> _Markdown transcription of Petcover (Petplan NZ) Petcover Catastrophe Plan policy wording, effective 2026-05-17. Source: https://www.petcovergroup.com/nz/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/12/PCNZ-PDS_SOV-SN_Catastrophe-v14112022.pdf_ --- # Pet Insurance Dog & Cat Safety-Net Plans (Catastrophe 1 & 2) Product Disclosure Statement (including Policy Wording) Please read in conjunction with Your Certificate of Insurance to understand the Policy for Your Pet. --- # Product Disclosure Statement (including Policy Wording) (PDS) This Product Disclosure Statement ('PDS') which includes the Policy wording contains important information about Your Pet Insurance for Dogs and Cats and how it works. ## About this insurance This is an important document. You should read it carefully before making a decision to purchase this insurance. It will help You to: - Decide whether this insurance will meet Your needs; and - Compare it with other products You may be considering. - This PDS provides You with factual information about the Policy and is not intended to amount to any recommendation or opinion as to whether You should or should not acquire the Policy. You need to decide if this insurance is right for You and You should read all of the documents that make up the Policy to ensure You have the cover You need. ## Who is the Insurer? The Insurer of this Policy is Sovereign Insurance Australia, Pty Ltd (ABN 85 138 079 286, AFSL No. AFSL No. 342516) with its registered address at 263 Albany Highway, Victoria Park, WA 6100. Sovereign Insurance Australia Pty Ltd is authorised to carry out insurance business in Australia by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority in accordance with the Insurance Act 1973 (Cth). The Insurer is regulated by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority ("APRA"). Sovereign Insurance Australia Pty Ltd is not currently licensed to carry on insurance business in New Zealand and is not regulated by New Zealand prudential supervision laws or within the prudential supervision of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. An overseas policyholder preference applies. Under Australian law, if Sovereign Insurance Australia Pty Ltd is wound up, its assets in Australia must be applied to its Australian liabilities before they can be applied to overseas liabilities. To this extent, New Zealand policyholders may not be able to rely on Sovereign Insurance Australia Pty Ltd assets to satisfy New Zealand liabilities ## Who is Petcover New Zealand Limited? Petcover NZ Limited NZBN 9429046576941 (Petcover). Petcover is the binding agent of the Insurer and is authorised by the Insurer to issue, vary and dispose of this Insurance and to manage and settle claims and deal with complaints. In arranging this insurance Petcover acts as agent for the Insurer and not as Your agent. Petcover is registered on the Financial Service Providers Register (FSP614229). If You have any questions about Our services or anything in this PDS, please contact Petcover at: Petcover New Zealand Limited Customer Care PO Box 112250 Penrose Auckland 1642 info.nz@petcovergroup.com Ph: 0800 255 426 Petcover cannot provide You with any financial advice relating to this Policy. ## Our contract with You Where We agree to enter into a Policy with You it is a contract of insurance between the Insurer and You. The Policy consists of: - This document which sets out the standard terms of Your cover and its limitations; - The relevant Certificate of Insurance issued by Us. The Certificate of Insurance is a separate document, which shows the insurance details relevant to You. It may include additional terms, conditions and exclusions relevant to You that amend the standard terms of this document. Only those sections shown as covered in Your Certificate of Insurance are insured. If the Policy is varied during the Period of Insurance We will send You an updated Certificate of Insurance taking into account the variations; and - Any other change to the terms of the Policy otherwise advised by Us in writing (such as an endorsement or Supplementary PDS) specified before entry into the contract or where required or permitted by law. These written changes may vary or modify the above documents. These are all important documents and should be carefully read together as if they were one document to ensure that You are satisfied with the cover. All Policy documentation should be kept in a safe place for future reference. We reserve the right to change the terms of the Policy where permitted to do so by law. ## What is covered? Where We have entered into a Policy with You, We will insure You for: - Loss or damage caused by one or more of the covered insured events; and - The other covered benefits, as set out in the Policy occurring during the Period of Insurance. Other persons may be entitled to cover, but only if specified as so entitled and limited only to the extent and interest specified. ## Privacy Policy In this Privacy Policy, 'We', 'Our', 'Us' means Petcover New Zealand Ltd and Sovereign Insurance Australia. We value the privacy of personal information and are bound by the Privacy Act 2020 when We collect, use, disclose or handle personal information. More information about how We collect, use, hold and disclose Your personal information can be found at: - the Petcover website: petcovergroup.com/nz/privacy-and-legal; or - Sovereign Australia Insurance's website: www.sovereignaustralia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/JHG-Combined-Privacy-Policy-December-Final.pdf Alternatively, a copy can be sent to You on request by contacting Petcover or Sovereign Insurance Australia. ## About Us Petcover New Zealand Ltd is a specialist pet insurance provider. Its address is: 101d Station Road Penrose Auckland 1061, New Zealand Sovereign Insurance Australia is an Insurer registered and authorised in Australia Its address is: 263 Albany Highway Victoria Park, WA 6100 Australia ## Why We Collect Your Personal Information We will collect Your personal information for the purposes of Us providing You with insurance services and products, including: - arranging and administering Your application for insurance; - managing and administering Your insurance; - investigating, processing and managing Your claims; and/or - detecting and preventing fraud. Petcover may collect personal information about its clients and their insurance placements and store this information on databases that may be accessed by other Petcover affiliates for other purposes, including providing consulting and other services to Insurers for which Our Group of Companies may earn compensation. The personal information that We may collect includes Your name, postal address, e-mail address, date of birth, gender, financial information and personal circumstances. If You make a claim, We may collect additional personal information to help Us make a decision on Your claim. It is not mandatory for You to provide any information that We request. If You chose not to provide the information We request, We may not be able to provide You with the insurance services and products or properly manage and administer those services and products provided to You. You also have a legal obligation to disclose certain information. Failure to disclose this information may result in Us declining cover, Your insurance being cancelled, or the level of cover reduced, or Your claims being declined. ## How We Collect Your Personal Information Your personal information may be collected by telephone, email, in writing, or through Our websites (from data You input directly or through cookies and other Web analytic tools). If You contact Us via an electronic method, We may record Your Internet electronic identifier i.e. Your internet protocol (IP) address. Your telephone company may also provide Us with Your telephone number. We may collect Your personal information from You directly. However, We may collect Your personal information from other persons, including, but not limited to, persons You nominate as authorised representatives for Your Policy, Your Pet's Vet, breeders, and pet shop. If You provide Us with personal information about another individual, You must only do so if You have obtained his or her authorisation to disclose that information to Us and have made him or her aware of this Privacy Policy. ## International Transfers In providing You with insurance services, We may transfer Your personal information outside of New Zealand including Australia, UK, European Union (EU) and India. If this happens We will ensure that reasonable measures are taken to safeguard Your personal information. ## Who We share Your information with? We may disclose Your personal information to third persons in connection with providing You with insurance