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Evidence · Home and contents insurance

Every question, every answer, every source

Explore all 372 home and contents insurance questions and the 1,476 answers saved on 11 October 2026. Read the original responses and download the tables behind the study’s comparisons, sources, sentiment and factual checks.

questions
372
answers saved, of 1488 planned
1476
consumer situations
12
named regions
16
AI platforms
4

01

Every question, with its answers

Each question went to the four AI platforms. All were collected with a New Zealand setting. Open a question to read every captured answer in full.

Showing 20 of 372 questions

Show all 372

02

The tables behind the study

Every figure on the study page comes from these tables. They are CSV files, which open in any spreadsheet.

  • Questions

    questions.csv

    One row per question, with its exact saved wording.

    Question ID, source references, question, consumer situation, named regions, question group and collection setting

    372rows

    Download questions (CSV)

  • Answers

    answers.csv

    One row per captured answer, with its full text.

    Answer ID, question ID, platform, collection setting, consumer situation, named regions and full answer

    1,476rows

    Download answers (CSV)

  • Sources by answer

    sources.csv

    One row per website recorded as a source of an answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, assistant, collection setting, website and publisher type

    9,014rows

    Download sources by answer (CSV)

  • Checks against primary sources

    checks.csv

    One row per stated assertion checked, for one platform.

    Check, question and answer IDs, assistant, exact passage, verdict, primary-source finding, URL and date

    97rows

    Download checks against primary sources (CSV)

  • Consumer recommendation coding

    consumer-recommendation-coding.csv

    One row per reviewed provider role in a consumer-selection answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, provider, role, counted recommendation, exact passage and conditions

    659rows

    Download consumer recommendation coding (CSV)

  • Consumer selection membership

    consumer-selection-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the matched consumer-selection comparison.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, question group and full text; twelve home and twelve contents selection questions, with missing captures preserved

    94rows

    Download consumer selection membership (CSV)

  • Ongoing support coding

    support-coding.csv

    One row per reviewed named-provider role in an eligible support answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, provider, role, support-preference decision and exact passage

    75rows

    Download ongoing support coding (CSV)

  • Ongoing support membership

    support-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the actual consumer-support group.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, question group and full text; acquisition validation is excluded

    71rows

    Download ongoing support membership (CSV)

  • Regional recommendation coding

    regional-recommendation-coding.csv

    One row per reviewed provider role in a region-named selection answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, named consumer region, platform, provider, recommendation decision and exact passage

    1,017rows

    Download regional recommendation coding (CSV)

  • Regional selection membership

    regional-selection-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the matched regional comparison.

    Answer ID, question ID, named consumer region, platform and equal-comparison membership; four home and three contents platform answers per region

    112rows

    Download regional selection membership (CSV)

  • Insurer sentiment

    insurer-sentiment.csv

    One row per unique saved claim about an insurer in a selection answer.

    Claim, question and answer IDs, insurer, saved stance, exact passage and original-answer offsets

    3,828rows

    Download insurer sentiment (CSV)

  • Recorded source URLs

    source-urls.csv

    One row per recorded answer, website and URL association.

    Answer ID, question ID, platform, website, URL, source records and presence in the captured answer text

    13,048rows

    Download recorded source urls (CSV)

  • Matched consumer platform membership

    platform-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the identical-question platform comparison.

    Answer ID, question ID, product, consumer and platform; 22 identical questions per platform

    88rows

    Download matched consumer platform membership (CSV)

  • Matched regional platform membership

    regional-platform-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the identical-question regional platform comparison.

    Answer ID, question ID, product, region and platform; 31 identical questions per platform

    124rows

    Download matched regional platform membership (CSV)

Use these tables to trace findings back to the original questions and answers. The full text of each answer is also on this page, under its question.

03

Read in full and checked

Some answers were read in detail or checked against official sources. Those appear on the study page, beside the findings they support.

ChatGPT · New Zealand

I need contents insurance in Gisborne. Is there anything I should be careful about with the cover?

