Last updated on 27 November 2008
Download our Terms and Conditions (pdf)
THE SERVICE COVERZONES PROVIDES YOU
Our service promise to you
Access to all your insurance documents and details
Who we are and what we do
Who we work for
Regulation
The insurance quotes you receive from this site
The insurance policies you can buy from this site
Paying your insurance premiums
The commission that Coverzones earns
Renewing your policies with Coverzones
Making a claim on your insurance policy
Cancelling your policy
USING THE COVERZONES WEBSITE
Accessing the Coverzones website
Availability of the Coverzones website
The content, product and service information on this website
Links to other websites
Copyright & Trademarks
Our Intellectual Property rights
Rights to the software
HOW TO MAKE A COMPLAINT
Raising your complaint with Coverzones
The Financial Ombudsman Service
The Financial Services Compensation Fund
HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION AND KEEP IT SAFE
The Coverzones approach to using your information
Website access, usernames and passwords
Your payment details
Recording our correspondence with you
LEGAL INFORMATION
Our liabilities to you
Our rights under the terms of our agreement with you
Governing law
Force Majeure
THE SERVICE COVERZONES PROVIDES YOU
Our service promise to you
At Coverzones we are determined to provide the best quality service that we can for our customers.
We promise to:-
• Provide you with every assistance we can, every step of the way
• Do things when we say we will
• Get the right answers to your questions
• Be clear, transparent and honest in our dealings with you
• Respond to your enquiries and correspondence promptly
• Keep in touch regularly
• Help you with information to choose, buy and manage your business insurance.
Access to all your insurance documents and details
All your insurance documentation and records will be available to you through your MyCoverzones online account. We will send you emails to help you manage your quotes and policies with us, including notification of when quotes and policies will expire, confirmation of changes you make to your details, and confirmation that payment has been received.
Who we are and what we do
Coverzones is an intermediary, or broker, between you and the insurers whose policies you buy. We do not provide advice in relation to the sale of products on the Coverzones website.
We offer a wide range of insurance products and insurance-related services for sale on this website. You are entirely responsible for deciding whether or not to purchase any of these products or services. Whilst this website will often offer helpful advice on general insurance matters, it does not seek to advise you on which particular products and services to purchase or from which particular organisation to purchase them.
Coverzones has been created and financed by a group of private individuals who are passionate about bringing change to the commercial insurance market. Details of the Board of Directors, all of whom are, or represent, investors in the business, are provided in the ‘About Us' section of the Coverzones website. In July 2008 Le Mans Holdings plc invested in a minority holding of more than 10% in Coverzones. Le Mans Holdings is in the same group of companies as MMA Insurance and is owned by a major French insurance group.
MMA Insurance also offer insurance products for sale on the website but do so under the same terms as any other insurer.
We strive to offer you choice in relation to insurers, coverage and price but we do need to point out that in providing our services we act as agent of the individual insurers in relation key areas of the buying and fulfillment process. We will provide you with an insurance policy on behalf of insurers. Where we collect and hold premiums or repay returns of premium we act as agent of the insurer. In this respect you have additional protection in that premiums paid to Coverzones are deemed to have been paid to the insurer concerned when they are paid to us. When you decide to buy one of the products on Coverzones.com and pay for it, your coverage is bound with the insurer concerned and in this respect we also act as agent of the insurer.
Coverzones is authorized and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Our FSA Reference Number is 479044, and our regulatory details can be verified by visiting the FSA's website at
www.fsa.gov.uk/register, or by telephoning the FSA on +44 (0)845 606 1234.
The insurance quotes you receive from this site
All initial quotes are based on the information you provide. They may vary once you have provided all the details required.
If you fail to disclose any relevant information at the time of obtaining a quote you may invalidate your insurance policy. You must tell us about any potential claims that you are aware of and ensure that all the information you provide is accurate and not misleading.
Coverzones will present you with up to 6 (six) of the most competitive quotes from our panel of insurers. The quoted policies that we present to you will provide the level of cover you have requested. Some of the quoted policies may provide more cover than you requested.
The quotes will be presented to you in price order to make choosing the right cover at the right price as easy as possible for you.
The price that we quote for each policy will be the total (gross) premium that will be charged for that policy, and this amount will include Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) and the total commission that Coverzones earns from the sale.
You are responsible for reading all the relevant policy documents carefully before buying any insurance policy. It is your responsibility to decide whether the product or service is suitable for your circumstances.
