🚨 My Story (factual and in short).

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My Insurance Dispute

In 2022, my vehicle suffered an engine fire. The repairs carried out by Gold Coast Restorations Australia left the vehicle with major mechanical issues — it was non-drivable and not something I could fix myself. These were not cosmetic faults, but essential repairs required for the vehicle to work and be safely insured again. The repairs were negligent, incomplete, and have been done with known errors, with several necessary components either omitted or damaged during the process.

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Despite this, 'Metrix Insurance' — my brokerage company (under Allianz) — refused to accept responsibility and subsequently cancelled my policy, fully aware that the vehicle’s unrepaired condition would make it impossible to obtain insurance elsewhere in Australia. This was a deliberate tactic, as I am currently pursuing legal action against the overarching insurer Allianz. Who advertise and promote security from their insurance services — ahhhhh Allianz (zero duty of care, as it’s all about money and their power, as you will find out)....

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After more than a year of dealing with AFCA (Australian Financial Complaints Authority) with no resolution — only delays, accusations, and resistance from the underwriters (Steadfast and Dawes, both under Allianz) — the matter has now progressed to court, where I am awaiting a trial date as a self-represented litigant. Throughout this process, I have been placed at a significant disadvantage. Evidence and documentation I gathered during the AFCA process — including proof of negligence and duty of care breaches and outstandingly terrible treatment as far as bullying from the underwriters — all evidence gained has now been deemed inadmissible in court. WTF, I know... stay with me.

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Everyone needs to know this!

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Every person in Australia with insurance of sorts. I was never informed of this restriction by AFCA, nor is it disclosed in the Financial Services Guide (FSG), by the insurer, broker, or AFCA representatives. Consumers (you and me) are led to believe AFCA is the correct path for resolution, yet the process operates under a non-prejudicial framework, which limits what can later be used in court. Pair that with the fact that AFCA is financially supported solely by all the major insurance and finance companies, which brings about a level of bias which is apparent when dealing with the insurance underwriters with their mediation. AFCA 100% operates with bias and under prejudicial natures which is not in favour of a fair and supportive remedial solution.

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The bullying tactics have continued.

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Most recently, my insurance was not renewed, with the insurer stating in an email that “no-one in Australia would cover the truck in its current state.” This is even though I had paid full policy rates for over two years while the vehicle remained unusable. I was also told that if I cancelled the policy, I could not continue my AFCA dispute — effectively holding me to ransom to the payments. Now, I am left with a “cancelled insurance” record, a black mark that follows me even though the circumstances were beyond my control.

As a result, I remain uninsured and have been without a functioning utility vehicle for over 3 years. This has severely impacted my livelihood, my ability to work, and my overall financial stability. Despite the hardship, not one representative from the insurer or repairer has shown accountability, concern, or fair remedial action.

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To further discredit me, new accusations have been raised — including claims about the “upkeep” of the vehicle — continuing a pattern of blame-shifting, intimidation, and silence. Both the insurer and the repairer promote themselves as service providers who help and care about customers; however, when things go wrong and they fail to restore vehicles to the proper condition. In my case, neither upheld those promises. Gold Coast Restorations Australia, upon receiving my vehicle for repair, were full of bravado and certainty that they could fix my classic vehicle — and this is the sidelining of responsibility and mess when the gauges and wiring were never done properly even though I supplied a wiring diagram.

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Nothing works, the heads are cracked, and the radiator was polished and charged over $1200 for the top exterior where they broke the overflow pipe...

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I will continue this legal fight — not only to have the repairs properly rectified, but to push for greater transparency and reform in the insurance dispute process so that others don’t endure the same damaging and dehumanizing ordeal.

We the people budget each week to make the insurance payments, negotiate as I did what was right. In my case, I used my vehicle for shows, airbrush, and custom paint projects, so a 'classic' cover would not work, and I did not want to be in a predicament where I had been dishonest with the insurance company.

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So, I negotiated transparently the best price for the limited usage through Metrix Insurance that covered the use for my artwork services and showcasing. This is my 1st insurance claim in Australia since I moved here in 2013.

I was accused of claiming a laundry list to get my vehicle restored by the Dawes underwriter. When in fact I absorbed the restoration work and paint refinishing for both the bonnet and cowl panel — which are scorched. Knowing that Gold Coast Restorations would fail to match the paint or the custom painted flames. I left this out of the insurance claim and was prepared to fix the panels myself and at my cost. (All parties knew: Metrix, GC Resto, the assessor Brian).

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I intend to publish the entire court case transparently and have raised a petition below to apply for the changes of transparency around their operation and bias of AFCA.

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Insurance companies like Allianz love to advertise “security,” “protection,” and “peace of mind.”
But when something actually goes wrong, that promise evaporates.

Instead of duty of care, we see responsibility dodged, policies cancelled to avoid claims, and people left stranded with unusable vehicles and destroyed livelihoods. That isn’t protection — it’s predatory behaviour.

These companies must be held fully accountable under Australian law for the promises they make in their advertising and policy wording. They cannot be allowed to collect premiums in good times and then deliver nothing but excuses when consumers need real support.

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There must be an end to misleading conduct, biased dispute processes, and dehumanising tactics that treat people as liabilities instead of customers.

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We pay for real care and real repair — not hot air.

It’s time for transparency, fairness, and genuine accountability, so no one else is put through this.