IM
Izak M
Active since May 2021
3
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3 reviews35 months ago
Not willing to pay for operation
On the 13th of March 2023 I realized that my right knee is tender and sore, and I have difficulty to walk, and my right calf is very swollen and tender and even sore. I have made an appointment with my GP, and he send me for an ultrasound suspecting either a DVT or a Baker’s Cyst. The result of the ultrasound on the 13th of March confirmed that there are no DVT present, but that there are a Ruptured Baker’s Cyst in my right leg which caused the swollen tenderness and pain. I was prescribed Anti-Inflammatory Medicine and for a few days my leg got better, but on the 29th of March, I went back to my GP, and he referred me to a surgeon because the pain and tenderness was back again, and the surgeon again prescribed me with anti-inflammatory medicine. Again, my leg was better after a few days. However, on the 14th of April 2023, I realized that my right calf is all swollen, and that it is very painful and tender, and I have very serious pain when walking. I contacted the Surgeon, and he advised me to go straight to Eugene Marais Radiology for an Ultrasound, because he now suspected that I have a DVT in my right leg. An ultrasound was done, it was confirmed that a DVT (Blood Clot) was formed in the Peroneal Vein in my right leg. I was then rushed to Eugene Marais Hospital Emergency Department and after consulting them, I was admitted to Eugene Marais Hospital, and I got treatment for the DVT until I went home on the 19yh of April 2023. I was prescribed with Warfarin to treat the DVT and I was advised that for 6 months I must use Warfarin and to go for a Blood Test for my INR Count on a weekly basis. However, the pain in my knee persisted and on the 3rd of May 2023, I went back to my GP, and he prescribed me with pain medication for the pain in my knee. On the night of the 3rd of May 2023, I took one of the Pain pills prescribed, and went to bed. I did tell him that I am using Warfarin and that he must give me something which was allowed to be used with Warfarin. On the morning of the 4th of May 2023, I wake up not feeling well, but I went to work as usual. But during the morning of the 4th of May 2023, I became more ill, and my wife was called to take me to my GP. The school nurse tested my Blood Pressure, and it was found to be very high. My GP again send me to Eugene Marais Radiology for an Ultrasound and X-Rays because he was concerned that the DVT (Blood Clot) got loose and travelled through my body to the lungs or heart. An ultrasound was done, and this revealed that the DVT is still located in my right calf, but it was smaller as previously found. Again, I was sent home for some rest, but the pain in my knee and the difficulty in walking, persisted. Since then, I have been in pain constantly, while having huge difficulty in walking and standing. On the 16th of May, I got an appointment with another GP in Pretoria, to get a 2nd opinion on the pain and difficulty in walking. When consulting him, he immediately advised me that he is confident that there is a torn Cartlidge (meniscus) in my right knee. He also asked my if anybody ever send me for an MRI scan of my leg since the 13th of March 2023 when I first went to the GP He also told me that the torn Cartlidge (Meniscus) is most probably the cause of the Baker’s Cyst which probably caused the DVT, and obviously also caused the pain and difficulty when walking. According to various INTERNET Sources, a torn Meniscus can cause a Baker’s Cyst which in turn can cause a DVT. The GP then referred me as an emergency case to a well-known Orthopedic Surgeon in Pretoria for an unscheduled consultation. This was done immediately because of the constant pain I am suffering due to my knee. I did not get any authorization from Discovery for this, because your rules stipulate 2 to 3 days for authorization. This was not a route to follow as the GP advised me not to wait and get treated immediately. The Surgeon suspected that there is a Meniscus tear in my knee, and he sent me to Capital Radiology in Pretoria for an MRI Scan of my leg. The MRI scan revealed that there is indeed a torn Meniscus in my right Knee and to solve this, the Surgeon arrange for an Arthroscopy for the 24th of May 2023 in the Life Groen Kloof Hospital in Pretoria. When contacting Discovery yesterday, I was informed that Discovery does not pay for any surgical procedures of the knee or shoulder, therefor this Arthroscopy cannot be done. It is also mentioned that Life Groen Kloof Hospital is not on your list of Hospitals, but this is something which I think can be solved. I did lodge a request for review to Discovery, but when talking to a consultant from Discovery, I was told that even if i request a review of the claim, it will immediately be declined because it is not covered by the plan I am on. I am on Keycare Plus and apparently an Arthroscopy is not part of the PMB. I was also told that I can wait till end of 2023 to change my plan to a higher or better plan which includes an Arthroscopy as a procedure. Does Discovery really expect me to walk and live in constant pain until I can change plans? I was also told that I must speak to the Surgeon to see if there are other ways to fix the torn Meniscus. With all the above-mentioned facts in mind, my question to you is the following: "Why is Discovery willing and able to pay for all the above-mentioned treatments for the Baker’s Cyst, the DVT, the blood tests, the hospitalization, the x-rays, the ultrasounds, and the GP consultations, but you can’t pay or allow me to have an operation to fix the root cause of the Baker’s Cyst and subsequently the forming of the DVT and then Hospitalization? I think Discovery is only worried about money and that they don't care about human life. They are very quick to take the monthly premium, but thing like this makes me believe that the latter is true.
