Complaints to Insurance & Savings Ombudsman Scheme online

MEDIA RELEASE

10 May 2013

Recent Canterbury Earthquake Complaints to Insurance & Savings Ombudsman Scheme now online

Complaint summaries for earthquake insurance claims resolved by the Insurance & Savings Ombudsman Scheme Inc. (ISO Scheme) are now available on its website, www.iombudsman.org.nz .

To date, the ISO Scheme has received almost 1,000 enquiries and has investigated 62 formal complaints for Canterbury earthquake insurance claims.

Summaries of the 53 complaints which have been resolved to date are available on the ISO Scheme’s website, www.iombudsman.org.nz. The case studies for 10 earthquake complaints resolved between 1 October 2012 and 31 December 2012 have now also been published on the ISO Scheme’s website. These complaints include issues relating to claims for Loss of rent, Temporary accommodation, homes affected by s.124 notices in the Red Zone, and assigning insurance cover on the sale of a house.

Complaints investigated by the ISO Scheme can be upheld, partially upheld or not upheld. Sometimes complaints can be negotiated and settled by the ISO Scheme between the parties, before a decision is made. Many of the earthquake related complaints are settled.

Earthquake Response Manager, Iain Opray, has been involved in many discussions between insurers and their customers which have resulted in the settlement of complaints, including those where there are major differences in the positions at the beginning of those discussions. Mr Opray says “our aim is to help the parties agree a resolution between themselves, rather than for the dispute to come to us as a formal complaint”.

Karen Stevens, Insurance & Savings Ombudsman, explains “we try to assist our members’ customers to understand and resolve the issues themselves. We do this through our Enquiries Freephone line (0800 888 202), our online Canterbury earthquake FAQs and consumer information sheets. The ISO Scheme’s 18 years’ experience resolving complaints can help people affected by the Canterbury earthquakes resolve their insurance complaints.”

For more information visit www.iombudsman.org.nz
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