Shannons Home and Contents Insurance

My home insurance increased by 93% over two years. I used the same home details, value and excess to get two alternate quotes. Both these came in around 45% of the Shannons premium. Big difference.

I been waiting 2 months for a ceiling repair in my home, each week more calls telling me they need photos etc which already have been done. Now there saying there not sure if insurance is going ahead. Meanwhile my ceilings hangs down unfixed. I ring to complain and im met with a rude obnoxious person informing me this is how shannons works. They… Read more

are still taking monthly payments mind you and saying there not sure if there going ahead with repair. Why not I cannot say but I've cancelled my cars and motorcycle insurance already and as soon as this claim if it does or not then I will immediately cancel shannons home insurance. Stay clear from this company and there reviews prove how incapable they are and stick with a reputable company not these scamming lot

I’ve been with Shannons for years and always considered them a cut above the big corporate insurers. My car is insured with them, my home has been for several years, and I had planned to bring my contents insurance across this year too. Unfortunately, after what’s just happened, that won’t be happening anymore. My home insurance renewal recently… Read more

came through with a 45% increase in premium, despite no claims, no change in my cover or risk profile, and no local disasters or major risk events that would justify it. I understand premiums go up over time, but this increase is well beyond anything reasonable — the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows insurance prices rose about 2.6% in the past year, and Canstar reports most home premiums went up 14–17% nationally.

When I asked for an explanation, I got nothing but template-style responses and vague references to “pricing reviews” and “commercial considerations.” No one could explain why my premium jumped that much. When I finally managed to speak to someone, even the Shannons staff member I spoke to said she was surprised by how high the increase was.

What’s made this so frustrating is the complete lack of willingness to talk. Every time I’ve tried to raise it, I’ve been told the issue has been referred to AFCA, so they can’t discuss it — effectively shutting down any internal resolution. I even received a message thanking me for my loyalty and hoping I’ll stay, but no one from Shannons has actually taken the time to call me or help me understand what’s going on.

It’s really disappointing because I’ve always praised Shannons for being personal and approachable — a company that valued its customers and took the time to look after people who care about their cars and homes. But this experience has felt cold, corporate, and dismissive, the exact opposite of what I’ve come to expect.

I’m genuinely not someone who complains online, but after weeks of trying to resolve this fairly, I’ve been left with no choice. I’ve stayed loyal, I’ve tried to engage respectfully, and I’ve given them every opportunity to explain. Instead, I’ve been treated like a policy number — not a valued customer.

I’m now seriously considering moving both my policies to a non-Suncorp-backed insurer. I never thought I’d say that about Shannons, but I can’t recommend them anymore after this experience.

Shannons Car and House Insurance – I have been with Shannon's for several years and have House and Contents plus my cars also comprehensively insured through them. Overall their prices are competitive and their personal service is second to none, with friendly, professional and obliging assistants, once you get through about 3 minutes of annoying and frustrating phone automated… Read more

recorded messages and instructions, plus repeated "I did not get that,... Please repeat"... eventually transferring you to a human assistant... That is my only complaint, else cannot fault them... If a human connected straight away, I would give Shannon's 10/10...

I was pleasantly surprised on one of my exotic cars on a club permit, how great the value was... All policies are for Agreed Value and reviewed yearly... You can pay yearly or monthly. Paying by automatic debit Makes it easy and hassle free.

I will also be switching my Roadside to Shannons once my RACV top cover is due for yearly renewal as their top covers the same max 100km free towing, emergency accomodation, hire car etc and covers up to 8 cars for only $220 vs $300 odd I am currently paying...

Shannons are definitely worth consideration...

Fair and reasonable – Been insured with Shannon's for around 10 years,longer for the cars, vintage as well,had 2 house claims,both weather related,last one the recent Newcastle hail storm in May 2023, causing roof damage and windows, polycarbonate being destroyed,storm was on a Thursday from memory and they had a assor attend on the Monday, repairs took a month or 2… Read more

but all done using their retained builder, plus a cash payment for a pergola roof which I will do myself,pleased with the outcome, but communication with the builder and subbies could be much better and don't outsource your call centre to overseas, they seem to have little knowledge locally what's happening, overall happy with Shannon's service and will be staying with them

Diligent, available and easy to deal with – After a total loss of my home I found the process fairly simple, the staff were helpful, and started my claim up right away. I was assigned a co-ordinator who helped me through the process. They are not perhaps the cheapest provider, but they did provide great cover. Definitely recommend Show details

Title: 45% Premium Hike with No Clear Reason I’ve been with Shannons for years and expected better. My home insurance renewal jumped a massive 45% - despite no changes to my cover, excess, property, claims history or any relevant insurable events or natural disasters in my area. When I queried it, I got generic explanations (sum insured, hazard… Read more

risk, “market conditions”) and a link to a webpage, but nothing specific to my policy. The only “solution” offered was to increase my excess. That’s not transparency; that’s cost-shifting.

