Important Notes & Things to Consider
These points are in no particular order:
Vulnerable Customers – We take our responsibility to treat all customers fairly very seriously and we want to ensure that no customer, vulnerable or otherwise is disadvantaged when it comes to arranging their insurance. Therefore, if you have any specific requirements or need additional support from us, please let us know.
Change of Details – Please make sure you inform us of any changes that occur throughout the duration of your policy. This includes but is not limited to, county court judgements (CCJ’s), criminal convictions, insolvency, cancelled or refused insurance.
Wear & Tear – It is the Policyholder’s responsibility to look after and regularly maintain their property. The Policy is intended to provide cover against unforeseen events like fire, theft, accidental damage or storm among others. It does not cover wear and tear or damage which happens gradually over a period of time. Areas commonly prone to ‘wear and tear’ on a building include guttering, flat roofs, facia boards and boundary walls. These should all be checked on a regular basis and maintenance carried out where appropriate.
Storm Damage Exclusions – Insurers will always establish that ‘Storm’ conditions applied. Well maintained properties should not suffer damage in anything less than ‘Storm’ conditions. They will check with the nearest local Met Station (e.g. nearest Airport). Damage caused by anything less than ‘Storm’ will not be covered.
- Wear & Tear always excluded
- Frost likewise, always excluded
- Loss of/or damage to fences, gates and hedges always excluded as they are not constructed to stand up to ‘Storm’ conditions.
- Loss or damage that happens after the home has been left unoccupied or unfurnished for more than 30/60* days in a row – *depending on insurer.
Claims Process – in the event of an incident which might give rise to a claim it is essential that the insurer is informed immediately. The Policy document will usually provide a Telephone Number (often Freephone) to call, on a 24-hour basis. Provided the caller has the Policy Number to hand and is able to give a description of the incident, a Claim will be opened by the insurer. A Broker can provide contact details for the insurer but it is essential that the Policyholder provides information as requested.
In order to satisfy an insurer it is essential to satisfy three questions regarding the item(s) claimed:
- What was it? 2. Was it yours? 3. What was its value?
It is the responsibility of the Policyholder to prove any loss and satisfactorily answer these questions. It is therefore strongly recommended that Receipts, Up-to-date Valuations for Valuables, Photographs, Instruction Booklets and Guarantee Cards are retained and submitted to back up a claim. The lack of such items can cause difficulties and delay in reaching a settlement. In the event of theft or loss, a Policy condition will insist that the Police or other appropriate authority is informed and the insurer will check that this has been done. Provided these actions are taken, claims are usually dealt with promptly. Delay on the part of the claimant in providing proofs of ownership or value will inevitably delay the claim settlement.
Driving at age 70 plus – When you reach the age of 70 your Driving Licence expires but this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to stop driving. If you want to continue, you need to renew your licence. It becomes renewable every three years after that. Renewal is free of charge.
You do not have to retake your Driving Test at 70, but you do have to make a health declaration when renewing the licence. If you have a health condition or disability you may have to have your driving ability assessed. The medical conditions you must declare include:
- Dementia
- Insulin-treated Diabetes
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Epilepsy
- Any Chronic Neurological Condition (such as Multiple Sclerosis)
- Any condition that affects both eyes, or total loss of sight in one eye
You can see a full list of medical conditions and disabilities you must declare on the DVLA website.
Under Insured / Average – a clause in insurance policies whereby, in the event of an under insurance, the claim paid out by the insurer is restricted to the same proportion of the loss as the sum insured under the policy bears to the total value of the insured item. This will include but is not limited to reinstatement costs on buildings, cost of contents, stock, business interruption, employers and public & products liabilities etc. Please check the Sums Insured within your documentation and if they need to be amended now or during the policy period, please let us know immediately in writing. Insurers may refuse to pay a claim if the correct sums insured are outside of their underwriting criteria.
