Our Privacy Policy
We are covered by the Federal Privacy Act and its National Privacy Principles (NPP’s), setting out standards for the collection, use, disclosure and handling of personal information essentially information or opinion about a living individual whose identity is apparent or can reasonably be ascertained from the information or opinion.
Our Privacy Policy applies to any personal information we collect, use or disclose after 21 December 2001 . It does not apply to our employee records.
How and why we collect personal information
We collect personal information either directly from the relevant individuals or indirectly from third parties. For example, an insured may not only provide us with information on themselves for the purpose of obtaining our services but also on other insureds who they represent. We may also obtain personal information from past insurers, witnesses to claims, health care workers and publicly available sources etc.
We collect personal information to be able to provide our various services. These include insurance broking, claims management, risk management consulting, other forms of insurance services (including underwriting and reinsurance). For more information on our services please contact us.
How we use and disclose personal information
We do not use or disclose personal information for any purpose that is unrelated to our services and that you would not reasonably expect (except with your consent).We have a duty to maintain the confidentiality of our clients’ affairs, including personal information. Our duty of confidentiality applies except where disclosure of your personal information is with your consent or compelled by law. We usually disclose personal information to third parties who assist us or are involved in the provision of our services.
For example, in arranging and managing your insurance needs we may provide information to insurers, reinsurers, other insurance intermediaries, insurance reference bureaus, our advisers such as loss adjusters, lawyers and accountants, and others involved in the claims handling process.
We take reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information is accurate, complete, and up-to-date whenever we collect or use or disclose it.
If the required personal information is not provided, we or any involved third parties may not be able to provide appropriate services.
What we expect of you and third parties we deal with
When you provide us with personal information about other individuals, we rely on you to have made them aware that you will or may provide their information to us, the purposes we use it for, the types of third parties we disclose it to and how they can access it (as described in this document). If it is sensitive information we rely on you to have obtained their consent to the above.
If you have not done either of these things, you must tell us before you provide the relevant information.
If we give you personal information, you and your representatives must only use it for the purposes we agreed to.
Where relevant, you must meet the requirements of the National Privacy Principles set out in the Privacy Act 1988, when collecting, using, disclosing and handling personal information on our behalf.
You must also ensure that your agents, employees and contractors meet the above requirements.
Security of your personal information
We endeavour to protect any personal information that we hold from misuse and loss, and to protect it from unauthorised access, modification and disclosure.
Transfer of information overseas
We may transfer your personal information overseas where it is necessary to provide our service. For example, we sometimes use the Internet to collect and process information. In addition, some insurers or reinsurers are based overseas and we need to provide your personal information to them to arrange your cover. In most cases, we only do this with your consent.
Cookies
Cookies are pieces of information that a website can transfer to an individual’s computer hard drive for record keeping. The information remains on your computer after the Internet session finishes.
When you visit our website, a ‘session cookie’ is temporarily placed on your computer, which is used to record statistical information about your visit to our site. These session cookies are deleted from your computer at the end of each Internet session or when you leave our site.
We only use this session cookie to build a broad picture of how visitors are using our site, to help us improve the service to visitors. The information collected in relation to you is anonymous and cannot provide us with any personal information about you (see “What else you should know about privacy”) for details of information recorded.
Most Internet browsers are pre-set to accept cookies. If you prefer not to receive cookies, you can adjust your Internet browser to warn you when cookies are being used. You will still be able to use our web site even if you choose to disable the use of the session cookie.
Opting Out
If we send you any information about services or products, or you do not want us to disclose your personal information to any other organization (including related bodies corporate) you can opt out by contacting us.
Complaints Procedure
The PIB Group has established a free dispute resolution scheme (details of which are set out below) to meet the statutory requirements of The Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000, and best practice procedures recommended by the Privacy Commissioner.
Should you not be satisfied:
You may request the matter to be considered by the PIB Group’s Internal Disputes Resolution Committee. This Committee is comprised of members of the Group’s senior executive team.
A request for referral of your complaint to this Committee must be made in writing to either:
• The Privacy Officer (Claims) PIB Group for claims related information, or
• The Privacy Officer (Underwriting) PIB Group for information other than about a claim.
Except in the most unusual cases, the Committee will consider your complaint and advise you of its decision within 15 working days of receiving your written request for referral.
If you remain dissatisfied with our decision after you have received a written response from the PIB Group’s Internal Disputes Resolution Committee you may progress the matter to the Privacy Commissioner.