I understand premiums are rising across the board, but this is far beyond typical increases. If Shannons has re-rated my postcode or changed its underwriting model in a way that affects Wodonga, I expect a clear, written breakdown — not boilerplate. Until then, this feels like loyalty counts for nothing. I’ve also seen similar hikes on my car insurance, which has me seriously considering moving all policies.

What a shame. Been with Shannons home and contents insurance for more than 20 years. Always paid more than most other insurance companies because I was loyal to the brand. Unfortunately they are not loyal to customers who support them, anymore. They spike your premiums to the point where you just shop around and find other companies who offer a… Read more

better product at a cheaper price. I'm not talking just a few dollars but half the price that Shannons charged. Ask them to be competitive? They are not interested . It is what it is .

Insurance cancelled without explanation – One star is what I gave because I can't give any lower! Shannons recently cancelled our home and contents insurance without giving us a reason. We recently obtained business insurance for my husbands retreats ( nothing to do with our insurance with Shannons) and when we asked Shannons for a certificate of currency they cancelled our insurance! We… Read more

have consulted with ombudsman and they are now writing an explanation email. Staff on the phone from Shannons were rude and treated my husband like he had committed a crime. Disgusting behaviour, obviously the customer service is low priority. Wish I'd read the reviews before we went with them. Do not go near them for home and contents.

Don't do it. Go somewhere else – Had a Shannon's policy for five years, vehicle and home. Premium increased nearly 30% p.a. the last three years. Two weather related home claims - relatively low cost to repair. The first took 11 months to resolve during which time we were without a door or proper security. Go figure! I wonder if we were insured. Current claim after… Read more

lightning strike has left us without hot water for 2 months. Still waiting for an assessor. Draw your own conclusions but I am sure you won't want this kind of experience.

Horrible experience – Horrible company to deal with, Been a customer for over 5 years and got treated like rubbish trying to make a claim will be taking my business elsewhere, have had enough!!

Shannons landlord insurance not worth the paper it’s written on – My tenant was in arrears for four months, so after they had vacated the house they had trashed it, leaving holes in the walls, broken windows, missing fixtures and rubbish throughout the property, so after waiting 3 months to claim for repairs and rental loss all was declined. Do not insure with them as a landlord under any circumstances Show details

Total crap – Called for my mum who is definitely and cannot hear this idiot wanted to talk to my mum well guess what didn't freaking hear one word from you will ho else where

WORST COMPANY EVER – I have had a water pipe burst in the roof, wetting a book shelf containing photo albums, books and computers. I have baby photos completely ruined. After 1 month i have still not spoken to my case manager. Shannons have organized to fix and replace everything that can be done easily. They have totally ignored every request i have made in writing… Read more

and over the phone to put me in touch with my case manager so i can get my photos looked at and restored. I have spoken with no less than 6 different claims managers and all have told me that they will contact my claims manager via email and phone. WORST COMPANY EVER.

Beware beware – Cheap deal to sign you up then hike the premium up by $660 on new bill a year later for no claim Floods they said . Absolute rubbish. Good business strategy i suppose Check your renewals and go somewhere else

Still waiting for a reasonable payout – Still waiting for a reasonable cash payout from the insurer. The assessor used for the damage was dismissive to damage that occurred during the storm stating it was pre existing damage - incorrect. I've been sent a cash payout figure from the insurer ( supplied to them by the assessor ) with rates that are not consistent to local trades people. I… Read more

was contacted by a builder the assessor has recommended to conduct the repairs. The builder submitted a quote to the assessor with local prices of tradesman and it was rejected by the insurance company saying their prices are too high compared to that of the assessor. I've been told I have to find another quote so the insurance company can compare. I contacted the assessor and the insurance company and told them it was up to them to find a local builder, and was told to place a job add on Hi Pages to find a builder. Hi Pages might work nicely on The Block while the cameras are on, but it's not working for me, 10 days with no replies. Now what?? 4 months since the storm, still no resolve. Second year with this company. I've had house and contents insurance for 31 years and this policy is the only one I've ever claimed on. I will not be insuring with Shannon's again.

