Terms & Conditions
Like all types of insurance, car insurance has many terms and conditions. It is important to know the limitations of your policy, and know what your insurer expects from you, if you wish to reap the benefits from your car insurance and avoid problems when you come to make a claim. There are strict legal consequences to not insuring your car, and your car insurance will be affected in many ways by contravening the law, such as by driving while using a hand-held mobile phone, or drink-driving. There are also special conditions if you are a new, or learner driver.
When you buy car insurance, you are given a copy of the policy contract. This contains the information you gave to your insurer, the policy booklet, and the 'schedule' document, which shows the level of cover you purchased. Your should familiarise yourself with the policy contract so that if you need to make a claim you are familiar with your duties as well as those of your insurer.
Your car insurance policy will typically last for one year. Within this time your circumstances may change and your insurance might be affected as a result. If you are required to make amendments to the policy there is a particular procedure to follow; for example, you must tell your insurer that you wish to add additional drivers onto your policy before they can be insured.
If you feel that your insurer has not acted in your best interest, or has acted unfairly, you may wish to make a complaint. All car insurance providers are regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), which protects your rights.
If, for any reason, you wish to or need to cancel your insurance, for example if you sell your car, or if you find a better quote elsewhere, there are also guidelines to follow. You must remember to return your certificate of motor insurance to your insurer, and you may have to pay a cancellation charge.
For more details on the terms and conditions of car insurance see:
