Introduction
We recommend that you carefully read these Terms on which we agree to act for you. By asking us to quote for, arrange or handle your insurances, you are providing your agreement to these Terms of Business. Please contact us immediately if there is anything in these Terms of Business which you do not understand. In these Terms references to “we” or “us” are to Bespoke Benefit Solutions Limited.
Regulation
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the independent watchdog that regulates financial services. Bespoke Benefit Solutions Limited is an appointed representative of Beckett Financial Services Ltd, a company authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) FRN: 138104. 9 Oak Spinney Park, Ratby Lane, Leicester, LE3 3AW.
Beckett Financial Services Ltd head office address is: Dettingen House, Dettingen Way, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3TU. Beckett Financial Services Ltd is authorised and regulated by the FCA (under Firm Registration Number 138104) and you can check this by visiting the FCA’s website and viewing the Financial Register or by contacting the FCA helpline on 0800 1116768. Our permitted business is advising on and arranging insurance and pure protection contracts under these terms of business.
Our Service
We are an insurance intermediary acting on your behalf as your agent in arranging your insurance cover. Our service may include advising you on your insurance requirements, arranging cover with insurers, issuing policy documentation to you in a timely manner and helping you with any ongoing changes you wish to make to your insurance.
We will endeavour to ensure that the products or services we offer you match your stated requirements. We will seek to identify your insurance needs in reliance upon information which you provide us. If we cannot match your requirements, we will explain the differences in the product or service that we can offer you. If we cannot match all your requirements, we will seek to provide you with enough information so that you can make an informed decision about your insurance. We will explain the main features of the products and services that we offer you including details of the insurer, main details of cover and benefits, any unusual restrictions or exclusions, any significant conditions or obligations which you must meet and the period of cover.
Claims generally are often handled directly with insurers but where you ask we may provide advice and assistance. This may require express authorisation from the individual/s involved.
Market Analysis
The advice you receive will be based on a fair analysis of the market, this means that we offer products from a range of insurers.
In some situations and for some specific covers we may only deal with a single insurer or a limited number of insurers and do not advise on the basis of a fair and personal analysis of the market. In these cases you will be advised of this.
Insurer Solvency
Whilst we will endeavour to place business with insurers who demonstrate an adequate level of financial solvency, and although their regulator requires them to maintain a minimum level of capital, we cannot guarantee the solvency of any insurer.
Our Remuneration
We are remunerated for our services to you either in the form of commission paid to us by insurers when placing covers with them or by a fee agreed between you and us before concluding the placement of insurance cover. For each insurance contract, including any subsequent renewal, you have a right to request information regarding any remuneration that we may have received as a result of placing your insurance business.
In certain circumstances, with your prior agreement, a combination of commission and fee may be negotiated between us. We will agree the rate we will charge before beginning work and will tell you if you have to pay VAT.
Cancellation Rights
You will find full details of your cancellation rights, and any related charges which may be levied by your insurer, in the documentation provided by your insurance company. In general, Retail customers (as defined by FCA) have 14 days to cancel their policy with effect from the later of: (a) the day they receive the full terms and conditions of their policy, or; (b) the day the policy is sold.
To exercise your right of cancellation, you should contact the insurance company which underwrites your policy. Insurers reserve the right to charge you for the period on risk.
Your Legal Duty To Disclose Information To Us And Insurance Companies
Consumer Contracts – a policyholder acting for purposes outside his trade, business or profession
You are responsible for providing us and the insurers with the information we request from you to enable us to seek the cover you require. It is important that you understand that any information, statements or answers made by you are your responsibility and must be accurate and complete. Any failure to answer questions honestly, carefully and accurately may invalidate your insurance cover in part or whole.
Commercial Contracts – a policyholder who is not a consumer
Duty of Fair Presentation
Prior to entering into a contract of insurance, making a midterm alteration and ahead of your policy renewal, it is your statutory duty to make a fair presentation of your risk. You must disclose, all “material circumstances” about your risk. A “material circumstance” being information that might affect the judgement of a prudent insurer on whether to accept your risk, and on what terms.
