Bad experience with 'Rest Superanuation'

[Guest ozzie]

Nothing to do with aviation but just want to give anyone that belongs to "Rest Super" a heads up to change to another provider.

 

Earlier this year in february i lost my younger brother unexpectantly to cancer. He wasn't rich and had very little in his fund. Under a grand. But that's irrevelant.

 

I am the last of our family so proceesing the claim should have been a simple affair of filling out the form i was given and providing the paperwork asked for on the form. Well i have been totally dicked around by this mob, every couple of months another letter wanting another certified copy of a birth/death/marriage certificate for all members of my deceased family. First mother then father then sister. One would think that they would ask for these all at the same time but no, they drag it out with individual requests about 6 weeks apart. Then they decide they need another certified copy of my drivers licence with current residential address as the one i sent them with the original form at the begining had expired while going through the process. Then another 6 weeks goes by and they decide that's not enough, so now they want a certified copy of a utility bill showing the same addy as that on the licence. The money is not important to me. Myself and his close friends decided long ago to give it to his charity 'Care Flight' that he spent way to much time helping out in between his piss poor paid social worker job. I can't help but think 'what if'. It feels just like the usual 'stall' tatics an insurance company does. Are they doing this sort of thing to a family that need to settle quick to keep a house over their heads? Can you see my point?

 

I have found the whole processs so far pretty stressfull. Just when i think it's almost all behind me, off we go again. I have dealt with my brother's bank, centrelink and the ATO and all were finalised quickly and compasionatly with either one visit or a letter.

 

If something happened to you, how would your benificary be treated? Like i am? I've lodged a complaint. But maybe this post might help others avoid going through what i have. It has not been a pleasant experience.

 

Ozzie

 

 

[Riley]

Nothing to do with aviation but just want to give anyone that belongs to "Rest Super" a heads up to change to another provider.Earlier this year in february i lost my younger brother unexpectantly to cancer. He wasn't rich and had very little in his fund. Under a grand. But that's irrevelant.

I am the last of our family so proceesing the claim should have been a simple affair of filling out the form i was given and providing the paperwork asked for on the form. Well i have been totally dicked around by this mob, every couple of months another letter wanting another certified copy of a birth/death/marriage certificate for all members of my deceased family. First mother then father then sister. One would think that they would ask for these all at the same time but no, they drag it out with individual requests about 6 weeks apart. Then they decide they need another certified copy of my drivers licence with current residential address as the one i sent them with the original form at the begining had expired while going through the process. Then another 6 weeks goes by and they decide that's not enough, so now they want a certified copy of a utility bill showing the same addy as that on the licence. The money is not important to me. Myself and his close friends decided long ago to give it to his charity 'Care Flight' that he spent way to much time helping out in between his piss poor paid social worker job. I can't help but think 'what if'. It feels just like the usual 'stall' tatics an insurance company does. Are they doing this sort of thing to a family that need to settle quick to keep a house over their heads? Can you see my point?

 

I have found the whole processs so far pretty stressfull. Just when i think it's almost all behind me, off we go again. I have dealt with my brother's bank, centrelink and the ATO and all were finalised quickly and compasionatly with either one visit or a letter.

 

If something happened to you, how would your benificary be treated? Like i am? I've lodged a complaint. But maybe this post might help others avoid going through what i have. It has not been a pleasant experience.

 

Ozzie

Ozzie

It would be a shame if you haven't cc'd a copy of this post to the Gen Mgr of "Rest Super' as surely he'd have to be interested in what 9000 forumites now know about their way of doing business? Wishing you good luck for an imminent conclusion.

 

 

[Gibbo]

Been fighting them for the past two years to transfer a five figure amount to another superfund. Same sort of stupid requests about six weeks apart.

 

Suspect their company policy is to delay at all costs. Pyramid scam behavoiur : Put your money in but don't try and take it out.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

About an hour ago i recieved a phone call from the head of claims at Rest Super. I did indeed get an apology from her. That made me feel better. But now i feel like a complete 'wally'. She then continued to explain why they had taken so long and why they had asked for all that information as they had over the last 9 months. She then added that the 900 or so dollars from my brother's super fund was only a part of the settlement and that there was also an insurance payout that i was totally unaware of and they had to make absolutly sure i was the only one to benefit from that. I won't mention the figure.

 

I am not a religious person but my brother was, so i will ask God to bless and care for "Bloke". Life will be a little easier now.

 

Ozzie

 

 

[kaz3g]

Nothing to do with aviation but just want to give anyone that belongs to "Rest Super" a heads up to change to another provider...

Hi Ozzie

 

Terribly sorry for your loss.

 

I suggest you immediate;ly contact the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal http://www.sct.gov.au/ and speak to them about this mob's poor approach to their responsibilities. I suspect they will also charge for the "work" they have done to protect your brother's affiars.

 

Good luck

 

kaz

 

 

[Bandit12]

Hi Ozzie

 

Don't feel like too much of a wally. It is understandable that they need to be thorough, but that doesn't excuse poor practices and dragging it out for so long. They would have known all of the requirements right from the start, and it would have been so much simpler to be clear from the start what they expected you to submit to process the claim.

 

 

[kgwilson]

It is reasonable for a Super fund or Insurer to want to be sure of correct identification but to take 9 months is totally unreasonable so you should feel completely justified in your actions Ozzie.

 

Over the years I have had similar issues with such institutions. I requested details of the high annual fees charged by my Super Fund about 5 years ago. I got fobbed off & treated like a parasite. I retaliated by closing my fund and setting up a Self Managed Super Fund. Since then their fees have increased, their returns have gone through the floor and my Self Managed fund investments have soared with the only fees being my annual Accountants fee and (compulsory) Audit, less than 0.3% of the fund.

 

 

[drifter45]

I'm not suspicious by nature but it seems an amazing coincidence that the day after you posted on this forum you receive an apologetic phone call. Would it be beyond the realm of possibility that an executive of Rest Super might be a member or lurker on this site? Glad that it looks like your ordeal is over.

 

John