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Our Verdict
It's the winner of Finder's Green Insurer of the Year 2021.
It comes with up to $30,000,000 legal liability cover – that's more than Budget Direct, Virgin, Westpac and Qantas.
The cheapest way to pay is annually – it'll cost you more if you want to pay monthly.
Green Insurer of the Year 2021
As part of the Finder Green Awards, we are pleased to announce QBE as our Green Insurer of the Year. It is clear that QBE is an insurance business taking their sustainability efforts seriously. Notably, the company is sourcing more than 60% of their electricity from renewable sources, as well as committing to numerous external benchmarks such as CDP and DJSI.
We don't currently have this brand on our panel. But don't fret! You can head to the QBE website or compare a bunch of other home insurance companies with Finder.
All policies come with a basic excess, which you'll need to pay whenever you make a claim, and a cooling off period of 21 days. Cancel within this timeframe and you'll receive a full refund if you haven't made a claim on your policy.
Here are the 18 standard features that QBE can cover you for if something damages or destroys your home or its contents. For instance, if a storm (insured event) damages your home, you could claim for emergency temporary repairs (feature).
Emergency temporary repairs
Temporary accommodation costs
Temporary storage of contents
Improved security
Environmental upgrades – contents
Environmental upgrades – building
Data or software
Monitored alarm attendance – burglary
Emergency services attendance
Mortgage discharge
External door and window locks
Food spoilage
Forced evacuation by government authority
Cover when you move house
Contents in transit to your new residence
Contents included in the purchase of your new residence
Building materials awaiting installation
Damage by emergency services
Optional add-ons
QBE only offers 2 optional add-ons:
Accidental damage
Portable contents
Exclusions
There are certain circumstances under which your claim will not be paid; these are referred to as exclusions. Some examples include:
Intentional, reckless or fraudulent acts
Illegal activity
Wear, tear, depreciation and rust
Rising damp, seepage, mould or mildew
Gradual deterioration
Actions of the sea
Operation of law, war, nuclear material or terrorism
You can find the full list of exclusions in QBE's product disclosure statement (PDS).
Here's QBE Home Insurance complaints review
We looked at home insurance complaint data from the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) between July 2020 and June 2021. The data breaks down different underwriters and compares their business size to the number of complaints processed.
When comparing insurers, keep in mind that insurers with a larger market share serve more customers, so can potentially get more complaints.
Here's an overview of how QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited did:
A large percentage of complaints were closed with QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited compared to other insurers.
It received a larger number of complaints compared to other similarly sized insurers.
Bottom line about QBE Home Insurance
QBE Home Insurance comes with more standard features than many other insurers, including Budget Direct and Virgin, and was awarded our Green Insurer of 2021 award, but it doesn't have the strongest complaints record.
To compare QBE Home Insurance policies side-by-side with other providers, you can head here.
Frequently asked questions
If something happens you can claim for, make sure that you take all possible steps to prevent any further loss or damage. All theft should be reported to the police as soon as possible.
You can then call QBE or visit the QBE website to inform them of what has happened. A QBE representative will take you through the claims process so you know what you need to do next.
You'll be asked to complete a claim form and also provide any supporting documentation required to assess your claim. This could include letters, valuations, receipts or proof of ownership.
You can reach them on 133 723 for more information about making a claim.
Yes, QBE can cover accidental damage, but you'll need to pay extra to have it included in your policy.
No, this feature is not automatically included in your policy. However, you can add portable contents cover for an additional premium. This protects your items against accidental loss or damage anywhere in Australia or New Zealand, and worldwide for up to 90 consecutive days.
No, you only need to tell QBE if your house will be left unoccupied for more than 90 days. In some cases, they may not be able to continue to cover you.
QBE's Target Market Determination (TMD) document outlines customers suitable for its building cover and contents cover separately.
For building cover
Customers within the target market are those who own a residential property in Australia and who want financial protection from insured events. This means that the product isn't suitable for:
People who rent out their home or part of their home for income, and want protection for things like rent loss or rent default.
Customers looking for cover for a short term or casual lease.
Those who use the property as their primary business location with the exception of a home office.
Homes that are getting demolished (or in the process of).
For homes that have been unoccupied for more than 120 days.
Those who want to cover their building which is within a strata type building.
Those who want cover for a property that's not a standard residential home.
Those who live by the sea and wan't cover for things like high and king tides.
Those who want cover for pre-existing damage and general wear and tear.
For contents cover
Customers suitable for this product include those who want insurance for their household contents in their home in Australia. This includes renters and homeowners. This means that the product isn't suitable for:
Landlords who want to cover their belongings that are kept in a leased property.
Contents stored away from the insured address in a non-commercial storage facility, shed, shipping container, or an unoccupied home.
Customers who want contents insurance but live in a non standard residential property
Those who want cover their contents for pre-existing damage and general wear and tear
Alexandra Koster is Finder's publisher for car, home and pet insurance. She has a Tier 1 certification in General Insurance, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Cultural Studies from the University of Sydney. Her hobbies include reading Product Disclosure Statements and deciphering complicated insurance lingo to help people save on their insurance so that they can spend their money on better things – like dogs.
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