Terms of business
Regulation.

We, Irvine Insurance Brokers Ltd (IIB) of 3A Jury Street, WARWICK, CV34 43H are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority; to arrange general non-investment insurance products. Our FSA Register No is 307635 and you can check this on the FSA Register by visiting the FSA's web-site www.fsa.gov.uk/register or by contacting the FSA on 0845 606 1234.
We are registered under the Data Protection Act 1998. Our Register No. is Z7038503. You can check this by visiting the web-site www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk. We are members of the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA).

Our Service:
  • We act as an independent intermediary advising on your insurance needs.
  • We arrange your cover with a limited number of Insurers to meet your needs and help you with any ongoing changes you may have. We offer a range of general insurance products and have access to a number of Insurers with whom we place your insurance. We will give you details of these insurers when we discuss your individual requirements.
  • We provide assistance if you need to make a claim under your policy. You should contact us and we will process your claim as appropriate to the Policy, except for certain clients, whose claims are arranged direct with the insurers, as advised in our literature.
Quotations.

Unless otherwise stated, any Quotation given is operative for a period of 30 days from the date of quotation.

Disclosure of Information.

It is important that you understand that any information, statements or answers made by you to us, or your insurer are your responsibility and must be correct:
  • when you arrange your Insurance policy,
  • throughout the life of your policy,
  • when you renew your Insurance,
  • when your circumstances change.

All answers given on proposal and application forms, Declaration of Health forms and in correspondence should be checked for accuracy as, in the event of a claim, you may be required to substantiate the details you have provided. Failure to notify us of pertinent information, or to highlight any errors, omissions, or changes to information already submitted, could result in your insurance being invalid and could mean that part or all of a claim may not be paid.

Thus, the information shown must be correct to the best of your knowledge and belief, and you are reminded of your obligation to disclose all material facts. Material facts are those which are likely to influence an insurer in his acceptance or otherwise of your proposal or renewal. If you are in any doubt as to whether or not a fact is material you should disclose it, or ask us.

You are advised to keep a record of all correspondence supplied to us for the purpose of entering into a contract with an Insurer. To assist in the provision of customer service, some or all information supplied by you may be filed electronically.

Your Declaration.You will usually be requested to sign a proposal form(s) and/or application form(s); this will constitute your agreement that all the details supplied by you and contained on the form are accurate, and that you understand that the terms offered are based on your proposal/application form(s). You always have the opportunity of correcting any entries or amendments if they are not correct, and revised form(s) will then be sent to you for your agreement and acceptance, and your signature thereon will represent your positive assurance that you are agreeing to such declarations and amendments.

Specimen Policy.

Specimens of policies/wordings can be made available upon request, and generally we can request a large print version or a version in Braille, assuming co-operation of the insurers.

Awareness of Policy Terms.

When a policy is issued you are strongly advised to read it carefully (along with accompanying notes and information), as it is that document, its schedule, and any certificate of Insurance (along with any application or proposal form), that are the basis of the cover you have arranged. If you are in any doubt over the policy terms or conditions, please seek our advice promptly.

Premium Payments.

We normally accept payment by cheque, cash or credit card. For credit cards, a small administration charge is usually added. In order to be able to offer credit facilities we are registered under the Consumer Credit Act. Our licence number is 538436. You may also be able to spread your payment through Insurers' installment schemes or a credit facility, which can also be arranged with a Finance Provider. We will give you full information about your payment options when we discuss your insurance with you.

We may retain documents, such as your insurance policy or certificate, while we await full payment of premiums. In these circumstances we will ensure that you receive details of your insurance cover, and we will provide you with documents you are required to have by law.

Fees.

IIB reserve the right to make charges for the arranging, renewing, amending and/or cancellation of any policy of Insurance. These charges will always be shown separately in correspondence with you.

Client Money General

The FSA rules are designed to protect you in the event that an insurance intermediary fails or is unable to transfer:

  • any premium money it has received from you to the insurer; or
  • any claims or return premium monies that it has received from the insurer to you.

We are governed by strict rules pertaining to Client Money, set down by the FSA. Where we hold monies in a client bank account we may earn interest on monies held, which will be retained by us. We will hold money separate from our own money with an approved bank, segregated in a client bank account designated as subject to a Statutory Trust. We act as Trustees of our clients' monies and must meet certain legal and regulatory conditions.

Claims

If you have occasion to claim on your policy you must notify us (or a nominated agency such as a Loss Adjuster) promptly, as delay may prejudice your claim. Upon notification of a claim we will either issue a claim form, or request verbal/written information from you to facilitate the processing of the claim. If a third party is involved you must not admit liability, nor agree to any course of action until you receive confirmation of such action from your Insurers.

Complaints

It is always our intention to provide a high standard of service. However, if you should wish to make a formal complaint, we have a complaints procedure. In the first instance you should contact us either in writing, or by telephone, fax or e-mail. Please address your complaint to THE DIRECTORS. We will acknowledge in writing, advising you within five working days. If our investigations take longer, we will provide a full response within twenty working days or explain our position and provide timescales for a full response. If we cannot settle your complaint, you may be entitled to refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
If the matter is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may at any time contact the Insurer direct.

Confidentiality

  • All personal information about you, including information we already hold and may receive, will be treated as private and confidential. We will use and disclose the information we have about you in the normal course of arranging and administering your Insurance, including for renewal purposes. We may disclose your information to agents and service providers appointed by us and/or your Insurers (e.g. Loss Adjusters).
  • We may use information we hold to provide other products and services. Please advise us if you do not wish to receive marketing information from us (other than that pertaining to any insurance policy you hold through this office).
  • Under the Data Protection Act 1998 you have the right to see personal information about you that we hold on our records. If you have any queries in this respect please write to us, at the above address.
  • Regarding our website, the internet is a global/worldwide medium and so your information may be transferred globally. By submitting your information, you consent to such a transfer.
  • It is important to note that, for business transacted on our websites, clients' details are transmitted using a system called Secure Socket Layer (SSL) which is designed to protect you against impersonation so you are sure you are dealing with Irvine Insurance Brokers Ltd; it encrypts data with the intention that others cannot read it, and similarly prevents others changing data that is being sent. You will see a padlock symbol at the bottom of the screen to confirm this.
Compensation

We are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). You may be entitled to compensation from the FSCS 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. Full details and further information on the scheme are available from the FSCS.

Cooling Off Period

  • Non-travel policies normally allow midterm cancellation, subject to policy wording.
  • For travel policies you have 14 days from the inception of cover during which time you may cancel the insurance, provided that no claim has been made and you have not travelled during that period.
Should you wish to cancel a policy you should contact us immediately.