First for Women: The Company
First for Women or 1st for Women, as they are also known, is an insurance company that concentrates on insurance specifically for women. In 2002, the company was founded by L. Vermaak, J.W. Wilken and T.J. Creamer, based on two important factors. Firstly, more women were buying their own insurance, and secondly, women tend to be a lower insurance risk as they are involved in fewer accidents. Therefore 1st for Women Insurance offers women lower insurance premiums as well as a selection of plans designed to support the specific needs of women. Part of the Telesure Group (which includes other insurance companies such as Budget Insurance, Auto and General, Unity Insurance, 1 Life, Dial Direct and Virseker), First for Women's website reports that they are heavily involved in women's charity work. This includes paying a percentage of premiums into the First for Women Insurance Trust which is used to support women's needs and health in South Africa.
Where Can I Find First for Women?
You can find First for Women, along with many other Telesure companies, at Auto and General Park, 1 Telesure Lane, Riverglen, Dainfern, 2191.
What Services Can First for Women Offer Me?
First for Women Insurance offers a selection of plans in all areas of insurance designed solely to meet the needs of female customers. Their scope includes: home insurance and building insurance, car insurance, life insurance and personal and business insurance. In the following article we'll concentrate on First for Women's household insurance.
First for Women Household Insurance – What do they offer?
Household insurance with First for Women is divided into two separate policies. These are called building insurance and home contents insurance. Building insurance covers the structure of your house, whilst home contents insurance covers the items in your house. First for Women explain this in a very simple way. They say to imagine that you take the roof of your house and turn it upside down: what falls out is covered by home contents insurance and everything else is covered by building insurance.
First for Women Building Insurance
Building insurance with First for Women covers the structure of your house, and also outbuildings, garages, swimming pools, gates and walls. You will be covered against loss or damage to buildings in the following circumstances:
– Earthquakes, fire, lightening or explosions;
– Storms and floods;
– Burst water pipes;
– Aircraft or objects falling from aircraft;
– Damage by animals, vehicles or falling trees (though not if the trees fell);
– Intentional or malicious damage through vandalism;
– Theft or burglary as long as there is visible damage from the break-in;
– Subsidence (where a building sinks into the ground) or landslips.
First for Women do not state coverage amounts on their website, as presumably coverage depends on the value of your property. If you wish to cover geysers in your policy you will need to specifically state this in your application and say how many geysers are on your property.
First for Women Home Contents Insurance
First for Women's Home Contents insurance will cover the contents of your home, outbuildings, or garage in the following circumstances:
– Fire, earthquake, explosion, lightening;
– Floods and storms;
– Damage from animals, vehicles or falling trees (though not while they are being felled);
– Aircraft or objects falling from aircraft;
– Intentional or malicious damage through vandalism;
– Burglary or theft as long as there is visible damage caused by the break-in;
– Food spoiled in the fridge due to a power outage;
– Garden furniture stolen from the garden or washing stolen from the washing line;
– Money stolen from the home (providing there is evidence of a break-in);
– Possessions belonging to a guest that are stolen from your home;
– Keys and locks damaged in a break-in;
– Medical fees for an injury caused by a defect in the building or caused by your pet;
– Veterinary fees for your household pet.
Premiums and pay outs will depend on how much you insure your home for, so you will need to place a financial value on the contents of your home and then insure everything for what you think it is worth. In addition, you will also have access to the Home Assist programme. This will pay the call out fee plus 1 hour of labour for plumbers, locksmiths, glaziers and electricians. It will also provide you with a database of specialists for painting, fire damage repair and garden services, among others.
What Do Customers Think of First for Women?
The customer review site Hellopeter.com reports that First for Women has an impressive 70% positive rating. Out of a total of 1,614 comments, 1,136 of them were positive. Compared to other insurance companies, which generally get double the amount of negative comments to the positive ones, this is very good rate for First for Women. Most positive comments mention First for Women's customer service. This is backed up by the fact that when there is a negative comment it is responded to by a First for Women representative with a short time. It is only fair to mention that the above ratings are not common with most of the insurance companies – click to see the full review on “which is the best insurance company in South Africa”. It is also important to mention that the reports address all the various departments of First for Women and not just the Home Insurance department. Nevertheless, one can assume that if the overall service given by a company is perceived as positive (based on the reviews), this is usually the case in most of the departments.
Is the First for Women Website User Friendly?
Generally, we found the First for Women website very easy to use and well laid out. Policies are separated neatly into different 
categories, and it's very easy to find the information that you're looking for. On top of this, information is presented in an easy to read fashion, and there's no technical jargon that a first time insurance shopper would find difficult to understand. The only small complaint we have is that policies aren't listed on the site's home page. You must go from the home page to Products and Benefits before you can start your insurance shopping. This isn't a big problem, but it is an extra step that we didn't really need. Once you're inside the Products and Benefits section, however, a sidebar clearly separates different kinds of insurance and from there the site is simple and intuitive.
First for Women in a Nutshell
Household insurance with First for Women, or 1st for Women if you prefer, is simple and easy to understand. Their website makes getting the needed information easy and the First for Women's customer ratings were impressive with a 70% positive rating. One thing that may be a problem for some customers is that the household insurance policies are all inclusive, and you can't get insurance for one particular event separately (this means that if you're only interested in fire insurance, but not in earthquake insurance, then you won’t be able to get that type of a policy. This also usually means a higher monthly premium as you can’t “take out” different events in order to try and lower the policy).
Before making your decision, remember to compare between the various insurance companies in South Africa and to get a few quotes. You can get up to 9 Free insurance quotes by simply filling in the above form.
Main subject: First for Women Insurance
