Our commitment
What you can expect from us.
Free, and never held against you
Making a complaint costs nothing and will not affect your cover, your premium or the way we handle any claim you have with us.
Acknowledged within 1 business day
We tell you who is handling your complaint, how to reach them, and give you a complaint reference the day we receive it.
A written decision within 30 days
You get a written response explaining what we decided, why, and which terms of your policy or which parts of the law we relied on.
Reviewed by someone new
Complaints are reviewed by our Customer Advocate team, which sits outside the claims and sales teams and reports to the Board.
Trauma-informed
You should only have to tell your story once. We read your file before we call, and we will not ask you to relive an incident to make your complaint.
External review at any time
You can go to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority whenever you like. You do not have to wait for our final answer, though we hope you will let us try.
How it works
Three steps, and you can stop at any of them.
Talk to us
Acknowledged within 1 business day
Most concerns can be sorted out quickly by the person you have been dealing with, or their team leader. You can complain in whatever way is easiest for you:
- Call 1300 727 346, Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm AEST, and ask to make a complaint
- Email complaints@rape.insure
- Use the message form and choose the topic "A complaint"
- Write to Customer Advocate, Rape Insure Pty Ltd, GPO Box 4471, Melbourne VIC 3001
- Ask your case manager to lodge a complaint for you on a recorded call
We acknowledge every complaint within 1 business day and aim to resolve it within 5 business days. If we can, and you are happy with the outcome, we will confirm it by email. If your complaint is about a declined claim, the amount we have paid on a claim, or financial hardship, we always give you a full written response.
Internal Dispute Resolution
Decision within 30 calendar days
If your complaint is not resolved in 5 business days, or you tell us you are not satisfied, it is escalated to our Customer Advocate. The Customer Advocate was not involved in the original decision and has the authority to overturn it, including reopening a declined claim or increasing a payment.
While your complaint is with the Customer Advocate:
- We keep you updated at least every 10 business days, or sooner if something changes
- You can send us further information or ask to speak with the person reviewing your complaint
- You can nominate a representative, such as a lawyer, financial counsellor, support worker or family member, to deal with us for you
- We give you our final decision in writing within 30 calendar days of first receiving your complaint, including the reasons for it and the policy terms or laws we relied on
If we cannot resolve your complaint within 30 calendar days, for example because it is unusually complex or we are waiting on information from a third party, we will write to you before the deadline to explain why, tell you when you can expect our decision, and remind you of your right to take the complaint to AFCA without waiting any longer.
Australian Financial Complaints Authority
Free and independent
If you are not satisfied with our final decision, or we have not given you one within 30 calendar days, you can take your complaint to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). AFCA is the independent external dispute resolution scheme for the financial services industry. Its service is free to consumers and its decisions are binding on us, but not on you.
- Phone 1800 931 678 (free call from landlines), 9am to 5pm AEST weekdays
- Online at www.afca.org.au
- Email info@afca.org.au
- Post to Australian Financial Complaints Authority, GPO Box 3, Melbourne VIC 3001
Time limits apply. In most cases you must lodge your complaint with AFCA within 2 years of receiving our final written decision. If we have not given you a decision, the limit is generally 6 years from the date you first became aware, or should reasonably have become aware, of the loss you are complaining about. AFCA can accept complaints outside these limits in special circumstances, so it is always worth asking.
What to include
Give us what you can. We will find the rest.
- Your full name, your policy number and, if relevant, your claim number
- The best way to contact you, and whether it is safe to leave a voicemail or send a text
- What happened, when it happened and who you spoke to, as best you can remember
- What has gone wrong from your point of view, in your own words
- What outcome you are looking for, whether that is an apology, a decision reviewed, a payment or a change to how we work
- Copies of any letters, emails, invoices or reports that relate to the complaint
- The name and contact details of anyone acting for you, and confirmation that we can speak with them
- Any support needs, such as an interpreter, a relay service, or a preferred time of day to call
If you are complaining about a claim decision, you are entitled to ask for a copy of the information we relied on, including any reports we obtained. We will provide it within 10 business days unless the law prevents us from doing so, and we will tell you if that is the case.
Extra support
If you are experiencing family violence or financial hardship.
Family violence
Our staff are trained to recognise and respond to family violence, and we have a Family Violence Policy that applies across sales, claims and complaints. If you tell us you are experiencing family violence, or we reasonably suspect it, we will:
- Flag your file so you do not have to explain again, and so that only your case team can see your address and contact details
- Never disclose your contact details, whereabouts or the existence of a claim to anyone else named on your policy
- Let you separate a couple or family policy into your own name without the other person's consent
- Prioritise your complaint and assign a single point of contact
- Refer you, with your permission, to 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or a local specialist service
Financial hardship
If you are struggling to pay your premium, an excess, or an amount we have asked you to repay, you can apply for financial hardship support at any point, including while a complaint is open. We will respond to a hardship request within 21 calendar days and may:
- Pause or extend premium payments so your cover continues while you recover
- Waive or defer an excess, or release a claim payment early
- Agree a payment plan, or waive an amount owed to us entirely
- Fast-track the assessment of any claim connected to the hardship
- Never charge fees or interest on a hardship arrangement
Free, independent financial counselling is available through the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007.
Other places you can go
AFCA is not the only door.
Code Governance Committee
Monitors compliance with the General Insurance Code of Practice. You can report a suspected breach of the Code directly to the Committee.
insurancecode.org.au
Australian Securities and Investments Commission
ASIC regulates our financial services licence. ASIC does not resolve individual disputes, but you can report misconduct to it.
1300 300 630
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
If your complaint is about how we have handled your personal information, you can also contact the OAIC once you have raised it with our Privacy Officer.
1300 363 992
Our complaints handling procedures are set out in more detail in our Financial Services Guide and Section 12 of the Product Disclosure Statement. Your rights under the Insurance Contracts Act 1984 and the Corporations Act 2001 are not affected by anything on this page.