If you’re looking at contents insurance in Gisborne, the main things I’d check are less about the brand of insurer and more about the details of the policy wording. Gisborne can be exposed to events such as storms, flooding, slips and earthquakes, so the natural-hazard parts of the cover are worth paying close attention to. Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake

Here are the key areas to check:

1. Natural hazards: what is actually covered?

Ask specifically how the policy responds to:

  • Flooding and storm damage — check whether water entering your home from flooding is covered and what conditions apply.
  • Landslips and erosion — some earth movement situations can be excluded or have narrow definitions. ICNZ | Insurance Council of New Zealand
  • Earthquakes and related damage — understand whether the contents policy covers your belongings and how it interacts with natural hazard cover arrangements. Natural hazard cover through Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake mainly relates to eligible residential buildings and land, rather than being a replacement for private contents cover. Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake

2. Your sum insured: don’t underestimate your belongings

A common issue is choosing a contents limit that seems high but would not replace everything.

Consider the cost of:

  • Furniture
  • Appliances
  • Clothing
  • Tools and outdoor equipment
  • Jewellery
  • Electronics
  • Children’s items
  • Sports gear
  • Collectibles or hobby equipment

Make an inventory (photos and approximate values help) and check whether the policy is replacement value or depreciated value for different items.

3. High-value items may need to be listed

Many policies have limits for items such as:

  • Jewellery
  • Watches
  • Cameras
  • Laptops
  • Artwork
  • Collectibles
  • Musical instruments

If you have expensive items, check whether you need to specify them separately.

4. Excesses can matter after a disaster

Look at:

  • Your standard contents excess
  • Any separate excesses for specific events
  • Whether you can afford the excess if you need to claim

A lower premium can sometimes come with a higher excess.

5. Check exclusions carefully

Common exclusions across contents policies can include things like:

  • Gradual damage or wear and tear
  • Faulty workmanship or maintenance issues
  • Some types of water damage
  • Pests or vermin
  • Damage from events that occurred before the policy started AA Insurance

6. If you rent, check landlord vs tenant responsibilities

If you’re renting:

  • Your contents policy generally covers your belongings, not the building.
  • Don’t assume the landlord’s insurance covers your possessions.

7. Gisborne-specific questions worth asking an insurer

Before buying, I’d ask:

  1. “Is my contents covered for flooding at my address?”
  2. “Are there any special excesses for flood, storm, earthquake or landslip claims?”
  3. “Are my outdoor items (tools, bikes, BBQ, garden equipment) covered?”
  4. “What happens if I need temporary accommodation or my home is inaccessible?”
  5. “Are there any restrictions because of previous flooding, repairs, or the property’s risk profile?”

If you tell me whether you own or rent, whether you’re in a house, unit, or apartment, and whether you’re mainly worried about flood/storm risk or theft, I can help you narrow down what cover features matter most.

Ask anything

ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.

Captured 11 October 2026

Gemini · New Zealand

I need contents insurance in Gisborne. Is there anything I should be careful about with the cover?

When setting up or reviewing contents insurance for a home in Gisborne, there are several region-specific environmental, geographic, and policy factors you should carefully look out for.

Key considerations include:

1. Flood and Storm Risks (Weather-Related Claims)

  • Regional Context: Gisborne has experienced significant severe weather events, heavy rainfall, and flooding in recent years (such as ex-tropical cyclones).
  • What to watch out for:
    • Silt and Mud Damage: If a flood or landslip breaches your property, mud, silt, and debris can ruin carpets, furniture, and lower-level belongings. Check how your insurer handles silt cleanup and whether your policy covers internal damage explicitly caused by silt ingress.
    • Storm Excesses: Some insurance providers in high-risk regions apply specific, higher excesses for floods, storms, or water damage compared to standard fire or theft claims. Check your policy schedule for any specialized excess clauses.

2. Earthquake and Landslip Exposure

  • Regional Context: The Tairāwhiti / Gisborne region sits in an area with high seismic activity and complex topography, making it prone to both earthquakes and slips/landslides.
  • What to watch out for:
    • The Distinction Between Contents and Structural Natural Hazards: While structural damage to buildings is primarily managed/capped by the government's Natural Hazards Commission (NHC, formerly EQC), contents are insured entirely through your private contents policy.
    • If an earthquake or landslide damages your home and wrecks your personal belongings inside, your private contents insurer handles it. Ensure your policy clearly outlines how earthquake or landslip damage to contents is handled and whether any distinct sub-limits apply.

