TERMS OF BUSINESS

About HPL

HPL (registered in England 3493596):

  • Is an independent Insurance Intermediary. We deal with a range of insurers, underwriters, underwriting agents and sometimes other intermediaries.
  • Is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Our FSA Reference Number is 308565 which can be checked on the FSA website www.fsa.gov.uk/register or by contacting the FSA on 0845 606 1234

Our Products And Services

We offer a wide range of insurance products and risk management services to both businesses and individuals.

Our service includes:

  • Advice and recommendations on risk exposures and insurance needs
  • Arranging cover to meet requirements
  • Help with ongoing changes
  • Assistance on claims

For certain types of insurance we are authorised to issue policy documentation and/or handle claims on behalf of the insurers.

More information is available by  telephoning or writing to your usual point of contact at HPL.

Insurer Security

We regularly check the financial strength of the insurers with whom we place business by reference to Standard & Poor’s published Insurer Ratings. It should, however, be noted that the claims-paying ability of even the strongest insurers can be affected by adverse business conditions. We cannot, therefore, guarantee the solvency of any insurer or underwriter.

Charges

Unless stated in our documentation, or separately agreed with you, no fees or service charges are payable in addition to your insurance premiums. However, we do reserve the right to make an administration charge for issuing the following documentation:

  • Replacement policies or certificates in the event of the loss or misappropriation of the original paperwork
  • Copy policies or certificates requested by other parties, such as solicitors or banks

 

 

In the event of a policy being cancelled mid term, and not replaced by another policy, we may deduct our commission from any premium rebated by the insurers to cover administration costs.

Methods Of Payment

We normally accept payments by cheque or BACS. It may, however, be possible to spread payments through insurers’ instalment schemes or a credit facility we have arranged with a specialist premium finance provider.

We will give full information about premium payment options when we provide quotations.

Confidentiality

All information provided by our clients is treated as confidential and only disclosed in the normal course of negotiating, arranging and administering your insurance.

With a few exceptions, for example information requested by a court, a regulatory body, or information which is already in the public domain, we will not release information to any other party without your consent.

HPL is registered under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Changes To Your Cover

We will normally deal with requests to increase or amend your insurance cover on the day your instructions are received, or the next working day if a weekend or public holiday. Sometimes changes cannot be processed without obtaining additional information. If additional information is required we will contact you as quickly as possible.

We will confirm changes to your policy, once agreed, in writing. We will also advise you of any extra premiums you must pay or premiums we must return to you.

Please note instructions sent by post, electronic mail or fax are not deemed to be received until they reach the relevant personnel in our offices; we cannot accept responsibility for failures in the postal, electronic or telecommunications systems.

Documentation

Our aim is to produce documentation and correspondence in a clear and understandable format. In the event of any uncertainty we would ask you to let us know immediately. Our staff are always happy to clarify the cover provided.

You should check all policy documentation issued by insurers to ensure that the details are correct and the cover provided meets with your requirements. Any errors should be notified to us immediately.

We may keep certain documents, such as insurance policies or certificates, while we are awaiting full payment or premiums, fees or administration charges, or if you ask us to do so. In these circumstances we will ensure that you receive full details of your insurance cover and provide you with any documents which are required by law.

Transferred Business

If we take over the servicing of insurance policies which were originally arranged through another insurance broker or intermediary we do not accept liability for any claim arising out of the advice given by that broker or intermediary, nor for any errors, omissions or gaps in your current insurance protection.

We would ask you to contact us without delay should any aspect of a policy which has been transferred to us cause you concern or if you need an immediate review. Otherwise we will endeavour to review all transferred policies as they fall due for renewal.

Complaints Procedure

Should you need to complain then please contact the Compliance Manager HPL, Burley House, 15-17 High Street, Rayleigh, Essex SS6 7EW, tel; 01268 779782, fax; 01268 798296.

Should we be unable to satisfy your complaint then you may be entitled to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

We are also covered by the Financial Service Compensation Scheme (FSCS). You may be entitled to compensation from the scheme if we cannot meet our obligations. This will depend on the type of business and the circumstances of the claim.

Further information is available from the FSCS.