Privacy Statement
We maintain a record of your personal profile, including details of insurance policies that
we arrange for you. We may also maintain records of any recommendations or advice given to
you.
We will retain this FSG and any other FSG given to you as well as any SOA or PDS that we give or
pass on to you for the period required by law.
We are committed to implementing and promoting a privacy policy, which will ensure the privacy and
security of your personal information.
We value the privacy of personal information and are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 when we collect,
use, disclose or handle personal information. We collect personal information to offer, provide, manage
and administer the many financial services and products we and our group of companies are involved in
(including those outlined in this FSG).
Personal information may be obtained by us directly from you or, sometimes, via a third party such as
your employer or an immediate member of your family
When information is provided to us via a third party we use that information on the basis that you have
consented or would reasonably expect us to collect your personal information in this way and we take
reasonable steps to ensure that you have been made aware of how we handle your personal
information.
The primary purpose for our collection and use of your personal information is to enable us to provide
insurance services to you. Sometimes, we may use your personal information for our marketing
campaigns, in relation to new products, services or information that may be of interest to you.
We may disclose the information we collect to third parties, including service providers engaged by us
to carry out certain business activities on our behalf (such as assessors and call centres in Australia). In
dealing with us, you agree to us using and disclosing your personal information as set out in this
statement and our Privacy Policy. This consent remains valid unless you alter or revoke it by giving
written notice.
However, should you choose to withdraw your consent it is important for you to understand that this
may mean we may not be able to provide you or your organisation with insurance or to respond to any
claim you submit.
If you have previously provided us with permission to show your name and occupation for marketing
purposes, you may revoke this permission at any time in writing to us, or by emailing us using the
contact information on the first page of this FSG.
How will I pay for the services provided?
All services can be paid for in any number of ways, including by BPAY, and Credit Card. How to pay will
be clearly displayed on your invoice. You can choose to pay by any of the payment methods set out in
the invoice.
For each insurance product, the insurer will charge a premium that includes any relevant taxes, charges
and levies.
These will all be shown on the quotes and invoices that we send you. You are required to pay us within
the time set out on the invoice.
How are we remunerated?
We usually receive a payment based on a percentage of this premium (excluding relevant taxes, charges
and levies) called commission. Commissions range from 0% to 50%.
We may also charge a Broker Fee for policy invoicing, premium collection and remittance and issuing
policies and other insurance administration work. This charge will appear on your invoice and will vary
depending on the work and the commission we receive.
You agree that we may retain all our commission, fees and other remuneration in full in the event of
any cancellation of a policy, alteration, or the future downward adjustment of premium. You also agree
that both we and the insurer may offset such remuneration from any premium refund you are entitled
to.
Please note that we treat our remuneration as fully earned when we issue you with a tax invoice, unless
we have a written agreement with you that varies this statement.
Service Issues and Complaints
We are committed to providing quality services to our clients. This commitment extends to giving you
easy access to people and processes that can resolve a service issue or complaint. If you have a
complaint about the service we have provided to you, please address your enquiry or complaint to the
staff member providing the service.
If we are not able to resolve the issue immediately, or within five days, we will refer it to the Complaints
Manager, who will review the complaint and advise you in writing of the expected time for resolution.
You can also refer your enquiry or complaint to the Complaints Manager at any time by:
Contacting us via the Contact Us page.
Telephone: 07-4564 9003
If you are still not satisfied with the outcome determined, you may contact the AFCA can be contacted
by mail:
GPO Box 3, Melbourne VIC 3001.
Call on 1800 931 678.
email info@afca.org.au or website www.afca.org.au
Professional Indemnity
Sphere Insurance Group Pty Ltd has a professional indemnity insurance policy (PI policy) in place to
cover us and our representatives and employees against claims in relation to our conduct as their
Authorised Representative, to compensate clients or their beneficiaries for loss or damage suffered if
we provide negligent advice.
INSURANCE PLACED WITH UNAUTHORISED FOREIGN INSURERS
We will identify the policies that we have placed with an unauthorised foreign insurer (on your instructions) and the specific information relating to that insurer.
If the policy is an atypical risk or the policy cannot reasonably be placed with an Australian authorised
insurer and we have placed the policy with an unauthorised foreign insurer (on your behalf), please note:
An unauthorised foreign insurer is an insurer that is not authorised under the Insurance Act 1973 (Act) to
conduct insurance business in Australia and is not subject to the provisions of that Act, which establishes a system of financial supervision of general insurers in Australia that is monitored by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA).
The insurer cannot be a declared general insurer for the purpose of Part VC of the Insurance Act 1973, and, if the insurer becomes insolvent, you will not be covered by the Federal Government’s Financial Claims Scheme provided under Part VC of that Act.
You should consider whether you require further information regarding:
The country in which the insurer is incorporated, and what scheme of financial supervision of insurers
applies;
The paid up capital of the insurer;
The insurer’s rating by credit rating agencies;
The insurer’s financial reports; and
Which country’s laws will determine disputes in relation to the policy.
As your insurance broker, we do not warrant or guarantee the current or ongoing solvency or financial
viability of the insurer because we have no control over the insurer’s performance and this can be affected by many complex commercial and economic factors. The solvency of an insurer can change significantly between the time an insurance contract is entered into and the time a claim may be made. If you have concerns about the insurer’s solvency you should review the insurer’s credit rating from time to time.
Any questions?
If you have any further questions about the financial services we offer or about Sphere Insurance Group
Pty Ltd, please contact us. You will find our contact details on the first page of this FSG.
Please retain this document for your reference and any future dealings with us.