3. Risk-Based Pricing and Premiums

  • Regional Context: New Zealand insurers increasingly use risk-based pricing, meaning your specific address, proximity to rivers, flood zones, and local slip risk heavily influence your premium and terms.
  • What to watch out for:
    • Shopping around is critical because different insurers model regional hazard data differently. A property that flags high risk for one insurer might have a more favorable assessment with another.

4. General Contents Policy Details to Double-Check

Regardless of where you live in New Zealand, these standard clauses are vital to verify:

  • Sum Insured vs. Total Replacement: Make sure your "sum insured" accurately reflects the total cost to replace all your belongings brand-new. Under-insuring contents can leave you heavily out of pocket due to "average" clauses.
  • Item Sub-Limits: Most policies cap payouts for high-value items like jewelry, watches, fine art, or collections unless they are specifically itemized (specified) on your policy.
  • Temporary Accommodation: If a major storm or natural hazard forces you out of your home, check if your policy includes temporary accommodation benefits for you (and your pets) while repairs are carried out.
Ask Gemini

Gemini is AI and can make mistakes.

Captured 11 October 2026

AI Overviews · New Zealand

I need contents insurance in Gisborne. Is there anything I should be careful about with the cover?

AI Overview

When getting contents insurance in Gisborne , there are several unique regional risks and policy nuances you need to watch out for. Following severe weather events like Cyclone Gabrielle, the New Zealand insurance market has shifted toward address-level, risk-based pricing , making specific policy details more critical than ever.

1. Flood and Storm Coverage Gaps

A common misconception in New Zealand relates to how natural disasters are covered:

  • The "NHCover" Trap: The government’s public natural hazard scheme—managed by the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake (formerly EQC)—does not cover contents for storm and flood damage; it only covers limited land damage around the home.

  • Private Insurer Terms: Because the NHC does not cover contents for floods, you are entirely dependent on your private policy. You must explicitly check that your private policy covers flood-related damage to contents, especially if your property is near a river, coast, or low-lying flood-prone zone.

2. High-Value Item Caps

Most standard contents policies feature sub-limits on specific categories of belongings. If your items exceed these limits, they will not be fully covered unless you individually list (schedule) them on the policy. Look out for limits on:

  • Jewellery and watches (often capped between $1,000 and $3,000 total per item).

  • Bicycles, e-bikes, and water sports gear.

  • Collections, cameras, and fine art.

3. Temporary Accommodation Allowances

If a future storm or natural disaster makes your home uninhabitable, a good contents insurance policy will help cover the costs of shifting elsewhere.

  • Renter Alert: If you are renting in Gisborne, your landlord's insurance only covers the building structure. You must have your own contents policy to get temporary accommodation cover for yourself. Ensure you check the dollar cap and the duration limit (e.g., up to 12 months) for this benefit.

4. Policy Valuation Type: Replacement vs. Indemnity

Ensure you know how your items will be valued in a total loss event:

  • Replacement Cover: Pays for a brand-new equivalent item (e.g., a new TV to replace your destroyed one).

  • Indemnity Value: Only pays what the item was worth right before the damage, taking wear, tear, and depreciation into account. Avoid indemnity-only policies for general household contents, as they can leave you significantly short when trying to buy everything back.

5. Premium Volatility and Underwriting Restrictions

Because Gisborne has experienced heavy climate pressures, insurers are monitoring the region very closely.

  • Comparison Shopping: Insurers like Tower Insurance and others utilize granular flood mapping to price risk per house. A house on one side of a Gisborne street may face drastically higher contents premiums—or strict restrictions—than a house on the other side. Always shop around and obtain multiple quotes before committing.

To help narrow down the best policy structure for you, could you share:

  • Are you renting the property, or do you own the home?

  • Is the property located in a known low-lying or coastal area of Gisborne?

  • Do you own any specific items valued over $2,500 (like e-bikes or fine jewelry)?

Ask anything

Captured 11 October 2026