Our internal complaints process
1. Contact us
Give us a call on: 0800 379 372
Alternatively, you can:
Complete our online form or email complaints@tower.co.nz
Or write to us:
Tower Insurance, PO BOX 90347, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
Often issues can be cleared up right away. We’ll do our best to listen to your concerns and to fix the problem on the spot. If that’s not possible, we’ll put you in touch with someone who can.
2. If we can’t resolve your complaint, we’ll escalate it for you
If you’re not satisfied with the resolution, we’ll escalate your complaint to a senior team member.
You’ll hear back from us within five working days to let you know we’ve received your complaint. We’ll also provide you with the name and contact details of the person looking into your concerns.
Once we have all the information we need, we’ll aim to give you an answer within ten working days. If the complaint investigation is more complicated or reliant on information from a third-party (such as an assessor) and we need more time, we’ll keep you updated at least once every 20 working days, or another such agreed timeframe, until your complaint is resolved.
We may refer your complaint to different teams within Tower to make sure we can best address your concerns.
If you don’t believe your complaint is being managed appropriately, you can contact our Customer Resolution Team at any point during the complaints process:
3. Complaint still not resolved?
Every now and then, there’ll be a disagreement that can’t be easily resolved.
Our Customer Resolution Team will arrange to have your complaint reviewed impartially by a senior member of staff before we make a final determination. This will ensure a fair and open process.
If we can’t resolve your complaint through our internal complaints process, you can ask us to provide you with written confirmation of our final determination of your complaint.
Disputes resolution: The Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme
The Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman (IFSO) Scheme can help resolve complaints if you’re not satisfied with the outcome from our internal complaints process. The IFSO Scheme provide a free and independent dispute resolution service and can consider most complaints.
You can ask the IFSO Scheme to independently investigate your complaint if:
- we’ve completed our internal complaints process and provided you with our final determination of your complaint (otherwise known as a Letter of Deadlock), or
- more than two months have passed since you first lodged your complaint with us, and you no longer want to work with us to resolve your complaint.
Once we’ve provided you with a Letter of Deadlock, you have three months to ask the IFSO Scheme to investigate your complaint. Tower is bound by the IFSO Scheme ruling.
You can, at any point, contact the IFSO Scheme for help and guidance.
You can find out more about the IFSO Scheme, including how to make a complaint, and which complaints they consider, by visiting their website www.ifso.nz or by calling 0800 888 202.
Complaints about your Natural Hazard Cover
Tower acts as an agent for the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake (NHC) when managing your Natural Hazard Cover (NHCover) claim. We act on NHC's instructions and must ensure we are correctly following and interpreting the Natural Hazards Insurance Act 2023 and abiding by the Code of Insured Persons' Rights when managing your claim.
The Code of Insured Persons' Rights applies to anything done by NHC or Tower (as NHC's agent) after 1 July 2024, whether it relates to an EQC (EQCover) claim or an NHCover claim.
If you feel we've not met our obligations under the Code of Insured Persons' Rights, please let us know. We'll review your complaint, and if we can't come to a resolution with you through our internal complaints process, you could have the outcome of your complaint referred for an independent review by Fair Way Resolution, the external disputes resolution service provider appointed by NHC.
If you don't agree with a decision that Tower, or NHC, have made about your NHCover claim, you may be able to contact Fair Way Resolution for assistance. You can find more about the Disputes Resolution Scheme for NHCover here or by contacting us.
Fair Insurance Code
Tower Insurance is a member of the Insurance Council of New Zealand (ICNZ) and we abide by the ICNZ Fair Insurance Code.
Learn more about the Fair Insurance Code
Higher Care
At Tower, we're here for you every step of the way. If you need additional support to access our services, we're here to help.