If you have registered, the quotes generated through the Coverzones website are valid for 30 (thirty) days from the date generated and will be saved in your MyCoverzones account where they will be accessible to you. If you amend your details during this period a new quote will be generated and a 30 (thirty) day validity period will begin from the date the new quote was generated.
Quotes will lapse after the 30 (thirty) day period. At this point your quotes, and the details you provided to obtain them, will be moved from the Live tab in the Quotes section within your MyCoverzones account to appear under the Lapsed tab. From here you can refresh your quotes with new product and pricing changes, and they will subsequently appear back under the Live tab for a period of 30 (thirty) days.
Coverzones will always try to provide you with the best possible choice of products from the widest range of insurers on the website. We are constantly working with new and existing insurance company partners to develop and provide products for the Coverzones website.
If for some reason we are unable to offer you quotes from at least 2 (two) different insurers, we will offer you the option of being referred to our partner broker as well as receiving the Coverzones quotes.
The insurance policies you can buy from this site
The minimum period of cover that you can buy with a policy displayed on the Coverzones website is 12 (twelve) months. You are obliged to keep your policy for a minimum of 3 (three) months and pay the applicable premium.
Once you have selected the product you want, Coverzones will, at the point of sale, issue you with a policy on behalf of the insurer. Your policy and any related documents will be emailed to you and stored securely on the Coverzones website in your MyCoverzones account where it will be accessible by you and your insurer.
Paying your insurance premiums
You may only purchase an insurance policy through Coverzones online by credit or debit card.
Coverzones will present you with the total (gross) premium charged for your policy at quote stage and at point of purchase. This amount will include Insurance Premium Tax (IPT), credit card charges if applicable, and the commission that Coverzones earns from the sale.
Your insurance cover and subsequent policy changes will start once your payment has been validated online. If your payment is invalidated your purchase will be incomplete and insurance cover will not be in place.
If, following completion of your purchase of a policy or coverage change, your payment is rejected, we will contact you to ask you to re-submit payment. If this is unsuccessful we will seek insurer's instructions to cancel the policy with effect from inception of the policy or the coverage change.
In these circumstances you will be sent an email advising you that the payment has been invalidated. You will then have 48 hours to go back into the site to re-submit payment and complete the transaction.
Coverzones has also entered into an agreement with Close Brothers Limited which enables us to offer premium financing to you. If you would like to consider this option or just require more information then please contact the Customer Services team on 0845 270 4255.
The commission that Coverzones earns
Coverzones earns a commission on each policy and extension of cover (please see "Making changes to your insurance policies") that you purchase through our website. The commission rate we charge reflects the lower costs of running our online service and we pass these savings on to our customers. We are confident that you will find the premiums we quote you to be highly competitive.
Coverzones charges a standard, level commission rate for each type of insurance policy (e.g. Employers Liability insurance) across our entire panel of insurers. The commission rate charged varies by type of policy, but it is set at the same level for each insurer providing that policy type.
This means that the quotes we provide have nothing to do with, and are not in any way influenced by, the percentage amount of commission that Coverzones earns - it remains the same, no matter which insurer you choose to purchase your insurance policy from or what renewal options we show you.
Coverzones will also earn a commission on any premium financing arrangements we introduce to Close Brothers Limited.
Altering your insurance cover could result in an adjustment to your premium. In the event that the change to your policy entitles you to a refund, Coverzones will make the required payment to you within 14 (fourteen) days by cheque.
You can change your policy through the Coverzones website. Please note that any policy changes you make will incur a fee up to a maximum of £25 per change. You'll see the total policy change fee onscreen prior to the payment process.
If you would like to find out how much commission we are earning on your policy, please contact our Customer Services team.
Renewing your policies with Coverzones
As long as it is reasonably possible, you will be offered a renewal from your existing insurance company and the opportunity to receive alternative quotes through the Coverzones website.
Coverzones will administer the renewal of all policies you purchase from us. We will start the renewal process at least 30 (thirty) days before the expiry date of your policy.
To accept the quote provided at renewal you will need to confirm that your circumstances have not changed. If there have been changes then you will be requested to indicate what those changes are and to obtain new quotes based on your new details.
Making a claim on your insurance policy
As soon as you have purchased your insurance cover Coverzones will provide you with the documentation required to make a claim. This same documentation will be available to you in PDF format in your MyCoverzones account.
To make a claim under your policy you will deal directly with the insurer, thus providing the swiftest possible resolution for you. Coverzones has no liability to you for the settlement of any claim under your policy, including payment of the claim.