GO ELSEWHERE! – Shannons will screw you over if you ever need to make a claim. The lies and deception is beyond belief. They market themselves as a premium service, but honestly they are scumbags. They were even charging us double for our premiums for 2 years before we picked it up! I wish I'd read reviews before hand!

Life destroyers – Started off well, but lies and coverups dragged it out, causing my autistic son major health issues. They didn't care. We were out of home from October 2020 after a house fire and didn't get home until May 2022. This was a restoration, not a rebuild. Along with the builders, they caused a major issue, then spent almost a year trying to covering… Read more

it up and blaming it on 'existing issues'. For full story, please see my blog Autnotism, post is The need for greed. The customer service stars are for Jaimie who looked after my claim. At least she seemed to care and was lovely throughout.

Worst service ever – Claims manager is the most rude ignorant guy with the thickest accent that is barely understandable. He would promise things like return calls or explanations and never deliver. He would ask for you to explain the problem they speak over you the very first sentence. I called to leave a complaint and there is no option to do so, the bloke I spoke… Read more

to just left a note on my account. So the claims manager is going to be even more horrible to deal with next time I have to speak to him. So unprofessional and zero accountability for the stages behaviour. He also told me that I will have to open multiple claims and then when I questioned him later he said well if there's not multiple leaks why would you want to open multiple claims, mate... you told me that I had to. Bloody hell. Do not deal with these people if you have blood pressure issues.

No service whatsoever! – Should have read the reviews first. The first claim I have ever made on home insurance. They acknowledged the claim and that was the end of it. The "events" team won't answer their phone or return messages. When you call their general number they say they will connect you with the claims team, and then you stay on hold forever, or until you give… Read more

up, which I now think they must be trained to do to avoid dealing with your claim. Emails go unanswered. Threats to go to the ombudsman go unanswered. I had insured 2 homes, 3 cars and a trailer with Shannons and will be moving the lot elsewhere. Stay away!!

If I could give them zero stars I would. Do not risk it!! – We were customers of shannons for years and nevwr claimed. Called recenrly to lodge a claim we needed on our accidnetal policy and found out they had cancelled our policy for no reason AND DIDN'T EVEN TELL US. We were gobsmacked and so angry. They said it was due to payments but we have always paid, and our adjoined motor policy is fine! Not only… Read more

could they not actually answer my questions when I asked for more information they were stand offish and offered no solution or even apology. Now we have to start up a whole new policy for somewhere else ajd lose our no claims and it has cost us financially. Don't risk it, just look at the reviews these guys are a farce.

They will send you Mad – The worst communication I have ever seen. No updates, no Call backs, changing claim managers and no one knowing what your talking about. I have cancelled my Policy. They blame the weather events for no call backs andbad communication...But you can only take that one so far. Never Ever Ever Again would i go near this company. They were slowly… Read more

sending me crazy, Hours on the phone and no care in the world for your time , nothing. The customer means nothing

Missed the cause – My first claim, water coming in the family room after heavy rain. Shannons’s got on to it quickly, made safe, then I needed to do maintenance on the roof, expensive, ( have the entire roof cleaned) and pay excess before any work was carried out. However, after replacing a small section of ceiling plaster and repainting a very small section, less… Read more

than a week later, rain came back in same place and ruined the job, obviously something was missed on the roof, rang them and was told the case was closed and that, a maintenance issue was the problem. I now have a bucket placed on the floor under the repaired plaster, because every time it rains it pours in. To be fair the tradies did a great job on the tiny repairs, Shannons missed an opportunity to repair the cause of the leak, so what now, take my two house and three car insurance policies and find an insurer who actually cares.

Compare the reviews, these guys are useless – I logged on to write a warning but it turns out someone beat me too it, three years ago: "They are quick to demand you pay your excess before they do anything else. Then they employ cowboys to do the work. You get no communication from them as to what is happening. You wait ages only the phone only to get someone who can't answer your… Read more

questions."

It's all true and three years later nothing has changed.

Biggest issue we've faced is lack of communication, far too many people involved and none of them talk to each other so there is massive confusion and miscommunication.

