Features
First things first, you’ll need to know what your GIO car insurance policy comes equipped with. Here are some of the main features:
- Cover for the agreed value of your vehicle only (not market value)
- Personal property cover
- A new car if yours is written off (within time constraints)
- Emergency repairs without official assessment up to a certain amount, as well as cover for towing, transport and accommodation costs in an emergency (subject to conditions)
- Cover for trailers, replacement keys and baby seats.
Exclusions
On the other hand, there are some things that are excluded from your policy. Generally speaking, your insurance is designed to cover unexpected costs, like those from an accident or crime, which means you can’t claim for things like wear and tear or aging.
Here are a few things your GIO insurance policy won’t include:
- Costs associated with a car accident, such as medical costs or lost income.
- If your car was being used for hire, or to earn money (Uber drivers, take note.) However, you are covered if you were driving as part of a car pool or child care arrangement.
- Anything that happens while you’re breaking the law. This includes driving without a licence, overloading with passengers or drink driving.
There are also a couple of features that can be added to your GIO policy as an optional extra, including roadside assistance and the cost of a hire car after you have an accident.
How much does GIO car insurance cost?
There are a number of different factors that contribute to the cost of your GIO car insurance policy, including:
Premium
You premium is essentially the price tag attached to a car insurance policy, and it’s based on how likely the insurer thinks you are to make a claim. Some things that might affect your GIO premium include:
- The car you drive (make, model, series and age)
- Any modifications that you’ve made to your car (some may mean paying an extra premium)
- How you use your car (when and where you drive, and where your car is routinely parked overnight)
- Who might be driving the car (gender, age and driving history all might play a part)
Discounts
Love a good discount? Then you’ll love GIO car insurance cover. To help keep costs low, you can snag a no claims discount, a discount for buying your policy online, a multi policy discount if you bundle your policy with another GIO insurance policy, and if you’re in NSW, a discount when you also have CTP insurance through GIO.
If you’re a young driver (under 25) you might also get a family discount if one of your parents has GIO car insurance as well. At the other end of the scale, there’s also a discount especially for seniors.
Excess
Excess is how much you need to pay before your insurance will start covering costs. At GIO you can choose to pay low or high excess, and the level you opt for can affect what premium you pay - the higher the excess, the lower the premium and vice versa.
Top tip: There are extra excesses to pay if the person driving your car:
- is under 25
- is not listed on your policy
- has held a licence for less than 2 years
How do I pay my premium?
Usually, your car insurance premium will be paid upfront as an annual sum. With GIO, you can also choose to pay in monthly installments, but if you want to take advantage of this flexible option, keep in mind that it will cost you extra.
There are a few payment methods to choose from, including online or over the phone with a credit or debit card, over the counter at your local post office, by posting a cheque or via BPAY.
How is GIO rated by customers?
Got some other questions, like, what kind of customer service does GIO provide? How easy was the claims process? Well, to help answer them, we’ve collect the opinions of genuine GIO customers, so you can read first hand what they thought about having car insurance with GIO. Check it out in our customer review section.
Making a claim
If there’s an accident or something happens that means you need to make a claim on your GIO insurance, here are a few basic steps to follow to make sure everything goes smoothly.
- Secure the scene. Make sure everyone involved is safe, and then, if you can, make sure your car won’t be damaged further. This might mean locking it up, moving it off the road or putting your hazard lights on.
- Alert the authorities. If necessary, call the police. Make sure you get a copy of the police report if one is made, as well as any medical documents if a hospital visit is needed.
- Collect details. This means contact and insurance details of anyone else involved in the incident, contact details for any potential witnesses, as well as details about what happened. Having photos of the car or the condition of the road might help, especially if there are no witnesses.
- Contact GIO. You can contact GIO to make a claim online, over the phone or through their claims app. Provide them with as much detail about your claim as possible - that way it’s more likely to be processed quickly.
