The Financial Services Authority is the independent watchdog that regulates financial services. Contained in this document is information which the Financial Services Authority requires us to tell you. Use this information to decide if our services are right for you.
Who are we?
Swinton Group Limited is a nationwide insurance broker. Our head office address is Swinton House, 6 Great Marlborough Street, Manchester M1 5SW. Swinton Group Limited is owned by MMA Holdings (UK) plc. We operate a number of trading divisions including Swinton Colonnade, Swinton Taxi and Swinton Bikes.
Whose policies do we offer?
For the majority of the policies we sell we deal with a range of insurers. In some circumstances we offer the policies of a limited number of insurers or a single insurer; however, we are not contractually bound to do business in this way.
Where we deal with a range of insurers or a limited number of insurers, we select a policy to meet your particular needs.
The table below shows which types of policy we offer from a range of insurers, a limited number or from a single insurer. If a type of policy is not listed in the table, we offer that type of policy from a single insurer. A list of all the insurers we deal with is available on request. Not all of the policies listed below are available from each of our different trading divisions. In addition, within our Specialist Unit, we offer a motor policy from HSBC General Insurance Services UK Ltd, and in Swinton Bikes we offer policies from Equity Red Star Services Ltd and KGM Underwriting Agencies Ltd. In both cases we act as the representative of these companies.
|
Range of Insurers
|
Limited number of Insurers
|
Single Insurer
|
Car
Home Buildings and Contents
Motorcycle
Commercial Vehicles
|
Legal Protection
Personal Accident
Breakdown
Helmet and Leathers
Payment Protection
|
Legal Protection
Home Emergency
Protection
Breakdown
Pet
Photographers and Studio
Minibus
Motor Homes
Accidental Death Benefit
Personal Accident
Single-trip Travel
Landlord's Legal Protection
|
We will receive payment of your premium from you as agent for the relevant insurer. Any claims money or refund of premium we receive from the insurer in respect of your insurance is also received by us as agent of the insurer. As agent of the insurer we receive a commission in respect of each policy we arrange. Should you wish to receive details of this you may do so by either contacting your local branch or our Customer Assistance Team. Call 0845 168 367 or write to the following address: Swinton, Swinton House, 6 Great Marlborough Street, Manchester M1 5SW.
Which service will we provide you with?
In addition to our call centres, we have a network of over 400 branches to help you with your insurance needs. We will advise and make a recommendation for you after we have assessed your needs. If you arrange your insurance through us via our website we are unable to assess some of your needs due to the nature of the medium. As a result the quotation will be provided on a non advised basis. Sometimes we may use a third party to introduce you to us and for this the introducer is paid a fee by Swinton.
Your right to cancel your insurance
You have a right to cancel any insurance you buy through us and to recover any payment made (except as stated below). You can do this by giving notice to your branch (whose address is shown on the covering letter) within 14 days of your receipt of the policy document.
If you do exercise this right to cancel your insurance, you will be charged by the insurer for the service provided up to the point of cancellation. We will also make a cancellation charge of £45 except as shown in the 'service charges' table below. You will not be entitled to a refund of the service charge made by us for arranging your insurance.
Further, if you exercise this right to cancel your motor insurance, any Legal Protection you hold will also be cancelled. Similarly, if you exercise this right to cancel your home or property owners insurance, any Household Legal Protection or Landlords Legal Protection you hold will also be cancelled. In both these cases, you will recover any payment made in respect of these products provided the cancellation right is exercised within the 14 day period mentioned above.
If you do not exercise this right to cancel, any remaining cancellation rights will be as set out in the policy document.
If your insurance is travel insurance lasting less than one month, you do not have a right to cancel it except in accordance with any terms shown in the policy document.
If we have given you a discount off your premium at inception this will be deducted on a pro rata basis from any refund due to you on cancellation of your policy at any time.
Where a cancellation or other transaction results in a premium refund being due to you, that refund will be reduced by any service charge and any other sums you owe in respect of the policy
What will you pay us for our services?
The service charges we make may change from time to time. The tables below show the charges applicable at the time of printing. The outlet where you bought your policy will have available up-to-date details of the scale of charges at all times.
