Appalling, Unprofessional Service from Neil Govender Attorneys - A Warning to All

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1 Star - If zero was an option, I would use it)

Company Reviewed: Neil Govender Attorney's (Appointed by FNB for Third-Party Claims)

Reviewed By: Mthetho

Date of Experience: May 2024 - Ongoing

I am writing this review to warn anyone who might have the misfortune of dealing with Neil Govender Attorneys, particularly their representative, Ms. Shaylin Padayachee. This firm is appointed by FNB to handle their third-party insurance claims, and my experience has been nothing short of disgraceful.

Timeline of Failure:

· 21 May 2024: I was involved in an accident where an FNB customer drove into my car from his yard. · May-June 2024: I was referred to Neil Govender Attorneys. I promptly provided Ms. Padayachee with every single document, photo, and piece of information she requested within days of the initial request. · By July 2024: They had confirmed they possessed everything they needed to process my claim. · from August 2024- Mid-August 2025: For over a year, I sent numerous emails seeking a simple update or resolution. My communications were met with silence, delays, and generic non-responses. · Mid-August 2025: The only time I received any proper engagement was when I began copying their client, FNB, on my emails. Ms. Padayachee then had the audacity to request that I stop including FNB, a demand I rightly ignored. · 19 August 2025, After months of waiting, I received a settlement offer letter from Ms. Padayachee (conveniently sent without FNB copied). The offer was an insulting R11,000 for a vehicle with a market value exceeding R90,000. The letter provided no justification, no assessment report, and no explanation for this derisory figure. The documents attached to this offer were dated July 2024, proving this claim could and should have been resolved over a year ago.

This is not just poor service; it is a calculated strategy of delay and obfuscation in the hope that claimants will give up or accept a lowball offer. A quick look at other online reviews shows this is their standard, shameful mode of operation for third-party claims.

As a long-standing FNB customer, I am utterly disappointed that my bank would partner with such an ************ and unprofessional firm. It reflects terribly on FNB's values and their duty of care, not just to their own clients, but to the members of the public those clients injure or damage.

Once this matter is finally resolved, I will be closing my Aspire account and cancelling my FNB credit card. It is sad to leave a bank I've been with for years, but I cannot in good conscience continue to support a institution that enables this kind of behaviour.

I would not recommend Neil Govender Attorneys to my worst enemy. They are ***********, uncommunicative, and operate in bad faith. FNB, you need to seriously reconsider this partnership.