If you are a customer my best advice, other than find a new insurer, is to document EVERYTHING from the very first time you lodge your claim. Record names, physical descriptions of who shows up, record what they do, dates, times, video and photograph the damage extensively, keep proof of what was said and promised, get their actual signature on scope of works (not just your agreement nor a unsigned digital copy) and keep copies to hand out. The reason for this record keeping is they deviate so far from the scope of works, the job "done" is not what was outlined in the scope of works. When the work is finally done if you raise any sort of concern, complaint or question them in anyway they will send a group of assessors who will demand on the spot to show them "proof", proof of what was promised, proof what was said, who said it, what do tthey look like, why didn't you record the conversations? why didn't you get signatures? etc and so forth. The assessors could listen to the phones calls, look at all the email correspondence etc but no, it is all placed on you to hold them accountable for what was outlined in the scope of works. If you can't show such proof they will excuse, justify and blame shift why something was not done, or why it is different to the scope of works. I wasn't prepared for such a task (showing substantial "proof" on the spot that I had no idea I needed to record) so it was very easy for them to dismiss me and my concerns when a job was not completed in a way that was outlined in the scope of works. I got very flustered, felt interrogated and became tongue tied and now feel so bad I lodge a claim at all. It wasn't a very nice experience.

Cheapskates when it comes to claims – Insure 2 cars plus home and contents with Shannons so have paid them plenty of cash over the years but when it came to our one and only claim we are still trying to reach a settlement 6 months after our dining room ceiling fell in after a storm. Firstly they insisted on ridiculous work that we need to pay in order for them to provide a lifetime… Read more

guarantee on the repairs. The problem was clearly caused by a ball blocking a downpipe yet they wanted the entire roof assessed by an engineer at altered at our expense. So we have worked on getting a cash settlement and they have haggled over every dollar and are offering way less than quotes we have received. Totally agree with all the other reviews about their claims process whether car or house - they just try and absolutely wear you down and give you as little as possible. Definitely do not recommend.

most useless insurance company ever – after a coulpe accident claims on kids ipads insurance cancelled and not able to be renewed or anything but only told one month before the end never before that. then on the phone rude not helpfull or whilling to talk or work it out Show details

Time to find a new insurer – Leaking spindels causing damage to walls /carpet in adjoining bedroom, late oct 21 this occurred. Sends out the brains trust 3/4 times- cut a hole in asbestos wall. Leave it come back a few days later and run blacktape over it. My concern is about the bedding and all my possessions in that room when they were cutting- same as my wardrobe- cut a… Read more

hole through the asbestos wall to check for leak. and all my clothing hanging in there. Also left wet carpet on the floor and when I rang and asked about that , send a person out to cut the damagefrom the carpet. Have declined my claim- shower recess passed all the tests. Policy states spindels are covered. They could have used thermal imaging to detect the leak.. My concern is the asbestos as there are children in the home, and have been asking for a reply to my health & safety questions for over a month. Keep putting me on the long finger. I have been with Shannons for quite a while and have never had issues until now and I suspect that is because suncorp are a part of them now. I was told in early Nov my claim was approved then they did a back flip. I think its time to look around for another that stands by their policy.. The amount of money wasted sending out these contractors is rediculous.. The problem could have all been resolved Im sure for less than half of what they are paying them.

Lack of Roof Maintenance used as excuses to reject storm damage claim – Very disappointed when assessor deemed "lack of roof maintenance" instead of accepting the damage was caused by a storm. Been a loyal client for many years, maybe time to change !! Show details

Too Expensive – 2020 renewal arrived arrived with the same shock factor as the Covid outbreak, very distressing. The premium had increased over 2019 by 15% while the National inflation rate had gone up 0.87%. Did my check around on other insurers like NRMA and GIO (for same value on home/contents) and Shannons was about $50 dearer. Rang up and was told 'Nah,… Read more

that's how it is ....BUT ... we can give you a $100 gift voucher'. I asked if the $100 could be taken off the premium and they keep the gift voucher. Nah! My reply, 'that's ridiculous because someone (like me) has to pay for that $100 voucher'. So I gave them the benefit of the doubt and reluctantly renewed. 2021 renewal arrives. BIGGER SHOCK. + 6% and the 2021 national inflation rate is 1.73% so in 12 months we've gone up 21% in premium while my insured value has gone up 5%. This time around GIO were $330 cheaper while NRMA were $420 cheaper. It's obvious Shannon's aren't interested in being competitive. What saddens me even more that their avaricious greed is that I've dutifully paid my premiums for 18 years and never made a claim - that's the cost of loyalty. Still have the card and bike with them so lets see how that pans out.

