Terms of Business
Important Reading
Regarding regulated business, please read in connection with the documents “Key facts about our services” and any fee agreement that we issue.
Commencement of terms of business
These terms of business will commence on the date of their receipt
Regulation & Status
Assure-U Ltd is directly authorised by the Financial Services Authority, of Three Elms Office, Harts Lane, Ardleigh, Colchester,Essex, CO7 7QH, Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Assure-U Limited FSA Register number is 5682094. You can check this on the FSA's Register by visiting the FSA's website www.fsa.gov.uk/register or by contacting the FSA on
0800 411 86 86.
Ownership & Links
Assure-U Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Assure-U Group Limited.
Financial Objectives (Demands & Needs)
Following the issue of these terms, any subsequent advice or recommendation offered to you will be based on your stated objectives (demands & needs), acceptable level of risk and any restrictions you
wish to place on the transaction. Details of your stated objectives will be
included in the insurance demands & needs statement, we will issue to you to explain and confirm the basis of our recommendation and point out any key disadvantages. There may be exceptions to this, for
example, business transacted on a non-advised or execution only basis (directly on your instructions whereby you will not have requested nor received advice, or where pre-prepared questions are used to
determine the product and provider) or on a restricted advice basis (the firm's recommendations were restricted by the fact that not all relevant information was made available). If these situations exist, we will make
it clear to you in any subsequent correspondence; however you will appreciate that our responsibility to you will be limited accordingly.
Annual Renewals
Prior to renewal of your policy, you will receive a renewal documentation pack in respect of your policy. If you take no further action on receipt of the renewal pack and premiums are paid and up to date, then any policies in place will renew on the terms outlined in the renewal documentation (which you will receive in advance of the annual renewal date). However, you should be aware that any
annual renewal constitutes a new contract with the insurance provider and you will be entering into this new contract on a non- advised basis having received no advice from Assure-U. This will be reflected in our Key Facts about our Services and Demands and Needs Statement issued to you following renewal.
Accurate disclosure of all material facts
It is your responsibility to provide complete and accurate information to insurers when you take out your insurance policy, throughout the life of your policy, and when you renew your insurance. It is important that
you ensure that all statements you make on proposal forms, claims
forms and other documents are full and accurate. Please note that if
you fail to disclose any material information to your insurers, this could invalidate your insurance cover and could mean that part or all of a claim may not be paid. (If you are in doubt as to whether a fact is material or not you should disclose it) Your attention is particularly drawn to the importance of the Declaration and signature on Insurers proposal forms.
Services / Restrictions
Please see our key Facts about our Services document which explains the options available.
Cancellation Rights (New Policies)
Detailed in your policy document are your rights to cancel your insurance under what is commonly known as a cooling off period. Depending on the type of policy you have purchased, you may be entitled to cancel within 14 or 30 days of either conclusion of the contract or receiving your policy documentation, whichever occurs later. For policies under 1 month duration (such as travel policies) there is no right to cancel. Please check your policy Terms and Conditions for full details of your cancellation rights under the policy.
Cancellation of Existing Policies
If you are replacing existing policies with cover from a new insurance provider, then it is incumbent on you to ensure any redundant policies are fully cancelled. This includes the need for you to cancel any
Bank Direct Debit Mandates that may be in place. Assure-U cannot be held responsible for any overpayments made by you due
to non-cancellation of these redundant polices.
Termination
Termination is without prejudice to any transactions already initiated, which will be completed according to these terms of business unless otherwise agreed in writing. You may terminate your instructions to us at any time. We reserve the right to require such termination to be in writing. We may terminate this agreement by giving you a minimum of fourteen days notice. No penalty shall be payable on any termination but we shall be entitled to remuneration for work undertaken prior to such termination. Any such termination shall be subject to completion
of any transactions, which are in progress at that time.
Additional information: Distance Communications
Where you are likely to do business with us at a distance i.e. we communicate exclusively by telephone, post, email or fax then it is very important that you read the following points:
- The firm will provide you with a service as detailed in our Terms of Business and key facts about our services documents (Please read carefully)
- The total price that we charge for our services is set out in our
key facts about our services document, please ask us if you unsure as to any aspect of our pricing. There will be other charges and expenses imposed by the providers of insurance products which will be detailed separately.
- Please note there is the possibility that other taxes or costs may exist that are not paid through the firm or imposed by it.
- There are no specific additional costs imposed by the firm for dealing exclusively at a distance.
- Please take care to read the warnings issued in any provider literature. If you are unsure then please ask us to explain more detail.
- The firm does not place any specific limitations on the period for which the information provided remains valid. If you are unsure if something still remains valid then please ask and we will clarify.
- Please see our key facts about our services which sets out how we will charge for, and deliver our service.
- This contract will exist until terminated by either party.
