New India Assuramce - Partial claim approved by the surveyor with no reason

I purchased a comprehensive motor insurance policy for my Renault Kiger through PolicyBazaar, issued by New India Assurance. Like every other customer, I was promised hassle free claims, dedicated support, and smooth settlements. Unfortunately, my experience has been the exact opposite.

After an accident, my vehicle bearing registration number AS**AF**** was sent to Expert Auto Care, Tezpur, for repairs. The repairs were completed, and the workshop generated a final invoice of Rs **,***.

After weeks of delays and endless follow ups, I managed to obtain a copy of the Final Survey Report prepared by Surveyor Mr Pradeep Kumar Yadav. The report approved only Rs **,***, leaving me with a shortfall of approximately Rs **,*** that the workshop is now demanding before releasing my vehicle.

The issue is not just the amount. It is everything that happened during the process.

For weeks, PolicyBazaar kept telling me that my claim was high priority, escalated, and under active review. At one point, I was told there was a labour bill dispute between the surveyor and the workshop. However, when I contacted the workshop directly, they informed me that nobody had reached out to them regarding any such dispute.

When I finally received the Final Survey Report, I noticed that labour charges had been reduced drastically. The workshop had billed approximately Rs **,*** towards labour, but the surveyor approved only Rs **,***. No one has been able to explain why approximately Rs **,*** in labour charges were disallowed.

I repeatedly asked PolicyBazaar representatives including Vibhu Sharma and Shishir Kumar for an explanation. Their response was that they themselves did not know the reason because Surveyor Mr Pradeep Kumar Yadav was allegedly not responding to their calls.

What made matters worse was that the Final Survey Report stated that the assessed loss had been discussed with and consented to by the repairer. However, when I spoke to the workshop, they informed me that they had never received the Final Survey Report or any written communication regarding the approved amount.

I have already submitted the workshop invoice and the Final Survey Report to New India Assurance and raised an IRDAI grievance. Despite having all the documents, nobody has provided a justification for the labour deduction, nobody has arranged a reassessment, and nobody has taken ownership of resolving the issue.

As things stand today:

* My claim has technically been approved.
* My car has been lying at the workshop for months.
* The workshop is demanding approximately Rs **,*** from me.
* I genuinely cannot arrange this amount immediately.
* PolicyBazaar says they cannot explain the deductions.
* The surveyor who prepared the report is allegedly unreachable.
* New India Assurance has still not arranged a reassessment despite repeated requests.

At this point, I have requested a reassessment involving the surveyor and the workshop so that the labour charges can be reviewed and mutually agreed upon. I believe it is unfair to shift the burden of poor coordination and unexplained deductions onto the customer after repairs have already been completed.

I want to know whether anyone here has faced a similar situation with New India Assurance or PolicyBazaar.

Can I force a reassessment through IRDAI or the Insurance Ombudsman

Has anyone successfully challenged arbitrary labour deductions made by a surveyor

Would filing a consumer complaint help in getting the reassessment expedited

What would you do if you were in my position

I have all the documents, including the Final Survey Report, workshop invoice, email communications, and grievance records. I am willing to pursue this legally if required, but I would appreciate any advice from people who have dealt with similar insurance disputes before.

At this point, I just want my car back without being forced to pay for someone else's failure to properly handle the claim process.