- Claim Guide
6 Signs Your Insurer Isn't Treating Your Complaint Seriously
- Complaints process
Introduction
The complaints process exists to protect you when something has gone wrong with your insurance claim. But in practice, not all insurers handle complaints with the care, urgency, and independence the rules require.
If you have lodged a complaint and are seeing any of the signs below, it may indicate that your insurer is not meeting its obligations under the General Insurance Code of Practice and that escalation to AFCA may be warranted.
Sign 1: Your complaint hasn’t been acknowledged
Insurers are required to acknowledge receipt of your complaint within one business day.
If you have submitted a complaint and heard nothing back, even to confirm it was received, this is the first sign something is off. A lack of acknowledgment often leads to complaints quietly stalling or being treated as informal feedback rather than a formal dispute.
If there is no acknowledgment, there is no accountability.
Sign 2: You haven’t been given a contact person or details
You are entitled to know who is responsible for managing your complaint.
If the insurer has not provided the name and contact details of the person assigned to your complaint, it becomes difficult to ask questions, provide further information, or hold anyone accountable for delays or errors.
A complaint without a clear owner is often a complaint that goes nowhere.
Sign 3: You’re not receiving updates every 10 business days
The Code requires insurers to keep you updated at least every 10 business days on the status of your complaint.
Silence for weeks at a time is not acceptable. Even if there is no progress, the insurer must tell you what is happening, what steps are outstanding, and when you can expect the next update.
No updates usually means your complaint is not being actively worked on.
Sign 4: No one has contacted you to discuss your concerns
A genuine complaint review usually involves some engagement.
If the insurer has made no effort to contact you to clarify issues, test evidence, or discuss possible resolution options, it suggests the complaint is being treated as a paperwork exercise rather than a real review.
A complaint handled properly should be assessed objectively, not defensively.
Sign 5: There’s no response after 30 calendar days
Insurers must resolve or provide a written response to your complaint within 30 calendar days.
If that deadline passes without a clear outcome or option to contact AFCA, the insurer is in breach of the Code. At this point, you do not need to keep waiting or chasing.
This is typically the point where escalation becomes appropriate.
Sign 6: Mistakes you’ve identified are not being investigated
Insurers are required to fix mistakes made in handling your complaint.
If you point out factual errors, misunderstandings, missing evidence, or procedural issues and the insurer ignores them or simply restates its original position, that is a serious concern.
A proper complaint review requires the insurer to reconsider the matter objectively, not double down on earlier mistakes.
Conclusion
Handled properly, complaints can and do lead to overturned decisions, improved settlements, and compensation for poor handling. But when insurers do not follow the rules, escalation is often the only way to be taken seriously.
If one or more of these issues applies to your complaint, it may be time to escalate the matter to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA).
AFCA exists to independently review insurer conduct and outcomes when internal complaints processes fail. Importantly, AFCA will look closely at whether the insurer followed the Code, not just whether the insurer disagrees with you.