- The provisions of this Agreement and the relationship created by it shall be governed by English Law and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
Ceasing premiums
In certain circumstances, if regular premium payments are stopped in the early years, then this could result in us having to reimburse commission to the product provider concerned. We therefore reserve the right to recover from you any balance of commission which may be outstanding.
Assure-U Limited retains rights to all initial, and renewal commissions payable in respect of business transacted for you, and you shall not permit or suffer payment of such commission
to any other party after termination of your instruction to us.
Client Instruction
We prefer that any instructions be given in writing. If any advice,
request for instruction or instructions are given orally, then they must be confirmed in writing, to avoid possible disputes. We may refuse at our discretion to accept certain instructions, although such discretion will
not be exercised unreasonably.
Conflict of interest & material interest
Occasions can arise where we, or one of our other clients, may have some form of interest in business, which we are transacting for you. If
we become aware that our interests or those of one of our other clients conflict with your interests, we will inform you and obtain your consent before we carry out your instructions
ID Verification
As part of our regulatory duties, we are required to verify certain documentation. We are unable to forward any applications or money to third parties/product providers until our verification requirements have been met. We take no responsibility for any delay where Identity Verification is outstanding.
Receiving payments from clients
Assure-U Limited does not handle client monies. We never handle cash or accept a cheque made out to us unless it is a cheque in settlement of our charges or disbursements which we have previously disclosed to you (normally through a fee agreement). Crossed cheques should only be made payable directly to the
insurance company and to the relevant third party for various ancillary
fees. You should decline to give any money to, or write cheques payable personally to an individual adviser. Individuals that represent Assure-U Limited are not to handle client money and any receipt by them personally of such a payment from you will not be regarded by us as being a transaction for which we will have any responsibility.
Complaints Procedure
The firm maintains an internal written complaints procedure, details of which are available on request. If you have a complaint (whether oral or written) about the firm or a service it has provided then this should first
be directed to our complaints officer at the address shown in our Key
Facts about our services document. We promise to deal with your complaint in a fair and objective manner.
Introductions
There will be occasions when clients are introduced to us from third parties, for example accountants or solicitors. Under such circumstances, we may rebate part of the commission we receive back to the introducer, as payment for making the introduction. The responsibility for disclosing this payment will be with the introducer.
- This contract is supplied in English Language and will be communicated in English Language
- Any cancellation provisions are detailed in the provider product literature.
Records & Data Protection Act 1998
Under the Data Protection Act 1998 [DPA 1998], you or your appointed agent, have a right to inspect computer (and certain manual) records relating to yourself and your transactions through ourselves and where appropriate have it corrected or deleted. All such requests for information must be referred to the Data Protection Officer. As we treat all our clients records as confidential, we reserve the right to give you copies of your records, where in certain circumstances to release the
original would compromise other clients confidentiality or where access to your data is necessary to protect your privacy. You do not have the right to demand access to data for any other purpose. So that we may fully understand your circumstances and requirements, Assure-U Limited will need to collect information about you, which we
will hold as Data controllers under the DPA 1998. Assure-U Limited will use this information to analyse your current and future financial needs so that we can ensure that any subsequent advice is suitable to your particular circumstances.
You agree that Assure-U Limited may on occasions use your personal details or share your information with other carefully selected organisations, so that they, or we can inform you of other products and services which may be of interest, either by telephone, post, or other appropriate methods. Our regulator the FSA requires us to keep
records of our business transactions for minimum periods of time depending on the transaction, type. However, we will not keep records longer than is necessary. Where other companies and / or third parties provide services to Assure-U Limited, then circumstances may arise which warrant the disclosure of more than just your basic contact details. On these occasions, such as processing business and
obtaining compliance and regulatory advice, you are aware that sensitive personal information (for example health details) held by us
may be disclosed on a confidential basis to such companies. You also agree that for the purposes described above your data may be transferred to countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA).
Express request to receive updates and information on new products and services
You are giving an express request to receive telephone calls and other appropriate forms of contact relating to other products and services which may be of specific interest. You agree to your consent lasting for a period of 5 years at which point we will look to review the
situation. If at any point you wish to cancel this consent you can simply inform us in writing or by telephone and we will alter our records accordingly. We shall only contact you during working hours. We will
not however contact you at times or places when or where you have advised us not to make such contact.
Law
The provisions of this Agreement and the relationship created by it shall be governed by English Law and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
YOUR CONSENT TO THESE TERMS
By taking out the arranged contract and not cancelling, you are consenting to these terms and giving your express
request to receive updates and information. You hereby authorise the holding of your information, and transfer of information between such third parties when warranted, as described above, on a confidential basis. I/We authorise Assure-U Limited to act on my/ our behalf.
If you are unhappy with any aspect of these terms or wish clarification on any aspect please contact us on 0800 411 86 86 or call in to our office to discuss.