Privacy-Policy

V-INSURANCE GROUP PTY LTD 

V-Insurance Group Pty Ltd (V-Insurance) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information of its clients. V-Insurance are covered by the Federal Privacy Act and its Australian Privacy Principles (“APP’s”), which set out standards for the collection, use, disclosure and handling of personal information. Personal information is essentially any information or opinion that can identify a person (e.g. a name and address).

V-Insurance Group is an Authorised Representative of Willis Australia Ltd, Authorised Representative No. 432898. As a result certain client information is shared with Willis. All information sent to Willis is managed in accordance with their Privacy Policy.

This Privacy Policy may be revised from time to time to reflect changes in law or changes in V-Insurance Group’s business operation. This privacy notice was last updated on 1 April 2016.

How and why we collect personal and sensitive 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 insured’s who they represent. We may also obtain personal information from past insurers, witnesses to claims, health care workers and publicly available sources etc. We also collect sensitive information about an individual (as defined in Section 6 of the Privacy Act) provided the individual consents to the collection, however this requirement may not be applicable where the collection is required or authorised by or under an Australian law or a court / tribunal order. Some examples of sensitive information are racial or of ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, membership of professional, trade or union associations, sexual orientation, criminal records. We collect personal and sensitive information to be able to provide our various services. These services include insurance broking, claims management, risk management consulting and other forms of insurance services (including underwriting and reinsurance). You have a right to refuse us authorisation to collect information from a third party.

Dealing with unsolicited information
Where we receive personal information where we did not seek or solicit this information, we will, within a reasonable period of time determine whether or not we could have collected this information under ‘How and why we collect personal and sensitive information’. If it is determined that we could not have collected the personal information and the information is not contained in a Commonwealth record, we will as soon as practicable and only if it is lawful and reasonable to do so, either destroy or delete the information or de-identify it.

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 also provide it to purchasers of our business and related companies.

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.

If you provide inaccurate or incomplete information we may not be able to provide you with the products or services you are seeking.

From time to time, we may provide you with direct marketing material. This will include articles and newsletters that may be of interest to you.

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 Australian 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 contacts meet the above requirements.

Notice of Collection of Personal Information

In order to arrange insurance for you or to handle a claim for you, V-Insurance Group (VIG) needs to collect your personal information (which may include, depending on the circumstances, sensitive information about you such as information about your health).  We will use your personal information to provide such insurance-related services to you, and also for other related purposes, such as: (1) complying with legal and regulatory requirements; (2) improving and developing the services VIG provides; and (3) contacting and maintaining the relationship between VIG and you

For such purposes, VIG may share your personal information with: (1) third parties who are relevant to the services VIG provides, such as insurers and claims handlers; (2) third parties who support VIG’s business operations, such as IT service providers, administrative support service providers; and (3) where applicable, third parties with whom VIG are by law required to share your personal information, such as regulators or courts/tribunals.  Such sharing of your personal information may result in your personal information being transferred overseas, including the UK, USA, and India.

It is not mandatory for you to provide your personal information when requested by VIG, but if you do not agree to the collection or subsequent use of your personal information by VIG, this might prevent VIG from arranging insurance or handling claim for you and that might in turn adversely affect you.  If you wish to learn more about how VIG handles your personal information, please refer to VIG’s Privacy Policy which is available online at https://vinsurancegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Important-Notices-1.pdf or upon request

If you have any question or concern regarding how your personal information is handled by VIG, please contact the Privacy Officer at:

C/- WTW
Level 16 Angel Place
123 Pitt Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

E-mail:              [email protected]

Telephone:        02 9285 4000

Security of your personal information
We endeavor to protect any personal information that we hold from misuse and loss, and to protect it from unauthorised access, modification and disclosure. This includes a broad range of security from electronic storage, shredding, physical security, computer network security and other security measures.

It is a legislative requirement that we keep all personal information and records for a period of 7 years. After this, the information may be destroyed.

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.

Internet Cookies
Our Website utilises cookies to provide you with a better user experience. Cookies also allow us to identify your browser while you are using our site – they do not identify you. If you do not wish to receive cookies, you can instruct your web browser to refuse them.

