Home & Contents Insurance

Mobile phone cover

Virgin Contents Insurance covers mobile phones, laptops, and other gadgets for loss or damage inside your home by an insured event. This includes events like theft and storms but excludes accidental damage (e.g., due to you dropping your phone on the floor at home).

Mobile phones are not covered if they are lost or damaged away from your home unless you have insured them under the Specified Personal Effects option.

Cover

Your insurance policy does not cover you for every event or situation and this is why it’s important to make sure you have the correct cover.

There are specific exclusions that apply to different Insured Events and Optional Covers which are listed under each Insured Event and Optional Cover in the PDS.

Keep in mind that these specific exclusions apply in addition to the general exclusions which apply to all parts of your policy.

Landlord cover

When you insure your home building and/or contents as a landlord, then your investment property is protected against loss or damage from our insured events.

When you have home insurance as a landlord the policy also includes the landlord benefits of:

• Loss of Rent (due to an insured event) - We provide cover for lost rental income if your tenanted home is damaged by an insured event. We will pay up to 10% of your home sum insured, for up to 12 months from the date the damage occurred.
• Landlord’s Contents - We provide cover for damage to some contents if your tenanted home is damaged by an insured event. This includes up to 5% of the home sum insured for floor coverings, internal window coverings, and light fittings.

For an additional premium you may be eligible to customise your landlord insurance when you add optional Landlord Cover to your policy:

• Tenant theft and Malicious Damage - Depending on the cover you have selected, when we insure your home, we will pay up to $150,000 and when we insure your contents, we will pay up to $20,000.
• Tenant Default - We will cover for up to 15 weeks net rental income until your building is re-tenanted or rental payments start again.

Flood Cover

We offer Flood Cover for an additional premium. Flood cover may not be available for some addresses.

You'll find details about the events we insure in our Product Disclosure Statement.

Motor Burnout option

For an additional premium, the Motor Burnout option provides cover for loss or damage to electric motors during the period of insurance provided:

• The burnout is caused by electric current and/or power surge, and
• The motor is burnt out at the home.
• The motor is less than 10 years old.

See the Product Disclosure Statement for further details.

Accidental Damage option

For an additional premium, the Accidental Damage option provides cover for:

• Accidental loss or damage to your home caused by an accident which occurs at the insured address.
• Accidental loss or damage to your contents caused by an accident which occurs in the home at the insured address.

See the Product Disclosure Statement for further details.

Commercial Storage option

For an additional premium, the Commercial Storage option provides cover for loss or damage caused by an insured event to your contents stored in a commercial storage facility during your period of insurance. This only includes contents covered under your Contents Insurance cover.

Sum Insured Safeguard option

(only available when you have Home Insurance cover)

For an additional premium, the Sum Insured Safeguard option will extend your home sum insured up to an additional 25% if your nominated sum insured is not sufficient to replace or repair the damage to your home.

See the Product Disclosure Statement for further details.

Personal Effects Cover option

(Only available when you have Contents cover)

For an additional premium, the Personal Effects Cover option provides cover for accidental loss or damage during the period of insurance:

• Anywhere in Australia and New Zealand
• Anywhere in the world - for up to 90 days of your departure from Australia

Personal Effects are those personal items that belong to you that you might ordinarily take with you outside your home. See the Product Disclosure Statement for further details.

Home maintenance

Why is home maintenance not covered? Home insurance is designed to cover the costs of unexpected damage. Gradual damage to your property due to lack of maintenance (for example rusting pipes, seepage or damage from faulty fixtures) usually isn't covered because it could have been avoided with regular maintenance. It's important to keep your property in good condition so that if an insured event does happen, the damage is limited and the property is repairable.

Underwriter

Virgin Money’s Home and Contents Insurance underwriter,

Our Home and Contents Insurance policies are underwritten by Auto & General Insurance Company Limited. Auto & General Insurance Company Limited is an Australian Insurer authorised to conduct insurance business in Australia by the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority (APRA). Auto & General Insurance Company Limited is a member of the Insurance Council of Australia and participates in the Insurance Code of Practice.

Auto & General Services Pty Ltd (AGS)

Auto & General Services Pty Ltd (AGS) will appear in your Virgin Money Documents.

Virgin Money has teamed up with AGS to offer you Home and Contents insurance with a range of flexible options and very competitive rates. AGS administers your policy on behalf of your insurer and is a related company of theirs. AGS holds an Australian Financial Services License and participates in the General Insurance Code of Practice.

