Shannons Comprehensive Car Insurance

Years ago - Shannons were a pretty good option for Car Insurance..... but no longer! How can Shannons justify a 25% increase in their policy renewal??? They can't - their answer you query the increase is - "oh well more claims, repair & parts costs increasing, etc etc so premiums go up for everyone!" (oh yeh - and agreed value goes down!) No… Read more

Claims; Car driven infrequently; parked in lock garage; a low crime area etc. Yes - I'm realistic - pricing on most things, usually does increase (especially when we're stuck with a Labor Govt - dual hit here in Vic - Albo AND Allan) - however how can an increase of 25% in 12x months be justified??? - and unfortunately, Shannon's response is - "oh well, that's the way it is!

Shop around folks - don't be conned by the "enthusiasts' insurance" marketing ploy!!!.......

Oh - and don't get me started on how long you have to wait on the phone (listening to all their recorded rubbish telling you how good they are!!!)

Never had a claim, but the process of signing up was excellent and they provided a good price for my JDM import. What I was most impressed with was how easy it was to cancel when I ended up selling the car, very quick and easy through chatbot on the website. Wish more insurers were this easy to deal with. Show details

Tried to insure my 8 vehicles. 3 days later I get a message asking for my name via their app. (Which my profile has my name) If it takes 3 days for one message, it will take 6 months just to insure my 8 vehicles. ...Anyway. Day 2 of waiting for the next message. Might get there one day. Save some time, go elsewhere. Show details

My motorbike was knocked over and damaged by a Shannons insured driver. Shannons were slow to respond, did not chase up repairer, provided me a hire car but when initial hire period was up even after calls to Shannons did not contact the car hire… Read more

company to extend the hire period, while waiting for my vehicle to be repaired. Long waits on telephone, heavily accented receptionists, had to idenify myself every time one receptionist flicked me to another, average time on calls in excess of 1 hour and situation never resolved

You might think oh, Shannons, they are really… Read more

great for motorcyclists and enthusiasts, like their ad. They were, they are now a front for Suncorp, the lowest insurance dogs on the planet. They stuffed up and put a 1 instead of an I on my rego, then turned around and accused me of fraud - I think when they discovered I was disabled, which makes it easier for them. More than 3 months later, I don't have a bike, I don't have a good pair of glasses, I have spent a small fortune as I am too far from public transport, and I get the same nonsense claims that they are trying to help me! I certainly will find a new insurance company if they ever return my bike - I looked at the original document and the salesman had lied to me, they don't provide a loan bike at all anyway. Their call centre is in Sri Lanka, so they don't understand Australia at all so it makes sense they couldn't understand they had made a mistake, not that I had done anything dishonest. I have co-operated and told the truth every step of the way, including providing all my financial details and a Police check, and they still don't give a rat's about me. I'm not allowed to say who provides real coverage for motorcycles here, but it is important all riders know that Shannons is no longer Shannons - you'd be better off burning a $100 bill each month than "insuring" with Suncorp. Now mid April, still being fed lies and empty promises by Suncorp, still no bike, they have screwed my chances of finding a home I can afford. Don't feel secure paying premiums to these bast#rds - they have no intention of honouring any promises, and you'll find some of them were made over the telephone by salesmen as crooked as the rest of them. Any positive reviews are either people who got sucked in by their promises and have never had to claim, or were offered an incentive such as discount for leaving a review. I'm in a number of motorcycle and motor enthusiasts groups, and the only true stories of them paying out what they promised are from before they were bought by Suncorp. With the state of our roads, you don't want an insurance company that won't cover you for anything. The only answer for me is to get my unregistered, uninsured bike on the road so I can try to make a life. I would dearly love to find some of their head honchos and show them what hardship is like - even with their luxury homes and fringe benefits like Epstein's Island I reckon I can make them regret their evil ways.

I see a lot of negative reviews of Shannons, which stumps me a bit. I've been with them for 10 years now, insuring 3 different cars. I've had to make 2 not at fault claims, and 1 at fault claim. I must say that I'm extremely happy with them. All… Read more

claims have been handled professionally, with a minimum of fuss and every agent I have dealt with has been friendly and helpful. With the at fault claim my rating 1 has been protected. Granted the price has gone up a bit for my premiums, but they are still by far and away the cheapest insurer I have been able to find, and the features I am paying for are top shelf stuff such as an unlimited hire car after any claim, agree value, and others. No-one has been able to come close on price. Also, I have recently had to enter hardship provisions with them due to a downturn in my work. They have been absolutely fantastic with this. My latest renewal has actually seen a decrease in my premium! Very happy customer here!!

