Information

Home > Information

For specific information on your policy you must refer to your policy documents. This information is supplied as a general guide and is not necessarily a condition of your policy.


Material Facts

All material facts must be disclosed. Failure to do so may prejudice a claim, invalidate a policy, or result in incorrect terms being quoted. A material fact is one likely to influence the assessment of this proposal. If you are in any doubt whether a fact is material you should disclose it, whether you are asked to or not. Insurers pass information to the Claims and Underwriting Exchange register, operated by Insurance Database Services Ltd. This is for the purpose of preventing fraud and verifying the information given herein. You should keep a copy of your proposal form and a record of all information and correspondence you supply in connection thereof.

Flat Roofs

If the property you have insured has a flat roof, you must make sure this is fully declared to the insurers together with accurate information regarding its construction, age and size etc. You must read and comply with the policy conditions applying to flat roofs which will be found in the policy wording. For example how often they should be inspected and the time frame upon which you must carry out any recommendations.

Safety Regulations

Your property must comply with all safety regulations that apply and in some cases these will be expressly referred to in the policy wordings. For example, the gas safety regulations, electrical safety regulations, and furniture and furnishings safety regulations.

Unoccupied Properties

All policies impose particular conditions for unoccupied properties due to the nature of their risk. If a property is unoccupied on inception, or becomes unoccupied during the period of insurance there are three issues to consider. Firstly the insurer must be notified. Secondly the policy will contain warranties, these will be requirements you must comply with. For instance the property must be internally inspected on a regular basis, kept adequately secure, the services isolated at the mains and system drained, or central heating system kept on at a specified minimum temperature. And finally we must draw your attention to the fact that cover is usually restricted to fire, lightning, explosion, aircraft, and liability.

Change of Circumstances

You must notify us should the circumstances of the risk alter in any material way. For example if a property becomes unoccupied, the type of tenant changes, the use of the property changes, if work is being carried out on the property, the property's structure, total cost of rebuilding the property, total cost of replacing the contents, the address changes, etc. If you are unsure whether a change of circumstances is material or not, you should always notify us.

Under Insurance

You need to ensure you have adequate cover, as it is entirely your responsibility to declare an accurate rebuild value for the buildings sum insured, and new replacement value for any contents. You may obtain guidance on this by visiting www.abi.org.uk or by consulting a qualified RICS surveyor, www.rics.org.uk. If you are inadequately insured the insurer will reduce any claim by the equivalent percentage.

Claims

You should refer to your specific policy wording for full details of the claims conditions for your policy. When you have notified your claim to us or the insurer, in most cases you will be sent a claim form to be completed and returned together with two independent detailed quotes. Claims involving theft, malicious damage or any attempt thereof must always be reported to the Police immediately, obtaining a crime reference number to be noted on the claim form.

Financial Services Compensation Scheme

We are covered by the FSCS. You may be entitled to compensation from the scheme if we cannot meet our obligations. This depends on the type of business and the circumstances of the claim. Insurance advising and arranging is covered for 100% of the first £2,000 and 90% of the remainder of the claim, without any upper limit. Further information about compensation scheme arrangements is available from the FSCS.

Cancellation

Many insurers apply a minimum "time on risk" or a minimum premium charge for early cancellation of cover and in some cases no refund of premium is obtainable. When a refund is due we will forward it onto you (less any fees applicable) when it has been received from the insurer. If you have not made a claim you have the right to cancel your policy within 14 days of conclusion of the contract and a full refund will be made less an administration charge to cover our costs. To exercise this right you must advise us by postal recorded delivery, email, or fax, in accordance with our contact details on our Home Page. If you do not exercise this right, the policy will continue until expiry or cancelled by either party.

Complaints

If you wish to register a complaint, please contact us in writing at 276 High Street, Guildford, GU1 3JL or by telephone on 0845 108 8161. If you cannot settle your complaint with us, you may be entitled to refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

IPS Insurance Services