Industry code

Our insurance is underwritten by Auto & General Insurance Company Limited (Auto & General) who is a member of the Insurance Council of Australia and a signatory to the General Insurance Code of Practice (the Code). By signing up to the Code, they promise to act in an open, honest and fair manner in all their dealings with customers.

Auto & General and Virgin Money are committed to helping our customers better understand their rights when buying insurance, making claims, resolving a complaint, or experiencing financial hardship.

General insurers’ compliance with the code is monitored and enforced by an independent body called the Code Governance Committee (CGC). Customers can report suspected breaches to the CGC, which then investigates and, if necessary, agrees with the insurer on corrective measures within set timeframes.

Any failure to correct a breach can lead to CGC sanctions, which are binding on insurers.

A copy of the code can be accessed by visiting http://codeofpractice.com.au/

Your duty

What is your Duty not to make a misrepresentation? What you need to tell us,

We will ask you questions:

• when you apply for insurance
  
• before we agree to renew, extend, vary or reinstate your policy.

Your answers will help us decide whether to insure you, and on what terms. Each question we ask you is important. Please answer each one fully, accurately and honestly.

Your duty to us

You have a legal duty under the Insurance Contracts Act to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation to us. This duty first arises when you enter into an insurance contract with us.

Before we agree to renew, extend, vary or reinstate your policy, we may remind you of your previous answers to our questions. Your duty extends to telling us whether any of this information has changed.

Failing in your duty can seriously affect your cover

If you fail in your duty, where permitted by law, we may do either or both of these:

• cancel your policy
• reduce the amount we pay you if you make a claim.

If your failure is fraudulent, we may refuse to pay a claim and treat the policy as if it never existed.

Excess

An excess is the amount you pay towards each claim you make on your home and/or contents insurance policy. The amount and type of excess that applies is shown on your insurance certificate.

Before the repair works begins or your items are replaced, we’ll ask you to pay the excess to us, or we may deduct it from the amount we pay you if we settle your claim.

Change your excess

You can change your Basic Excess at any time; it can be any amount from $100 to $5,000.

If you increase your excess, it can lower your premium (and vice-versa).

To change your excess, call us on 1800 724 678 or log into your online account and edit your policy.

Pay an excess

We’ll ask you to pay the excess before we repair and/or replace your home and/or contents. Paying the excess upfront allows us to get started on your claim straight away. And if you are unable to pay upfront, please let us know so we can work with you to provide support.

Pay an excess when not at fault

Do I have to pay an excess when I was not at fault? Yes, you do have to pay the policy excess even if you are not at fault. For example, you may experience an escape of water from another property that may cause loss or damage to your home.

In some instances, we may be able to hold another party liable for the claim and attempt to recover the funds associated with the claim. In the instances where we are successful, we will arrange to refund your excess.

Paying home insurance excess

Do you offer support for paying a home insurance excess?  When lodging a claim, we encourage you to tell us if you need support in paying your excess. Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for Financial Hardship support.  An overview of the steps to apply for financial hardship support provided by our insurance partner (Auto & General) are outlined here.

Excess - Make a claim to home building and contents

If I make a claim for loss or damage to my home building and contents, will I have to pay two excesses? No, you’ll be required to pay only the higher of the two Basic excesses you have selected.

Excess - Landlord Option Cover

What is my excess for a claim if I have Landlord Options cover? If your policy includes optional Landlord Cover, then an additional excess on top of the basic excess will apply. The additional excess is equivalent to 4 weeks’ rent. All excesses that may apply are stated on your Insurance Certificate.

Making a Home Insurance claim

When making a claim on your Virgin home and/or contents policy, please follow these steps:

• Take all reasonable steps to prevent or minimise further loss, damage or liability.
• Report any theft (or attempted theft), malicious damage or vehicle impact to the police as soon as possible.
• Lodge a claim, providing us with the full details of the incident and any relevant supporting documents.

Please email the documents supporting your home and/or contents insurance claim to home@autogeneral.com.au, with only your claim number in the subject line.

Non-disclosure 

If you don't disclose information about past claims when I am asked, this is called non-disclosure and affects an insurer's ability to accurately assess your risk or calculate the correct premium. It can lead to a claim being paid only in part; or not paid at all and/or your policy being cancelled.

Could my claim be declined?

When you submit an insurance claim several things can happen:

• Your claim may be approved in full
• Your claim may be partially approved
• Your claim may be declined

Once a claim is submitted, we will review all of the relevant information to determine what is covered under your specific policy.

In some instances, we may only be able to approve part of the claim and usually, this decision is made after receiving all relevant information.

