Your insurer will repudiate or reject your claim if the event or circumstances leading to your loss are excluded by your policy. You should check your policy wording for the details.
Why would my claim be rejected?
Some common reasons your insurer might repudiate or reject your claim could include:
- If the cost of the repairs is less than your excess;
- If you’re claiming for damage that happened before you bought insurance;
- If the event that caused the damage is not covered by your policy;
- If you were involved in an illegal activity;
- If you lied when you took out your policy or when you reported the claim; or
- If you cancelled your cover before the damage happened.
Also, if your premiums are not up to date for the month, your insurer will insist that the outstanding balance is settled before they will consider any claim.
What can I do if I don’t agree with my claim being rejected?
If you disagree with your insurer if they repudiated/rejected your claim, you can ask your insurer about the reason for the repudiation and if possible, you can provide additional information. If you are still unhappy, you need to lodge a formal complaint with your insurer. They should have a dedicated complaints team and a specific email address on their website that only deals with complaints.
If you are still unhappy after contacting your insurer and getting their response, you may send your complaint to the Ombudsman. There should be a process laid out in your policy wording that you can follow.
