Barber insurance claims
Making a Claim
If anyone is hurt or in danger, call 000 first. Then call Grace Insurance's claims line, open 24 hours, 7 days, and tell us what happened. We are the barber arm of Grace Insurance, so our claims line is Grace's.
Photograph the damage before you clean up, keep anything that is damaged, and do not book repairs until the insurer agrees.
Cover is subject to the policy terms and the insurer's acceptance.
Reviewed by
Founder and Director, Grace Insurance. Diploma in Broking, Fellow CIP. In insurance broking since 1992.
Step by step
How Does a Claim Work Through a Broker?
A broker helps you lodge the claim and deals with the insurer for you, and the insurer decides what your policy pays. Your claim starts with a call to Grace Insurance's claims line.
You call the claims line
Call Grace Insurance's claims line on 0411 234 878 or email claims@graceinsurance.com.au, ideally within 24 hours of it happening. Call even if you do not have every detail yet.
We lodge the claim
We send your details, photos and documents to the insurer that issued your policy. You can also lodge it by phone with the insurer yourself, which insurers call telelodging. If you are not sure how your insurer takes claims, ask us first.
The insurer looks into it
The insurer may send an assessor, a person who inspects the damage and reports back. Keep the damaged items until they have been seen, and send any extra photos, receipts or quotes the insurer asks for.
We deal with the insurer for you
We act as your advocate, which means we are on your side in the claim. We pass on what the insurer needs, follow the claim up and tell you where it stands.
The insurer decides
The insurer decides whether your policy covers the claim and how much it pays. You pay your excess, the amount you agreed to pay towards each claim, which is shown on your policy schedule.
Before you call
What Do I Need to Make a Claim?
You need your policy number, the date, time and place, what happened, and the details of anyone involved. Gather what you can before you call, but do not wait for every document, because you can send the rest later.
Your policy number and name
The policy number and the name of the person or business insured, as they appear on your policy schedule, the document that lists your covers.
When it happened
The date and time, or when you found the damage if the shop was closed.
Where it happened
The address, and whether it was in the shop, in your car or at a client's home.
What happened
What caused it and how much was damaged, written down in your own words while it is fresh.
Your GST details
Your ABN and your input tax credit percentage, the share of the GST you claim back on business costs. Your accountant can tell you if you are not sure.
Anyone involved
The name, address and phone number of anyone involved, such as a client who was hurt. If a car was involved, add its registration and the owner's insurer if you know it.
Letters and court papers
Any letter, notice or court document you receive about it, such as a lawyer's letter on behalf of a client.
A police event number
For a theft, an attempted theft or deliberate damage such as vandalism, report it to the police. Write down the event number they give you.
Photos and proof of purchase
Photos of the damage, and proof of purchase for each item you claim. That can be a receipt, an invoice, a bank or card statement, a photo of the item or its manual.
Documents by type of claim
What Documents Does Each Type of Claim Need?
The insurer asks for different papers depending on what happened, on top of your policy number and the details of the event. For most claims that means quotes, receipts and photos.
| Type of claim | What the insurer asks for |
|---|---|
 Broken glass | Quotes or invoices to repair or replace the glass, such as a smashed shopfront window or a cracked glass door. Shop contents and fit-out cover is the cover that pays for it. |
 A burnt-out motor | How old the item is, the original receipt if you still have it, and what it costs to replace. Insurers call this motor burnout or fusion, such as when the motor in a hair dryer or clippers burns out. |
 Lost or stolen kit | The original receipts and a quote to replace each item, such as clippers, trimmers and scissors. For a theft, add the police event number. |
 Accidental damage | If you drop your clippers on a tiled floor, send a short report of what broke and how. Add photos and a quote to replace them. |
If a client makes a claim
What Should I Do If a Client Claims Against Me?
Do not admit fault or offer to pay, even if you think you caused it, and tell us within 24 hours. This applies whether a client slips on hair clippings or says a razor or dye hurt them in the chair.
Do not admit fault
Stay calm and take the client's name, address and phone number, but do not agree that you caused it or offer to pay. Liability policies generally leave fault and payment to the insurer.
Tell us straight away
Report it even if the client has not made a formal claim yet. Send us any letter, email, notice or court document about it as soon as it arrives, before you reply.
Keep your records
Keep the booking record and the label and batch number of any product you used, such as beard dye or bleach. Write down what happened while you remember it, and screenshot any messages from the client.
Public liability pays injury and damage claims from clients and the public. Treatment risk cover pays claims that a cut, shave or colour hurt a client.
Photos for your claim
What Should I Photograph for a Barbershop Claim?
The whole area first
Take wide photos of the shop, the car or wherever it happened before you clean up or move anything. Then take close-ups of each damaged item.
Each damaged item
Photograph every damaged chair, station, mirror, product shelf and appliance, then keep them for the insurer to inspect. For water damage, include where the water came from and the water line on the walls.
A break-in or stolen kit
Photograph the forced door, window or lock and the empty stations, drawers or kit bag. Make a list of everything taken, with serial numbers where you have them.
Where a client was hurt
Photograph the spot and the floor as it was, including hair clippings, water or a loose mat, and your wet floor sign. If it happened in the chair, photograph the tools and the label of any product you used.
Your kit, before anything happens
Photograph your clippers, scissors, chairs and stock now, with serial numbers showing, and keep the photos with your receipts. A photo of an item can help prove you owned it if a receipt is lost.
Claims FAQ
Questions About Barber Insurance Claims
Call Grace Insurance's claims line on 0411 234 878, open 24 hours, 7 days, or email claims@graceinsurance.com.au. We are Grace Insurance's barber arm, so the claims line is Grace's and we lodge the claim with your insurer for you. You can also lodge it by phone with your insurer.
Call the insurer or broker named on your policy schedule, the document that lists your covers. Their claims phone number and email are in your policy documents. If you would like us to arrange your cover next time, ask for a quote and a broker will contact you with your options.
Yes, if your policy includes tools cover, which insurers call general property cover. Report the theft to the police and send us the event number with your receipts or replacement quotes. Many policies only pay for theft from a car if it was locked, the kit was out of sight and someone forced their way in.
Do not book repairs or replace anything until the insurer agrees, and keep the damaged items so they can be inspected. If something cannot wait, such as a smashed shopfront that will not lock, call the claims line first and ask. Photograph everything before any work starts.
As soon as you can, ideally within 24 hours of it happening. Call or email even if you do not have every receipt or quote yet, and send the rest when you have it. If a client tells you they plan to claim against you, report that too.
Not insured with us yet?
Get a Barbershop Insurance Quote
Tell us how you work and the services you offer, and a broker will contact you with your options.
1800 556 777Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm Perth time