Not for car enthusiasts anymore A standard roadside assistance tow turned into a $30,000+ repair dispute. I insured my 1997 Land Rover Defender 110 with Shannons, including paid roadside assistance as an added extra. When the starter motor failed, I contacted Shannons Roadside Assistance to tow the vehicle back to my home so I could replace the… Read more

faulty part myself. During the tow, the driver reversed the truck, with my vehicle loaded, into a tree, tearing the metal roof and causing significant structural damage requiring full roof replacement.

After the incident, Shannons Roadside Assistance informed me that I could either:

Lodge a claim under my own insurance policy, or

Take the matter up directly with their contracted tow truck company.

I was told Shannons would not accept responsibility for the actions of their contractor, even though they are vicariously liable for their actions. I did not accept this.

I then experienced several days of phone calls where I was passed between departments, disconnected mid-conversation, and repeatedly told by staff that the situation “sounded terrible” and “did not seem right,” but that they had no authority to resolve it. No one could direct me to a person with the ability to handle anything beyond lodging an insurance claim.

Due to the tow company wanting to use a generic repairer, which I did not consider appropriate for what I view as a specialist or vintage vehicle requiring Defender-specific panel expertise, I decided to lodge an insurance claim.

The vehicle was towed again, assessed, deemed repairable, and sent to my chosen repairer. However, upon delivery, the tow driver informed the repairer that they may have caused additional damage during transport and that this should be included in the insurance claim.

The repair quote came back at over $30,000, exceeding the agreed insured value of the vehicle. Shannons advised they intended to write the vehicle off and pay out the policy.

I strongly declined this outcome and informed Shannons that they were responsible for the damage in the first place through their contracted roadside assistance provider. I made it clear that this should not be treated as a standard insurance claim and that I should not be penalised for damage caused by a service I pay them to provide. That the vehicle was in their care through their contract provider at the time of the damage, for a service I paid Shannons for, not the tow company. As such, they have a duty to return the vehicle to the pre-damage condition it was in without me having to lodge a claim.

After three straight days of calls and issuing complaint emails, I again contacted Shannons Roadside Assistance and advised that, given the repair cost, the contracted tow company would need to pay for the works. I was told the tow company “would not pay that much.” I requested a formal letter or email acknowledging this position, specifically confirming that the tow company would not cover the repair costs. I was told this could not be provided. Instead, I was informed that Shannons Roadside Assistance could not assist any further and would effectively be washing their hands of the matter.

At that stage, I had exhausted internal channels. It was only through sheer luck, via a friend-of-a-friend connection to a senior Suncorp executive, that I was able to escalate the issue further. I was told Shannons would get the car repaired no matter what my policy amount was but still under my insurance claim.

I was given a case manager who, in all honesty, was lovely and the only saving grace of the experience

However, I have since been informed by my repairer that Shannons negotiated the repair cost down so that it fell under the insured value; they used cheaper parts, which have resulted in issues like the doors failing to properly close post-repair. While still a terrible option, it begs the question of why they at least didn't try this before trying to writing it off originally

Don't use Shannons they are not for enthusiasts

Shannon's Car Insurance is the only choice for anyone who takes pride in their car, whether it be an original vintage model or a later model with modifications, there is no other trustworthy insurance company in Australia. Their customer service is excellent, always an Australian voice on the phone who knows exactly what they're doing. The prices… Read more

are reasonable when compared against the only other singular insurer who will take on people with modified cars. Prices have certainly increased over the years, but the monthly repayments make it less of a burden. Definitely worth the money if you are a car enthusiast!

