Vehicle claim basics

It can be a shock for your vehicle to be damaged – whether you’ve been in an accident, had your vehicle stolen, or discovered it damaged in a parking lot.  We’re here to help, so when you’re ready and able, lodge your claim online and we can guide you through the process. 

In the meantime, here are some FAQs for what information to collect, and how vehicle claims are processed.  

If you have further questions about vehicle claims, chat with us, or you can e-mail or phone the initio claims team. 

Key takeaways

• Vehicle claims can be lodged online through your initio dashboard, and customers should provide as much information as possible to help process the claim.
• When a vehicle is damaged, useful information includes photos, witness details, CCTV information, police references (where applicable), and details of other drivers involved.
• If your vehicle cannot be driven following a covered loss, alternative transport may be available under the Alternative Transport benefit for Full Cover policies, subject to the policy conditions.
• If a vehicle is written off or stolen and not recovered within 7 days, claims are settled at the agreed value selected when the policy was purchased or renewed, less any applicable excess.
• Customers can choose their own repairer or use one of initio’s approved repairers, which provide benefits including quality guarantees and pre-authorisation to repair damage.
• For Full Cover claims, the excess is generally paid to the repairer when the vehicle is collected. For Third Party Only claims, an excess invoice is issued where the insured is responsible for damage to another vehicle.
• Tyre repairs are generally not covered unless the damage occurs due to specific insured causes such as fire, collision, overturning, malicious damage, theft, conversion or natural disaster.

What information should I gather when my vehicle has been damaged? 

Recording the damage and the other people involved straight away helps us in processing your claim.

• Photos – Take clear, detailed photos of the damage from multiple angles. If you can, capture the surrounding area to provide context, such as where the car was parked and any possible sources of the damage.
• Witnesses and CCTV – Check if there are any witnesses who might have seen what happened. Also, see if there are any nearby CCTV cameras that might have recorded the incident. If you find witnesses, gather their contact information and a brief statement. CCTV is usually available from the local council. You will need to reach out to them directly to obtain this as we are unable to request the footage on your behalf.
• Police – Record the Police reference number and the name of any attending officers. If your vehicle was stolen, report the matter to Police – you can do this online. 
• Other drivers – Record the name, address, contact details (mobile and e-mail address) of other drivers when possible. Confirm whether they have insurance and who with. Provide other drivers with your details where appropriate, and let them know you’re insured with initio. 

Include as much information as possible when you lodge your claim online with us. 

How do I arrange an alternative vehicle under my claim if mine is undriveable? 

Under our alternative transport additional benefit, we will contribute towards the reasonable hire costs incurred if you need a rental vehicle following a loss covered by the policy while your car is being repaired, is not fit to drive while awaiting repair, or is awaiting settlement of a total loss claim. Please note that this benefit only applies to claims on Full Cover policies, and can only be applied once your claim has been accepted.

This benefit is provided on the condition that we have arranged the rental vehicle through our approved supplier, or where you have arranged a quote yourself, we have reviewed this and accepted the quote as fair and reasonable. You will need to contribute $20 per day (paid to our supplier when the rental vehicle is obtained), pay any bond or deposit, and cover all running costs. We will contribute towards these costs for a maximum of 14 days.

More information on this can be found on page 6 of initio’s motor vehicle policy wording under the heading ‘Alternative Transport’.

If you would like to utilise this policy benefit, please let the person handling your vehicle claim know and they will be able to assist with these arrangements. 

What happens if my vehicle is written off (also called a “total loss”)? 

If your vehicle can’t economically be repaired, or has been stolen and not recovered within 7 days, then we would settle your claim at the Agreed Value of your vehicle, which is the value you selected when the policy was taken out/renewed.  We will deduct your excess from the settlement if it has not been waived. 

Some or all of the settlement money might have to be paid to your finance company if there is security registered over the vehicle. We will let you know where the settlement will be paid as part of the claim. 

Initio (and our underwriters) take ownership of the vehicle wreck and will deregister and then sell it to recover some of the costs. 

Where will my vehicle be assessed and repaired? 

You can use a repairer of your choice, or one from our approved repairers network.

If you would like us to help you choose a repairer, we’ll recommend one of our approved repairers. These repairers come with:

• A quality guarantee
• Pre-authorisation to repair damage, speeding up the repair process
• Loan vehicles usually on hand

When do I pay my excess? 

If you have Full Cover and your excess has not been waived, you will generally pay your excess to the repairer when you collect the vehicle. 

If you have Third Party Only cover, and are responsible for damage to someone else’s vehicle, then we will send you an invoice for payment of your excess before we settle the costs to the other party. 

Does initio cover tyre repairs?

Generally, insurance isn’t designed to cover punctures, cuts or bursting of tyres, and you are not covered for damage caused by breaking. If you have Roadside Assist, they can assist you with fitting your spare tyre or getting your car towed safely to a tyre repair centre for you to arrange repair/replacement at your own costs.

Initio can only look to consider cover for tyre punctures, cuts or bursting of tyres due to the following causes: fire, collision, overturning, malicious damage, theft or conversion, or natural disaster. 

Related articles

• More about our car insurance
• Report your stolen vehicle (external link)
• What is driver grade?
• How do I buy my first vehicle policy?
• Is your windscreen damaged?

Written by Megan Fisher. Initio’s Head of Marketing

Megan has been with initio since 2022 and creates customer-focused content that helps New Zealand homeowners and landlords understand insurance in plain English. She works closely with initio’s claims, customer support, and development teams to make sure content is accurate, useful, and easy to follow. She has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and product strategy.