If you have a complaint or are dissatisfied with VSC in relation to our products or services, or our complaints handling process, you can lodge a complaint with us in the following ways:

Email Us: customerfeedback@assurant.com
Phone Us: 1300 654 611
Write to Us: PO Box 246
                       Balwyn VIC 3103

Step 1 Talk to us

The first thing to do is contact us about your concerns. We will try to resolve complaints at first contact or shortly thereafter, if we are unable to do so, we may refer you to a manager (or you can ask to speak to a manager yourself).

We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 24 hours of receiving it from you. Once we have received your complaint, we will investigate the complaint and keep you informed of the progress of our investigation at least every 10 business days unless we have resolved the complaint earlier or we have agreed with you to an alternative timeframe.

VSC will only ask for, and rely on, information that is relevant to our decision. If at any time we do require further information regarding your complaint, we will let you know the information required as soon as possible.

Please note that if we have resolved your complaint to your satisfaction by the end of the 5th business day after we have received it, and you have not requested that we provide you a response in writing, we are not required to provide a written response. However, this does not apply to complaints regarding a declined claim, the value of a claim, or about Financial Hardship.

Step 2 Contact our IDR Panel

If we are unable to resolve your complaint, you can request your complaint to be escalated to our IDR Panel. A representative will be allocated to your complaint and the IDR Panel will review the details of your complaint. The IDR Panel will make a decision in relation to your complaint and advise you in writing within 30 calendar days from when you first made a complaint to VSC. Where the IDR Panel requires any further information, a VSC representative will contact you as soon as possible.

If we are unable to make a decision within this timeframe or where VSC has not been able to resolve your complaint, we will provide you with a reason in writing and advise you of your right to take your complaint to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) as detailed below.

If you request access to the information we have relied upon in making our decision, we will provide you with this information within 10 business days of making such a request. VSC may decline to provide access to or disclose information where the information is protected from disclosure under law (such as the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), or where the claim is, or has been investigated and giving access would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of other individuals, or where the release of the information may be prejudicial to VSC in relation to a complaint or dispute about your insurance cover or your claim. Where VSC declines to provide you with information, we will provide you with reasons.

Step 3 Seek an external review

We expect our procedures will deal fairly and promptly with your complaint. If you are unhappy with the decision made by the IDR Panel or we are unable to resolve your complaint within 30 calendar days of first receiving your complaint, you may wish to seek an external review, such as referring the issue to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA).

AFCA provides fair and independent financial services complaint resolution that is free to customers. AFCA has authority to hear certain complaints, and you can contact AFCA by:

Free Call: 1800 931 678
Email: info@afca.org.au
Mail: Australian Financial Complaints Authority
          GPO Box 3
          Melbourne VIC 3001
Visit: www.afca.org.au

Time limits may apply to certain types of complaints AFCA considers, so you should act promptly or otherwise consult the AFCA website to find out if or when the time limit relevant to your circumstances expires.

VSC understands that clients can find themselves in circumstances where they are vulnerable. If you are experiencing vulnerability, we are committed to assisting you with empathy, sensitivity and compassion.

If you are suffering from vulnerability and have a complaint with VSC, we encourage you to be transparent, if you feel comfortable to do so, so we can refer you to support and consider how we can best manage your complaint.

If you require translation and interpreting services VSC recommends you call 13 14 50 to speak to someone at Translating and Interpreting Services (TIS), a 24/7 interpreting service for people who do not speak English. Further information about this organisation can be found at https://www.tisnational.gov.au/.

National Relay Service (NRS) is an Australian wide telephone access service, that can provide additional support for clients who may be deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment. NRS can be contacted on:

Voice: 1300 555 727
TTY: 133 677
SMS: 0432 677 767

There are several free external professional support services available to all Australians, further details about how VSC supports vulnerability can be found under Further Resources below.

Domestic and family violence can happen to anyone. It generally involves violent, threatening or abusive behaviour enacted by a former or current family member, with the intention of coercion or control, causing fear or harm.

• Domestic and family violence can include, but isn’t limited to:
• Physical violence
• Sexual assault
• Emotional or verbal abuse
• Psychological abuse or controlling behaviour
• Stalking
• Financial abuse, and
• Abuse of older Australians.

The cycle of family and domestic violence is complex. Survivors may struggle with acute issues at a point of crisis, or ongoing issues in the longer term.

We recognise that everyone’s situation and needs are different. We’re committed to supporting our customers and employees when they experience domestic and family violence.

When communicating or interacting with customers experiencing vulnerability, VSC will:

• Help customers who have trouble meeting identification requirements, particularly if the customer is from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community or a non-English speaking background.
• Make it as easy as possible for a customer to appoint an agent or representative to act on their behalf.
• Ask a customer experiencing vulnerability (or their representative) how we can specifically help the customer access our services more efficiently.
• Take detailed notes about any additional assistance a vulnerable customer may need.
• Accommodate the request of a vulnerable customer for formal or informal assistance from third parties where they need such assistance or support in relation to their vulnerability.
• Develop a rapport with the customer by showing empathy and patience and if appropriate, asking questions.
• Contact a customer who is not responding to correspondence from VSC and ask if there are any reasons why and offer to clarify any correspondence.
• If necessary and safe to do so, provide vulnerable customers with an email or letter summarising a verbal conversation with them, and ask them to confirm if this matches their understanding of the conversation.
• Ask the customer if they have a family member or friend who can help them with their claim.
• Speak in clear, short sentences, avoid using complex technical words or jargon by using simple words or terminology and pause appropriately to enable the customer to process what is being said.
• Where necessary, take information about a claim over the phone and then read it back to the customer to confirm its accuracy and ensure adequate file notes are recorded, and
• Where necessary, where written correspondence is sent to a customer, call them to provide an overview of the content of the communication.

Where family or domestic violence is identified or suspected, our priority is the safety of the customer. Situations involving family or domestic violence require particular care, and for VSC to be flexible with our processes.

VSC will:

• Protect the details of the customer affected by family or domestic violence.
• Facilitate instead of being a barrier to the identification of family and domestic violence and improve the experience of customers affected by family and domestic violence.
• Ask for permission to record the support or assistance that the customer required and respect their right to confidentiality.
• Treat all information about a customer as sensitive information.
• Give the customer access to the personal information held about them and control over how it is shared with third parties.
• Discuss safe methods of communication and record these (subject to the customers consent).
• Be clear and transparent with customers affected by family and domestic violence about our claims process and what is required, and
• Not ask a customer affected by family or domestic violence to make direct contact with the perpetrator, or make a police report about the perpetrator, unless they are comfortable doing so.

If you tell us, or we recognise that you are a vulnerable customer or are affected by domestic and/or family violence, we are here to help you.

All employees receive training that includes how to:

• Identify the early signs that a customer may be vulnerable or experiencing family and domestic violence and engage appropriately.
• Respond to disclosures of family and domestic violence with dignity, respect and care.
• Communicate with customers who have or show signs of having a mental health condition.
• Refer you internally to our specialist teams for more support, and
• Refer you to external community services to provide extra support.

In addition, our claims teams can minimise the number of times you need to disclose your situation and can provide confidentiality, sensitive claims handling and financial hardship assistance.

If you are a customer experiencing vulnerability or are affected by family or domestic violence, please contact us via one of the following options:

Email Us: customerfeedback@assurant.com
Phone Us: 1300 654 611
Write to Us: PO Box 246
                      Balwyn VIC 3103