Customer since 2023. The renewal process is geared toward lower insured sums and higher premiums, with no room for negotiation. The tipping point was a new quote where contact‑centre staff, unfamiliar with JDM specifics, relied solely on a single overseas listing (on Goonet) of an absolute rat of a car with track car modifications that would… Read more

prohibit it from being compliant and road‑registered. They then applied a crude JPY→AUD conversion and ignored transport, compliance and duty and tax costs, 5th‑grade economics. I referred to another car I have insured, and the comment from the agent was that it is overinsured (they agreed to it), so this has not only lost a new vehicle, but the manner in which my 2nd extreme limited-use car was commented on revealed we have a new breed of expert in town.

A supervisor later listened and acknowledged the problem with simple JPY→AUD conversions and the mismatch between FX fluctuations and the Australian used‑car market values. Goonet is an average at best source and not reflective of true costs, even on the Japan side and well short of landed costs.

Key Points: - Find a better source of product information, pricing and estimating - Recognise onshore valuations as a legitimate way to reconcile valuation differences - Simplistic FX conversions are a poor choice for estimating car value - Acknowledge that JDM values need to factor in Cost, Insurance, Freight, Compliance, Duty, Tax - 9 times out of 10, the customer will know more about their car than you do - interneting won't get you there in 2 minutes. - Let a few of these agents go, AI could definitely do a better job of being less irritating and more informed

Know who you are dealing with. Shannons is AAMI underwritten, which is part of the Suncorp Group. I read in the reviews that people are now insuring mainstream vehicles through Shannons, with the specialist vehicle enthusiasts left having the hard conversations at quote, renewal and claim time.

Update: Have moved to the competition, which not only met my realistic valuation expectations, but offers your choice of mileage-based restrictions as opposed to the archaic set number of days per year model, easier to pay, and a decent multi-policy discount. The irony is that the cancellation process at Shannons was so simple and quick, but I guess that's what happens when you have a lot of practice.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO SHANNONS? Been with them for probably 20 years?? Last two general phone calls, guy so rude and abrupt. Have they changed ownership or what has happened?? Time to shop around. Ask some simple questions, very polite to them but very arrogant responses. Not acceptable sorry. Show details

Absolute disgusting Service. Car went through a Hailstorm,but they put you through an Investigation like a Criminal.But they take your money in an instant. Definitely not to be recommended! Show details

I’ve been with Shannons since 2022 and paid well over $3,000 in premiums during that time. I stuck with them because I thought they looked after their customers and offered solid comprehensive cover. Unfortunately, my recent claims experience was a real let-down. One big thing that caught me out was the hire car. I honestly believed hire car was… Read more

included as part of my full comprehensive insurance. I only found out after the incident that it was actually an optional extra and not included in my policy. That was never clearly explained to me. I’d previously been with RACV, where hire car was included as standard, along with more features overall — so I wrongly assumed Shannons was similar. Big mistake.

After my car was broken into, I was told the window couldn’t be replaced for nearly two weeks due to third-party scheduling. That meant my car would be sitting unsecured, with no hire car, which just wasn’t workable. In the end, I had to source a window from a wrecker and fix it myself on the same day, out of my own pocket.

The claims process itself felt slow, rigid and very box-ticky. I was asked to provide heaps of evidence for stolen items, including tools I’ve owned for years. Like most people, I don’t keep receipts for tools collected over 20 years or second-hand items bought on Marketplace. Even after providing photos, model numbers and descriptions, the burden was still pushed back onto me.

Another thing people really need to know: tools kept in the vehicle aren’t covered. If you’re a tradie or just someone who carries tools around (which plenty of Aussies do), make sure you understand this properly — I certainly didn’t until it mattered.

With a $950 excess and about $1,000 worth of stolen items, it just didn’t make financial sense to continue the claim. What really sealed it for me was the lack of clear communication and common-sense support. After years as a customer, I expected better.

My advice to anyone considering Shannons: Don’t assume “comprehensive” means everything is covered Ask very clear questions about hire cars and tools Compare carefully with insurers like RACV, who include more as standard

Because of this experience, I’ve lost confidence in how claims are handled and will be moving on at renewal.