For example, here are some reasons why a claim may be partially approved or declined:

• An insurance policy was not current at the time of the loss occurring
• A policy only covers damage from insured events, while pre-existing damage is not covered
• Information was not provided accurately when a policy was purchased or renewed
• You have not met the obligations and conditions of your contract

Declined home insurance claim

How do I complain about an insurer’s decision to deny my home insurance claim? If you’re unhappy with any of your home insurer’s decisions or actions — including a denied claim — you may make a complaint.

Virgin Insurance’s complaints process is as follows:

• Step 1: Speak to us
  We want to resolve any complaint or dispute for you as quickly as possible. The best place to start is to contact our customer service team.
• Step 2: Our team will help you
  We will acknowledge your complaint within 24 hours of receiving it or as soon as practicable. Our team will try to resolve your complaint immediately and will provide you with a unique reference number.

If we are unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction within 5 business days, we will escalate it to our Customer Disputes Resolution Team for review.

• Step 3: If we can't agree, you can seek an independent review

If you are dissatisfied with our final decision, you can complain to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA).

What to do before you complain to AFCA: https://www.afca.org.au/make-a-complaint/complain

Find out more about how to complain to Virgin Insurance: https://virginmoney.com.au/insurance/home-insurance/contact-us/complaints

Water damage

Your home is covered for damage caused by a storm or from escaping liquid during the period of insurance.

We also offer optional Flood Cover. Subject to our underwriting rules, flood cover can be added to a policy when it is first purchased, partway through the policy, or when the policy is renewing.

If a water pipe in your home bursts

Turn the water off at the mains and/or contact an emergency plumber to stop the leak.

Then call us on 1800 069 336 and we’ll arrange for the water and any damaged flooring to be removed and send an assessor to your home.

Fallen trees

Cover for trees falling: You are covered for the cost of removing any part of a tree that has or is causing damage to your home. However, the cost of removing or disposing of tree stumps, 'at risk' trees, or branches of trees that have not damaged your home will not be covered.

If a tree or part of a tree from your property is impacting a neighbour’s home, then it would be up to your neighbour to lodge a claim with their insurer or arrange removal of that part of the tree themselves.

It is important to note that you are not covered for loss or damage caused by the lopping or felling of trees when this is performed or authorised by you, your family, or a household member, unless completed by a professional tree removal business.

If a tree has fallen on your house

If anyone in your house has been seriously injured, dial 000.

If the fallen tree threatens your family’s health and safety, contact your state emergency service on 132 500.

If it’s not an emergency, call us on 1800 069 336; we’ll arrange to get the tree removed after assessing the damage to your home.

When to lodge a claim

Is it worth making a claim? The decision to lodge a claim is completely up to you. If need be, a claim can be lodged and then withdrawn later.

By lodging a claim, we can proceed with an assessment and determine any costs involved with your claim. We will always notify you if the costs associated with the claim fall below your excess and will arrange a refund of your excess where applicable.

Questions about a claim

We are here to help you through all stages of your claim. Claim online with one of our agents from 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday AEST.

Or call us on 1800 662 884 to speak to someone from our new claims team 24/7 or the existing claims team from 6am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 6am - 2pm Saturday and Sunday AEST.

Claim - Landlord Cover

What documents do I need to supply if I’m claiming for the landlord benefit on loss of rent after an insured event or claiming for optional landlord cover? We will ask you to provide copies of the following documents when you lodge your claim:

• A tenancy agreement
• A real estate management contract
• A tenancy ledger

In certain circumstances, we may ask for other documents to further support your claim.

Police or fire brigade report

When to supply a police or fire brigade report:

A police report is needed for claims lodged under

• Theft
• Malicious Damage
• Tenant Malicious Damage

Depending on the type of claim we may ask for other reports from the police, fire brigade, or emergency services.

GST

We are required by the Australian Tax Office (ATO) to collect details from customers who are registered for GST. The reason we collect this information is that it impacts the settlement of any claims made on your insurance policy.

This is only relevant if you claim the GST on your insurance premiums. For more details, please contact the ATO or consult your accountant or tax officer or financial advisor.

ABN

Why are you asking me about my ABN?  We do not need your ABN, just information around your claiming status.

You’ll need to let us know whether you are registered for GST and if you are entitled to claim for an Input Tax Credit (ITC) on your premium. Each time you make a claim you’ll need to give us this entitlement and a full GST entitlement would be 100% of the ITC entitlement.

Home insurance claim payouts

Are home insurance claim payouts taxable? According to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), home insurance claim payouts are not considered income and so do not need to be declared in your tax return.