services and products, including authorised agents; service providers; Reinsurers; other Insurers; legal advisers; loss adjusters and claims handlers. We may also share Your personal information with law enforcement, fraud detection, credit reference and debt collection agencies, and within the Talanx Group of companies to: - assess financial and insurance risks; - prevent and detect crime; and - develop products and services We will not disclose Your personal information to anyone outside this list except: - where We have Your permission; - where We are required or permitted to do so by law; - to other companies who provide a service to Us or You; and/or - where We may transfer rights and obligations under the insurance. ## Storage and Security of Personal Information We store personal information electronically and physically. We store electronic information in facilities in New Zealand and overseas: - that We manage; or - that are managed by third parties, including cloud storage. We maintain reasonable security safeguards to protect Your personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration or destruction. However, no storage method is completely secure and, while reasonable security safeguards are used, We cannot completely ensure the security of the personal information collected from You. ## Your access and correction rights The Privacy Act gives You rights to request access to, and correction of, Your Personal Information collected by Us. If You wish to exercise these rights, please contact Us at: Petcover New Zealand Ltd Customer Care PO Box 112250 Penrose Auckland 1642 info.nz@petcovergroup.com Sovereign Insurance Australia admin@sovereignaustralia.com.au While access to Your personal information will generally be provided free of charge, We may charge You for access costs where permitted by the Privacy Act. ## Consent Acknowledgement By purchasing insurance products from Us and by providing Us with Your personal information, You consent to Your information being used, held and disclosed as set out in this Policy above. ## Service issues and complaints We have in place a formal dispute resolution process, encompassing both internal and external dispute resolution. We are committed to providing quality services to Our clients. This commitment extends to giving You easy access to people and processes that can resolve a service issue or complaint. If You have a complaint about the service We have provided to You, please address Your enquiry or complaint to the staff member providing the service, or phone 0800 255 426 during normal office hours. If We are not able to resolve the issue immediately, or within two days, We will refer it to the Complaints Manager, who will review the complaint and advise You in writing of the expected time for resolution. ## Making a Complaint We treat complaints very seriously and believe You have the right to a fair, swift, prompt and courteous service at all times. If You are dissatisfied with any aspect of Our relationship, You may lodge a complaint. Our complaints process has three steps: ### 1. Immediate Response & Resolution Many concerns can be resolved immediately, or within a short amount of time. If You have a complaint about the service We have provided to You, please address Your enquiry or complaint to the staff member providing the service, or phone 0800 255 426 during normal office hours. ### 2. Internal Dispute Resolution If We are unable to resolve Your concern, immediately or within 2 days, We will escalate Your concerns as a complaint to Petcover's Internal Dispute Resolution Team. Your complaint will be handled by a person with appropriate authority, knowledge and experience. You will be provided with the contact details of the person assigned Your complaint. We will make a decision about Your complaint within 30 calendar days, however We will aim to resolve Your complaint within 15 business days. If We are not able to resolve Your complaint within 15 business days, We will escalate the matter to Sovereign Insurance Australia or give You the option to contact them yourself. Both these internal review processes will be completed within the 30 calendar days. You may contact the Internal Dispute Resolution team directly on: 0800 255 426 or via email support.nz@petcovergroup.com or post Petcover New Zealand P. O. Box 112 250, Penrose, Auckland 1642. You may also contact Sovereign Insurance Australia, T 263 Albany Highway, Victoria Park, WA 6100, Australia or via email at: complaints@sovereigninsurance.com.au. ### 3. External Dispute Resolution In the unlikely event that Your complaint is not resolved to Your satisfaction following Petcover's Internal Dispute Resolution Process, You may be able to take Your matter to the independent dispute resolution body, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). AFCA will consider complaints from our New Zealand-based customers. AFCA resolves certain insurance disputes between consumers and Insurers and will provide an independent review at no cost to You. We are bound by the determination of AFCA but the determination is not binding on You. Contact details for AFCA: Australian Financial Complaints Authority Telephone: 1800 931 678 Email: info@afca.org.au GPO Box 3, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia There is no cost to You to use the services of AFCA. ## Telephone Call Recording We may record incoming and/or outgoing telephone calls for training or verification purposes. This allows Us to check information You give Us and to verify information We have given You. Where We have recorded a telephone call, We can provide You with a copy at Your request, where it is reasonable to do so. --- # Terms and Conditions Cover under this Policy is provided on the basis: - That You have paid or agreed to pay Us the premium for the cover provided; and - Of the verbal and/or written information provided by You which You gave after having been advised of Your Duty of Disclosure either verbally or in writing. - If You failed to comply with Your Duty of Disclosure or have made a misrepresentation to Us, We may be entitled to reduce Our liability under the Policy in respect of a claim and/or We may cancel the Policy. If You have told Us something which is fraudulent, We also have the option of avoiding the Policy (i.e. treating it as if it never existed). - Your Duty of Disclosure and the consequences of non-disclosure, are set out under the heading 'Your Duty of Disclosure' on page 10. ## Some words have special meanings Certain words used in the Policy have special meanings. The Definitions section of this document on page 18 - 22 contains such terms. In some cases, certain words may be given a special meaning in a particular section of the Policy when used or in the other documents making up the Policy. Headings are provided for reference only and for interpretation purposes and do not form part of the Policy. ## Your obligation to comply with the Policy terms and conditions You are required to comply with the terms and conditions of the Policy. If You do not comply with any term or condition, We may decline or reduce any claim payment and/or cancel the Policy to the extent We are prejudiced by Your non-compliance. If more than one person is insured under the Policy, a failure or wrongful action by one of those persons may adversely affect the rights of any other person insured under the Policy to the extent We are prejudiced by Your non-compliance. ## Your Duty of Disclosure Before You enter into a Contract of Insurance with Us, You have a duty to disclose to Us every matter You know, or could be reasonably expected to know, (including but not limited to matters relating to the health of Your Pet) that is relevant to Our decision to insure Your Pet, and if so, on what terms Your application for insurance is acceptable and to calculate how much premium is required for Your insurance. You have the same duty to disclose any relevant matters to Us before You renew, extend, vary or reinstate the Policy. The duty applies until the Policy is entered into or where relevant, renewed, extended, varied or reinstated (Relevant Time). If anything changes between the time You provide answers or make disclosure and the Relevant Time, You need to tell Us. You do not need to tell Us about any matter that: - diminishes Our risk; - is of common knowledge - We already know or should know as an Insurer; - We tell You We do not need to know. ## Who does the duty apply to? The Duty of Disclosure applies to You and everyone that is an insured under the Policy. If You provide information for another insured, it is as if they provided it to Us. ## What happens if the Duty of Disclosure is not complied with? If the Duty of Disclosure is not complied with We may, to the extent permitted by