Policy Number: SCM016776165 Policy Commencement Date: 5 September 2022 Claim Reference: M099976137

Recently I had the misfortune of hitting a kangaroo which damaged my car considerably, the car has now been repaired and looks like new again. I wanted to give a huge shout to Reece and the team at Care Automotive Loganholme for the great customer service they displayed to make my experience so positive, nothing was too much. Anyone needing car repair go to Care Automotive Loganholme they have a great team Show details

Shannons is a total waste of time, I've had insurance with them for over seven years and only had one at fault claim, Other claims were window replacement which I was told was one a year and would not effect my insurance, They wanted $1500 a year to insure a old Magna due to my previous claims and when I investigated further they had not updated… Read more

my history and had everything wrong, which affected my policies, Although they were going to insure my Magna at a extremely high price after talking to the policy team and having everything rectified which left me with only One at fault claim they decided to tell me that they won't insure my car at all, Shannons has lost the plot and need a total overhaul, I won't be using Shannons ever again and will be warning people to change insures if they are with Shannons as their service is not up to standards like it use to be, I've read alot of the same stories on their reviews and hoping Shannons will crumble and go into recession, Definately a disqusting horrible place to have your car or home insured with as they make excuses as to why they want to charge you a high rate for insurance, So even if your not at fault they Will put down AT FAULT, avoid Shannons like the plague, They don't update their files and even had another person on my policy that had nothing to do with me and claimed under my name, How can this happen ( very unprofessional), So end of story is I can't get insurance through Shannons whom I've been with for year's, Brocke was very disrespectful and not a nice person at all, Needs to be sacked, not retrained but sacked from his job, I'm predicting that Shannon's will close their doors as not motor enthusiasts at all,like they say they are Just wanting people's hard earn money and then not paying out the insurance money, Unbelievable that they didn't even update their records, Shame on you Shannon's and all I can say is you get what you give out and that's going to be your downfall, Can't wait until your doors close for good, Over 70% negative reviews out of 100 doesn't that speak for itself.

Run away! Do not use Shannon’s. I’ve had a claim since April that is still going. Repairer declared the car a write off as it is unsafe to repair, assessor called to tell me it’s a write off. Now they’ve decided that they can save a bit of money if they try and get a quote to repair it. They have not called me once since April to update me on… Read more

anything. I’ve had to call every time.

Even when The assessor called and told me it’s a write off, and I’ll get a call in 3 days to sort my payout. I had to call 7 days later to find out what was going on, to be told that we might fix it now.

Still haven’t heard a thing from them.

Place is a joke, don’t waste your time.

The windscreen in our near new Mazda 6 GT-SP was cracked by a rock. Shannons told us it would be replaced with a genuine OEM unit. This is necessary as they have a Heads-Up Display which relies on the windscreen to be of a certain build/type. They sent is to O'Briens, who have used a generic brand windscreen and now the HUD is difficult to read.… Read more

We queried Shannons and they found an obscure and well hidden clause, in an equally obscure PDF, that says they don't have to use OEM equipment. This is not good enough. It's an expensive car and we pay high premiums to get what we thought was good cover.

Better off being uninsured. Not even worth the 1 star that was the lowest I could put in. Customer service non existent and uncaring. Mistake after mistake made without apology or rectification. Car sent to auction while in dispute without modification. Told they could not reverse decision. Monopoly on insuring imported cars meaning no… Read more

choice but to use them. Extremely expensive. I could go on and on. Shannon’s slogan ‘At Shannon’s we understand and share the passion of all motoring enthusiasts.’ Is a lie. They care about their bottom line.

Someone ran into the back of my 11 year old Mazda CX-5 at the traffic lights and caused $4,200 damage. I have been insured with Shannon’s for about 5 years. It was fixed beautifully within a month of the incident . No excess. Hire car at no cost for… Read more

a week whilst Is was being fixed. My choice of repairer. All good. I won’t change insurance company now.

I had two claims totalling 14,000 after years of insuring with Shannons, when renewal was due they told me to go elsewhere. If you make a claim you must be considered to be a risk it doesnt matter if you have been a loyal customer and that you claims are low. Show details

Absolutely pathetic service I was involved in a accident not at fault so Shannon's acted on my behalf. They have had my car at the repairers for three weeks and finally got back to me and said they cannot fix my car as they cant get the spare parts. My car was insured for a total loss 20k but they came back with an offer of 4.5k and a smashed car… Read more

back that I cannot do anything with so be carful with insuring a car with Shannon's. I am calling Shannon's to cancel all my policy's as it feels like they did not have my back against the other person insurance company as I was not at fault. Shannon's are so helpful when you take out new insurance but when it comes time to claim there attitude changes so negative. Following update I found a different repairer for Shannon’s as they said they don’t have another repairer to send it to so I gave them the details for the new repairer. It’s now the third day still waiting for a response from the assessor I have been calling Shannon every morning to see why the assessor isn’t returning my calls?

