The column for anyone fed up with bureaucracy, frustrated with delays or furious with poor service. Tell us your complaint and we'll try to fix it... A reader says she has been paying ACE Insurance HK$540 a year for 15 years for accident coverage for her husband who is a professional golfer. She only recently found out the policy had 'professional restrictions' that would invalidate any claims. 'For some years we have had an accident policy with ACE Insurance,' she said. 'About a year ago, I requested a copy of the policy to refresh my memory only to find out that the policy is not valid due to professional restrictions - yet for approximately 15 years the company has accepted the premium. 'I have referred this issue back to ACE Insurance. Every communication takes months and is only followed up when prompted by myself. Around May, I was assured by one of the employees that all had been sorted and that the restriction was lifted and everything was okay. 'Twice bitten. I requested written confirmation, which was promptly furnished only to state that the insured is not covered due to professional reasons. All this time the premium has been deducted from the account. My final request for clarification has been met with silence, and the premium is still being deducted.' After a Take Action inquiry, ACE Insurance chief executive and country manager (Hong Kong ) Steve Crouch has written to apologise and said the customer was satisfied with a settlement the company offered her. 'In this particular case we have clearly not provided her with the level of service or communication that should be expected of us from our customers,' he wrote. 'We work very hard at providing exceptional and reliable service to our clients and have addressed their matter very seriously and are very sorry for the inconvenience we have caused. I wish to advise that we have spoken to [the customer] regarding all the concerns raised in her complaint letter and I am pleased to confirm that we have resolved all the policy coverage issues. 'We are grateful to [the customer] for her understanding regarding this matter and look forward to continuing to serve her as a valuable customer of ACE Insurance.' Last week a Lantau resident complained the Water Supplies Department (WSD) was building a security fence around a water treatment facility in Cheung Sha that blocks access to the Lantau Trail. He said many people made use of the access, especially on holidays and Sundays, and by denying it to the public, trekkers would have to walk an extra hour to reach the trail. 'It seems ridiculous that residents of Cheung Sha, though living only 100 metres from the section of the Lantau Trail that passes along the catchwater, will have to get a bus or taxi to get somewhere to access the trail,' he wrote. 'I am confident that once the residents of Cheung Sha become aware of the purpose of the current works (which are not finished yet), there will be a large reaction to what the WSD is doing.' He has also asked the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, which is in charge of country parks, to work with the department for an alternative plan. 'I wonder if the department could work with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department - in particular the Country Parks Authority - in this matter, and improve the enjoyment of the country parks for everyone?' The WSD has to say it may consider revising the plan in light of objections. 'The proposed fence is being erected at the entrance to a staircase which leads only to our Cheung Sha Water Treatment Works uphill,' department senior engineer (public relations) Suen Kwok-keung said. 'At present, there is a gate at the entrance to prevent free public access to the treatment works. A notice board has also been put up to inform the public accordingly.' But some people went past the gate to go further uphill, he said. 'Some members of the public to by-pass the gate, go up the staircase and walk along a narrow path outside the boundary fence of the treatment works as a shortcut from Cheung Fu Street to the catchwater road further uphill from the treatment works,' he said. [The catchwater road is a part of the Lantau Trail.] 'The proposal to fence off the entrance is for the protection of public safety. In view of the concern of the public, we are prepared to re-consider the proposal. 'In the meantime, we shall carry out some minor improvement works to the narrow path to meet our operational requirements. As such improvements will still fall short of the standard of a public access, we shall put up a notice at the entrance to remind whoever enters that he is entering a maintenance access and that he should mind his steps for his own safety. We will monitor the situation closely and consider taking further action as appropriate.' AFCD said the water treatment facility belonged to WSD and it was up to the other department to work out an alternative plan.
