I'm really unhappy with the claims process with NRMA.
I got rear-ended at a stop sign weekend before last. Tesla Service said there were 3 accredited body shops in the Canberra region. As it's a not-at-fault matter I just went to the closest, which happens to be in the very suburb where I live. There's another 2 suburbs away in Fyshwick, and another across town in Belconnen. Got it assessed, it's $2133 (albeit with the risk they'll find something serious underneath when they pull the bumper off). But they said that I'd be better off going through my insurance and having them deal with the other party's insurance. Fine. Called NRMA. NRMA insisted that I travel clear across town to either Mitchell or Tuggeranong, from where my car would be towed to a repairer (clear back across town to either Fyshwick or Queanbeyan). I'd then have to somehow get home from Tuggeranong, which at best is a half-hour Uber ride.
After a lot of grief with the claims team, I went along with their advice. Lo and behold, they said they'd need to refer me to Fyshwick or Queanbeyan. Surprise surprise. Fyshwick is currently relocating premises and it's a mess getting anything done through them, so yep, Queanbeyan.
I mentioned to Motorserve that I'd already had it assessed by the mob in Queanbeyan. Motorserve asked for the estimate number, but they let me keep my car while scheduling the work with them. Thank goodness. But they said that once the repairs are complete they'd tow the car back to Tuggeranong and I'd pick it up from there. Seriously, WTF, I live two blocks from them, why tow it half an hour and also make me do an hour plus round trip to collect the car when I could walk to the G-D body shop in under 10 minutes? For what's almost certainly just a few gashes on a bumper?
NRMA's processes add hundreds of dollars of waste, in everyone's time, money and stress, for trivial matters that should be treated as glorified petty cash jobs.