COMPLAINTS & DISPUTES

General Insurance Code of Practice

DSH Insurance is a signatory to the General Insurance Code of Practice. The Code of Practice sets standards for insurers that cover, complaints, customers experiencing financial hardship, buying and renewing insurance, making a claim and customers experiencing vulnerability.
The Code Governance Committee is an independent body that monitors and enforces insurers’ compliance with the Code.
Should you require further information on the General Insurance Code of Practice or the Code Governance Committee go to Code of Practice - Insurance Council of Australia 

Handling your complaint

To maintain our commitment to the General Insurance Code of Practice and provide quality service, Defence Service Homes Insurance Scheme (DSHIS) treats all complaints seriously.

We understand that at times, you may not be satisfied with our services and products or you do not agree with decisions we make in relation to your insurance and the way we deliver them may not always meet your expectations.

Once you have raised your complaint with us, we will work with you to find a fair resolution. This may take time depending on the nature of your complaint, but we will proactively keep you updated throughout the process as we work through your complaint.

Our complaint process has 3 key stages as described below:

Stage 1—Talk to us first

If you are unhappy with any aspect of our service (complaint) or disagree with a decision we have made (dispute), please contact us to discuss the matter, and we may be able to resolve the issue promptly for you. If this is not possible, you will be referred to a senior staff member who will address your concerns and acknowledge your complaint/dispute within one business day.

We will provide the name and relevant contact details of the senior staff member who will be handling your complaint/dispute. We will keep you informed of the progress of your claim at least every 10-business days. In most cases, we will resolve the matter within 15 business days. If the matter requires further investigation, we will agree to a new timeframe with you. If an agreement cannot be reached, we will notify you of your right to take your complaint to the next stage and provide a response in writing.  

Stage 2—Have your complaint reviewed

If your complaint cannot be resolved within the agreed timeframe, or if you are not happy with the result from Stage One review, you can contact our Internal Dispute Resolution team who’ll arrange for a review in accordance with our internal dispute resolution process. 

The Internal Dispute Resolution representative will contact you to acknowledge your complaint/dispute, and keep you informed of the progress usually every 10-business days. The Internal Dispute representative will try to resolve your complaint/dispute within 15 business days. However, if further information or investigation is required, they will agree on a reasonable timeframe with you. The Internal Dispute Resolution representative will respond to your complaint/dispute in writing.

For more information contact:

External dispute resolution

You can ask the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) for an external review of a dispute/complaint at any stage; AFCA will usually refer it back to us unless we have already had the chance to respond.

If your complaint isn't resolved after contacting us (Stages 1 and 2), you can take it to AFCA.

If you disagree with our Stage Two decision or if 30 business days have passed since you first raised your complaint with us and you have not received our final response you can then refer the matter to AFCA.

AFCA provides a free, independent external resolution service to consumers for most general insurance complaint/disputes. If you choose to accept any decision made by AFCA, we will be required to follow that decision. You are not bound by the AFCA decision and may seek resolution elsewhere. In most cases, you have up to two years from the date of our final written response to lodge a dispute with AFCA. AFCA can also consider your case sooner if we have not responded within required timeframes.

Click here for AFCA complaint resolution process (PDF  445 KB).

AFCA can be contacted on: