PDS... PART 1 Page 22 - Duty of Disclosure - What You Must Tell Us
You have a Duty of Disclosure under the Insurance Contracts Act 1984 (Cth) that requires you to tell QBE certain things.
Before you enter into a policy with QBE, they will ask you a series of questions.
You must tell them everything you know or which a reasonable person in the circumstances would be expected to know in answer to the questions in the application form.
Before you extend or vary a policy, you must tell them everything you know or which a reasonable person in the circumstances would be expected to know, for them to decide:
• whether they will insure you;
• the premium they will charge you; and
• whether any special conditions will apply to your policy.
You do not have to tell QBE about any matter:
• that diminishes the risk;
• that is of common knowledge;
• that they know or should know in the ordinary course of their business as an insurer; or
• which they indicate they do not want to know.
Everyone who is insured under the policy must comply with the Duty of Disclosure. If you provide information about another insured, you do this on their behalf. If you (or they) don’t comply with the Duty of Disclosure, QBE may reduce the amount of any claim and/or cancel your insurance. If fraud is involved, QBE may treat your insurance as void from the beginning.
PDS... PART 1 Page 23 - Privacy Policy
The Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Act) regulates the way organisations such as QBE
collect, use, protect and disclose personal information.
QBE are committed to safeguarding your privacy and the confidentiality of your personal information.
QBE collects only that personal information necessary for it to assess and manage your insurance application or policy, including any claim that may be made under the policy.
They will only use and disclose your personal information for a purpose you would reasonably expect.
They will request your consent for any other purpose.
If you do not provide QBE with this personal information they may not be able to process your application for insurance cover or process your claim.
QBE or our authorised agent may disclose your personal information to:
• any person authorised by you;
• an insurance agent who is arranging your insurance (for the purpose of confirming your personal and insurance details);
• another person named as a co-insured on your policy (for the purpose of confirming if full disclosure has been made to us);
• another insurer (for the purpose of seeking recovery from them or to assess insurance risks or to assist with an investigation);
• an organisation who provides you with banking facilities (for the purpose of confirming payments made by you to us);
• an airline, medical practitioner, treating doctor or emergency assistance provider (to establish your medical status and fitness to travel);
• a dispute resolution organisation, such as the Financial Ombudsman Service (for the purpose of resolving disputes between QBE and you or between QBE and a third party);
• a family member, in the case of a medical emergency;
• QBE's reinsurers, who may be located overseas;
• a mailing house, records management company or technology service provider (for printing and/or delivery of mail, including secure storage and management of QBE records);
• Their related entities, so that QBE may offer you other products and services;
• a company to conduct surveys on QBE's behalf for the purpose of improved customer services; and
• an insurance reference bureau (to record any claims you make upon QBE).
In addition to the above, in the event of a claim, QBE or our authorised agent may disclose your personal information:
• to a repairer or supplier (for the purpose of repairing or replacing your insured items);
• to an investigator, assessor, state or federal authority, medical practitioners, hospitals or other professional advisers (for the purpose of investigating or assessing your claim);
• to a lawyer or recovery agent (for the purpose of defending an action by a third party against you or recovering their costs including your excess);
• to a witness to a claim (for the purpose of obtaining a witness statement);
• to another party in a claim (for the purpose of obtaining a statement from them or seeking recovery from them or to defend an action by a third party).
Personal information (about you) may also be obtained from the above people or organisations.
In addition we will:
• give you the opportunity to find out what personal information we hold about you and, when necessary, correct any errors in this information.
Generally QBE will do this without restriction or charge; and provide their dispute resolution procedures to you, should you wish to complain about how they handle your personal information.
QBE's aim is to always have accurate and up-to-date information. When you receive a Certificate of Insurance or other documents from them, you should contact them if the information is not correct. Where reasonably possible they will correct the information on their systems or held on file. If you have a complaint or want more information about how QBE is managing your personal information, please contact the Compliance Manager using the contact details provided below. For security reasons, any request for details of personal information held by QBE should be made in writing.
The Compliance Manager
QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited
GPO Box 82
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone: (02) 9375 4656
Fax: (02) 8275 9022
Email: compliance.manager@qbe.com
PDS... PART 1 Page 24 - Our Dispute Resolution Process
If a complaint arises during your dealings with QBE or their representatives,
you should first discuss the matter with the person with whom you have been dealing.
Where your complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction you should request that the matter be dealt with by QBE's Internal Complaints Handling Process.
The Distributor can assist you to lodge your complaint or our Customer Service Centre 1300 791 948 or (02) 9701 6500 can take the details for you.
You will be provided with a copy of their brochure detailing their complaints handling process.
Your complaint will be handled by a person with authority to resolve the matter.
Your complaint should be dealt with within 15 business days unless they notify you of the reasons why it cannot be dealt with within that time.
If the complaint remains unresolved to your satisfaction, you can request that it be reviewed by the Financial Ombudsman Service (the FOS).
The FOS resolves certain insurance disputes between consumers and insurers and will provide an independent review at no cost to you.
QBE Insurance is bound by the determination of the FOS but the determination is not binding on you. 
PDS... PART 1 Page 24 - The General Insurance Code Of Practice
QBE Insurance is a signatory to the General Insurance Code of Practice.
The Code aims to:
(a) promote better, more informed relations between insurers and their customers;
(b) improve consumer confidence in the general insurance industry;
(c) provide better mechanisms for the resolution of complaints and disputes between insurers and their customers; and
(d) commit insurers and the professionals they rely upon to higher standards of customer service.
To obtain a copy of the General Insurance Code of Practice go to www.codeofpractice.com.au
PART 3 - Financial Services Guide
This Financial Services Guide (FSG) is designed to assist you in deciding whether to use the financial services QBE can provide to you. It explains the kind of financial services QBE offer.
It also contains general information about who they are, how they and others are remunerated in relation to those services and how you may access their internal and external dispute resolution procedures.
Matters You Need To Know About
Cooling off Period ... If, having purchased the policy, you want to return it, you can do so within 14 days of receiving the Certificate of Insurance and obtain a full refund, provided no right or power has been exercised under it by you (eg no claim has been made) and your trip has not commenced. QBE's Distributor will arrange for a refund of the amount payable within 15 business days of you cancelling your policy. The Cooling Off Period does not apply to policy or trip extensions.
Confirming Transactions ... A Certificate of Insurance must be issued once you have completed your application form and you have paid the appropriate premium. If you want to confirm a transaction, for example whether the Certificate of Insurance has been issued, then you may contact us in writing or by phone
General Advice Warning [GAW] the advice has been prepared without taking into account the clients needs, objectives or financial situation. You should read the Product Disclosure Statement [PDS] relating to the product before making any decision about whether to acquire the product. You should be aware that exclusions do apply. For detailed information about the benefits, exclusions, and the process for making a claim please read the full Policy Wording attached to the policy
Global Surf Travel Pty Ltd (ABN 79 083 338 649) is an Authorised Distributor for QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited (ABN 78 003 191 035) AFSL 239545 Financial Services Guide