All the insurance companies that provide policies through the Coverzones website have committed to pay claims within 14 (fourteen) working days, once they have been agreed and they will separately notify Coverzones of the payment.
Coverzones will monitor the performance of its insurance company partners in the handling and payment of claims to its customers. All of our insurance partners provide us with claims statistics and customer experience figures on a quarterly basis. Where a claim is outstanding for more than a year after notification to the insurance company, Coverzones, with your and the insurer's consent, will appoint an independent arbitrator, if you and the insurer are not already engaged in a dispute resolution process. The independent arbitrator will investigate the claim and decide whether or not it should be paid and in what amount. In the event that you are not happy with the progress or resolution of your claim you can either make a formal complaint (please refer to the ‘How to make a complaint' section), or you can contact our Customer Support team via the live chat service on our website.
Cancelling your policy
Once your policy has started, you are obliged to pay for a minimum of 3 (three) months' cover. In the event that you wish to cancel your policy, any refund amount due to you will be calculated subtracting the first three months' premium, any commission earned by Coverzones, and a policy change fee of up to £25.
In the event that you cancel your policy prior to its start date, Coverzones will refund your payment in full.
Your insurer has a right to cancel your policy at any time in accordance with the terms of your policy with them.
USING THE COVERZONES WEBSITE
By using this website you agree to abide by the Terms and Conditions given below as well as the terms of the Privacy Policy, so please read them both carefully.
You agree to use the Coverzones website only for lawful purposes and to comply with any regulations, policies and procedures associated with this website.
You also agree not to:-
• use this website to upload or distribute in any way files that contain viruses, bugs, corrupted files, or any other similar software or programmes that may damage the operation of computer hardware or software.
• interfere or disrupt this website or any networks connected to this website.
• use any device, software or routine or attempting to interfere with the proper functioning of this website or any transactions being offered at this website.
• take any action that imposes an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on the Coverzones Infrastructure.
• use this website to collect or harvest personal information, including, without limitation, financial data and information about partner companies on this website.
• impersonate any person or entity or falsely stating or otherwise misrepresenting your affiliation with a person or entity.
• post any misleading, fraudulent, defamatory, obscene or otherwise illegal information on this website.
Coverzones reserves the right to deny you access to the website for any reason.
Coverzones reserves the right to modify or discontinue the services offered under this website at any time. Coverzones will not be liable to you or to any third party for any modification or discontinuance of the services offered under this website.
Accessing the Coverzones website
This website and the insurance products and services offered within it are only intended for use and purchase by UK residents or companies and organisations based in the United Kingdom.
If you choose to access this website from outside the UK, you do so on your own initiative and you are responsible for compliance with any applicable local laws. If you are accessing this website from outside the UK, local legislation may not permit Coverzones to provide insurance products for you in your own country. We will be pleased to confirm the position to you on request if you email us at customerservices@coverzones.com.
You should also be aware that communications sent over the internet, such as emails, are not secure unless they have been encrypted. We can accept no responsibility for any non-delivery or corruption or loss of personal information or any communications sent over the internet.
Availability of the Coverzones website
Coverzones will take all reasonable steps to ensure that this website is always accessible and will endeavour to keep any disruption to a minimum. We will not be held liable if, for any reason, the website is unavailable for any period.
Coverzones cannot warrant that this website will be free of viruses or defects of any description and will not be held responsible for any technical problems you may experience as a result of using this website.
The content, product and service information on this website
The descriptions of the insurance products offered through Coverzones contained in this website are for information purposes only. The information and descriptions provided are not complete descriptions of the insurance product.
Prior to purchase the insurance policy which contains the full terms and conditions of the contract you are entering with the insurer will be made available to you. We strongly advise you to review this document. We and the organisations providing you with the services and products on this website retain the right to modify our Terms and Conditions, so you should review them each time you use this website.
Any contract arising from your purchase of an insurance product displayed on our website exists between you and the insurer supplying the product unless otherwise stated.
If you are in any doubt as to whether an insurance product displayed on our website is suitable for your needs or specific requirements, please seek professional advice prior to making a purchase.
Links to other websites
This website has certain links, including hypertext links, that lead you to websites or pages that are not under our control. These links are provided for your information and convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not mean that we endorse the website to which a particular link leads.
We have no control over and will accept no liability or responsibility regarding the material or content on external websites. The use of these websites will be governed by their own separate Terms and Conditions and privacy policies.