It seems like the entire insurance industry is not good value for money, but maybe Shannons is ok – I've been a loyal Shannon's customer for 12 years. I made my first claim on 23rd March 2021 for a roof leak that caused damage to a ceiling in one of the bedrooms. The repairs have just been completed 31 May 2021. The initial consultant sounded great and I was impressed - but it turned out to be a case of 'over promise, under deliver'. After… Read more

originally stating 'make safe' could be done that night it took 48+ hours for emergency repairs and electrical isolation - so the water ingress continued and so did the damage. Standard excuses were made 'there have been a lot of claims', 'there are no available trades' etc.

I was later assigned a case manager - it seems like their primary role is to reduce the potential liability to Shannons (Suncorp) by determining how the coverage can be minimised. Then began a series of contacts by seemingly unrelated individuals who were not briefed on the situation. It got quite frustrating, and even one of the Suncorp staff stated 'we have a very bad system'.

Eventually an assessor made it out - one for the roof - who promptly told me it wasn't covered due to a 'defect' and 'lack of maintenance' (who actually goes up on their roof to inspect and maintain their dektites which are 'guaranteed for 25 years' especially after purchasing the 10 year old house 6 months prior, following a building inspection that passed with 'flying colours'?).

The second assessor inspected the subsequent damage. Told me to 'be patient' with Suncorp.

Here's the irony as per their PDS. They DO NOT cover the repairs to the fault that caused the damage, but WILL cover the damage itself. This means that it is up to you to repair the fault. The reason stated by my assessor was "defective installation" (which was fine for 10 years). In my case, a dektite sealing a roof penetration for a soil vent pipe leaked. The CATCH in their PDS is that once YOU BECOME AWARE of the fault, they will no longer cover any damage caused by it.

So I repaired the fault MYSELF. Belts and braces. New, larger silicone dektite, covered by a dry pan flashing. It will never leak again. I do not want to RISK another claim being DENIED by Shannons on account of me having been previously AWARE of an issue. Their PDF is open to interpretation - and to be honest - who is going to lawyer up when they interpret it in their own favour?

The trades that were appointed were VERY GOOD. Top class electrician, plasterers and painters who did additional jobs for me and saved me some money - so there was a silver lining. I got addition work done that I otherwise would have paid more for.

At this juncture I cannot find an insurer that is as price competitive - and until I do, I'm stuck with Shannons. In reality I'd probably only need insurance for major events where I lost the entire house rather than smaller issues such as this - it would have been faster and cheaper to repair the ceiling myself, and I felt a little powerless waiting and waiting for repairs that I could have done with some help from a couple of mates over the next weekend.

Pay more get less – I pay in excess of $3000 per year house and contents -an increase of 15.1% since last year .We are home 90% of the time and are well prepared for fires and emergencies . One claim for accidental damage to a toilet, only to be told we are not covered . (if we were tenants, we would be .). It appears it is all take and very little give .I now… Read more

realise who is paying for the catastrophic fires of 19/20. The way the premium is calculated with FSL then GST and Stamp Duty is tax upon tax . I really would dread making a significant claim . Just shut up and pay .

"New for Old" Scam – We purchased home & contents insurance based on Shannons "new for old" policy, which claims to not depreciate goods. Yet we are fighting with Shannons to replace our $2000 TV with a $2,000 TV equivalent. They try their hardest to wiggle out of "new for old" and want to replace our $2000 TV with a $500 TV then have us pay $500 excess. Plus we… Read more

are out of pocket $230 for a service provider report on the TV they wanted prior to approving the claim. When I asked them to pay out the claim and we would purchase our own TV, they said they would only give us $500 because they receive heavily discounted prices from their wholesale supplier partners and would only provide us with a payment equivalent to what they can purchase it from their discounted partners. This claim has been going on for weeks with a different person handling the claim each time which makes the process very difficult. Their "new for old" is a rort to entice people to purchase insurance. Don't waste your time and money on Shannons Home & Contents Insurance. They should stick to motor vehicle enthusiasts. Which has me wondering now how they now deal with this side of the business.

Can no one answer phone – Trying to contact them on phone is nigh impossible have tried 3 times today each time waiting 30 / 40 minutes claim not resolved have been with Shannon’s 10 years a possible change will be considered. Show details

Do not use Shannon’s they can’t conform to their PDS – The policy is good value but they choose to cover nil It seems they can’t deliver on the pds, they want to only partially repair a third of a ground wooden floorboards from water damage don’t they realise mould get worse with time. Do not use this company bunch of corrupted incompetents Show details