It is not economic or practical to issue refund cheques of very small amounts. Accordingly, where a transaction would result in a refund to you from us of less than £1, this nominal amount will be retained by us as an additional service charge.
| Type of transaction |
Service charge |
Notes |
| Quotation (all policy types) |
No charge |
|
| New policy inception and renewal (excluding Delegated Authority policies, see below) |
£15.00 |
No charge will be made in respect of the inception or renewal of a Legal Protection policy, Helmet and Leathers policy or Breakdown policy |
| Renewal (excluding Delegated Authority policies) |
£20.00 |
No charge will be made in respect of the renewal of a Legal Protection policy, Helmet and Leathers policy or Breakdown policy |
| New policy inception and renewal for Delegated Authority policies |
£25.00 |
|
| Change of address for Home, Building and/or Contents policies |
£25.00 |
Where a transaction results in a premium refund being due to you, that refund will be reduced by any service charge and any other sums you owe in respect of the policy |
Changes to existing policies:
- Change of address (excluding Home, Buildings and Contents policies)
- Foreign use extensions on motor policies
|
No charge |
|
- Any other changes to existing policies (for taxation purposes or otherwise)
|
£25.00 |
Where a transaction results in a premium refund, being due to you, that refund will be reduced by any service charge and any other sums owing in respect of the policy |
| Duplicate documents and cover notes |
£20.00 |
|
| Direct debit defaults |
£12.00 |
|
| Returned cheques |
£12.00 |
|
| Instalment charges(where payment is not by direct debit) |
Charge |
|
| Payment by 2 instalments |
10% of the premium
Minimum £15 |
|
| Payment by 3 instalments |
12% of the premium
Minimum £20 |
|
| Payment by 4 instalments |
14% of the premium
Minimum £25 |
|
For payment by instalments, a minimum deposit of 40% is required. Applies to annual policies only, minimum premiums apply.
Who regulates us?
Swinton Group Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Our Firm Reference Number is 309599. Our permitted business is arranging, advising on and helping in the administration of general insurance contracts. You can check this on the FSA's Register by visiting the FSA's website http://www.fsa.gov.uk/Pages/register/ or by contacting the FSA on 0845 606 1234.
Are we covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme?
We are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) and therefore you may be entitled to compensation from the FSCS if we should be unable to meet our obligations. This depends on the type of business and the circumstances of the claim.
For most types of insurance, advising and arranging is covered for 100% of the first £2,000 and 90% of the remainder of the claim, without upper limit.
Further information about compensation scheme arrangements is available from the FSCS.
What to do if you have a complaint
| Step 1 |
Please contact the Manager where you bought the policy.
We expect the majority of complaints will be quickly and satisfactorily resolved at this stage, but if you are not satisfied you can take the issue further. |
| Step 2 |
Please contact our Customer Assistance Team:
- In writing to Swinton Colonnade, Swinton House, 6 Great Marlborough Street, Manchester M1 5SW.
- By telephone – call 0845 168 3676 or fax 0161 236 7102.
- Online – please see our website www.swinton.co.uk and use our feedback facility located under 'Contact Swinton'.
|
| Step 3 |
If your complaint is one of the few that cannot be resolved by this stage, please write directly to our Chief Executive at the above address. |
| Step 4 |
If you remain dissatisfied with our response to your complaint, you may be able to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The FOS will independently investigate your complaint without charge to you. You will not be able to refer any complaint to the FOS unless you are a) a private individual, b) a business which has a group annual turnover of less than £1m at the time of the complaint, c) a charity which has a turnover of less than £1m at the time of the complaint or d) a trustee of a trust which has a net asset value of less than £1m at the time of the complaint. |
Following the above complaints procedure will not affect your legal rights. Please provide your policy details and the address where you bought the policy on all correspondence.
If you have a complaint against your insurer, please refer to the policy booklet for details of your insurer's complaint procedure.
Treating you fairly
We aim to treat you fairly. We consider carefully the products we offer and we select or design them with our customers in mind. We work hard to make sure you're not misled and that the information we provide is clear and understandable. Our complaints process is fair and accessible and we aim to put things right if we've made a mistake. We want you to be confident and comfortable in your dealings with us.
Further important information
What you must tell us
When you take out, renew or alter any policy, the information you supply to us is the basis on which your cover and premium are agreed. If that information is incorrect or anything changes, please let us know immediately as it could invalidate your policy or result in a claim not being paid. Any changes in information supplied will be accepted from you either verbally or in writing.
Remember, you should always tell us about any change immediately – please don't wait until your renewal.
How you can deal with us
If you arrange your insurance through our network of branches or call centres or over the phone with us or via our website, you can deal with us in relation to that insurance either face to face, over the phone or by post.
The language we do business in is English. We have a leaflet that sets out our services to customers with disabilities, which is available on request.
At Renewal
Shortly before renewal, we will try to speak to you by phone about your renewal requirements. If we do not manage to contact you or you do not proceed at that time, we will send you a letter setting out our renewal quote. We will ask you at that time to contact us.
If you are paying for your policy by monthly direct debit, and you are happy with your quote to renew with your current insurer, there will be nothing further for you to arrange. Your direct debit payments will continue automatically and your new monthly payments will be debited on your usual collection date.
Also, if you are paying by direct debit, Swinton may (but accepts no responsibility to) renew your policy automatically if, prior to your renewal date, contact between us has not been successful or you have failed to confirm whether or not you wish to proceed. We would do this for your protection. If you do not wish us to take this action, please tell us at any time up to 7 days before your renewal date. If we do not hear from you to the contrary, we will treat it that you agree to this.