law, cancel the Policy and/or reduce the amount We pay if You make a claim to the extent We are prejudiced by Your non-disclosure. If fraud is involved, We may treat the Policy as if it never existed, and pay nothing. ## What type of insurance is this? Subject to the Policy terms and conditions (including exclusions and limits), this Policy covers the cost of Veterinary Fees if Your Pet is injured or becomes ill. Providing You renew Your Policy each year and continue to pay the premium, the Policy will give You continuous Veterinary Fees cover for ongoing or long-term Conditions, providing the Injury first happened after You obtained cover, or the Illness first showed Clinical signs, after You obtained cover and the conclusion of the twenty-eight (30) day Waiting Period. ## How long does my Policy run for? The Policy will remain in force for twelve (12) months from the date it starts and for any period which You renew unless cancelled earlier by You or Us in accordance with the terms of the Policy. --- # Policy Summary Please note that this is a limited summary only and not a full description of the covers. Each cover noted is subject to terms, conditions, exclusions and limitations that are not listed in the summary. You need to read the full terms, conditions and exclusions of the Policy and the Certificate of Insurance which specifies the options taken for a full explanation of the cover provided under the Policy. ## Applying for cover – Eligibility Eligible cats or dogs can be covered from the age of 8 weeks and before their ninth (9th) birthday. Select Breeds, as defined under Definitions, are eligible for cover from the age of 8 weeks and before their 5th birthday. Your Cat or Dog must live in New Zealand. The following dogs are not eligible for cover: - Dogs used for security, guarding, track racing or Coursing; - Breeds of dogs that are listed as banned by any New Zealand Government, public or local authority; and/or - Dogs that are a cross breed with either a Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Perro De Presa Canario, Dogo Canario, Dingo, Japanese Tosa, Fila Brasileiro, Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, Saarloos Wolfhound/Wolfdog or any wolf hybrid, or any other breed advised to You when You apply for cover. This list may be modified from time to time and We will notify You in writing. Other eligibility criteria may apply and We will tell You what they are when You apply for this insurance. Subject to the Policy terms and conditions (including limits and exclusions), the following benefits are provided under the Policy: ## COVER SUMMARY | Coverage | Details | Maximum Benefit | |----------|---------|-----------------| | Veterinary Fees | We will pay the cost of Veterinary Fees incurred by You for Veterinary Treatment provided during the Period of Insurance to treat Your Pet's Injury or Illness, including Veterinary Fees incurred during Journeys in the Agreed Countries. | The Maximum Benefit We will pay for Injury and Illness for all Treatment types is shown on Your Certificate of Insurance. | | Excesses | If You need to make a claim under this Policy, You may be required to pay an Excess. Your Excess will depend on the product You choose, where You live and the breed and age of Your Pet. For full details, please refer to the terms and conditions of the Policy and Your Certificate of Insurance. | | ## OPTIONAL BENEFIT COVER SUMMARY | Coverage | Details | Maximum Benefit | |----------|---------|-----------------| | Third Party Liability (Dogs only) | We will cover Your Legal Liability for payment of compensation in respect of: • Death, bodily injury or illness; and/or • Physical loss of or damage to property occurring during the Period of Insurance and which is caused by an Accident involving Your Dog. | The Maximum Benefit We will pay for this benefit is shown on Your Certificate of Insurance. | ## Policy Benefits Unless otherwise indicated in the Policy, the amounts shown below are the Maximum Benefits that We will pay to You under the Policy in relation to a Period of Insurance. ### PLANS | Benefit | Catastrophe 1 | Catastrophe 2 | |---------|--------------|--------------| | Umbrella for Life | ✓ | ✓ | | Veterinary Fees (for Treatment of Injury, Accident or Illness) | Up to $5,000 Annual Benefit Limit (As shown in the Certificate of Insurance.) | Up to $10,000 Annual Benefit Limit (As shown in the Certificate of Insurance.) | | Benefit Percentage back on Eligible Vet Fees (under 8 years of age) | 100% | 100% | | Veterinary Fees Fixed Excess Options | $450 or $900 | $450 or $900 | | Waiting Periods (for Illness) | 30 Days | 30 Days | | Vet Consults (per policy year) | Up to $400 | Up to $400 | | Cruciate Ligament, Patella Luxation, Hip Dysplasia or Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) Treatment (per policy year) | Up to $1,500 | Up to $3,000 | | Skin Treatments (per policy year) | Up to $500 | Up to $500 | | Cancer Treatments (per policy year) | Up to $2,500 | Up to $5,000 | | Brachycephalic Airway Obstruction | Up to $3,000 365 day Waiting period | Up to $6,000 365 day Waiting period | | Multi-pet Discount | 3+ eligible pets | 3+ eligible pets | ### OPTIONAL EXTRA BENEFIT - THIRD PARTY LIABILITY | Benefit | Catastrophe 1 | Catastrophe 2 | |---------|--------------|--------------| | Third Party Liability Cover | Up to $1,000,000 (Any one loss occurrence.) | Up to $1,000,000 (Any one loss occurrence.) | The benefit Third Party Liability is an Optional Extra Benefit under the Catastrophe Cover and may not be included in cover for Your Pet. **Please note, Your Pet will only be covered for Third Party Liability as an Optional Extra Benefit if You have selected the cover option and have paid an additional premium and it is shown on Your Certificate of Insurance. --- # Policy Limits and Exclusions Benefit limits do apply to some items covered under the Policy. You should read Your Policy carefully so that You are aware of what limits may be applicable in the event of a claim. This insurance is not intended to cover every single occurrence, in fact, there are some circumstances the Policy You are considering will not provide insurance cover for. Under all sections of the Policy, We do not pay for: 1. A Condition specifically excluded on Your Certificate of Insurance. 2. Any animal less than eight (8) weeks old at the time of commencement of the period of insurance. 3. Any costs of treatment throughout the lifetime of Your Pet for any Injury or Illness which occurs or shows Clinical Signs prior to the commencement of Your Insurance or within the first thirty (30) days of cover (Waiting Period), or any Pre-Existing Conditions This applies regardless of whether or not We place any exclusion(s) for the Injury/Illness in Your Certificate of Insurance. 4. Any costs of treatment throughout the lifetime of Your Pet for Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway syndrome (BOAS), Brachycephalic Gastrointestinal Syndrome (BGS), nasal fold surgery, skin fold surgery, stenotic nares and soft palate resection, enlarged tongue (macroglossa), or everted laryngeal saccules, that occurs or shows Clinical Signs within the first twelve (12) months of commencement of Your Insurance, inclusive of the Waiting Period and any free cover Policy or prior to the commencement of the Your Insurance. This applies regardless of whether or not We place any exclusions on Your Certificate of Insurance. 5. Cost of Routine Treatment or Preventative care such as check-ups and procedures that are designed to prevent future Illnesses from occurring rather than treating existing Illnesses. These include, but not limited to annual physical examinations and/or check-ups, vaccinations, heart worm prevention medication; flea and other internal/external parasite prevention. 6. Cost of Elective procedures and Treatment, including but not limited to desexing, spaying or castration; micro-chipping; grooming and de-matting, cosmetic or aesthetic surgery, or Elective surgery including but not limited to dew-claw removal, prescription diet foods, and any Treatment not related to an Injury, Illness, or trauma. Elective surgery or Treatment that is beneficial to the Pet but is not essential for Your Pet's survival or does not form part of a Treatment for an Injury or Illness. 7. The cost of periodontics, dental check-ups, Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment (COHAT), dental x-rays, dental prophylaxis, dental scale and polish or teeth cleaning, gingival curettes, gingival hyperplasia, removal of plaque or calculus or periodontal surgery. 8. The cost of prosthodontics, the removal or repair of misaligned or retained deciduous teeth, orthodontic appliances, crowns, caps or splints, luxation, horizontal bone loss, impacted teeth or embedded teeth. 