106 replies
49 months ago
Planet 42 are Thieves!!
PLANET 42 took my monthly premium today on the 14th of April in stead of the 20th as per my signed contract! Nowhere was it communicated that they will be deducting the premium earlier! I don't care if they claim a reason for this to be the upcoming Easter weekend!! I am only getting paid on the 20th of each month, which means that they have taken the last money that i had left for the month! I just cant get them to refund me! I will also as soon as possible, get out of the deal with PLANET 42!
74 replies
60 months ago
Bad Service and Communication
I have a 2006 Mercedes c200K. I started having trouble with the key of the car. Finally when the key broke and I got stranded with the car not able to unlock and start, I approached Mercedes Benz Fountains in Pretoria and explained my situation to them. By means of their Spares supervisor called Athen Davids, I was advised to buy a new Key from them, (which will be coded against the VIN number of the vehicle) and then the key will start the car. I ordered the key on Monday the 3rd of May 2021, paid R3025-00 and fetch the new key on Tuesday the 4th of May 2021. I was told that i just need to take the key and open and start the car. I could not open the car, nor start the car with the new key from Mercedes. When I put the key into the ignition, all i got was a message on the display of the instrument cluster saying "Key Teach-in in progress. Please wait" I have waited for some time and still nothing happened. I phone Mercedes Fountains and it took more than 30 minutes before I could get somebody to help me. Not one of the workshop staff answered their phones. Athen Davids was not available to help. After a few fruitless attempts to speak to somebody, I got hold of somebody called Greg from the Admin department, which, while I was on the phone with him, tried to ask a few guys at the workshop and not one of them could give me a clear answer to the problem. At last somebody told Greg that according to him, I have to put the key in the ignition and wait between 30 to 60 minutes and then the car would start. Again, this was not communicated to be by Athen Davids. I left the key in the ignition for almost 20 hours and still the same message was displayed and the key did not work. On Wednesday the 5th of May 2021 I contacted Mercedes again and spoke to Greg, which advised me that he thinks I must bring the car to them and book it in to check. Because he told me that it is not possible, because they only order a key and normally it works. They did not know or indicate to me why the key did not work the way they explained to me. I arrange then with a towing company to load the car on a truck and the car was taken to Mercedes Fountains at a cost of R850-00 on Wednesday the 5th of May 2021. I was also informed by the Service advisor called Ilke after I booked the car in, that there was a Service Fee of R1800-00 to be paid should I decide not to fix the car with them. This was not communicated to me by Greg or by Ilke before booking the car in. At around 11:25 on Thursday the 6th of May 2021 I received a SMS Message informing me that they are busy programming the key and that they would only be able to test after the key was programmed. (I thought the key was already programmed!!) I was told this would take some time. At 13:37 I received another SMS Message saying that the programming is still in process and that it will still take some time. At around 17:00 on the 6th of May 2021 I visited the Service department and I got to speak to Charles Nyland. He advised me that he was the Workshop manager. I explained my situation to him to which he replied that he know about my car being there, but he don’t know what is happening with the car or what the status of the car is. I explained to him that I was not happy with the way Athen Davids communicated to me about buying a new key and the process on setting up the new key. I also mentioned to him my unhappiness with the Service Fee. I told him that Athen Davids insisted that all I need to do was to buy a key and it WILL start the car. Athen Davids did see my old key and I did explain the situation to him. So Athen Davids was fully informed by me about the problem. Charles Nyland informed me that he will look into the