If you have a claim
We will make available to you free of charge the Motor Claims Helpline 24hrs a day, 365 days a year, for motor insurance claims. Through this service we will always be available to give you expert help and advice when you have a claim. The number to call in the event of a claim – if you're involved in an accident, if you suffer fire, windscreen or other damage to your vehicle or the theft of your vehicle – can be found on the inside of the Policy Document Folder. If you no longer have the folder, or have misplaced it, please call us on 01622 620446 for details.
If you need to make a claim on any other insurance, please call us. We will take your details and guide you through the claims process.
Monthly payments by direct debit
Most annual policies can be paid for by direct debit. For full details of the terms and conditions and interest charges, please ask. Availability is subject to status. A deposit is required. Quotations given on request. If you choose to pay by direct debit, you will be provided with a Consumer Credit Agreement to sign and return to us. This agreement will set out your direct debit payments.
Some of our direct debit arrangements require a deposit to be paid on inception of your policy. Policy inception is followed by 10 monthly direct debit payments. In the eleventh month, a further payment of the same amount is taken as a returnable deposit against next year's renewal. This money will be held by us on your behalf and used against your renewal premium. This eleventh monthly payment will often be processed before you have confirmed that you wish to renew. Please do not treat our taking of this payment as renewal of your policy, it is simply a pre-renewal advance payment. If your policy is not renewed, this payment will be refunded to you.
As we operate our own credit agreement, policies we arrange cannot be paid for via an Insurer's direct debit scheme.
Other monthly payments
In some circumstances annual policies may be paid for by monthly payments in cash or by cheque or credit card. For full details of the terms and conditions and interest charges, please ask.
Availability is subject to status. A deposit is required. Quotations given on request. Available at participating branches.
Important: Our right to cancel your insurance
If you choose to pay by monthly direct debit or under our instalment scheme, you will be provided with our Consumer Credit Agreement or Instalment Agreement to sign. You are reminded that it is a term of both agreements that you authorise us, as your agent, to instruct the insurers to cancel your insurance if any monthly direct debit or instalment payment, or any other amount due under those agreements, is in arrears and not paid on time.
Your details are in safe hands
We will share the information we have on record about you where the disclosure is required by law. As part of the process of providing you with a quote, arranging your insurance and putting your cover in place, this information and your personal data will be shared with insurers.
We may also use this information to tell you, by phone, letter or e-mail about insurance related or other goods and services which we think you may be interested in. These are likely to include financial services such as the provision of credit, loan and mortgage facilities, life assurance, savings and investment products, and 'lifestyle' products and services, as well as products and services related to the insurance, protection, maintenance and repair of your personal goods and property. These may be products and services supplied by us or other selected third parties. Please let us know if you do not want us to do this.
We may also pass this information to other carefully selected third parties who may use it to tell you by phone, letter or e-mail about other goods and services which they think you may be interested in. Please let us know if you do not want us to do this.
Most of the insurers we deal with have a sharing of information agreement to prevent fraud. Whenever you arrange your insurance through us, your cover and premium will be agreed with your insurer on the basis that you agree to their passing on claims information to the Claims Underwriting Exchange.
To help prevent fraudulent claims, your insurer exchanges information with other insurers through various databases. Also to help detect people who break the law by not having insurance, your insurer will supply details of your motor insurance to a database which can be accessed by the police or other insurers.
If you would like a copy of your policy record, please request this in writing enclosing a cheque for £10 payable to Swinton, and send to Customer Assistance Team, Swinton House, 6 Great Marlborough Street, Manchester M1 5SW.
Introducer arrangements
A third party may have introduced you to us and for this the introducer may be paid a fee by Swinton. Similarly, we may, with your consent, introduce you to other third parties, for which the third party may pay a fee to us.
If, as a result of an accident that was not your fault, you require legal representation,Swinton will arrange for their recommended solicitors to act for you. The solicitors recommended by Swinton have been chosen as experts in this particular field. A fee is paid by the solicitors to Swinton for being members of our legal services panel. We comply with the Solicitors' Introduction and Referral Code published by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and any solicitors to whom we may refer you are independent professionals from whom you will receive impartial and confidential advice.
We are part of a group
We are connected for the purposes of the Insurance Companies Regulations 1981 to MMA Insurance plc and Gateway Insurance Company Limited, as we have the same parent company. We do, however act totally independently in the day-to-day running of our business and in deciding which insurers to place business with.
Wherever we recommend a policy underwritten by MMA plc, or Gateway Insurance Company Limited, we will advise you of this connection before you are committed to buying.
Swinton Group Limited, registered in England number 756681, is connected for the purposes of the Insurance Companies Regulations 1981 to MMA Insurance plc and Gateway Insurance Company Limited. Registered office; Swinton House, 6 Great Marlborough Street, Manchester M1 5SW. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. www.swinton.co.uk