Advice. Assistance. Flexibility. Knowledge. Reliability.

By insuring through a broker you are not only purchasing the insurance policy, but you are also purchasing a service. You are gaining access to a wealth of insurance knowledge and advice, whenever you require it, above and beyond what an aggregator website can provide. The world of insurance can be quite overpowering at times, particularly if you have to claim. Let us take the stress away. Any queries or questions, we are just a quick phone call away.

Please refer to our "Contact Us" page.

Regardless of the type of insurance policy that you have we would firstly require written confirmation of your request, which should include your policy number, date and time that you wish the policy to be cancelled from and your name, complete with signature. If the policy that you wish to cancel is a motor policy we will also require your certificate of motor insurance/current cover note or, if you are unable to find those, a "Lost Certificate Declaration". We are unable to process any cancellation until the date that we receive the required documentation, at the earliest.

We can accept payments by credit/debit card (American Express being the notable exception. VISA Electron we can not accept over the phone but we can accept if you call into the office), cheque, postal order or cash.

If you wish to break your premiums down into instalments we can offer both short & long term instalment plans – Please ring us for confirmation.

It is our intention to provide you with the highest possible level of customer service at all times. However we recognise that things can go wrong occasionally and if this occurs we are committed to resolving matters promptly and fairly.

Should you wish to complain you may do so:

• In writing to the Complaints Manager – Mr Allan Carrick
• By telephone on 01782 265522
• By Fax on 01782 201818
• In person by visiting our office (see "Contact Us" for address)

Should you not be satisfied with our final response, you may be entitled to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

Please inform us of any motoring convictions involving drink/drugs and driving, causing death by careless driving whilst under the influence of drink/drugs and causing death by careless driving then failing to provide a specimen for analysis for up to 11 years. Any other motoring convictions only need to be notified to us for up to 5 years. (That is not to say that all insurance companies will take convictions into account for this long, but as we deal with a large range of companies we have to record the convictions for the companies that do want to know).

Please remember that we need to be made aware of any non-motoring convictions also which are not declared as "spent" by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 as this is classed as a "material fact".

We need to be made aware of any claims, which have occurred in the past 5 years, regardless of whether the incident is "fault" or "non-fault". Please bear in mind that we need to know about any claim that has happened, even if it occurred under another policy.

"Fault" claims are defined when an insurance company is unable to reclaim all of their outlay from the third party insurance company. For example, if you car is stolen then this would be defined as a "Fault" claim as there is no third party for your insurance company to recover their outlay.

A "Non-Fault" claim is one where your insurance company are able to recover 100% of their outlay from the third party insurance company.

You should report all accidents, thefts, attempted thefts, malicious damage incidents even if you are not going to make a claim.

The policy excess is the first part of a claim that you are liable for. For example, if your repairs cost £1000, and your excess is £200, you will pay £200 to the garage and your insurance company will pay the other £800.

The simple answer to this is yes. Due to "insurable interest" you are not able to insure something that does not belong to you. There are exceptions, for example if a husband wanted to insure his spouse's vehicle, however as a rule please assume that the owner of the vehicle in question also has to be the insured. If you are unsure of how your own situation would apply, please contact us for clarification.

This is one area in insurance that causes the most confusion. Most people mistakenly assume that if you have Comprehensive cover that you have the "driving of other cars extension". The level of cover is largely irrelevant, and it has more to do with your occupation and age. If you read your insurance certificate, in conjunction with your policy booklet, then it should explain if you do have this extension, however if you are unsure, please contact us so that we can confirm.

In addition there are restrictions to the cover. Firstly, the vehicle that you are driving cannot be owned by you, or you must not have the intention to own the vehicle. It cannot to be hired to you. Secondly, the extension is only intended for occasional emergency use, not on a regular basis. Thirdly, the vehicle that you are driving is only covered on a "Third Party Only" basis, which means if you were the last person in charge of the vehicle and it is stolen then technically there is no theft cover applicable.

Each insurance company has their own philosophy on this extension, and this section should be treated as a rough guide and not a definitive answer. We would always ask you to contact us so that we can confirm if you have the extension and what restrictions apply.

We would always recommend that if you are thinking of doing a change of vehicle that you speak to us first before you purchase the vehicle. Each vehicle is rated individually and, as such, your new vehicle may cost less, or more, to insure. It is also possible that you current company will not insure the vehicle. If you ring us in advance it will give you an idea of what difference, premium-wise, there is between the vehicles, if any.

Please do not E-Mail requests for change of vehicles (unless it is a request for a quote only) as we require verbal confirmation.

Please note that when a change of vehicle has been processed we will require your obsolete certificate for the vehicle which is coming off cover.

If this is in within our office hours please contact us on 01782 265522. If not, please check you policy wording to clarify what cover your policy provides. All of our policies with Comprehensive cover will provide glass cover, however please refer to your policy schedule, in conjunction with your policy booklet for details of any terms or excess. All insurance companies will have their own approved repairers, and although you have the choice to use the provider of your choice, this may result in an increased excess or limitation of cover if they are not approved.

Out of our office hours we would recommend that you contact National Windscreens on 0800 783 9832. Please quote the reference: NW43/AY1 so that they can relate the windscreen claim back to your insurance policy.

There are 4 different levels of write off, as follows:

Category A

A vehicle which should have been totally crushed, including all its spare parts.

Category B

A vehicle from which spare parts may be salvaged, but the bodyshell should have been crushed and the car should never return to the road.

Category C

An extensively damaged vehicle which the insurer has decided not to repair, but which could be repaired and returned to the road. (Repairable with new parts)

Category D

A damaged vehicle which the insurer has decided not to repair, but which could be repaired and returned to the road. (Repairable with good second hand parts)

If the vehicle that you are looking to insure has previously been declared a write off, regardless of the category, we must be informed of this. The majority of insurance companies that we deal with will insure a vehicle which has been declared a category "C" or "D" write-off with the acquisition of a new MOT, and sometimes with a VIC (Vehicle Identity Check).

Always bear in mind that the Sum Insured refers to the cost of rebuilding your property (including demolition costs, removal of debris, architects and surveyors fees and so on), not the market value (which of course includes the value of the land). One option is to check with your mortgage provider, however there are companies out there who will calculate this for you, though you would have to pay for the service. It is probably worth referring to the BCIS website, who provide a free re-build calculator as a guide.

Yes. We have access to insurance companies who will provide cover for one-off events, dependent on the type of activity. Please contact us to discuss your requirements on 01782 265522 or click here to complete our enquiry form.