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Duty of Disclosure

In order to make an informed assessment of the risk and calculate the appropriate premium, your insurer needs information about the risk you are asking it to insure.

For this reason, before you enter into a contract of insurance, you have a duty under the Insurance Contracts Act 1984 to disclose to your insurer every matter that you know, or could reasonably be expected to know, is relevant to the insurer’s decision whether to accept the risk and, if so, on what terms. The duty also applies when you renew, extend, vary or reinstate a contract of insurance.

You do not have to disclose anything that:

  • Reduces the risk to be undertaken by the insurer;
  • Is common knowledge;
  • Your insurer knows, or in the ordinary course of its business, ought to know; or
  • If the insurer has waived your obligation to disclose.

If you do not comply with your duty of disclosure, your insurer may be entitled to reduce its liability in respect of a claim or may cancel your contract of insurance. If the non-disclosure was fraudulent, the insurer may be able to void (or cancel) the contract of insurance from its beginning. This would have the effect that you were never insured.

One important matter to be disclosed is the history of losses suffered by the person seeking insurance or any closely associated person or entity. As you are responsible for checking that you have made complete disclosure, we suggest that you keep an up to date record of all such losses and claims.

MATERIAL CHANGES
You must also notify your insurer of any significant changes that occur during the period of insurance. If you do not, your insurances may be inadequate to fully cover you.

We can assist you to do this and to ensure that your contract of insurance is altered to reflect those changes.

COOLING OFF PERIOD
(Retail insurance only)

If you decide that you do not require this contract of insurance, you have 14 days (or longer if the insurer allows it) from the earlier of the date you received confirmation of this insurance contract or the date 5 days from the date the insurance contract was arranged to change your mind. If you want to cancel during the cooling off period, you must tell us during this period and we will notify the insurer.

The insurance contract will be terminated from the time we notify the insurer. You may be entitled to a refund of the premium you paid, the amount of which will be determined by the insurer’s refund policy.

You cannot return the insurance contract if it has already expired or if you have made a claim under it.

PRIVACY
We are committed to protecting your privacy. We use the information you provide to advise about and assist with your insurance needs. We only provide your information to the insurance companies with whom you choose to deal (and their representatives). We do not trade, rent or sell your information.

You can check the information we hold about you at any time. Click here for more information on our Privacy Policy.

QUOTATION DISCLAIMER
Any insurance forms completed at this site are for a provisional quotation only and no cover will be arranged based on the form received. When you apply for cover, we need you to confirm the information provided and provide more information if necessary. Based on what you apply or what you tell us, we may offer cover on different terms to those in the quotation. The quotation is not a guarantee of future acceptance. To complete cover, an application form will need to be completed and accepted by the Insurer.

SUMS INSURED
(Average and Co-Insurance)

Some insurance contracts require you to bear a proportion of each loss or claim if the sum insured is inadequate to cover the amount of the loss. These provisions are called ‘average’ or ‘co-insurance’ clauses.

If you do not want to bear a proportion of any loss, when you arrange or renew your contract of insurance, you must ensure that the amount for which you insure is adequate to cover the full potential of any loss. If you insure on a new for old basis, the sum insured must be sufficient to cover the new replacement cost of the property.

INTERESTS OF OTHER PARTIES
Some insurance contracts do not cover the interest in the insured property or risk of any one other than the person named in the contract. Common examples are where property is jointly owned or subject to finance but the contract only names one owner or does not name the financier.

Please tell us about everyone who has an interest in the property insured so that we can ensure that they are noted on the contract of insurance.

STANDARD COVERS
The Regulations to the Insurance Contracts Act set out standard terms for the cover which is provided by motor vehicle, home buildings, home contents, sickness and accident, consumer credit and travel insurance (including a minimum amount of insurance).

If an insurer wants to alter these terms or offer less than the minimum amount of insurance they must clearly inform you in writing that they have done so. They can do this by providing you with a Product Disclosure Statement or a copy of the insurance contract.

UNUSUAL TERMS
If an insurer wants to rely on a term in a contract of insurance which is not usually included in contracts that provide similar cover, they must clearly inform you in writing of that term. Again, they may do so by providing you with a copy of the insurance contract.