There are a few reasons why your vehicle might be written off, like if it’s so badly damaged that it can’t be repaired, or if the repairs will cost more than your vehicle’s market value.
If your vehicle's written off, we'll complete your claim by paying you a settlement. How much we pay depends on your policy, if you insured your vehicle for market or agreed value and any deductions that apply.
A write off is also called a 'Total Loss'.
Once we pay your settlement, your policy ends. We don't refund part of your premium and we don't return your damaged vehicle.
Remember, we don't know whether your vehicle is a write off until we’ve checked all the damage. Once this is finished, we'll let you know what’s next.
Once we've finished your vehicle's assessment (and if we decide your vehicle's a write off), we'll tell you what information to give us so we can pay your settlement. This might include:
If we assess your vehicle and decide it’s not a write off, we’ll repair it.
If we have your vehicle and your items are still inside, call us on 1300 317 530 to discuss picking them up.
Please ensure that all personal items and information stored in or to the vehicle (if accessible) will need to be removed prior to the claim being finalised and the salvage being sold as we are not liable for any personal items or information left in the vehicle.
If you have standard plates (that aren’t personalised) you must leave them on your vehicle.
If you have personalised plates, you need to take them to the motor registry to get them reprinted.
If we have your vehicle and you want to take your personalised plates, call us on 1300 317 530 to arrange a time to pick them up.
If your vehicle’s a write off, we keep it as part of your settlement.
Once the vehicle is written off it will not be able to be registered.
This depends on your policy, check the Hire car section of your claim when you log in to your account.
If your vehicle’s written off, you need to return your hire car after your settlement has been paid.
Yes, you can cancel your claim whenever you like (until we pay your settlement). Call us on 1300 317 530 to cancel.
If we've already covered some costs as part of your claim (like if we arranged a hire car for you) we might ask you to pay for them.
Agreed value is an amount we agree to cover your vehicle for when you get your insurance policy.
Market value is an amount that your vehicle would be worth if it weren’t stolen or damaged. We calculate this at the time you make your claim.
Which one you’re covered for depends on your policy. To check, log in to your account and select your policy, or read your Certificate of Insurance.
Working out your vehicle’s market value is similar to estimating how much you would be able to sell your car for before the incident you are claiming for.
We consider things like the make and model, how old it is, how many kilometres it’s done, factory options, modifications, accessories and the condition it was in.
Where we can, we also check the value on Glass’s guide and online markets.
Market value includes rego and Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance costs. It doesn’t include warranties, future stamp duty, transfer fees or restoration.
If your vehicle’s covered for market value, when we let you know your vehicle’s a write off, we’ll also tell you the market value we’ve calculated.
We send the money to your bank account or by cheque.
Have your BSB and account number handy and remember the account must be in the same name as the policy holder.
We need authorisation from the policy holder to pay the settlement into someone else’s bank account.
Or, if we’re paying by cheque and you ask us to send it to someone else, we’ll still make the cheque out to the policy holder but we can mail it to another address.
Yes, if you have Comprehensive or Comprehensive Plus insurance you can choose to get a replacement if your damaged vehicle meets all these criteria:
Your settlement amount is the market value or agreed value of your vehicle, minus any deductions. The deductions might include (but aren't limited to):
When you get your policy, we agree to insure your vehicle for a full year or until it's written off.
We do this in exchange for you paying your full premium for the year.
So, if your vehicle's written off and you still have monthly instalments to pay, we deduct that remaining amount from your settlement.
You can get a refund on your unused registration from the relevant state authority (excluding QLD), and on unused Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance (NSW and ACT only) from your insurer.
When we pay your settlement, we’re paying you back for the loss of your vehicle. But, because you can get a refund on these costs, you haven’t actually lost them. So, we don’t include them in your settlement.
We’ll give you the details you need to get these refunds when we pay your settlement.
When we pay your settlement, we’re paying you back for the loss of your vehicle. But, if you’re eligible to claim an ITC from the Tax Office, you haven’t actually lost that amount. So, we don’t include it in your settlement.
You’ll need to check with your accountant whether you’ve already claimed your ITC. If your vehicle’s written off, we’ll send you a Total Loss Advice letter which will show you the amount of ITC we’ve taken from your settlement.
Read more about GST and insurance on the ATO website.
When we pay your settlement, we’ll send you a Total Loss Advice letter.
You can take this letter to the roads authority and they’ll arrange any refund for you.
If the vehicle is registered in QLD the unused registration will be transferred directly to us and can not be refunded.
The roads authority in your state might be known by another name like Service NSW, Service SA, VicRoads or TMR.
When we pay your settlement, we’ll send you a Total Loss Advice letter.
After you’ve arranged a refund for your unused registration, take this letter to your CTP insurer. They can cancel your policy and arrange any refund.
If your CTP Insurance is held with NRMA you can contact us on 1800 882 364 to arrange cancellation and refund.
No, you don’t get back any of your premium if your vehicle is written off.
When you get your policy, we agree to insure your vehicle for a full year or until it’s written off. We do this in exchange for you paying your full premium (the up-front price for your policy).
No, once we pay you a settlement your policy ends. You’ll need to get a new policy for your next vehicle.