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Insurance claims
How to make a claim, step by step
Nobody files a claim on a good day. You're dealing with damage, loss, or something unexpected, and the last thing you want is confusion about what happens next. One thing to know upfront: Kapi Insurance arranges your cover, and you claim directly with your insurer. We've laid out every step below so you can focus on sorting the situation instead of guessing at paperwork.
The process is broadly the same whether you're claiming on car, home or contents insurance. Here's how it works.
What to do immediately after an incident
Those first few hours count. Car accident, storm damage, a break-in. Whatever has happened, there are things you should do before you even think about lodging a claim.
Photos taken at the scene do more for a claim than any form filled in later.
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Make sure everyone is safe
Safety first. If anyone is hurt, call 111. And if there's a risk of more damage (burst pipe, exposed wiring), do what you reasonably can to stop it getting worse.
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Document the damage
Grab your phone. Photos and videos from multiple angles, every room, every damaged item. Claims slow down or get disputed when there isn't enough evidence at this stage. One thing people forget: don't throw anything away until the insurer gives you the go-ahead. They may want to inspect it.
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Report it to the right people
Car accident? Exchange details with the other driver and file a police report if needed. Theft or break-in? Report it to police straight away and get a file number, because your insurer won't process the claim without one. For storm or weather damage, write down the date, conditions, and any weather warnings that were active at the time.
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Contact your insurer
Ring your insurer as soon as you can. Most policies have a prompt notification requirement, and delays can give them a reason to push back. Have your policy number handy and be ready to describe what happened in plain terms.
Paperwork
What documents and information you'll need
Getting your documents sorted upfront saves you chasing them later when the insurer asks. Pull together as much of this as you can before you lodge.
For all claims
- - Your policy number and claim reference (if already lodged)
- - Date and time of the incident
- - Description of what happened
- - Photos or video of the damage
- - Receipts, invoices, or other documents proving ownership and value
- - Police file number (required for theft and break-in claims)
- - An estimate of the total cost, including repairs or replacement
For car accident claims
- - Other driver's name and contact details
- - Other vehicle's registration number
- - Other driver's insurance details
- - Names and contact details of witnesses
- - Location of the car accident
- - Photos of all vehicles involved and the scene
- - Repair quotes from an approved repairer (if available)
Lodgement to Settlement
How the claims process works
You've reported it and gathered your paperwork. Now the insurer takes over. This is what the process looks like from here.
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Get in touch with your insurer's claims team. You can usually call them or lodge it through their online portal.
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Send through your claim form with all the supporting documents: receipts, photos, police file number (if relevant), and any repair quotes you've collected.
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An assessor gets assigned to your claim. They'll review everything, inspect the damage if needed, and work out how much the insurer will pay.
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Not happy with the outcome? You can dispute a decline or a low offer through the insurer's complaints process, or take it to the IFSO for an independent ruling.
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Once settled, you pay your excess and the insurer covers the rest. That might be repairs, a replacement, or a cash payout up to your policy limits.
Keep It Moving
Tips for a smooth insurance claim
Insurance claims often drag on for weeks because of small mistakes early in the process. A few things you can do to keep yours moving.
- Report your claim promptly
- Don't sit on it. Most policies say you need to notify them as soon as reasonably possible, and waiting gives the insurer an easy reason to push back. On their end, the Fair Insurance Code requires ICNZ member insurers to acknowledge your claim within 5 business days and decide it within 10 business days of having all the information they need.
- Be honest and thorough
- Tell it straight. Exaggerating what happened or leaving things out can void the whole claim. Stick to what you know, include as much detail as you can, and let the evidence do the talking.
- Keep records of everything
- Save every email. Screenshot every text. Keep copies of forms you submit and write down the name of whoever you speak to on the phone. If a dispute comes up later, a solid paper trail is the thing that protects you.
- Don't accept the first offer if it seems low
- Insurers don't always get it right on the first offer. If the number feels low, say so. The Fair Insurance Code from the Insurance Council of New Zealand sets out the standards every member insurer must meet. You can go through their internal complaints process, and if that doesn't resolve it, the Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman (IFSO) will review it independently.
- Prevent further damage
- Your policy will expect you to take reasonable steps to stop things getting worse. Tarp over a damaged roof after a storm. Water turned off if there's a leak. That kind of thing. Hang on to the receipts for any emergency repairs you arrange, because those costs are usually covered as part of the claim.
- Check your claim status regularly
- Don't just lodge and wait. Get a reference number when you first call, then check in every week or so. If repairs are involved, ask for a timeline upfront. Claims can stall quietly if nobody is chasing them.
Is a small claim worth making?
A small claim is worth making when the loss clearly beats your excess, and often not worth it when the two are close. The maths is simple: with a $500 excess and an $800 repair quote, the claim puts $300 in your pocket. Get the repair quote first, because plenty of "big" damage comes in under the excess once someone actually prices it.
The excess is only half the equation. Insurers price on claims history, so a paid claim can follow you into future renewals, and application forms ask about past claims whichever insurer you approach next. None of that means you should sit on real losses. It means a borderline claim deserves two minutes of thought, not a reflex.
Insurance earns its keep on the losses you could not absorb: the house fire, the burglary that empties the flat, the $30,000 liability bill. For losses smaller than that, run the numbers before you lodge.
If you withdraw a claim, is it still recorded?
A lodged claim creates a record, and withdrawing it later does not erase that. Most of New Zealand's general insurers, covering roughly 95 percent of the market, share claims data through the Insurance Claims Register, where claims stay for ten years. The register updates from insurers' own systems, so the record exists from the moment you lodge.
The practical consequence shows up at application time. When a new insurer asks about claims you have made, a lodged-then-withdrawn claim belongs in your answer, and answering accurately protects the new policy. Non-disclosure is one of the classic reasons claims get declined.
The lesson runs the other way too. If you are only ringing to ask a what-if question, say so clearly, and ask your insurer how the call will be recorded before it becomes a claim number.
The Dispute Path
What can you do if your claim is declined?
A declined claim or a low offer is not the end of the road. New Zealand has a clear dispute path, and it costs you nothing to use. Here is how it runs.
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Ask for the decision in writing
Get the decline letter and the specific policy clause the insurer is relying on. Vague phone explanations are hard to challenge; a written decision names the exact wording, and that wording is where disputes are won.
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Use the insurer's internal complaints process
Under the Fair Insurance Code, the insurer must acknowledge your complaint within 5 business days, respond within 10 business days of having all the information, and update you at least every 20 business days. The Code gives the internal process up to two months to resolve your complaint.
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Take it to the ombudsman scheme
If the complaint is not resolved within two months, or reaches deadlock, you can escalate it to the insurer's dispute resolution scheme, usually the Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman (IFSO) or FSCL. Both are free for consumers, and the IFSO Scheme can investigate complaints up to $500,000 plus GST. You generally have three months from the deadlock letter to refer your complaint.
What about faulty insurance repairs?
If your insurer arranged and paid the repairer and the work is not right, go back to the insurer first and use the same complaints path above if it stalls. If you chose the repairer and the insurer cash-settled, your remedy sits with the repairer under the Consumer Guarantees Act, which requires services to be carried out with reasonable care and skill.
Kapi Insurance is a member of the Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme (5008525), so the same independent process covers complaints about our own service. We arrange the cover and you claim directly with your insurer, but if a claim decision has you stuck, we are happy to help you understand the wording you are arguing about.
Get your cover sorted before you need it
The worst time to find a gap in your policy is when you're trying to claim. We'll check your current cover and flag anything that could catch you out.