9. Any cost relating to orthodontics, malocclusion, wry bite, supernumerary teeth, reverse scissor bite, posterior cross bite, anterior crossbite, overbite, brachygnathia, open bite or level bite. 10. Any Treatment for dental disease if an annual dental examination has not been undertaken within the twelve (12) months preceding the problem requiring Treatment and any Treatment a Vet recommended resulting from that had not been carried out. Evidence will need to be provided to Us if Your Vet has carried out an annual dental examination. 11. The cost of the following procedures; experimental Treatments, or therapies; prosthetics or orthopaedic supports or braces, open heart surgeries, cancer vaccinations, therapeutic antibody for dog and cat cancers, stem cell therapy, organ transplants, gene therapies, probiotics, dental vaccines, cold laser treatments, 3D printing, Juvenile Pubic Symphysiodesis (JPS), any drugs not used in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations. 12. Any costs for veterinary Treatment that does not improve the health or wellbeing of Your Pet. 13. Any prolonged course of veterinary medicines, or Treatments for more than three (3) months if there is a veterinary operation that would have improved or cured the Condition unless agreed by Us. The maximum payment will be limited to the equivalent cost of the operation. Or where there is no evidence to support the usage of this medicine for this Condition. 14. The cost for Your Vet to write a prescription or charge a dispensing fee. 15. Any medicines that have not been approved by the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) or where there is no evidence to support the usage of this medicine for this Condition. 17. Dogs being used for guarding, track racing or Live Coursing. 18. Any breed of dog that is banned by any New Zealand Government, Public or Local Authority, or that is crossed with any banned breed or Pit Bull Terrier or Dingo or crosses of these breeds. 19. Any dog declared as a dangerous dog by a Government authority. 20. Any dog that must be registered under the applicable legislation dealing with dangerous dogs. 21. Any amount caused by, arising out of or in any way connected with Your Pet being confiscated or destroyed by any Government or Public or Local Authority or any person or Body having the jurisdiction to do so. 22. Any costs caused because any Government or Public or Local Authority or any person or Body having the jurisdiction to do so, have put restrictions on Your Pet. 23. Any amount caused by, arising out of or in any way connected with You breaking New Zealand animal health or importation laws or regulations. 24. Legal costs, expenses, fines and penalties connected with or resulting from a Criminal Court Case or an Act of Parliament. 25. Any loss caused by, arising out of or in any way connected with an act of force or violence for political, religious or ideological reasons, war, acts of terrorism, riot, revolution or any similar event, including any chemical or biological terrorism. 26. The cost of treating any Injury or Illness or other bodily injury or illness caused by, arising out of, or in any way connected with a malicious act, deliberate Injury or bodily injury or gross negligence caused by You or a member of Your Immediate Family or anyone living with You or acting with Your express or implied consent. 27. Any amount resulting from an Illness that Your Pet contracted while outside New Zealand or Australia , that it would not normally have contracted in New Zealand or Australia. 28. Any amount resulting from a disease transmitted from animals to humans. 29. Any pandemic disease that causes widespread Illness, death or destruction affecting dogs and cats. 30. Any dog not vaccinated for any of the following diseases or associated illnesses: distemper, hepatitis, kennel cough, leptospirosis, parvovirus or any other disease that there is a known vaccine, and Your vet has recommended vaccinations. 31. Any cat for any of the following diseases or associated illnesses if not vaccinated against them: feline infectious enteritis, feline leukaemia or cat flu, or other disease that there is a known vaccine and Your vet recommend vaccinations. 32. Any amount arising from or in any way connected with Your failure to take all reasonable precautions to protect Your Pet from or by aggravating or prolonging an Injury or Illness. The following exclusions only apply when Your Pet is on a Journey within the Agreed Countries. 33. Any amount if Your Pet lives permanently outside of New Zealand. 34. Any Journey You take Your Pet on against a Vet's advice. These are the main Exclusions and Policy Limits. Additional Exclusions and Policy Limits that may apply. For full details of all relevant Policy Limits and Exclusions You must read the Certificate of Insurance and the general exclusions to all sections and also to the specific exclusions to each section under the heading "What We will not pay". ## Excess You will be required to pay a non-refundable Excess for claims covered under this Policy. Most Excesses are detailed on Your Certificate of Insurance but some additional Excesses may apply to some additional benefits provided by the Policy. You should read the Policy and Your Certificate of Insurance carefully so that You are aware of what Excesses may be applicable to You in the event of a loss. Petcover is solely liable for qualifying and or identifying opportunities where any recovery can be obtained from a third party. Your Excess may be reimbursed upon a successful recovery by Petcover however, Petcover retains the right to not refund the Excess payment in any instance. ## Costs The premium payable by You will be shown on Your tax invoice. We take into consideration a number of factors in setting premiums. The base premium We charge varies according to Your risk profile (e.g., the breed, age, gender and location of Your Pet, Our claims experience, Your individual claims experience, the increased costs of doing business and any events that impact the insurance industry). You will also have to pay any compulsory government charges (e.g., GST) plus any additional charges of which We tell You. These amounts will be set out separately on Your Certificate of Insurance (or tax invoice) as part of the total premium payable. Minimum premiums may apply. In some cases, discounts may apply if You meet criteria We set. When You apply for this insurance, You will be advised of the total amount payable, when it needs to be paid and how it can be paid. If You fail to pay We may reduce any claim payment by the amount of premium owing and/or cancel the Policy. Special rights and obligations apply to instalment premium payments as set out below. The amount You pay for Your premium includes Commission paid to Petcover. If a person has referred You to Us, We may pay them a part of the amount that relates to Commission. This will not increase the amount You pay Us. ## Payments by Instalments If You pay Your premium by instalments refer to the 'General Policy Conditions' applicable to all sections for important details on Your and Our rights and obligations. Note that an instalment premium outstanding for fourteen (14) days or longer may allow Us to refuse to pay a claim. ## Goods and Services Tax (GST) All monetary limits in the Policy are inclusive of GST. In the event of a claim, if You are not registered for GST, We will reimburse You the GST component in addition to the amount We pay You. If You are registered for GST, You will need to claim the GST component from the New Zealand Inland Revenue. You must advise Us of Your correct input tax credit entitlement where You are registered for GST with the Inland Revenue Department. You are liable to Us for any GST liability We incur arising from Your incorrect advice. ## Your cooling-off period and Cancellation rights You have a cooling off period of twenty-one (21) days from the date You purchased the Policy. During this period, You can return the Policy and receive a refund of any premium paid, provided You have not exercised right or power under the Policy (e.g., made any claim) or the Period of Insurance has not ended. You cannot return Your Policy during the cooling off period if a claim has been made. To exercise Your cooling off rights You must advise Us of Your intention by phone by calling 0800 255 426 or by advising Us in writing. Send written confirmation to: Petcover New Zealand Ltd, PO Box 112250, Penrose Auckland 1642 or email info.nz@petcovergroup.com. We may deduct from Your refund amount any government taxes or duties We cannot recover. After the cooling off period has ended, You still have cancellation rights, however We may deduct a pro rata proportion of the premium for time on risk, plus any reasonable administrative costs and