Privacy Policy
Introduction
NeedCover Group Pty Ltd (ABN 28 005 729 831, AFSL No. 239911) is committed to protecting the privacy of your personal information. This policy explains how we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information in the course of providing insurance broking and risk advisory services, and it applies to all personal information handled through this website and our broader business operations.
We are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), which set the standards for how we manage personal information. This policy is written in plain English so you can understand how your information is handled without needing to interpret legal or technical jargon.
What Personal Information We Collect
The kinds of personal information we usually collect and hold include:
Identity and contact details: Name, date of birth, residential and business address, email address and phone numbers.
Business and financial information: Business structure, occupation, assets, income, banking details and insurance history, where relevant to arranging or administering cover.
Insurance and claims information: Details of current and past policies, claims history, and circumstances relevant to a claim.
Sensitive information: In limited circumstances, we may collect information such as health information (for example, in connection with a personal injury claim), criminal history (where relevant to underwriting), or other sensitive information defined under the Privacy Act. We only collect this with your consent or where the law permits it, and only where it is reasonably necessary for the insurance services we provide.
How We Collect Your Information
We usually collect personal information directly from you, whether by phone, email, our website, or in person. We may also collect it indirectly, including from:
• Insurers, underwriting agencies, reinsurers and premium funders.
• Other insurance intermediaries, referrers, employers or representatives acting on your behalf.
• Publicly available sources, where reasonably necessary.
• Automated collection through our website, such as cookies and analytics tools (see Cookies and Website Analytics below).
Why We Collect, Use and Disclose Your Information
We collect, hold, use and disclose personal information for purposes including:
• Arranging, administering and renewing insurance policies on your behalf.
• Providing advice about insurance products and services.
• Managing and assessing claims.
• Meeting our legal, regulatory and compliance obligations, including reporting to regulators.
• Internal business functions such as risk management, audit and record-keeping.
• Sending you marketing communications about products or services that may interest you, where you have not opted out.
You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by contacting us using the details in Contact Us below or by using the unsubscribe option in the relevant communication.
What Happens if You Don’t Provide Your Information
If you do not provide the personal information we request, we may not be able to arrange, administer or provide advice on insurance cover for you, assess or progress a claim, or otherwise provide some or all of our services. Where you are arranging insurance, you should also be aware that a duty applies under insurance law to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation, or (for non-consumer contracts) a broader duty of disclosure. Incomplete information can affect the validity of your cover.
Who We Disclose Your Information To
We may disclose your personal information to:
• Insurers, underwriting agencies, reinsurers and premium funders, to arrange and administer your cover.
• Other insurance intermediaries, advisers and agents involved in your insurance arrangements.
• Claims investigators, loss adjusters, legal advisers and health professionals, where relevant to a claim.
• Regulators, courts and government bodies, where required or authorised by law.
• IT, administration and other service providers who support our business operations, under confidentiality obligations.
We do not sell or trade your personal information.
Overseas Disclosure
Some of the insurers, reinsurers and service providers we deal with operate outside Australia, including through the Lloyd’s of London market and other international insurance and reinsurance markets. Where this occurs, your personal information may be disclosed to recipients located overseas, including in the United Kingdom and other jurisdictions in which those insurers, reinsurers or service providers operate. We take reasonable steps to ensure any overseas recipient handles your information consistently with the Australian Privacy Principles, or we seek your consent before disclosure where that is not possible.
How We Hold and Protect Your Information
We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. This includes physical security measures (such as restricted access to premises and records) and electronic security measures (such as firewalls, access controls and secure storage). We retain personal information only for as long as it is needed for the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law, and take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify it once it is no longer needed.
Access and Correction
You have a right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, and to request that it be corrected if it is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading. To make a request, contact our Privacy Officer using the details in Contact Us below. We will respond within a reasonable time and will not charge you for making a request, though a reasonable fee may apply to cover the cost of providing access in certain cases. There are limited circumstances in which we may decline a request, and if we do, we will explain why.
Complaints
If you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles or mishandled your personal information, you can lodge a complaint with our Privacy Officer using the details below. We will investigate and respond to your complaint within a reasonable time.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you can escalate your complaint to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) or to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):
AFCA: www.afca.org.au, 1800 931 678
OAIC: www.oaic.gov.au, 1300 363 992
Cookies and Website Analytics
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience, understand how visitors use the site, and support website security. Cookies do not identify you personally unless you have provided identifying information to us separately. You can adjust your browser settings to disable cookies, though this may affect some website functionality.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or in the law. The current version will always be available on our website, and we encourage you to review it periodically.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this policy, or wish to access or correct your personal information, or make a complaint, please contact:
ATTN: Privacy Officer
NeedCover Group Pty Ltd
Email: hello@needcover.com.au