BT REDCARE ALARM SIGNALLING SERVICE TO CEASE OPERATIONS IN AUGUST 2025 – could this affect your insurance cover? Please refer to the ‘News/Blog’ page of this website for more information.
Solar Panels – are not necessarily considered as standard construction so, you must advise us if solar panels are installed on your property.
Key Safes – it is important to advise us if you have a key safe at your property and who has access to it, as insurers view the risk differently.
Car Chargers – if you have a car charger installed at your property please advise us accordingly.
Multi-Occupancy Requirement – If you are the freeholder and provide insurance, where you have more than one leaseholder, you have a requirement to share the insurance information with them, detailing costs and Terms. This is a government condition and you may be fined if you fail to do this. Upon request, we may provide certain information contained within the policy with your leaseholder.
Property – Liability As Occupier – Please be aware that there are many events which may occur at home for which you may be legally liable as the ‘Occupier’ of the property. It should be noted that Public Liability Insurance cover for this is provided by a Contents Insurance Policy, NOT a Buildings Policy. An occupier of a property, whether owned or rented, should seriously consider Contents Insurance as a priority, thus providing important protection.
Payment To Us – Summers & Company will not send an unsolicited email that provides new bank details or implies that we have changed our bank. We will not accept responsibility if you transfer money into an account that is not legitimate. Please do not disclose or forward our bank details to any third party. We will not accept funds from any third party without prior arrangement and approval.
Products Summers Do Not Have Access To – Summers & Co cannot be accountable for omitting to advise on products they do not have access to, are unfamiliar with, have been withdrawn and/or insurance products that in hind sight and/or retrospect a Client might have needed which include but is not limited to pandemics, diseases and illnesses diagnosed and not yet diagnosed, terrorism, environmental, man-made or natural disasters, valuations, modifications, new legislation, inventions and technology etc.
Disclosure Requirements – In order to secure insurance cover that is appropriate for you, you must ensure that you comply with disclosure requirements appropriate to the applicable law of the policy and possibly the terms of the insurance cover being arranged. These requirements begin before insurance commences and during the life of the policy, including when making any policy amendments or a claim. In the UK this would require a ‘fair presentation of the risk’. You must ensure that every matter of fact is substantially correct and statements of expectation or belief are made in good faith. This includes answering the insurer’s questions fully and accurately and not misrepresenting the facts. If you do not do this, the possible implications include insurers imposing different terms on cover, imposing a higher premium, applying a proportional reduction to claims or refusing them altogether and/or cancelling the policy from inception. Should further guidance be needed, please contact us accordingly.
Contents Insurance – Please be aware that there are many events which may occur at home for which you may be legally liable as the ‘Occupier’ of the property. It should be noted that Public Liability Insurance cover for this is provided by a Contents Insurance Policy, NOT a Buildings Policy. An occupier of a property, whether owned or rented, should seriously consider Contents Insurance as a priority, thus providing important protection.
No Claim Discount (NCD) Protection
As an incentive to drive carefully and look after your vehicle, insurers offer a discount from their premiums if claims are not made. This can range from 30% after one claim-free year to 60%+ after four or five years.
It is very important to remember that this is a ‘No Claim’ discount, not a ‘No Blame’ one. If an insurer is unable to recover its repair or other costs from a negligent Third Party or their insurer, then NCD will be affected, irrespective of blame.
NCD is usually reduced by two steps per claim. Thus, 60% can reduce to 40% at renewal where a claim occurs during the year. It therefore follows that 30% (one year) will reduce to Zero in similar circumstances.
Insurers recognise good claims experience by offering to ‘protect’ NCD against loss. This is usually available once the maximum is earned and is available at a modest extra charge. Usually, this means that NCD will not be affected by a single claim in the year in question. It is, however, important to remember that this does not prevent the insurer from increasing the premium to which the protected NCD is applied.
Please note – protected NCD has to be requested by the client and is not added automatically.