If you decide to access any of the third party websites linked to this website, you do so at your own risk.
Copyright & Trademarks
Copyright of the whole of this website belongs to Coverzones. This includes all design, text, graphics and the selection or arrangement of them, including the get-up. None of this material may be used, sold, licensed, copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner, or form, in any media, by any person, or entity, without our express prior written consent or that of the stated owner of that material.
This website may not be used for any purpose other than: 1) purchasing, obtaining a quotation for, or obtaining information about, the insurance products displayed on our website; or 2) obtaining information about Coverzones or insurance companies referred to on our website.
You can copy electronically and print hard copy portions of this website solely for the purpose of getting a quotation or buying an insurance product from Coverzones. You must not attempt to imply ownership of or association with the material contained in this website unless you have agreement from us in writing first.
You may print out copies of the pages in this website for private use only but must not change or edit in any way the format or content of such printed material. You must not remove any copyright or trademark information from material printed from this website. Any other use of materials on this website without our prior written permission is strictly prohibited.
You may not provide links to this website from external sources or include this website in part or whole within an external website without first obtaining our written permission to do so.
Our Intellectual Property rights
All information, trademarks and material including data, images, text and audio on the website, is the property of Coverzones and/or its licensors and is subject to copyright. You are entitled to view, copy and print any documents from the website, but only for your own use. Any sale, transmission or redistribution of the website or its content, and any copying, modification or other use of the website or its contents for any purposes other than your own use, are strictly prohibited.
Rights to the software
All software used on the website is the property of Coverzones or its software suppliers.
HOW TO MAKE A COMPLAINT
Raising your complaint with Coverzones
At Coverzones we aim to do everything we can to ensure our customers receive the best possible service. If our service or that of any of the insurers displayed on our website fails to live up to the high standards you expect, we will do our utmost to resolve your query as quickly and fairly as possible. If you are not happy with our service, we would like to hear about it so we can take action to put things right.
In the first instance, please outline your concerns by email to Eileen Wilson, our Head of Customer Services, at customerservices@coverzones.com.
If you send us an email, it is important that you understand that internet emails are not necessarily secure and information could be intercepted, lost or destroyed. If you do intend to email us with details of your complaint, please do not include any account information or confidential details.
Alternatively, you can contact Eileen by post as follows:-
Eileen Wilson
Head of Customer Services
Coverzones
24 Lime Street
London
EC3M 7HS
Eileen should be able to resolve your concerns, but if this is not the case you have other options. You can also ask for your complaint to be reviewed by Simon Ball, our Chief Executive. He will review the complaint fully and provide a response within two weeks. If this is likely to take longer, he will keep you fully informed of progress.
Our aim is to resolve your concern straightaway, and in most cases, complaints are handled within two weeks. If your complaint is particularly complex it may take longer to resolve, and if, together, we are unable to reach an agreement by the end of four weeks, we will send you a letter giving our reasons for the delay and an indication of what we are doing to resolve the matter.
If we can't reach agreement with you we will send you a ‘final response' letter. This letter will clearly set out our position in relation to your complaint.
You will also receive a leaflet explaining your referral rights to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
The Financial Ombudsman Service
Our aim is to resolve all complaints ourselves. However, if you are not satisfied with our suggested resolution, or if four weeks have passed since you first brought your complaint to our attention, you may have the right to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. If you want the Financial Ombudsman Service to look into your complaint, you must contact them within 6 (six) months of the date of any final response letter we have issued.
You can write to the Financial Ombudsman Service at:-
South Quay Plaza,
183 Marsh Wall,
London,
E14 9SR
Alternatively, you can phone 0845 080 1800. Further helpful information can be obtained from the
Financial Ombudsman website: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk.
Financial Services Compensation Fund ("FSCS")
The FSCS exists to compensate certain policyholders for losses they may incur as a result of the failure of their insurer or their intermediary. If you would like further information to determine whether you are covered by this scheme please contact the Coverzones Services team or alternatively contact the FSCS directly at:
Telephone: 020 7982 7300
Email: enquiries@fscs.org.uk
Write to: Financial Services Compensation Scheme, 7th floor, Lloyds Chambers, Portsoken Street, London E1 8BN
HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION AND KEEP IT SAFE
The Coverzones approach to using your information
We are committed to maintaining your privacy and have a legal duty under the Data Protection Act to protect any information we collect from you.
