Terms and Conditions
Castleacre Insurance Services Ltd is an independent insurance intermediary registered in the UK and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) (4 April 2013 *updated with new office address 30.4.2018).
Our primary responsibility is to you, our client. We aim to deliver the highest standards of service that you expect from an agent who enjoys your trust and confidence. In exchange we are remunerated via commission or fees, which we will always disclose. We do not accept ‘volume overriders’.
The following sets out the basis upon which we will act as your agent. If you do not wish our relationship to be governed in such a manner, you need to advise us before we arrange any insurance on your behalf.
1. WHOSE POLICIES DO WE OFFER
We research the whole market and offer policies from a wide range of insurers who we feel are competitive and understand the nature of your particular requirements. If required we will provide you with a list of insurers from whom we offer policies.
2. SERVICES WE PROVIDE TO YOU
Establishing your Demands & Needs
In good time before negotiations with the insurer(s) commence, we will ask what your requirements are. We will help where necessary in compiling this information, and in its submission to the insurer(s).
As from the 6th April 2013 insurance law has changed. You now have an obligation to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation of facts, answering all questions honestly and to the best of your knowledge.
As part of this it is your duty to make sure that your property is insured at the correct value. Underinsurance can be countered by making sure that your property and possessions are regularly valued. (Please contact us if you need assistance as we have many contacts with professional valuers). In the event of a claim and insurers discover underinsurance, you may have your claim recovery reduced by the same percentage that you are underinsured.
Liaison between you and the insurer
We obtain competitive quotations for insurance which, in our opinion, are as appropriate as possible. We will advise you of the relevant terms quoted by the insurer(s). We will then make a personal recommendation based on your demands and needs and a fair analysis of the market. We will set out our commission on the quote.
We will take prompt steps to carry out your instructions and endeavour to arrange the required insurance(s) before the intended date of inception, renewal or extension. We will confirm to you prior to such date that the cover is in place and of any subjectivities.
Documentation – We will send you a cover note or a confirmation letter which provides a summary of the main terms of the insurance and identifies the insurer(s) with whom it has been placed. Please check this immediately and advise us if there is any difference from your requirements.
If the policy can be issued in a timely fashion after completion we will not send you a cover note unless you specifically ask for one.
We will also send you details of the premium charged for the insurance showing the full premium, any rebate due to you and the relevant tax.
Premiums – Premiums must be settled to us by the inception of the policy.
Cancellation – Insurers can cancel the policy and change premium due if you do not pay promptly.
Amendments – If you require any amendments to the terms of the insurance please contact us as soon as possible specifying the required changes with supporting documents if necessary.
Use of Sub-agents – We may sometimes consider it beneficial to instruct, on your behalf, specialist insurance brokers to assist in the placement, for instance when accessing Lloyd’s, but in all cases we remain responsible to you for the completion of your instructions.
3. CLAIMS PROCEDURES
Claims should be notified either directly to Castleacre or if you prefer, directly to your insurer(s).
We will work closely with you to ensure that you receive as full and reasonable a recovery within the terms of the contract in as speedy a timeframe as possible.
4. REMUNERATION
Our principle remuneration for arranging your insurance will be either by way of commission paid to us by the insurer for introducing the insurance to them, or instead by a fee agreed with you. Unless we hear otherwise we will always collect commission which we will declare to you when we send your quotation.
In addition, you should be aware that as a result of arranging the insurance, we may receive additional income from the following sources:
- Interest earned on monies passing through our insurance broker accounts.
- Income derived from arranging premium finance.
- Expense allowances from insurer(s) for managing and administering binding authorities, including claims which may arise thereunder.
We do not receive or solicit volume overriders as we consider that this creates a conflict of interest.
In the event that a contract is cancelled after the cooling-off period we reserve the right to keep our commission.
5. HOLDING CLIENT MONIES
We hold monies paid to us on your behalf before paying to insurers. All client monies are held in a separate trust account. Any interest earned on monies in this account accrues to the benefit of Castleacre Insurance Services Ltd.
6. WHO REGULATES US
Castleacre Insurance Services Ltd, Castleacre House, 26 High Street, Hadleigh, Suffolk IP7 5AP, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Our FCA registered number is: 308705.
Our permitted business is arranging general insurance contracts. You can check this online via the FCA’s Register at www.fsa.gov.uk/register or by contacting the FCA through their consumer helpline number on 0800 111 6768. The main FCA website is www.fca.org.uk
7. OWNERSHIP
There is no shareholding between any insurer and Castleacre Insurance Services Ltd.
We are registered in England under the Companies Act 2006 No. 05114821 at Castleacre House, 26 High Street, Hadleigh, Suffolk IP7 5AP.
8. COMPLAINTS
If you have a complaint regarding our practices or performance, please contact us at the following address:
Castleacre Insurance Services Ltd
Castleacre House
26 High Street
Hadleigh
Suffolk
IP7 5AP
detailing the nature and underlying circumstances of your complaint. We will try to resolve this immediately by the close of the next business day. If that is not possible we will send you a copy of how we intend to handle the situation outlining our complaints handling procedure.
If the complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction you have recourse to the Financial Ombudsman Scheme (FOS). The FOS was orginally set up by the Financial Services Authority. It is independent of the FCA and as such is there to resolve disputes between consumers and regulated firms in an efficient manner.
Making a complaint against us is in addition to and does not replace your right to seek legal redress against us.
Any dispute shall be governed by English Law.
9. THE FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPENSATION SCHEME (FSCS)
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.
The maximum level of compensation for claims is 90% of the claim, without any upper limit. For compulsory insurance (such as third party motor liability) the claim is protected 100%.
Further information about compensation scheme arrangements is available from the FSCS website www.fscs.org.uk
TOBA (UK) 4.4.2013
