Code of Practice

The Australian Alliance Insurance group (AAI) is taking shape as a leader in general insurance in Australia.
The companies in our group – including Apia and Shannons – have a unique approach to insurance.
We only provide insurance products and services for specific groups of customers who have similar product and service preferences. For example, Apia specialises in meeting the insurance needs of people aged 50 and Not Working Full-time. Shannons concentrates on providing insurance for motoring enthusiasts.

The AAI group companies have built their businesses on understanding and sharing the passion of our customers. We take our responsibilities to them and their possessions very seriously. That is why we are an active supporter of the General Insurance Code of Practice (The Code). It is designed to ensure the service standards of the insurance industry continually improve and keep pace with the expectations of all consumers.

We prepared this brochure to highlight the value of The Code and explain why we believe it is important for our customers and our industry.

AAI holds an Australian Financial Services Licence. We are the insurer of the policies arranged by the companies within our group such as Australian Pensioners Insurance Agency and Shannons. We have also authorised these companies to be our representative and offer a variety of tailored insurance advice, services and policies.

Our group is widely recognised for our focus on customer needs and our ability to provide a level of service and product innovation that is not found elsewhere in the general insurance industry.

We have been active in developing the standards that are now key elements of The Code.

The Code sets minimum standards of service that are to be provided by insurance companies to their customers. These standards go further than the strict legal requirements that apply to the general insurance industry in Australia.

The Code covers general insurance products such as home and contents, car, motorbike, caravan, boat, motorhome and travel insurance.
It sets standards for:

Insurance companies who adopt The Code agree to have their activities monitored by the Insurance Ombudsman Service (IOS). The IOS is an independent organisation that handles disputes between insurance companies and their customers.

Most customer matters are usually settled between insurance companies and their customers without the need for external dispute resolution. That is certainly the case with the companies in the AAI group.

The Code sets high service standards. If these are not met, customers can report these breaches to the IOS.

The IOS will then work with customers and insurance companies to settle disputes. The IOS will also monitor the performance of insurance companies and their compliance with The Code.

Because the AAI group has signed up to The Code you can expect us to meet its standards – and often go further.

Here are some of the ways our service culture and The Code will work together to meet your needs.

Buying Insurance
When you provide us with information you can be confident that it will be used only to assess your application.

If we cannot provide you with cover – we will tell you why and refer you to someone to help you find insurance.

Making a claim
If you are making a claim and have provided us with all the relevant information, and no further assessment is required - then you will be notified of our decision within 10 days.

If an investigator or assessor is appointed, we will let you know within five business days of that appointment.

Financial difficulties
If you are in urgent financial need as a result of a loss covered by your policy then we will speed up your claim. We may also consider an advance payment.

Repairing your property
If we select and directly authorise a repairer – then we will also accept responsibility for the quality of the repairs and materials.

At AAI we have built our businesses by listening to our customers and developing the products and services they say they want. We are straightforward in the way we communicate with you and honest in outlining what our products provide.

Most of the time things go well and our customers have no complaints. However, there still may be times when you believe we have let you down – or our service is not what you expect.

If you have a complaint you can call us on 132 555. If we cannot resolve the matter we will ask you to write to us about your concerns. Or you can meet with us at your local Australian Pensioners Insurance Agency branch.

Your complaint will usually be resolved within 24 hours. If it is more serious, it may involve an Operational Manager or our General Management. We will always send you our final decision within five to 15 days from when you first made your complaint.

The Insurance Ombudsman Service (IOS) is an independent body. If you are unhappy with the outcome of your discussions with us on your complaint then you can contact them. They can also tell you more about The Code. We have agreed to work with the IOS on the resolution of any customer complaints should that be necessary.

You can contact the IOS at:
Insurance Ombudsman Service
PO Box 561
Collins Street West
Melbourne, Vic 8007

Tel: 1300 78 08 08

Email: ios@insuranceombudsman.com.au

Or visit: www.codeofpractice.com.au