In order to use the products and services offered at this website, you must provide certain current, complete, and accurate information about yourself as part of the quotation and site registration process. You will also need to maintain and update this information as required to keep the information current, complete and accurate.
You warrant that the data you provide is accurate and current, and that you are authorised to provide the data. If any registration data that you provide is untrue, inaccurate, not current or incomplete, Coverzones retains the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend or terminate your account and rights to use the products and services.
Registration data and certain other information about you is subject to our Privacy Policy.
Website access, usernames and passwords
To access certain online services such as MyCoverzones you will need to register your details. You are responsible for:-
• maintaining the confidentiality of your details and your password.
• restricting access to your computer to prevent unauthorised access to your account.
• activities that occur under your account.
Please inform us immediately if you have reason to believe your password is being used in an unauthorised manner.
You must not use the website in any way that causes or is likely to cause access to be interrupted or impaired in any way, and you acknowledge and agree that you are responsible for electronic communications sent from your computer.
Should you lose your password please click on the ‘lost password' link from the homepage and you will be prompted with a reminder for your password. If this is not successful please contact our Customer Services Team.
Your payment details
Coverzones takes your credit or debit card payment details for the payment of financial services/insurance only with your authorization. We use 128-bit encryption as well SSL certificates wherever we do this in order to protect your data.
Coverzones does not retain the credit or debit card details you provide to us after payment has been made. This helps reduce credit card fraud.
Other than in exceptional circumstances, any refund we provide to you for any product you have purchased by credit or debit card will be made by cheque within 14 (fourteen) days.
Recording our correspondence with you
All communication with Coverzones, whether by email, instant message, telephone or otherwise may be recorded or monitored to improve our service and for security and regulatory purposes. By using the communication methods we have provided, you are consenting to the recording or monitoring of our communications with you.
Coverzones
LEGAL INFORMATION
Our liabilities to you
Whilst Coverzones take care to ensure that the general information, other than the product information which is the responsibility of insurers and service information which is Coverzones responsibility, contained in this website is accurate and up to date, we make no representations or warranties whatsoever about the accuracy, completeness, reliability or suitability for any purpose of the information and related graphics published in this website.
Nothing shall exclude or restrict our obligations under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 or any other current or future Financial Services legislation.
We are not providing any legal, accounting or other professional advice or opinion on any specific facts or matters. None of our directors, employees or agents will be liable for any damages arising out of or relating to the use of this website or the information contained therein.
This is a comprehensive limitation of liability that applies to all damage of any kind, including (without limitation), compensatory, direct, indirect or consequential damages, loss of data, income or profit, loss of or damage to property and third party claims, save that nothing shall exclude or restrict liability for death or personal injury resulting from our negligence, or that of our directors, employees or agents.
You will indemnify and hold harmless Coverzones and its shareholders, affiliates, employees, agents, successors, officers, and assigns, from any suits, losses, claims, demands, liabilities, costs and expenses (including legal and accounting fees) they sustain or incur arising from or relating to your negligent and/or illegal use of the Coverzones website and the products contained therein.
This does not affect your statutory rights in respect of any products that you purchase from our website.
Our rights under the terms of our agreement with you
The rights and limitations in this agreement are for your benefit and for the benefit of Coverzones. Any person who is not a party to this agreement has no right under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any term of this agreement.
You are not permitted to assign any of your rights under this agreement without the prior written consent of Coverzones.
You may not issue press releases or make any public statement regarding your use or participation in the website without the prior written permission of Coverzones.
No agency, partnership, joint venture, employee-employer or franchisor-franchisee relationship between you and Coverzones is intended to be or is created by this agreement.
Governing law
The laws of England and Wales govern this agreement, and you and Coverzones agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
Any waiver of any right or provision of this agreement will be effective only if agreed in writing by Coverzones. The failure of Coverzones to exercise or enforce any term or condition shall not constitute a waiver of that term or condition.
If any provision of this agreement is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, the parties nevertheless agree that the court should endeavour to give effect to the parties' intentions as reflected in the provision, and the other provisions of this agreement shall remain in full force and effect.
Force Majeure
We shall not be liable to you for any breach of these Terms and Conditions or any failure to provide or delay in providing any of the products and services available through this website resulting from any event or circumstance beyond our reasonable control including, without limitation, strikes, lockouts and other industrial disputes, breakdown of systems or network access, fire, explosion, accident, insurrection and war.
Download our Terms and Conditions (pdf)
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