Help and Support
Find answers to commonly asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do I get another copy of my policy documents?
Simply login to your account via the Switched On website or contact us and we will be able to send you a duplicate copy of your documents by email.
Q. What should I do if I replace my insured item (or one of my gadgets)?
You should contact us so that we can update your policy. Please see the contact us page for details.
Q. When does my insurance policy end?
Depending on whether you pay monthly or annually the following will apply:
Monthly policies: As per your Certificate of Insurance, if you have chosen a Monthly Policy it will continue until you cancel your policy with us by written confirmation. Your Certificate of Insurance additionally states that your policy will end if we do not receive your premium payments. This does not affect your 21 day cooling off period. Upon cancellation, cover will terminate at the end of the month for which you have paid your premium (subject to your 21 day cooling off period).
Annual policies: As per your Certificate of Insurance, if you have chosen an Annual Policy your period of insurance is 12 months from the date of purchase or renewal. Upon cancellation, cover will terminate immediately and providing you have not made a claim you will receive a pro rata refund of the premium (subject to your 21 day cooling off period).
Please note: If you do cancel your policy, your gadget will no longer be covered against any of the hazards that your policy covers.
Q. How do I cancel my policy?
Within the first 21 days of receiving the insurance documents (cooling off period) you may cancel your policy at any time without reason and receive a full refund, provided no claim has been made and you don’t intend to make a claim. You can do this by contacting Switched On Insurance by emailing gadget.sales@switchedonInsurance.com.au
After the cooling off period you can cancel your cover at any time by contacting Switched On Insurance by emailing gadget.sales@switchedonInsurance.com.au
If you pay your premium by monthly instalments, your policy will be cancelled at the next monthly anniversary of the date your policy commenced. There will be no refund of premium due.
If you paid your insurance premium as a single upfront payment (annual) and providing no claim has been made under the policy, you will receive a proportionate refund of premium based on the unused period of cover under the policy. Policy cover will cease from the date we receive your cancellation instruction.
To satisfy our obligations under the Australian Privacy Principles, a policy will only be considered as cancelled once we have verified the identity of the requester and confirmed either verbally or in writing that the cancellation request has been processed.
Please note that if you do cancel your policy, your gadget will no longer be covered against any hazards that your policy covers.
Q. How do I make an insurance claim?
To make a claim you must notify the Claims Administrator as soon as possible following the discovery of the incident (or in the event of the incident occurring outside of Australia, as soon as reasonably possible upon your return to Australia).
Where there are exceptional circumstances causing your delay in reporting your claim and where there is no additional loss to us, your claim may still be considered.
Please read and follow our claims procedure to ensure your claim is processed with the minimum delay. Failure to observe these procedures may invalidate your claim.
For theft and malicious damage claims - you must notify the appropriate local police authority within 24 hours of discovering the incident and obtain a crime reference number and a copy of the police crime report. Should you be claiming for the theft of your mobile device you must also contact your network provider within 24 hours of discovering the incident to place a block on the gadget.
You can contact the Claims Administrator by calling -
By Phone:
Call the Claims Administrator on 1300 561 098
Monday to Friday 09:00 to 17:00 AEST
The team is also available via email or post -
By Email:
Contact the Claims Administrator at SwitchedOnInsurance.AU@assurant.com
By Post:
Mail the Claims Administrator at VSC, PO Box 246, Balwyn VIC 3103
Q. What is an excess?
This is the amount you have to pay if you decide to make a claim on your policy. The excess you pay is payable per gadget, per claim and is based on the sum insured as follows:
| Sum Insured | Standard Excess |
|---|---|
| $300 to less than $900 | $149 |
| $900 to less than $1,500 | $199 |
| $1,500 to less than $2,000 | $249 |
| $2,000 to less than $3,000 | $299 |
Q. How does an excess work?
If your gadget is dropped, the cost of repairing the damage might be $1,000. If the sum insured by your policy is $900 to less than $1,500, you’d pay $199 and the insurer would pay the remaining amount.
Q. What documents may be required to process my claim?
We may ask you to provide one or more of the following to help us process your claim.
Proof of Ownership
You must provide evidence to show that you own the gadget such as:
- Original Purchase invoice
- Contract Agreement from Network Provider (devices with SIM cards)
The document must include the make, model and IMEI (in respect of mobile phones) or serial number together with the date of purchase of the device and the business registration and taxation details.
Proof of Usage (gadgets with a SIM)
You must request confirmation of dates of usage for the gadget from your network provider. The proof of usage document should include the device make and model, IMEI number and confirm the date when the device was first and last used on that network.
Photographs of the Damage
Please provide photographs of your gadget (front/back and each side). These should be taken using another phone/camera. Please ensure that a front image is provided displaying the IMEI or serial number (where possible). To display the IMEI dial *#06#. Please also provide an image of each side and the back of your device.
Q. Do I need to supply a receipt if I make a claim?
In the event of a claim you will need to provide the proof of purchase of the gadget for which you are claiming such as an original receipt. This must be a printed document, or a similar electronic record that can be sent to us or displayed in its original format, from an Australian business. For fraud prevention reasons we are unable to accept handwritten receipts.
Such proof of purchase must evidence that you own that particular gadget, which should include the IMEI number or serial number (where applicable in respect of mobile phones and some tablet devices) and other identifying details where appropriate.
You will also need to provide the proof of usage (in respect of mobile phones) from your network provider that confirms the mobile phone has been in use since policy inception and up to the event giving rise to the claim. For other gadgets, such as a tablet, in the event of an accidental damage claim this may be determined through inspection by our repairer.
Q. Can I make a claim on behalf of someone I know?
In order to make a claim on someone’s behalf you need authorisation from the policyholder (verbal or written) in order to comply with current Privacy legislation.
Q. What happens if an incident happens and the switched on call centre is closed, i.e. such as on the weekend?
You will need to contact the Claims Office on the next working day. For details on how to make a claim please visit our make a claim page which includes details of our call centre opening hours should you require any further assistance.
Q. How can I report theft or malicious damage to the police?
You should either contact the police station local to where the incident happened within 24 hours of the incident occurring. If the incident happens in another country then please visit the police station local to where the incident happened in that country.
Q. Do I need to report any theft of my phone to my network provider?
You need to report the theft of any mobile phone or SIM enabled tablet to your network provider and blacklist it within 48 hours of discovery. If you do not do this, we will be unable to approve your claim.
Q. How long will it take to receive a decision?
We will assess your claim and aim to approve it within 2 working days of receiving all requested documentation.
Q. How long will the repair take?
Once your claim is approved, we will contact you to advise on where to send your device for repair. Our repair centre will then aim to repair your gadget within five to seven business days of receiving the gadget. We will notify you if the repair period extends beyond this period.
Q. What if my gadget needs to be replaced?
If your gadget is deemed beyond economical repair and needs to be replaced, we will endeavour to replace it with an identical fully refurbished or new (where a refurbished item is not available) item. Should this not be possible we will replace it with a fully refurbished or new (where a refurbished item is not available) item of a comparable specification or the equivalent value.
Please note: it may not always be possible to replace your gadget with the same colour or finish, where this is not possible an alternative colour and/or finish will be provided.
Q. How do I make a complaint or raise a general query?
We welcome all queries and questions, please see our contact us page for more details.
If you wish to raise a complaint you can do so by:
- emailing us at customerfeedback@assurant.com; or
- calling us on 1300 654 611
General Queries
For general queries:
Policy Holders
If you need to discuss or amend your policy:
Claims
To make or discuss an insurance claim with us: