and electrical/electronic or mechanical breakdowns. Probably because these are not external factors - these are factors internal to the vehicle or part of the vehicle. In the case of a pothole - this cannot be an internal factor or means and is clearly external. It's beyond the vehicles or the riders control - so by all means it should be treated as an External factor.

Thanks Allen!

I'll call them and get clarity before taking the case to the Ombudsman.

Update on the insurance thingy: wrote to ICICI Lombard's support email address and also another which the higher-up's have access to. Got a response from one of their case managers that they're looking into it and will provide a resolution by 13th December. Fingers crossed.

Meanwhile, got the EBC brake pads for the bike:



Will fit them later as the stock pads have about 3-4K worth life left in them; will mostly before March next year, before I head to CSS. Will have to check for braided brake lines as well.

Also got a cover for Toothless so she can have a cozy night during the winter :p and keep her away from dust.









The size L fits correctly for the Ninja 650.

Iron, how much were the brake pads? Where did you source it from? Its double the price in India. Real madness.

I wrote to EBC and they told me they have only one distributor in India, Nagpur based MotoUsher. The price is ₹3,300 a piece, which is more than 1k above the price you get in Amazon dot com (sells for $30.95). Overpriced would be an understatement.

Update on the insurance fraud by ICICI :D

I had written to them ICICI asking them to provide an explanation for the rejection of my claim and I had received one of those most concerned and apologetic we're sorry for the inconvenience and we're working on your case emails from one Ms. Ashwini Gade.



Today being 13th December and the date they promised a resolution to the case, I get a call from the surveyor, Chandra Deshpande, which was surprising. He asks if I got the letter dated Nov 23rd (posted above). I ask him why is he asking about the letter which is old news, he tells me that he was asked by ICICI a day before to call me and tell me that there is nothing more they intend to do on the issue that I had escalated on and that the claim remains rejected.

He again tells me that no insurance company will ever approve such a claim. That is when I tell him that one of my friends and BHPian had a similar wheel bent and that his claim was cleared within a month by Oriental Insurance! He tells me I should have told him that earlier and he would have approved the claim. I'm confused here - there is no scientific approach towards approving or disapproving a insurance claim? Is it solely based on the surveyor's whims and fancy?

So, I grab my laptop after the unpleasant call and I write back to Ms. Ashwini asking for an explanation - I deserved one!



Looks like this means war :mad:

Anil

You should definitely approach the ombudsman, alloys are reinforced metal and supposed to endure wear and tear and definitely not spontaneously crack/bend by regular usage. Only a so called external means - encountering a pot hole or a solid object can cause metal to bend or break. Given how much your bike has run so far, its difficult for them to argue that the damage is due to regular wear and tear.

Familiarize yourself with the policy t&c and write to the ombudsman. The IRDA is a strong watchdog and insurance itself in India is a highly regulated industry.

Hey! Long time no see! Hope you're well :)


I just got a response from ICICI Lombard.



I don't believe this people! :uncontrol

I think I'll approach IRDA first and then take it forward from there.

And this is my response to them.



This is what I found on their site:





So, if one were to deduce using common sense, my wheel was bent when it hit a pothole which was on a road (laid by PWD I guess), which according to the rest of the world is an external factor. So, my claim should be valid and honoured. But ICICI says No.

I guess I'll wait for their explanation, because I just can't get my head around it :D


OT:
Found this on the internet - a case against ICICI Lombard at the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.

Not that it would help you, but thankfully Kawasaki guys seem to have moved their business to Liberty Videocon.

I specifically made sure to confirm they aren't going to give me ICICI, after reading through all of their lame responses in reply to your case. :Frustrati

Perhaps off-topic but the kawasaki website doesn't list any "showroom" in Mumbai :(

See, I'm already helping people not waste their money :D

IIRC, when I got my bike, ICICI Lombard was the only one offered by the dealer. Well, I'm wiser now, but a costly lesson indeed. I think I'll put this on Facebook so more people come to know about these fraudsters and don't end up like me.