any government taxes or duties We cannot recover (refer to 'General Conditions'. Cancellation on pages 25 - 26 for full details). ## How do I make a claim? We will not guarantee on the phone if We cover a claim under the Policy. You must send Us a claim form that has been properly filled in. We will then communicate Our decision with You. You must fill in a claim form. Send Us the claim form together with a copy of the fully itemised invoices setting out the costs involved. Where requested You may need to provide a complete medical history and clinical notes relating to the treatment. You must fill in a claim form and ask Your Vet to fill in their part. We will not pay for the Vet to do this. Send Us the claim form together with the original fully itemised invoices setting out the costs involved. ## Delivery of Your Policy Documents Unless We tell You otherwise or We tell You it is no longer suitable We will send Your Policy documents and Policy related communications electronically. This includes email and/or other methods of electronic communication. You will need to provide Us with Your current email address and Your mobile phone number. Each electronic communication will be deemed to be successfully received by You on the transmission date recorded in Our systems. Where We deliver Your Policy documents and Policy related communications by mail in printed form all such communications will be deemed to have been successfully delivered once mailed by Us to Your last notified postal address. ## Updating this PDS We may need to update this PDS from time to time if certain changes occur where required and permitted by law. We will issue You with a new PDS or a Supplementary PDS or other compliant documents to update the relevant information except in limited cases. Where the information is not something that would be materially adverse from the point of view of a reasonable person considering whether to buy this insurance, We may issue You with notice of this information in other forms or keep an internal record of such changes (You can get a paper copy, (however a charge may be required for this), by contacting Us using Our details on the back cover of this PDS). Other documents may form part of Our PDS and the Policy (for example Certificate of Insurance, Supplementary PDSs and/or endorsements). If they do We will tell You in the relevant document. We may also issue other documents forming part of Our PDS and the Policy where required or permitted by law. ## Further information and confirmation of transactions If You require further information about this insurance or wish to confirm a transaction, please contact Us. ## Your Pet Insurance Policy - Details Details of Your Pet's cover are outlined in the Policy and the Certificate of Insurance. There are four (4) sections of cover, but please be aware that some of the sections of cover may not be automatically provided and as such may not be included in the Policy. Cover under a section is only provided to You if it is shown as covered on Your Certificate of Insurance. We recommend You check Your Pet's cover and contact Us as soon as possible if this is not as expected. Benefits do not accumulate across Policy Periods. The Policy benefits will expire at the end of each Policy Period. Your rights and duties under the Policy cannot be transferred without Our prior written consent. These Terms and Conditions are part of Your insurance contract. The other parts are Your Certificate of Insurance, and Your written, internet or telephone application. To understand exactly what Your insurance contract covers You must read Your Certificate of Insurance, together with all other documents that make up Our contract with You. ## When interpreting these Policy Terms and Conditions: - References to the singular include the plural and vice versa, and to the masculine include the feminine and vice versa; and - Monetary references are in New Zealand dollars. Note: The Benefit Limit is subject to any applicable Excess. --- # Definitions If We explain what a word means, that word has the same meaning wherever it appears in the Policy. For ease, You will see that these words appear in bold throughout. ### Accident means a sudden, unexpected, unusual, specific event, which occurs fortuitously at an identifiable time and place and is unforeseen or unintended. All Accidents consequent upon or attributable to one source or original cause are treated by Us as one Accident. This does not include any physical damage or trauma that is of a gradual nature or that happens over a period of time. For the sake of clarity, the following Conditions are not considered Accidents: luxating patella; a rupture or strain of one or both cruciate ligaments; degenerative joint disease; hip dysplasia and hyperextending hocks; Juvenile Pubis Symphysiodesis (JPS). ### New Zealand means Commonwealth of New Zealand. ### Certificate of Insurance means the relevant Certificate of Insurance We issue including on renewal or variation of the Policy containing details of the cover provided under the Policy, including any exclusions and other specific insurance details that We have applied to Your cover. ### Clinical sign(s) means change(s) in Your Pet's normal healthy state, its bodily functions or behaviour. ### Condition means any Condition that causes discomfort, dysfunction, distress, including Injuries, disabilities, disorders, Clinical signs, syndromes, infections, isolated symptoms, deviant behaviour, and atypical variations of structure and function and/or death to the Pet afflicted. ### Elective Treatment, diagnostic or procedure means a surgery or Treatment that is beneficial to the Pet but is not essential for Your Pet's survival or does not form part of a Treatment for an Injury or Illness. Treatment or Surgery includes, but is not limited to, desexing, spaying or castration, microchipping, grooming and de-matting, cosmetic or aesthetic surgery, or Elective surgery including but not limited to dew-claw removal, prescription diet foods, and any Treatment not related to an Injury, Illness or trauma. Elective surgery or Treatment that is beneficial to the Pet but is not essential for Your Pet's survival or does not form part of a Treatment for an Injury or Illness, or any Treatment, diagnostic or procedure You request, which the Vet confirms is not necessary to treat an Injury or Illness is considered Elective Treatment. ### Excess means the amount(s) shown on Your Certificate of Insurance that You must pay for each unrelated Condition for a claim made under Your Policy per Policy Year. - Veterinary Fees Excesses may be either: - The Fixed Excess only; or - The Fixed Excess and the Co-Payment. ### Family means Your Immediate Family and, grandparents, brothers, sisters, grandsons, and/or granddaughters including Family of step and defacto relationships. ### Home means the place in New Zealand where You usually live. ### Illness means an unhealthy state, condition, ailment, affliction, sickness, disease, disorder, defect, syndrome or abnormality that causes pain, dysfunction, or distress and that is not due to an external Injury. ### Illness which starts in the first 30 days of cover means an Illness that: - Showed Clinical signs, - Is the same as, or has the same Clinical signs or diagnosis as an Illness that showed Clinical signs; - Is caused by, relates to, or results from, a Clinical sign that first occurred, or an Illness that, showed Clinical signs, - In the first thirty (30) days of: - Your Pet's first Policy Year, or - Any additional section added to Your insurance. No matter where the Illness or Clinical signs occur or happen in, or on, Your Pet's body. The thirty (30) day Waiting Period will cease at 00.01 on the thirty-first (31) day of cover under this Policy. ### Immediate Family means spouse, civil partner, life partner, partner, defacto partner, parents, sons and daughters, including Family of step and/or defacto relationships. ### Injury means a physical Injury or trauma caused immediately, solely and directly from an Accident. This does not include any physical Injury or trauma that happens over a period of time or is of a gradual nature. ### Journey means travel from Your Home within New Zealand or any of the Agreed Countries undertaken during the Period of Insurance for a maximum of ninety (90) days for all journeys in the Period of Insurance. This includes the duration of Your holiday or business trip and any travel, in and between New Zealand and an Agreed Country and return Journeys to Your Home. ### Maximum Benefits means the most We will pay for the relevant level of cover You have chosen during the Period of Insurance as set out in the Certificate of Insurance, subject to exclusions of the Policy and subject to the Policy Aggregate less the applicable