Our expectations of you when you apply for or buy insurance from us

  • You should take care to provide us with all material information about yourself, any other people and all property and risks insured under the policy. Material means important enough to make a difference to our decisions about whether we should offer cover, and on what terms. That information should be complete and up-to-date. You should provide that information when:

    >  you apply for insurance
    >  you renew or change your policy
    >  your circumstances change during the term of your insurance with us
    >  you make a claim.
  • You should read your insurance schedule and the policy wording and let us know if there is anything you want explained or corrected.

  • You should tell us about any changes to your contact details.

Information you may need to provide to us

If you’re not sure what information might be material, please ask us for help. Giving us this information doesn’t necessarily mean your application or claim will be declined. It helps us assess the risks we’re insuring you for.

The following lists give some examples of material information about you, your partner, and others insured under your policy that we may need to know.

For all applications for insurance

  • any criminal convictions, unless you have a statutory right not to disclose them

  • any previous refusal by an insurance company to insure you

  • any previous claims, including any claims that were declined by an insurance company

  • any current or previous bankruptcy, receivership or liquidation.

For house and contents insurance

  • the age, size and address of the house

  • previous accidents or history of losses – whether you were insured at the time or not – including burglary, fire, water damage, earthquake, wind, flooding and landslip

  • any change of use of your property (for example, if your home is used as a business or if the house is unoccupied for more than 60 consecutive days)

  • if you are renting out your property

  • if you plan to do major repairs or renovate your property

  • if you are renting someone else’s property

  • if the people who come to live with you have criminal convictions

  • any pre-existing damage to your property

  • if you put your contents in storage.

For motor insurance

  • any change of drivers, including a change of the main driver of an insured motor vehicle

  • any change of use of an insured motor vehicle (for example, a private car now used as a courier vehicle)

  • if you are a parent insuring your child’s motor vehicle in your own name

  • any previous traffic violations, including speeding, reckless driving, drink- driving or drug driving

  • any non-factory modifications (whether structural, performance or cosmetic) to an insured motor vehicle

  • any previous accidents, or history of your losses, whether you were insured at the time or not.

For travel insurance

  • any pre-existing medical conditions or symptoms you are aware of or become aware of up to the point of travel

  • all countries where you are travelling, including any changes to your itinerary

  • the country you normally reside in

  • the length of time you are seeking cover for

  • whether the insured travel is for personal, or business, or both purposes

  • any high-risk activities you know you will be engaging in (for example, riding a motorised scooter, scuba diving, bungy jumping or skiing).

For business insurance

  • the location of the business

  • any activities undertaken by the business, including any change in activities undertaken by the business.