Group proceeding brought on behalf of those who purchased or leased a vehicle from a dealer under finance arranged by the dealer, and paid premiums for add-on insurance products.
The claim alleges the add-on insurance offered in this way was not suitable, incurred group members unnecessary costs and was based on incomplete information about personal circumstances.
By allegedly representing that the add-on insurance was a precondition of finance, the claim alleges the defendants engaged in conduct which was misleading or deceptive, and that the receipt and retention of the payments was unjustly enriching and comprised unconscionable conduct.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED SETTLEMENT
On 4 April 2025, the Court approved a Notice of Proposed Settlement to be sent to group members. Group members should read the Notice carefully as the matters set out in the notice may affect their legal rights.
Notice of Proposed Settlement
Order of the Honourable Justice Matthews made 4 April 2025
If you are content with the proposed settlement, and do not want to object to it, you do not need to do anything in response to the Notice.
Any group member who wishes to object to the proposed settlement must, by no later than 4:00pm (AEST) on 27 May 2025, either:
- complete the online objection notice; or
- complete the ‘Notice of Objection’ form found at the end of the Notice above, and send it to the Court by email or post at the addresses on the form.
Any group member who wishes to object must also attend, or have their legal representative attend the settlement approval hearing (unless the Court orders otherwise), which is on 30 June 2025 at 10:00am (AEST) in the Supreme Court of Victoria.
Further details regarding the hearing will be published on this webpage closer to the hearing date.
Please note that the deadline to register or opt out has now passed.
A supplementary opt out and registration period was open until 4:00pm (AEST) on 21 August 2024 for certain persons who received an SMS Notice from the plaintiff's solicitors on or after 1 August 2024.
If you are, or you think that you may be a group member, you should read the documents below carefully.
The Notice (a copy of which is below) contains important information about your rights to:
(1) register your claim in the proceeding; or
(2) opt out of the proceeding.
In summary, if you fall within the definition of a group member, you have three options:
- If you want to be eligible to claim money if there is a settlement before the trial, you must register your claim in accordance with the Notice by 4:00pm on 21 August 2024 (AEST).
To register, you must either:- complete the online registration form with Maurice Blackburn Lawyers; or
- complete the registration form in Attachment A of the Notice and submit by email or post to the address for Maurice Blackburn stated on the form.
For further information on how to register, please refer to Option 1 on page 4 of the Notice below.
- If you do not want your rights determined by the class action you must opt out by 4:00pm on 21 August 2024 (AEST).
To opt out, you must either:- complete the online opt out notice; or
- complete the opt out notice in Attachment B of the Notice and return via email or post to the address on the notice for the Registry of the Supreme Court of Victoria.
For further information about opting out, please refer to Option 2 on pages 4 and 5 of the Notice below.
- If you do nothing, you will remain a group member in the class action but you will not be eligible to claim any money if there is a settlement before the trial, unless the Court makes a further order.
The definition of a “group member” is set out in the Notice.
Notice to Group Members - Supplementary Registration and Opt Out for certain group members
Registration documents
Registration Form (online) for you to submit via Maurice Blackburn's website; or
Registration Form (PDF) download, complete and submit by email or post to Maurice Blackburn
Opt Out documents
Opt Out Notice (online) for you to submit via this link; or
Opt Out Notice (PDF) download, complete and submit by email or post to the Supreme Court of Victoria
Orders regarding supplementary opt out and registration period
Orders of Delany J (5 July 2024) - Supplementary Registration and Opt Out
Further Orders of Delany J (31 July 2024)
Notices and orders regarding main opt out and registration period
Notice to Group Members – Registration and Opt Out (Main Opt Out period)
Orders of Delany J (12 March 2024) – Registration and Opt Out
Further Orders of Delany J (27 March 2024)
Soft Class Closure Ruling made by the Honourable Justice Delany on 27 February 2024 ([2024] VSC 65) in the AAI Limited Group Proceeding (Class Action)
Group Costs Order Ruling made by the Honourable Justice Stynes on 8 August 2023 ([2023] VSC 465) in the AAI Limited Group Proceeding (Class Action)
Reply filed by the Plaintiff on 17 December 2021 in the AAI Limited Group Proceeding (Class Action)
Defence filed by the Defendants on 17 November 2021 in the AAI Limited Group Proceeding (Class Action)
Further Amended Statement of Claim filed by the Plaintiff on 18 October 2021 in the AAI Limited Group Proceeding (Class Action)
Funding Information Summary Statement filed on 25 March 2024 in the AAI Limited Group Proceeding (Class Action)
Group Proceeding Summary Statement filed on 25 March 2024 in the AAI Limited Group Proceeding (Class Action)