Resolving complaints and disputes

We want your experience with us to be everything you expect and more. Should you have any concerns, problems or complaints regarding the service or experience you have received from Southsure, we'd like to know so we can try to put it right.

You have the right to:

• Provide feedback or raise a complaint if you are unhappy in any way
• Have any complaint dealt within a reasonable and agreed timeframe
• Be kept informed of the progress to resolution of your complaint
• Be treated with courtesy, respect and fairness at all times
• Have access to information you have provided previously
• To seek independent advice or assistance if you are not satisfied with Southsure's resolution of your complaint

If concerns or problems do arise, we expect our customers will:

• Give us the opportunity to discuss and resolve the issues in the first instance and to put it right when we can
• Provide us with all relevant information to help us resolve the issue
• Treat us with courtesy, respect, fairness and act in good faith at all times

You can contact us in three ways:

• 0800 002 002
• inquiries@southsure.co.nz
• Southsure Assurance Limited, PO Box 1404, Invercargill 9810

If your feedback relates to an existing insurance policy you have with us, we'll need to know your policy number, the background to your concern or feedback, including any supporting documentation.

We'll do everything we can to resolve your issue there and then.

• Call 0800 002 002 and talk to the person you have been dealing with at Southsure.
• If we have made a mistake, we will do everything we can to resolve the problem there and then. If there has been a misunderstanding, we will do everything we can to clarify the situation.
• If the problem cannot be resolved to your satisfaction, you’ll be referred to the Team Leader or Manager, who will personally investigate your complaint and advise you of his or her findings.  
• If your problem is still not resolved to your satisfaction, you’ll be referred to a Senior Manager. You may be asked to provide a full written explanation with accompanying correspondence if this hasn't already been provided. The Senior Manager will review the situation in full and reply in writing within three weeks.
• In the unlikely event that you are not satisfied with our responses and the problem is still not resolved, the Chief Executive will issue you with a letter of deadlock, and refer you to the free, independent dispute resolution scheme provided by the Office of the Banking Ombudsman.
• The Banking Ombudsman will request the letter of deadlock before initiating proceedings to help resolve the dispute. 

For more information about the complaints scheme run by the Banking Ombudsman, please visit www.bankomb.org.nz or call 0800 805 950.

If you have called Southsure to raise a complaint, where possible, your complaint will be resolved there and then.  If further investigation is required we will advise you of an expected resolution time.  We will also give you sufficient information to ensure you can enquire about the progress of your complaint.

If you raise a complaint by email or letter, it will be acknowledged within three working days from when we receive it.  We may need to contact you to further understand your complaint or obtain additional details.  Southsure will keep you informed of progress and the expected resolution timeframe, or if the problem is of a very complex nature and will exceed the initial resolution timeframe.