Excess. ### Member of a Veterinary Practice means any person legally employed by a Veterinary Practice under a contract of employment, other than a Vet who may be the Insured under this Policy. ### Our Vet means any Vet appointed or engaged by Us to carry out Treatment to Your Pet or discuss Your Pet's Treatment with Your Vet. ### Pet Immigration Rules means a system that allows pet owners in New Zealand to take their pets to Another Country/ Or Other Countries and bring them back to New Zealand without the need for quarantine. ### Policy means this document and the Certificate of Insurance and any other documents We issue to You which are expressed to form part of the Policy terms, which set out the cover We provide for the Period of Insurance. For the sake of clarity, it does not include any prior Policy that this is a renewal of or any future Policy that is a renewal of this Policy. ### Policy Year means the time during which We give cover as shown on Your Certificate of Insurance Policy details. This is normally twelve (12) months, but may be less if Your Pet has been added to, or cancelled from, Your insurance. ### Period of Insurance means the time during which We give cover as shown on Your Certificate of Insurance. It does not refer to any prior Period of Insurance if the Policy is a renewal of a previous Policy or any future Period of Insurance for any Policy You may enter into with Us upon renewal. Each Period of Insurance is treated as separate. This is normally twelve (12) months but may be less if Your Pet has been added to Your Insurance or it has been cancelled. ### Pre-Existing Condition(s) means any Condition(s) or symptom(s), sign(s) or Clinical sign(s) of that Condition, Injury or Illness occurring or existing in any form that; a. Has happened or first showed Clinical signs; b. Has the same diagnosis or Clinical signs as an Injury, Illness or Clinical sign Your Pet had; or, c. Is caused by, relates to, or results from, an Injury, Illness or Clinical sign Your Pet had occurring or existing: - Before Your Pet's cover started, or prior to the Policy commencement date; - During the thirty (30) day Waiting Period; or - Before the section was added to Your insurance. This applies no matter where the Injury, Illness or Clinical sign(s) occurred or happen in, or on, Your Pet's body. This is regardless of whether or not We place any exclusion(s) for the Injury/Illness. For the avoidance of doubt when referring to Pre-Existing Conditions, and Conditions affecting a part of Your Pet's body of which it has two, will be deemed to be a Bilateral Condition and both will be excluded from cover. ### Select Breed(s) means Bandog, Bavarian Mountain Hound, Bergamasco Shepherd Dog, Briard, Blood Hound, Boerboel, Beauceron, Bernese Mountain Dog, Bracco, All Bulldogs (i.e. English, American, Australian, Miniature, etc.), Bull Arab, Deerhound, Dogue de Bordeaux, Entlebucher Mountain Dog, Estrela Mountain Dog, Grand Blue De Gascoigne, Great Dane, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Hamiltonstovare, Hungarian Kuvasz, Irish Wolfhound, Komondor, Maremma Sheepdog, sLeonberger, All Mastiff Breeds, Newfoundland, Old English Sheepdog, Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Pyrenean Mountain Dog, Rottweiler, Russian Black Terrier, Shar Pei, St Bernard or any crosses of these breeds. (We may modify this list from time to time). Please refer to the 'Select Breed' section on Your Certificate of Insurance to find out if Your Pet is a Select Breed. ### Routine or Preventative Treatment means care or Treatment such as check-ups and procedures that are designed to prevent future Illnesses from occurring rather than treating existing Illnesses. These include but are not limited to annual physical examinations and check-ups, vaccinations, heart worm prevention medication; flea and other internal/external parasite prevention. ### Related Conditions means a Condition that even though it has shown first signs or symptoms during the Policy Period (outside of the Waiting Period), it is considered to be a Pre-existing Condition if it has the clinical symptoms, diagnostic classification or results from the same disease process as a Pre-existing Condition regardless of the number of areas of Your Pet's body affected. For example: if Your Pet suffers from arthritis in its legs prior to the Commencement Date of the Policy or during the Waiting Period, all future occurrences of arthritis for example in the back or neck, will be considered to be Related Conditions and will not be covered. ### Recurring Condition means a Condition that is curable but may relapse repeatedly with intervals of remission in between. ### Third Party Liability (Dogs Only) - Optional Extra Benefit means with this cover, We will cover Your Legal Liability for payment of compensation in respect of: - Death, bodily injury or illness; and/or - Physical loss of or damage to property occurring during the Period of Insurance and which is caused by an Accident involving Your Dog. If You have selected this Optional Benefit and paid an additional Premium, the Benefit Limits applicable, is shown on Your Certificate of Insurance ### Travel Documents means the Pet's Import Permit issued by MPI, any Vaccination Certificates and/or Certificate for Treatment against parasites issued for Your Pet under the Regulations for taking a pet to New Zealand. ### Treatment means reasonable Veterinary Treatment and customary examinations, consultations, hospitalisation, surgery, x-rays, medication, diagnostic tests, nursing and other care and procedures provided by a vet to relieve or cure a disease, Illness or Accidental Injury during the Policy Period. ### Umbrella for Life Policy means with this cover You can continue to claim for the Treatment for on-going Illness or Injuries throughout Your Pet's lifetime, provided You renew the Policy annually without a break in cover and pay the required premium. ### Vet means a registered Veterinarian, Specialist Veterinarian, vet practice, clinic, hospital, centre including referral hospitals, licensed to practice in New Zealand, other than a Vet who may be the Insured. ### Veterinary Fees means the amount Vets charge for the care and treatment they provide. ### Veterinary Practice means any veterinary service provided by a veterinary organisation or business. ### Veterinary Treatment means the cost of the following when required to treat an Illness or Injury, - Any examination, consultation, advice, tests, X-rays, diagnostic procedure, surgery and nursing carried out by a Vet, a Veterinary Nurse or another Member of a Veterinary Practice under the supervision of a Vet; and - Any medication legally prescribed by a Vet. - Not otherwise excluded under this Policy. ### Waiting Period means a period of thirty (30) days starting from the commencement date of the Policy (excluding renewals) as shown on Your Certificate of Insurance during which an Illness or Condition that first occurs or shows Clinical signs will be excluded from Cover unless otherwise stated on Your Certificate of Insurance. The thirty (30) day Waiting Period will cease at 00.01 on the thirty-first (31) day of cover. Other Waiting Periods apply for the following: #### Cruciate Ligament Disease Waiting Period means a period of six (6) Calendar months or one hundred and eighty (180) days starting from the commencement date of the Policy, as shown on Your Certificate of Insurance during which Cruciate Ligament Illness or Condition first occurs or shows Clinical signs will be excluded from Cover unless otherwise stated on Your Certificate of Insurance. The one hundred and eighty (180) days Waiting Period will cease at 00.01 on the one hundred and eighty first (181) day of cover. #### Brachycephalic Airway Obstruction (BOAS) Waiting Period nasal fold, skin fold, stenotic nares and soft palate resections, enlarged tongue (macroglossa), everted laryngeal saccules, Gastrointestinal Tract and Brachycephalic Airway Obstruction (BOAS), means a Period of twelve (12) calendar months of or three hundred and sixty five (365) days starting from the commencement date of the Policy, as shown on Your Certificate of Insurance during which nasal fold, skin fold, stenotic nares and soft palate resections, enlarged tongue (macroglossa), everted laryngeal saccules, Gastrointestinal Tract and Brachycephalic Airway Obstruction (BOAS) Illness or Condition first occurs or shows Clinical signs will be excluded from Cover unless otherwise stated on Your Certificate of Insurance. The three hundred and sixty five (365) days Waiting Period will cease at 00.01 on the three hundred and sixty sixth (366) day of cover, regardless of Your Pet showing Clinical Signs of the Condition or not, prior to commencement of cover or within the thirty (30) day Waiting Period. ### We, Us, Our