Kia ora koutou,

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Alice here again👋

As of Friday last week, Joshua has officially embarked on his Summer School adventure with Lloyds of London. That means Taz and I are temporarily without the boss. While we hold down the fort, we appreciate your patience with response times as we manage his inbox alongside our own.

For now:

• I’ll be your go-to for Joshua's commercial insurance queries.
• Taz will be handling Joshua's domestic insurance matters.

You’ll find our contact details at the end of this email if you need to reach out directly😊

Let’s Talk About “Miscommunication” in Insurance Claims

Today, I want to shine a light on the risks of those “little white lies” (or as some prefer to call them, creative storytelling) when lodging an insurance claim. One of the perks of working with a broker is that we review your claim form before submitting it to the insurer. If anything looks like it could be misinterpreted, we’ll give you a call to clarify before it goes any further.

However, when claims are submitted directly to the insurer (please don’t do this🙃),

we don’t get the chance to proofread—and that’s where things can go sideways.

Here are a few examples of “miscommunication” that can cause trouble:

• Car Crash Claims: If the form asks for your speed at the time of the accident, and you’re off by 50km instead of 5km, that’s a red flag. Insurers may investigate using CCTV, nearby security cameras, or even data from your car’s onboard Data Recording Unit (yes, that’s a thing).
• House Insurance: If your property is listed as owner-occupied but is actually tenanted—or if your “family bach” is an Airbnb more than half the time—insurers may consider that a misrepresentation.
• Undisclosed History: If you’ve had claims declined, insurance cancelled, or been refused coverage in the past and didn’t declare it on our renewal or new policy forms, that’s another no-no.
• Mixing Events: Including quotes or invoices from unrelated incidents in a claim? Naughty, naughty.

What’s at Stake?

• Claim Declined: If the insurer finds incorrect info, they can reject your claim and ask for repayment of any costs already covered.
• Policy Cancellation: They can cancel all your policies—car, contents, house—and you may be uninsurable for at least five years. This affects property purchases, vehicle financing, and business insurance.
• Legal Action: Providing false information can be classified as insurance fraud, which may lead to legal consequences.

Final Thoughts

While it might be tempting to bend the truth, the risks far outweigh the rewards. Honesty really is the best policy—and working with us ensures your claims are accurate and well-supported.

That’s me for another month! If you need anything, just reach out. We also work with some amazing advisers in the life and health insurance space, our colleagues at Velocity Financial. If you’d like a referral, just reply to this email and I’ll sort it out for you.

Our details:

Alice@caveo.co.nz or call 027 273 3392

Taz@caveo.co.nz or call 027 272 3345

Until next time: keep smiling, keep thriving, and above all—keep it honest😊

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Noho ora mai,

Alice

Alice Kauri | General Insurance Adviser

Caveo - powered by Velocity Financial

38 Vivian Street, Te Aro, Wellington

M: 027 273 3392

E: alice@caveo.co.nz

W: www.caveo.co.nz

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Read Caveo's disclosure here.

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Always get professional advice

The information shared in this post is meant to be general guide to support you on your journey. When making important decisions about your finances, we encourage you to seek independent financial advice first, tailored to your unique situation.  As well as talking with a financial adviser, make sure you talk to your lawyer and accountant too – together they'll help you find the best solution for your specific situation. Our knowledgeable financial advisers are here to help. Check out our website for the details about our financial advisory services in our disclosures  https://www.velocityfinancial.co.nz/disclosure-statement. 

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