problem and asked me to phone him at 09:00 on Friday the 7th of May 2021. Just before 09:00 on Friday, Charles Nyland phoned me informing me that according to the workshop, the EIS unit of the car was faulty and that it need to be replaced. According to him, they are confident that the EIS unit in the car has been reprogrammed by private individuals and that the faulty key I was using was not an original Mercedes key. Again, lack of communication happened as this was not communicated to me by Athen Davids. Even after I have shown him my faulty key, he did not say anything else than informed me to buy a new key. I told Charles Nyland that I don’t agree with him about the EIS and also told him that I don’t have R18000-00 to replace the EIS unit. That was the figures they quoted me. I then arrange for the car to be taken by truck again at a cost of R850—to a private Auto Electrician in Rietfontein in Pretoria on Friday the 7th of May 2021. The Auto Electrician looked at the car and informed me that the way he sees this situation, he will need to reprogram the EIS unit to read the new key bought from Mercedes. Something he had done in the past and something that is very easily possible. I told him to go ahead and program the unit for the amount of R2500-00. On Monday the 10th of May 2021 I was informed by the Auto Electrician that he can’t program the key supplied by Mercedes, because the key is faulty. H was able to program a aftermarket key to the original EIS unit in the car and this key is working 100%. This cost me R3680-00. He advised me to take the new key back to Mercedes. I then contacted Charles Nyland informing him of this outcome and then request to please have my money returned as the key from Mercedes is faulty and not working. His words to me was that they will not refund me, because it was not their key that was the problem. He still insisted that the EIS unit is faulty and needs to be replace. I told him that this is unacceptable because if the EIS Unit is faulty, how on earth was it possible for the Auto Electrician to reprogram a key. Here is the funny and strange part of this! Charles Nyland informed me that Mercedes do not program any EIS Units! They replace it, even if they are not faulty! How is this possible?? Earlier on the 6th of May, I was told via SMS that they are busy programming the key to test and check and to try and see why the key does not want to work! I thought they don’t program any keys! Was I taken for a ride by Mercedes?? Was I misinformed by Mercedes? Or did they just played me in the hope that I would buy a new EIS Unit which clearly was not needed to be done?? I asked Charles Nyland how is it possible for a 3rd party like an Auto Electrician to program Keys and EIS units and get it to work. Charles Nyland told me that the Auto Electricians is doing this illegal and that Mercedes don’t support this, as according to him, there are always problems with this keys and that they will stop working after a few usages and that it will cause other problems etc. The auto Electrician told me the only thing he did, was to program the aftermarket key to a new Slot on the EIS unit. According to him, the EIS Unit has 9 slots to be used for situations like this. Obviously Mercedes does not know this or they just don’t care about the customer!! Charles Nyland kept on insisting that they are right in the way they do business, that they will not refund me and that according to him, should I take this matter further in legal terms, Mercedes has lawyers which will protect them and help them! This reasoning is ridiculous and totally not within good Customer Service practices. I told Charles that I will take further action and I also told him that they are only concerned about making money and that the customer does not count for them. I also told him that they are giving out false and unreliable information and that their communication to the customer is bad! I also told him that the workshop clearly doesn’t have a clue on what’s going on with EIS Units and Replacement of keys for Mercedes cars. I also told him that I will not refer anybody to them as they are clueless and they are providing bad service and support. I want the money refunded for the key I bought!
0 replies
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