means Petcover acting on behalf of Sovereign Insurance Australia the Insurer of Your Policy. ### You, Your means the person(s) named on the Certificate of Insurance. ### Your Pet means the dog or cat named on the Certificate of Insurance. --- # General Conditions ### Conditions of the Policy You must keep to the General Conditions and Special Conditions of the Policy to have the full protection of the Policy. If You do not, and the Condition You have not kept to relates to a claim, We may refuse or reduce the amount We pay under the claim. ### Caring for Your Pet (Dental, Vaccinations) Throughout the Period of Insurance, You must take all reasonable steps to maintain Your Pet's health and to prevent Injury, Illness and loss. a. You must provide Routine or Preventative Treatment normally recommended by a Vet to prevent Illness or Injury. If there is a disagreement between You and Us as to what reasonable steps are, the details will be referred to an independent national Welfare body or an independent Vet mutually agreed upon. b. You must arrange and pay for Your Pet to have a yearly dental examination and to receive any oral Treatment normally recommended by a Vet to prevent Illness or Injury. Any Treatment recommended as a result of the dental examination must be carried out as soon as possible. If You do not comply with this obligation then any claims which relate to dental issues We may refuse or reduce the amount We pay under the claim for dental Treatment, to the extent that Your non-compliance caused or contributed to the loss or damage. c. You must keep Your Pet vaccinated against the following conditions: Dogs – Distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, kennel cough and leptospirosis (in areas where it is prevalent, and Vets recommend vaccination) and any other vaccination recommended to You by a Vet. Cats – Feline infectious enteritis, feline leukaemia and cat flu and any other vaccination recommended to You by a Vet. If You do not keep Your Pet vaccinated, We may refuse or reduce the amount We pay under the claim that results from any of the above Illnesses to the extent that the unvaccinated illnesses caused or contributed to the loss or damage. d. You must arrange for a Vet to examine and treat Your Pet as soon as possible after it shows Clinical signs of an Injury or Illness. You must follow the advice and recommendations of the treating Vet so as not to prolong or aggravate the Illness or Injury. If You do not follow the Vet's advice We may refuse or reduce the amount We pay relating to that Injury or Illness. And if We decide, You must also take Your Pet to Our Vet. ### Claims Pre-Authorisation We will not guarantee if We will pay a claim prior to You sending Us a claim to assess. You must send Us a claim form that has been fully completed and We will then communicate Our decision with You. ### Vet Information, Other Insurance When You make a claim You agree to give Us any information We may reasonably ask for. ### Legal rights against others a. If there is any other insurance under which You are entitled to make a claim You must report the incident to that insurance company and tell Us their name and address and Your Policy and claim number with them. To the extent permitted by law, We will only pay Our share of the claim. b. If You have any legal rights against another person in relation to Your claim, We may take legal action against them in Your name at Our expense. You provide all reasonable assistance to provide any documents We ask for. ### Claims - Paid Direct to Vet If We agree for a claim payment to be paid directly to Your Vet and You allow this, then if the Vet, who has treated Your Pet or is about to treat Your Pet, asks for information about Your insurance that relates to a claim, We will tell the Vet what the insurance covers, what We will not pay for, how the amount We pay is calculated and if the premiums are paid to date. ### Claims - Vet Fee Charges If the Veterinary Fees You are charged are higher than the Veterinary Fees normally charged by a general or referral practice, We reserve the right to request a second opinion from an independent Vet as to whether the fees are reasonable. If the independent Vet does not agree that the Veterinary Fees charged are reasonable, We may decide, for future claims, to pay only the Veterinary Fees usually charged by a general or referral practice in a similar area as determined by an independent Vet. ### Claims - Over Treatment If We consider the Veterinary Treatment Your Pet receives may not be required, or may be excessive when compared with the Treatment normally recommended to treat the same Illness or Injury by general or referral practices, We reserve the right to request a second opinion from an independent Vet. If the independent Vet does not agree that the Veterinary Treatment provided is reasonably required We may decide to pay only the cost of the Veterinary Treatment hat was necessary to treat the Injury or Illness, as advised by the independent Vet from whom We have requested the second opinion. ### Claims - Veterinary information You agree that any Vet or Therapist has Your permission to release any information We ask for about Your Pet. If the Vet or Therapist makes a charge for this, You must pay the charge. ### Claims - Settlement When We settle Your claim, We reserve the right to deduct from the claim amount, any amount due to Us. ### Cancellation rights a. In addition to Your Cooling off rights detailed earlier, You may cancel the Policy at any time by contacting Us. b. Cancellation by You will be effective from 16:00 (4:00pm) NZT on the day We receive Your notice of cancellation. c. We have the right to cancel the Policy where permitted by and in accordance with law. For example, We may cancel: i. If You failed to comply with Your Duty of Disclosure; or ii. Where You have made a misrepresentation to Us during negotiations prior to the issue of the Policy; or iii. Where You have failed to comply with a provision of the Policy, including the term relating to payment of premium; or iv. Where You have made a fraudulent claim under the Policy or under some other contract of insurance that provides cover during the same period of time that the Policy covers You, and We may do so by giving You three days' notice in writing of the date from which the Policy will be cancelled. The notification may be delivered personally or posted to You at the address last notified to Us. d. Cancellation by Us will be effective from the later of 16:00 (4:00pm) NZT on the third business day after the day it is given to You, or such other date specified in the cancellation notice. If You or We cancel the Policy We may deduct a pro rata proportion of the premium for time on risk, and any government taxes or duties We cannot recover. For the avoidance of doubt, if the Policy is cancelled or comes to an end for any reason all cover for Your Pet will stop on the date and time the cancellation becomes effective and no further claims will be paid. ### Cancelling Your Policy You can cancel Your Policy by contacting Us. You are entitled to a refund of the money You have paid for the Period of Insurance after the cancellation date. If You have exercised Your rights under the Policy and We have paid a claim, We will not refund any portion of the Premium after Cancellation. If You are paying Your Premium monthly and cancel after exercising Your rights and We have paid a claim, We will deduct the balance owed for the remainder of the Policy Period from Your Claim, or if insufficient funds we will continue to take the monthly payments for the balance of the premium for the Policy Year. ### Cancellation where no claims have been made If You cancel the Policy for whatever reason after the Cooling off period and You have paid the annual Premium in full, provided no claim has been made, We will refund the premium less: a. The amount covering the period You were insured for; b. Any government or statutory charges We are unable to recover. If You have been paying Your premium by instalments, there is no premium refund (including for any remaining days of a current instalment period). No further premiums instalments will be deducted. ### Cancellation after a claim has been made a. If cancel Your Policy for whatever reason after having made a claim, no premium refunds are payable and the remaining premiums for that Policy Period must be paid if it is not already been paid. b. Any outstanding premium may be deducted from any claim payment owed, or alternatively, charged to Your nominated bank/credit card account. This clause survives termination of this contract. c. If You cancel Your Policy because Your Pet has passed away and after having made a claim, Your Policy will be cancelled as set out above, by Us. ### Paying