{"id":239265,"date":"2019-07-10T00:02:39","date_gmt":"2019-07-09T14:02:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=239265"},"modified":"2020-07-19T13:28:58","modified_gmt":"2020-07-19T03:28:58","slug":"racq-warns-about-dodgy-claims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2019\/07\/10\/racq-warns-about-dodgy-claims\/","title":{"rendered":"RACQ Warns About Dodgy Claims"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Crumpled silos which were picked up and tossed … the RACQ isn’t worried about valid claims for damage from last year’s storms but dodgy claims have them concerned<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

July 10, 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

RACQ has issued a warning to South Burnett and Gympie residents to be on the alert for opportunistic “storm chasers” who have been knocking on doors trying to tempt people into lodging dodgy insurance claims.<\/p>\n

Eight months after severe storms moved through the Kingaroy and Gympie regions, the insurer says it has received an unprecedented number of claims for property damage when compared with the normal pattern from other catastrophic weather events in Queensland over the past five years.<\/p>\n

RACQ spokesperson Paul Turner said members had contacted the Club concerned about “door knockers” and the number of roof replacements and claims they considered to be frivolous.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re seeing a huge number of claims come in a long time after the event and we\u2019re hearing from our members who are worried these storm chasers are trying to take advantage of them and make a buck,\u201d Mr Turner said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want our members to be caught out signing a contract with a third party and then have to pay for expensive repairs themselves if their claim isn\u2019t accepted. We\u2019re also worried about the impact on affordability of insurance for the broader community as a result.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe welcome legitimate claims, that\u2019s why insurance exists. It\u2019s there to ensure people are safe and able to return to their normal lives after an event, but unfortunately when some people make unnecessary claims, it can have a negative impact on everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Turner said RACQ and global reinsurers were especially questioning the anomaly in claims data from the Gympie area following the storm.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a result of this event, we may need to review our product offering and premiums for the area and apply additional diligence to claims,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a responsibility to protect our members and to provide fair and affordable insurance cover for all, which is why we\u2019re speaking up about this issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re asking our members not to engage with third-party contractors and to call their insurer first so they can protect themselves, and what they pay for insurance, in the long run.\u201d<\/p>\n

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