It's taken over a 1 ½ years for my car to be repaired after a not at fault accident, only to have my car returned to me in worse condition than before the accident and in such an unreliable and unsafe condition that I'm frankly scared to drive it. Some of the repairs were also done so badly that the results of them are causing damage to other repairs that they'd done to fix the car. Show details

Appalling company !!! Don't even bother calling unless desperate, and wouldn't even quote because I wasn't an "enthusiast". So if you do decide to get past the phone minders, tell them you're incredibly enthusiastic. Note: A bit of enthusiasm from their own sales staff wouldn't go astray. Show details

Have had my XB insured with Shannon’s for a number of years, no accidents and no claims. They have just declined to renew the policy on the basis that my husband (joint policy holder) has had too many claims. Those claims relate to other cars he owned and which were insured by another insurer (2 claims for theft , 3 minor scrapes which were not… Read more

his fault, one minor at fault incident -so 6 claims in 5 years, only one at fault)(he has had no problems renewing his own insurance despite this…)

Of course it is Shannon’s prerogative to consider him too risky a proposition (even though his own insurer, who paid those claims, evidently doesn’t) - so I asked to have him taken off the policy and insure my car solely in my name as it is registered to me, he was happy to agree not drive it, I have had zero claims in the past 5 years and have a clean driving record and they refused. I escalated it to management and they told us no as well.

Now I can’t get insurance anywhere else because I fail at the hurdle where they ask “have you been denied insurance by another insurer?” (and there aren’t many insurers willing to insure a 50 year old vehicle so I have limited options to shop around). I’ve now engaged brokers to try to find a policy for me but that puts me in the prestige vehicle underwriting market and my car is not a good fit for them so still having no luck.

Anyway in short Shannon’s was very happy to take my money for premiums for years and, despite the fact I am the owner and only driver of the car, they are insisting my husband’s claims history makes me too high risk and won’t even give me my own policy. I thought women were no longer considered chattels and able to manage their own financial affairs without being considered dependent on and shackled to their husbands!?

I now can’t drive the car as I’m not willing to take the chance of having it stolen from a car park or involved in a crash with anything expensive while uninsured. I dare say if I bought another car I wouldn’t be able to get insurance for that either on the basis I’ve had insurance denied in the past…..

I’m currently putting together a formal complaint to the Insurance Council as it’s totally discriminatory that I can’t get my own insurance with my excellent driving and claims history (and yet my husband whose claims history is the issue is having no problem keeping his insurance ).

Ive been with shannons for around 10 years and up to 5 vehicles with 2 minor claims on 2 different vehicles. When I asked for a genuine windscreen instead of an aftermarket on my 200 series,aftermarket is the only option they give you btw, they tell you you have to pay the difference from the cost of an aftermarket window to a genuine which is… Read more

$1700. The glass handling company then tells you you have to submit another claim to then wait longer before you can be advised of the price difference between these two, you then are at the mercy of those prices coming back and being affordable to you before committing. If the gap is too expensive, its another claim for an aftermarket one yet again. I think Shannons is a joke and should consider each case as an individual case and yes, also take into account the pds. Needless to say I feel bullied into a corner to select an aftermarket window that I do not know of or am happy to use. My family's lives are behind a windscreen that neither i nor shannons know anything about, is it ADR approved or not? They cant tell me anything about it. I will be finding another insurance company and also never recommending shannons.

Received our policy renewal for our two car comprehensive cover yesterday. We purchased a 2024 Isuzu D'max X terrain no more than 8-10 weeks ago for $70k, insured at the time for $70k, renewal comes yesterday and the agreed value has dropped to… Read more

$62700, to say I am annoyed is an understatement. I spoke with a young bloke this morning and all he could offer was $65000 agreed value. So, I got online and chased up quotes and all other insurance companies offer up to $81k agreed value, well looks like I am changing insurance companies with our policies