However, if part of your home is used for a business, the insurance payout may need to be taken into account for capital gains tax purposes.

Also, if you’re registered for GST and entitled to claim an input tax credit (ITC) on your premium, you’ll need to notify us of this entitlement each time you claim.
The claim settlement amount we pay you may be reduced to reflect your ITC entitlement.

(Virgin Insurance does not insure all types of business use; to find out whether your business use is acceptable, contact us.)

This information was obtained from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and was correct as of 1 November 2019.

For more information, visit the ATO’s ‘Insurance payouts’ web page and/or speak to a tax advisor or accountant.

COVID-19

COVID-19 restrictions can impact material availability, trade capacity, and repair timeframes. It can also limit access for non-emergency repairs depending on the government and state-based advice regarding attendances and requirements in your area.

When this occurs, we will keep you informed of amendments to repair schedules and other changes and will work to return your home to normal as soon as possible.

After an assessment

Once our assessing team has inspected your home, we will review their report, including photos and the overall Scope of Works.

We will let you know when we receive the report and if anything, further is required from you. We will then contact you to advise you of the claim outcome and what the next steps are.

In some cases, we may be able to immediately authorise your repairs before an assessment report has been submitted.

Damaged items

Can I throw out damaged items? Disposal of any damaged items is covered as part of your insurance policy, so we can take care of that for you. While we ask that you do not throw anything out, it’s always best to speak with our claims consultants first.

For example, if there was a flood and your carpets and furniture were ruined due to flood water, mud, or sewage then these items may need to be thrown out before an assessor visits your home.

In some cases, we may also need to inspect an item to assess your claim and replace it to the same standard.

Flood-affected contents

1. Document the Damage: You can start cleaning up, but first take pictures or videos of damage to the property and possessions, and keep samples of damaged materials and fabrics as evidence for your claim (for carpet, around a square meter should be fine, if it is safe to keep).
2. Remove Water and Mud-Damaged Contents: You are able to remove water or mud-damaged materials from your property that might pose a health risk, such as saturated carpets and soft furnishings (if the item is damaged and may be repairable or you are retaining destroyed items, store them somewhere where they do not pose a health risk).
3. Keep a Record of Items: You should make a list of all the damaged items and provide as much information as you can. This could include a description of the item, brand, model, and serial number.
4. Purchase New Items: If you have to purchase new items, like a washing machine, fridge, or essential items and you’re able to do so immediately to get you back on your feet, then please keep your receipts. If your Contents Insurance provides cover for these items and your claim for these items is accepted, we’ll provide you with a cash settlement for the covered items instead of replacing them.
5. Replacement of Non-Essential Items: If the replacement is not urgent, please make a list with a short description of the item and details such as brand, where the item was purchased and receipts/ proof of purchase if possible. Photos of the damaged items and replacement quotes may also help with the replacement process.

Proof of loss or damage

Am I required to provide proof of loss or damage (e.g., receipts)? Allowing us to assess the damage or loss is usually all that’s required to prove it. We may ask you for photos of the damage to your home in instances where we are not appointing an assessor.

If an item has been lost, stolen, or contaminated (for example due to floods) and can’t be assessed, we may ask you to provide evidence of ownership and value.
This evidence could include:

• purchase receipts
• valuations
• credit-card statements
• serial numbers
• owner’s manuals
• guarantee or warranty certificates
• photos or videos of your item
• product packaging.

If evidence is required to support your claim, please email it to home@autogeneral.com.au, with only your claim number in the subject line.

If you cannot stay in your home

Damage to your home can sometimes mean that you can’t continue living there. As part of your claim we can assist you, your family, and pets with temporary accommodation while your home is unliveable and being repaired or rebuilt.

Your home is considered ‘unliveable’ when it is so damaged that:

• Normal domestic activities like cooking and sanitation cannot be performed; or
• Local authorities will not provide permission for the home to be inhabited; or
• We otherwise agree that you can’t live in the home.

Exploratory costs

Exploratory work is required to expose concealed leaks that are often found underneath walls or in floors. If a claim is accepted, we will pay the reasonable cost of exploring to find the source of the leak.

Leak detection test

When claiming for escape of liquid, you may not know the source of the escape of liquid so exploratory work may be required to find the source. Where possible, exploratory work should use non-destructive methods to prevent further unnecessary loss or damage.

If we accept your claim, we will:

• pay reasonable costs to locate the source of the escaped liquid at the insured address using the most suitable method of exploratory work.
• repair the damage to your insured home and contents caused by necessary exploratory work.