Please note that if you fail to disclose any material circumstance or change of circumstances to your insurers, this could invalidate your insurance cover and could mean that part or all of a claim may not be paid. It is our collective duty to carry out a reasonable search in respect of these circumstances. If you are in any doubt as to what constitutes a material circumstance then please contact us.
We strongly recommend that the information provided is checked thoroughly prior to submission and that you keep a record of all correspondence supplied in relation to the arrangement of your insurance cover.
Notification Of Incidents
It is essential that you notify your insurer immediately of all incidents that may result in a claim against your insurance policy. Any failure to do so may result in your insurer refusing to accept a claim. Only by providing prompt notification of incidents can your insurance company take steps to protect your interests.
Complaints
We aim to provide a highest standard of service to you at all times but we accept that things can go awry. In cases where you are not happy with our service please let us know as we are committed to resolving matters promptly and fairly. A copy of our Complaints Procedure is available on request. If you should have any complaint about the service or advice you receive, please contact us by writing to the Compliance Officer, Beckett Financial Services Ltd, Dettingen House, Dettingen Way, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3TU or by telephone on 01284 754500.
If your complaint with us cannot be resolved to your satisfaction, you may be entitled to refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service (www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk). If this access is available to you we will inform you of your right to do so.
Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)
Bespoke Benefits is covered by the FSCS via Beckett Financial Services. You may be entitled to compensation from the scheme if we cannot meet our obligations, depending on the type of customer you are and, in the case of a business, the size of that business and the circumstances of the claim.
Insurance advising and arranging is covered for 90% of the claim, without any upper limit. For compulsory classes of insurance, insurance advising and arranging is covered for 100% of any claim, without any upper limit. Details of the cover provided by the scheme can be provided within a leaflet that we will send to you at your request. Further information about compensation scheme arrangements is available from the FSCS at www.fscs.org.uk.
Protecting your Personal Information
Processing of your personal data is necessary for the performance of our contract for services with you. Generally this is the lawful basis on which we intend to rely for the processing of your data. (Please see the reference to special categories of data below). Our policy is to gather and process only that personal data which is necessary for us to conduct our services appropriately with you.
We adopt a transparent approach to the processing of your personal data. Sometimes, we may need to pass your personal information to other organisations. If you apply to take out a financial product or service we will need to pass certain personal details to the product or service provider. We may engage the services of third party providers of professional services in order to enhance the service we provide to you. These parties may also need to process your personal data in the performance of their contract with us. Your personal information may be transferred electronically (e.g. by email or over the internet) and we, or any relevant third party, may contact you in future by what we believe to be the most appropriate means of communication at the time (e.g. telephone, email, letter etc.).
The organisations to whom we may pass your details also have their own obligations to deal with your personal information appropriately. Sometimes a product or service may be administered from a country outside Europe. If this is the case, the firm must put a contract in place to ensure that your information is adequately protected.
As part of this agreement we’ll ask you to consent to the transfer of personal information in accordance with the protections outlined above.
Special Categories Of Personal Data
There are certain categories of personal data that are sensitive by nature. The categories include: data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership and data concerning health. Depending on the nature of the products and services that you engage us for we may need to obtain your sensitive personal data particularly in relation to health. Our policy is that should we require any special category of personal data we will only gather this with your explicit consent.
If you do not wish your information to be used for the marketing of Group services that may be of interest to you please write to the Data Protection Officer at Bespoke Benefit Solutions Limited 9 Oak Spinney Park, Ratby Lane, Leicester, LE3 3AW.
Termination
You, or we, may terminate our authority to act on your behalf at any time without penalty. Notice of this termination must be given in writing, and will not affect the completion of any business already initiated on your behalf, which will be completed as if the terms were still in force. You will therefore remain liable to pay any fees which became due on your instructions prior to termination.
Governing Law
These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the Laws of England and Wales and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of England and Wales.