You can contact the Privacy Commissioner by writing to:
The Director of Complaints
Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner
GPO Box 5218
Sydney NSW 1042
• Or by telephoning 1300 363 992.
• Or visiting the Privacy Commissioner’s Web Site at www.privacy.gov.au
Nothing of course denies your statutory rights to make a direct complaint about interference with your privacy to the Privacy Commissioner in accordance with The Private Sector Act.
How to contact us
If you wish to gain access to your personal information, or you want us to correct or update it, or you have a complaint about a breach of your privacy, or any other query relating to our Privacy Policy, contact our Privacy Officer during business hours on: Telephone: (02) 9630 8788
Mail: Po Box 2243, North Parramatta NSW 2151
Email: advice@professionalinsurance.com.auThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Copyright
This web site and the data contained in it are supplied solely for informational use. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced or reused for any purpose whatsoever without written permission of Professional Insurance Brokers Pty. Ltd. This site and the publication contained within are copyright © 2003 Professional Insurance Brokers Pty. Ltd.
Disclaimer
This web site contains information provided by Professional Insurance Brokers Pty. Ltd. and third parties. There may be technical inaccuracies, typographical errors or programming bugs in this web site or its contents. Professional Insurance Brokers Pty. Ltd. and it’s contractors make no representations about the accuracy or suitability of the information or links provided on this web site. The information is provided ‘as is’ without express or implied warranty. You use the information and links at your own risk. Professional Insurance Brokers Pty. Ltd. takes no responsibility for the content of Internet sites that are linked from this site.
Except as set out below,
Professional Insurance Brokers Pty. Ltd. and their contractors exclude all:
(a) warranties whether express, implied, statutory or otherwise, relating in any way to this web site or your use of this web site; and
(b) liability (including for negligence) to you or anyone else in respect of any loss or damage (including special, indirect or consequential loss or damage such as loss of revenue, unavailability of systems or loss of data) arising from or in connection with any use of the information on or access through this web site for any reason whatsoever (including negligence).
Where any statute implies any term into your use of or any arrangement arising out of the accessing of this web site and that statute prohibits exclusion of that term, then that term is included. If and to the extent permitted by the statute, however, Professional Insurance Brokers Pty. Ltd. and it’s contractors’ liability for any breach of such term is limited to the resupply of services.
Your Duty of Disclosure & Answering Questions for Insurance Quotes
Professional Insurance Brokers Pty. Ltd. acts as an agent for different companies in issuing policies and handling claims.
The decision we make on behalf of the companies whether or not to insure you or fulfill a claim will depend on the information you give us. Before you enter into a contract of insurance, the Insurance Contracts Act 1984, requires you to provide us with the information we need to enable us to decide whether and on what terms your on-line application for insurance is acceptable and to calculate how much premium is required for your insurance.
You must disclose any additional or new information before we agree to renew, extend, reinstate or change any details relating to your policy.
Duty of Disclosure
Before you enter into an insurance contract with us, the Insurance Contracts Act 1984 requires you to provide us with the information we need to enable us to decide whether and on what terms your proposal for insurance is acceptable and to calculate how much premium is required for your insurance. The Act imposes a different duty the first time you enter into the policy with us to that which applies when you vary, renew, extend, reinstate or replace your policy. We set these two duties out below.
Your duty of disclosure when you enter into this policy with us for the first time
You will be asked various questions when you first apply for this policy. When you answer these questions, you must:
give us honest and complete answers,
tell us everything you know, and
tell us everything that a reasonable person in the circumstance could be expected to tell us.
Your Duty of Disclosure when you renew, vary, extend, reinstate or replace your policy
When you renew, vary, extend, reinstate or replace the policy your duty is to tell us before the renewal, variation, extension, reinstatement or replacement is made, every matter known to you which:
you know, or a reasonable person in the circumstances could be expected to know, is relevant to our decision whether to insure you and whether any special conditons need to apply to your policy.
What you do not need to tell us for either duty
You do not need to tell us about any matter:
that diminishes our risk,
that is of common knowledge,
that we know or should know as an insurer, or
that we tell you we do not need to know.
Who do the above two duties apply to?
Everyone who is insured under the policy must answer the questions in this way
What happens if you or they do not comply with the relevant duty?
If you or they do not comply with the relevant duty, we may cancel the policy or reduce the amount we pay if you make a claim. If fraud is involved, we may treat the policy as if it never existed and pay nothing.
Buy using our online insurance quotes or claims you agree that in answering these questions you will comply with this duty.