Your Premium a. Cover under the Policy is provided on the basis that You have paid or agreed to pay Us the Premium for the Cover provided. The amount You pay is shown on Your Certificate of Insurance and includes all Premiums, administration fees, and any applicable government taxes, fees and/or charges. b. The Premium is payable when You take out a new Policy and when You renew Your Policy. c. You may choose to pay the premium: - Annually by Credit Card or Direct Debit. d. When premiums are paid monthly by instalment, claims are paid on the basis that You agree to pay the remaining Premiums for the Policy Period. Note: If We accept and pay a claim under the Policy, We may deduct the balance of any outstanding premium from the claim payment. Your Policy will not operate until You have paid Your Premium (or Your first instalment if You have elected to pay by instalments). Your Premium must be paid on or before its due date. If You pay by monthly instalments and if You do not pay an instalment on time, We will let You know, and We will try to deduct the overdue amount along with Your next regular payment on the next instalment due date. If the next attempt to deduct the outstanding amount and the next instalment amount fails, We will cancel Your Policy for non-payment. We will send You a notice advising You of cancellation and cancellation will be effective 14 days from the date on this notice. So, it's important that You pay Your instalments on time. If You can't, You should get in touch with Us immediately. e. If We cancel Your Policy due to non-payment of an instalment premium You need to be aware that: - No benefits or entitlements can be paid under the Policy; - You may be refused cover in the future under any Policy administered by Petcover; and - Any application for general insurance products in the future may be affected because You had a Policy cancelled as a result of unpaid premiums. f. If Your instalments are frequently late or missed We also reserve the right to have You pay all premiums due until the end of the current Period of Insurance. g. If the Policy is cancelled by Us because You have not paid the premium We may agree to reinstate the Policy. If We agree, We may charge an administration fee and may require You to pay all premiums due until the end of the current Period of Insurance. h. When We settle Your claim, We will deduct from the claim, any premium due to Us. ### Renewing Your Policy If You pay Your premium by Direct Debit instalment, when the Policy is due for renewal We will renew it for You automatically, to save You the worry of remembering to contact Us before the renewal date. We will write to You at least fourteen (14) days before the Policy expires with full details of Your premium and terms upon which renewal will be offered for a further Period of Insurance. If You do not want to renew the Policy just let Us know. It is important that You check the terms of any renewal offer to satisfy yourself that the details are correct. In particular, check the sum insured amounts and Excess(es) applicable and ensure that the levels of cover are appropriate for You. At each renewal, We ask You to notify Us of certain information. The information We require from You will be stated in Your renewal documentation. It is important that You provide Us with full and accurate information as this could affect a future claim. Please note that You need to comply with Your Duty of Disclosure before each renewal (see above). ### Automatic Renewal of Your Policy We will advise You regarding renewal of Your Policy prior to the expiration of the current Policy. We may change the terms and conditions of the Policy on renewal to reflect the portion of the risk associated with insuring Your Pet based on factors such as (but not limited to) Your Pet's age, location and medical history. Unless otherwise notified, Your Cover will be automatically renewed on the terms contained in the renewal offer and We will deduct/charge the renewal Premium from Your nominated account/credit card unless You tell us not to. If the account/ credit card is not yours, You confirm You have the authority of the relevant person to use it and they have agreed to these terms. We require You to notify Us in writing should You decide not to renew Your Policy. Should You renew Your Policy You must tell Us if the information You have previously supplied is incorrect or incomplete in order to comply with Your Duty of Disclosure. If You do not We may reduce or refuse to pay a claim or cancel the Policy. ### Changing Levels of Cover 1. If You opt to transfer Your Pet to a level of Cover with higher or additional benefits (including but not limited to a higher Benefit Percentage, Benefit Limit or lower Excess) then the additional or higher benefits will not apply to claims for Conditions first noted, diagnosed, or treated prior to the Policy upgrade. In such cases, benefits will be restricted to the lesser of the maximum benefits payable under the: - Current level of Cover; or - Policy that applied during the Policy Period in which such Condition(s) was/were first noted, diagnosed, or treated. For the sake of clarity, Maximum Benefits referenced in this section include taking the following factors into consideration: - The Benefit Limit; - Applicable sub-limits; - Applicable Benefit Percentage, Excess; and - Any applicable Policy exclusions. If You opt to transfer Your Pet to a level of Cover with additional benefits, then the applicable thirty (30) day Waiting Period for the new Cover will apply. You cannot change Your level of cover in a Policy Period if a claim has been paid. ### Changes at renewal This document also applies for any offer of renewal We make, unless We tell You otherwise. When We offer renewal We may: - Change the premium, Excesses and Policy Terms and Conditions; - Place exclusions because of previous claims made by You and Your Pet's Veterinary history. ### Upgrading cover If a higher plan is available for Your Pet You can apply for an upgrade at renewal of Your Policy and at this time the request will be subject to an underwriting review of Your Pet's veterinary history. ### Changes during the Period of Insurance Changes will only be made to the Policy at renewal, We will not change the cover We provide for Your Pet during the Period of Insurance, unless: a. You decide to change Your Pet's cover. b. You did not tell Us about something when We previously asked. c. You provided Us with inaccurate information when previously asked, regardless of whether or not You thought it was accurate at the time. If You transfer Your Pet to a plan with additional or higher benefit limits, the additional or higher benefits will not apply if the Condition being claimed for first occurred prior to the change in the level of cover. ### Direct Debit Request Summary When You provide Us with Your bank details, You are instructing Us to directly debit the relevant premiums calculated by Us from Your nominated account. If Your premium cannot be paid (for example there is not enough money in Your nominated account) Your bank may dishonour that payment, and You may be charged a dishonour fee by Your bank. Neither Petcover nor Sovereign Insurance Australia will be responsible for dishonour fees charged by Your bank or financial institution. If Your direct debit is dishonoured We will automatically retry for the outstanding amount within fourteen (14) days, and You may be charged a dishonour fee by Petcover. If You have concerns about the operation of the direct debit authority or You subsequently need to change any aspects of the authority, please notify Us ### Exclusions applicable to Your Pet a. Any Illness which starts in the first thirty (30) days of cover (The Waiting Period will cease at 00.01 on the thirty- first (31) day of cover). b. In addition to the exclusions set out in these Terms and Conditions, the Policy does not cover any amount that results from an Injury, Illness or incident which is shown as excluded on Your Certificate of Insurance. Some exclusions are temporary and upon request may be lifted following underwriting review. ### Policy Limits Limits do apply to some items covered by Your Policy. You should read the Policy carefully so that You are aware of what limits may be applicable to You in the event of a loss. ### Travel Cover Some sections of Your Policy provide cover whilst Your Pet is on a Journey. a. This type of cover is limited to the Agreed Countries for a maximum of ninety (90) days in each Period of Insurance. While Your Pet is outside New Zealand You must follow the conditions of the Ministry of Primary Industries. Full details can be found on the Ministry of Primary Industries Website, https://www.mpi.govt.nz/bring-send-to-nz/pets-travelling-to-nz/ or Contact animal.imports@mpi.govt.n