Emergency repairs

Am I covered for emergency repairs? If an 'event' is threatening the safety of your household members or is continuing to cause damage, we ask (where it is safe to do so) that you take reasonable action to prevent further damage and secure your home where possible.

If you appoint a tradesperson for an emergency repair, then you can submit your expenses for review as part of your claim. Make sure that you document the repair and save invoices, receipts, and photographs taken at the time of the incident.

Home insurance claim settlement

How will my home insurance claim be settled? Upon acceptance of your home insurance claim, we’ll appoint a Virgin Insurance team member to take care of the repairs to your home. We will:

• assess the nature and extent of the damage or loss
• make your home safe (e.g. remove a fallen tree)
• source repair quotes from our preferred builders
• appoint a building contractor to repair your home
• obtain – through the contractor – all the materials needed for the repairs
• keep you informed of progress
• ensure repairs comply with the latest building codes
• provide you with temporary accommodation, if necessary.

If your contents have been damaged or lost, we will:

• get them repaired and/or replaced through our network of suppliers and/or
• retailers, and delivered to your home, and/or
• give you a cash settlement.

Storage

Will my storage costs be covered while my home is being repaired? We’ll pay the costs of reasonable and appropriate storage of your contents in a commercial storage facility if they:

• Cannot reasonably be stored at your temporary accommodation
• Cannot remain in the home.

Repair or replace

• How do you decide whether to repair or replace damaged contents? If a damaged item can be repaired quickly, easily and economically (e.g., a television), we’ll repair it. If it’s uneconomic to repair or damaged beyond repair, we’ll replace it with a new one.

• Can I choose who replaces my damaged contents? Our panel of suppliers can arrange replacement items for you, or you can receive store credits to pick out your replacement items.
• Can I get a home insurance cash payout instead of repair or replacement? Our preference is to use one of our approved suppliers to complete your repairs, however in some instances this might not be possible. You may request a cash settlement during a claim and our claims team will work through the options available.

Repairs to your home

Virgin Insurance has a panel of qualified and licenced builders across the country. Our panel of builders and suppliers undergo strict selection criteria and ongoing performance reviews to ensure they align with our expectations and values. This means that when we send someone to your property, they will maintain professional conduct and endeavour to treat your home as if it was their own.

All our builders are licensed in the states they operate and offer warranties according to the local building authority and manufacturer's warranties on materials. We also guarantee the output of work from authorised repairs. And if you have a problem, you can always come to us.

Please note: Home insurance repair time frames depend on the extent of your home’s damage, the availability of materials, and our builder’s workload.

The builder will be able to give you an estimated timeframe and, once the repairs get underway, will keep you informed of progress.

Repair point of contact

Your main point of contact during the repairs to your home will be the building contractor, who will answer any questions you have about the repairs and keep you updated on progress.

We’ll also appoint a case manager, who will keep an eye on things and contact you every so often to make sure you’re happy with the process.

Repairers

Can you use your own repairer? As a Virgin Insurance customer, you’ll be pleased to know that you have access to our repairer network, which offers a lifetime guarantee on the workmanship provided in repairing your home. If we are able to repair or rebuild, but we agree to your request to pay you a cash settlement, we will pay you the amount it would have cost us to repair or rebuild.

Scope of Works

The Scope of Works is a detailed list of the repairs needed to restore your home. It identifies the types of material, dimensions, and areas of your home to be repaired.

A Scope of Works allows our building team to confirm the correct method for repairing your home and appoint the right tradespeople to undertake the work. For more complex or significant damage, a Scope of Works helps to manage timeframes and the coordination of multiple trades or contractors. It may also be used to obtain additional repair quotes.

Why am I getting a contract that I need to sign? The contract gives the tradespeople permission to carry out the work outlined in the Scope of Works at your property.

Replacement materials

If only part of a room is damaged, can you ensure that the replacement materials will match the undamaged part? We will only pay to repair or rebuild the parts of your home or contents that are damaged or destroyed. We cannot replace undamaged parts of your home or contents unless it’s specified in your policy documents.

Cupboards, cabinets, or benchtops
We will pay to repair or replace the damaged parts of kitchen cupboards, cabinets, and benchtops. Undamaged parts are also included only if they are continuously joined to the damaged part of the cupboard, cabinet, or benchtop and made of the same material.

Internal blinds or curtains, carpets, other floor coverings, or wall coverings
We will pay to repair or replace internal blinds or curtains, carpets, other floor coverings, or wall coverings, but only in the same room, hallway, or passageway where the loss or damage occurred.

The same room is defined as the area starting and finishing at the nearest walls, doorway, archway, or other openings.