Complaints management

Complaint may be filed by any client, potential client or his/her representative on the basis of power of attorney (hereinafter only “the complainant”).

Filing is considered as a complaint if it is made by the complainant where the complainant expresses her/his disagreement with the accuracy and quality of services provided by the company NOVIS Insurance Company, NOVIS Versicherungsgesellschaft, NOVIS Compagnia di Assicurazioni, NOVIS Poisťovňa a.s.  (hereinafter only “the Insurer”) or by the financial intermediaries with whom the Insurer has a contract under which such persons mediate insurance on behalf of the Insurer. By submitting the complaint, the client seeks to protect his/her rights or legitimately protected interests, or draws attention to specific shortcomings, particularly violations of the law. Filing which has the nature of the demand, statements, opinions, requests, initiative or proposal is not considered as a complaint.

The complaint may be submitted as follows:

• in writing to the registered postal address of the Insurer sent via post or courier:
• NOVIS Insurance Company, NOVIS Versicherungsgesellschaft, NOVIS Compagnia di Assicurazioni, NOVIS Poisťovňa a.s., Námestie Ľudovíta Štúra 2, 811 01 Bratislava, Slovakia
• in writing via personal delivery directly at the registered seat of the Insurer,
• in writing through the distribution partner of the Insurer,
• via email: complaints@novis.eu.

A complaint must in case of a natural person includes the name and surname of the complainant, permanent residence of the complainant and in case the complainant doesn’t present at the address of permanent residence, there will be written the address at which retrieves the mail and e-mail address if it is specified on insurance contract by the complainant.

The results of complaint handling is delivered firstly to e-mail address which the complainant specified on insurance contract, secondly to the address of permanent residence, eventually to correspondence address if such an address was specified or by the way (email or address) which the complainant expressly requested in his/her complaint.

In the case of a legal person the complaint must include the company name, registered address and information for the contact person and e-mail address if it is specified on insurance contract. The results of complaint handling is delivered firstly to e-mail address which the complainant specified on insurance contract, secondly to the registered address, eventually to correspondence address if such an address was specified or by the way (e-mail or address) which the complainant expressly requested in its complaint.

In his/her/its complaint, the complainant specifies the scope of complaint, describes the reasons for the complaint and submits the documents on which bases its complaint is. An anonymous complaint shall be dealt with only if it contains specific information indicating that a generally binding regulation, contractual obligation or internal procedure of the Insurer has been violated.

If the complainant fails to submit the documents on which bases its complaint is, the Insurer in writing invites the complainant to submit them with the warning that if the complainant fails to submit the requested documents within 10 days from the moment of delivery of the appeal (if necessary, the Insurer shall extend the aforementioned period appropriately) and it will be impossible to assess the complaint without them, the Insurer has the right to handle such a complaint as the unfounded for failure to document evidence.

The Insurer has the right to settle the complaint as unfounded if, after assessment of all the circumstances stated in the complaint, the Insurer does not satisfy the complaint. Similarly, the Insurer has the right to settle the complaint as unfounded if:

1. it does not consist the requirements as it is written in point 2.1. of this Directive,
2. it is clear that in the case which is the subject of the complaint, the court, prosecution or other  
3. authority law enforcement acts,
4. it is found that the complaint relates to another person than who filled the complaint and the
5. power of attorney is missing,
6. it is a subsequent repeated complaint,
7. it is a complaint against the solved complaint,
8. the complainant did not provide the Insurer, based on its request, with the necessary cooperation
9. required to assess the complaint within the period set by the Insurer, which must not be shorter than 10 calendar days (or in the case of an appropriately extended period),
10. there is the absence of the information needed to assess the complaint and the complainant
11. even after the Insurer written notice within 10 calendar days (resp. in the case of an appropriately
12. extended period) fails to complete the requested information,
13. the Insurer finds out after the complaint assessment in case of complaint against the claims
14. resolution that the documents submitted by client that justified the change of the claims resolution were submitted as part of complaint assessment process against the claims resolution and not within the claims assessment process and at the same time the necessity of submission of other documents within claims assessment the Insurer could not find out.

Complaints are handled in order of receipt to the headquarter of the Insurer.

The period for complaint handling is 30 calendar days from the date of receipt of the complaint to the headquarter of the Insurer.

In case of serious reasons the complaint cannot be handled within the period specified in previous sentence, the Insurer may extend the period for a complaint handling to a maximum of 60 calendar days from the date of receipt of the complaint to the headquarter of the Insurer and also has to announce the complainant the reasons for extending the deadline to 60 calendar days within 30 calendar days of receipt of the complaint.

Responsible person of the Insurer who is appointed according to internal rules of the Insurer to solve the complaint is obliged to inform the complainant:

• to inform the complainant about the receipt of a complaint as soon as possible after the assessment that it is a complaint within the meaning of the internal rules of the Insurer,
• to inform the complainant that the complaint was headed to the responsible person for handling complaint,
• to inform the complainant about the period within the complaint will be handled.

The complainant is informed electronically, via e-mail specified by the complainant on the insurance contract, about the complaint’s handling result no later than on the day the complaint is handled. This e-mail is considered as delivered if the e-mail sent is not returned as undelivered within 24 hours from the moment it was sent. If the email is returned as undelivered, the Insurer will send again at the same day as the e-mail returned as undelivered (if this day will not be working day, then the closest working day) the complaint’s handling result to the complainant in writing, to the address of permanent residence/registered address, eventually to correspondence address if it is specified and will proceed as it is mentioned in the last sentence of this paragraph. In case the complainant does not have the e-mail or expressly requested delivery in writing to the address, the Insurer will send the complaint’s handling result latest on the day when the complaint was handled, in writing via mail in the form of a registered letter to the address which is written in the complaint. If the complainant this letter does not accept, it is considered that such a letter is delivered on the date on which the letter was returned to the address of headquarter of the Insurer.

If the complaint is directed against a particular employee of the Insurer, such an employee is not entitled to handle such a complaint.

If the complainant is unsatisfied with the solution/result of his/her/its complaint handling, the complainant has the right to contact the National Bank of Slovakia, with registered seat at Imricha Karvaša 1, 813 25 Bratislava, Slovakia by submitting a written or electronic complaint or initiative. (http://www.nbs.sk/sk/dohlad-nad-financnym-trhom/ochrana-financneho-spotrebitela1/podanie-staznosti)