Dealing with us anonymously
You can deal with us anonymously where it is lawful and practicable to do so. For Example, if you telephone requesting our postal address.

Direct marketing
Should we hold personal information (other than sensitive information) about an individual we will not use or disclose this information for the purpose of direct marketing unless we have collected this information from the individual and the individual would reasonably expect us to use or disclose the information for the purpose of direct marketing. Where an individual would not reasonably expect this personal information to be used for the purpose of direct marketing it will only be used for this purpose where we have gained the individual’s consent.

An individual may request our source of personal information and this will be provided within a reasonable period and without charge, unless it is impracticable or unreasonable to do so.

With sensitive information we will only use this information for the purposes of direct marketing where we have obtained your consent.

Should you request not to receive direct marketing communications please refer to section on ‘Opting out’

Opting out
If we send you any information about services or products or other direct marketing material and you do not wish to receive this information any further, you may contact us with this request. We will endeavor to meet your request within 2 weeks. We maintain a Register for those individuals not wanting direct marketing material.

If you do not want us to disclose your personal information to any other organisation (including related bodies corporate) you can opt out by phoning our office.

Exceptions to providing personal information
Some exceptions exist where we will not provide you with access to your personal information if:

1. Providing access would pose a serious threat to the life or health of a person;
2. Providing access would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of others;
3. The request for access is frivolous or vexatious;
4. The information is related to existing or anticipated legal proceedings between us and would not be discoverable in those proceedings;
5. Providing access would reveal our intentions in relation to negotiations with you in such a way as to prejudice those negotiations;
6. Providing access would be unlawful;
7. Denying access is required by or under law;
8. Providing access would be likely to prejudice certain operations by or on behalf of an enforcement body or an enforcement body requests that access not be provided on the grounds of national security.

Should we refuse you access to your personal information, we will provide you with a written explanations for that refusal.

Accessing your Personal Information
You are entitled to request access to the information V-Insurance holds about you.

If you have reason to believe that the personal information V-Insurance holds is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date, you are entitled to request that the information be amended.

V-Insurance is not always required to provide you with access to your personal information however if your request is denied an explanation will be provided to you.

V-Insurance may be required by law to retain your personal information for a specified period of time after you have ended your relationship with us. After the expiry of this required time, all reasonable steps will be taken to ensure the secure destruction of your personal information.

To make an enquiry or lodge a change request regarding your personal information, please contact
V-Insurance Group during business hours at:

V-Insurance Insurance Group
Level 25, 123 Pitt Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Telephone: (02) 8599 8660
Fax: (02) 8599 8661
E-mail: [email protected]

There is generally no fee for requesting access to your personal information. In some cases however, a fee may be charged to recover costs where the information has to be retrieved from archives.

Lodging a complaint regarding a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles
If you believe that V-Insurance has breached an aspect of the APP’s, you should in the first instance contact V-Insurance Group during business hours at:

V-Insurance Insurance Group
Level 25, 123 Pitt Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Telephone: (02) 8599 8660
Fax: (02) 8599 8661
E-mail: [email protected]

The details of your complaint will be taken and investigated. If a breach is identified all efforts to rectify it and put in place additional safeguards to ensure it cannot recur will be taken. If the problem is one of accuracy, you will be invited to review your information and it will be amended as necessary to meet our obligations to you and to third parties who have been involved with your account.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of V-Insurance’ internal investigation you should contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

• It is free to lodge a complaint.
• You do not need a lawyer. However if you do decide to hire a lawyer, you must pay for the lawyer yourself.
• The OAIC investigates privacy complaints from individuals about Australian, ACT and Norfolk Island government agencies, and private sector organisations covered by the Privacy Act.
• The OAIC aims to resolve complaints as quickly as possible. Some complaints are resolved within weeks, but more complex complaints may take longer.
• Complaints are generally resolved through conciliation.
• You can choose to withdraw your complaint at any time.

Full details regarding lodging a complaint can be found at: www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-complaints