FAQs
- Will you insure me?
- Can I get a quote if I do not have a registration number?
- Does your policy cover me to drive other cars?
- Can I cover an imported car?
- Do I need to provide evidence of no claim discount?
- What is protected no claim discount for life?
- How can I pay for my Halifax Car Insurance policy?
- Can you explain the full claims process to me?
- What must I do if my circumstances change during the period of insurance?
- Am I covered when I drive abroad?
- How do I get my Certificate of Motor Insurance?
- How secure is this site?
- What are the known browser problems with the Security Certificate and how do I resolve them?
- How do I complain?
- Who will underwrite my policy?
- How do I cancel my policy?
- What should I do if I don't want you to send me any marketing material?
- What can I use my car for?
1. Will you insure me?
There will be some situations where we will be unable to provide an online quotation. Examples of these are:
- If any driver is not aged between 21 (19 if female) and 78 for comprehensive cover or between 30 and 78 for Third Party Fire and Theft or Third Party Only cover
- If you do not have at least 1 years no claim discount
- If you live in Northern Ireland or the Channel Islands
- If any driver has had a driving licence suspended in the last 5 years
- If all drivers have more than 3 minor convictions (i.e. any conviction with the following codes: CU, MS (excluding MS50-56 and 90-96), MW, PC, PL, SP and TS)
- If any driver has an occupation connected to films, television, radio, music, performing arts, professional sports, non-UK armed forces and diplomatic services, gambling other than bookmaking, nightclubs, licensed premises, scrap metal, waste disposal, circuses, fairgrounds, amusements, street trading or fast food delivery
- If your car is valued over £50,000 for Comprehensive cover, and over £5,000 for Third Party Fire and Theft, or Third Party Only cover
- If your car is not kept at the policyholder's address
- If your car is over 20 years old
- If your car does not have a United Kingdom registration number or has a registration number starting with 'Q'
However, if we can't insure you online, we may be able to insure you via our call centre. Please phone 0845 608 9913 (office hours: Monday to Friday 8am - 8pm, Saturday 9am - 5pm, Sunday 10am - 2pm).
2. Can I get a quote if I do not have a registration number?
Yes. We know that there are circumstances where you will not have the registration number, for example where you are thinking of changing cars and would like an indication of the likely premium.
Therefore you can obtain a quotation by simply selecting from our list of cars. However, should you decide that you want to buy a policy the registration number will be required.
3. Does your policy cover me to drive other cars?
There are certain occupations where driving other cars cover is not provided and also some age limitations. We will tell you during the quote if this cover is not available.
4. Can I cover an imported car?
Yes, but only if the car is, or has been, available as a standard production model in the United Kingdom, and has a United Kingdom registration number.
5. Do I need to provide evidence of no claim discount?
Yes, if you decide to take out a policy with us, you will have to provide evidence of your no claim discount, which must have been earned on a private car insurance policy.
This is the original of your most recent insurance document that shows the number of years' no claim discount you have earned, the expiry date of your last insurance policy and any claims you have made. Usually this is one of the documents in your renewal invitation from your last insurers.
Please note that we ONLY accept original documents from UK insurers relating to no claim discount which has been earned on a private car insurance policy. We do not accept photocopies or documents from brokers or intermediaries. The expiry date of your last insurance must be no more than 2 years ago.
Please note you cannot use the same no claim discount on more than one policy at the same time.
If you already have a policy with us and are buying a second car on which you have not earned any no claim discount then please phone our contact centre on 0845 608 9913 as we may be able to give you an introductory discount.
If you are a company car user who is moving to your own insurance then we will require a letter from your employer confirming that you were the sole user of the company vehicle, the dates you were covered under the company car scheme, details of any claims which occurred during this period and whether these were settled on a fault or no fault basis. The letter will also need to confirm that you no longer have a company car and that no more than 3 months have elapsed since you left the company car scheme.
If you do not produce evidence of your declared no claim discount, we will either charge you for the additional premium required from the start date of your policy or cancel the policy.
We cannot return your evidence of no claim discount once it has been used for your policy.
6. What is protected no claim discount for life?
Protected no claim discount for life guarantees that you will not lose your no claim discount for the life of your policy, regardless of the number of claims you may have providing your policy remains in force and you continue to be eligible for this benefit. You may be able to add it for an additional annual premium at the start of your period of cover, if you have four or more years’ no claim discount.
No claim discount protection for life can only be added to your policy at the start of the period of cover, and is a benefit that relates to your no claim discount only. It does not protect you against any other changes in your premium.
7. How can I pay for my Halifax Car Insurance policy?
You have a choice of easy payment methods. You can choose to pay your premium in a lump sum by direct debit, debit card or credit card. Or, if you prefer, for a small additional charge, the cost can be spread over the year. Paying online is via our secure server, which uses advanced encryption technology to ensure your details are safe during transmission.
We accept the following credit and debit cards:
Please see the terms and conditions that apply if you want to pay for your policy in instalments. Download Adobe Acrobat here.
8. Can you explain the full claims process to me?
If you would like some more information about making a claim on your car insurance, click to go to our car insurance Claims FAQ page.
9. What must I do if my circumstances change during the period of insurance?
You must tell us as soon as possible if any of the following occur:
- you change the address at which you normally keep your car
- you make changes to your car which improves its value, performance or attractiveness to thieves
- you change your car
- you want to use your car for a purpose not included in your schedule
- you become aware of any medical or physical condition of any driver named on the policy which may affect their ability to drive
- you or any other driver named on the policy are convicted of a motoring offence other than fixed-penalty parking offences
- you or any other driver named on the policy change your occupation
- you change your annual mileage
We may then re-assess your cover and premium. If you do not tell us about any relevant changes, we may reject or reduce any claim or treat you as being uninsured. We may charge you an administration fee for any changes you make to your policy details during the period of cover. This is shown in your policy schedule.
10. Am I covered when I drive abroad?
Your policy will provide the cover required for Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, and during sea journeys between these places.
It also provides the MINIMUM cover you need by law to use your car in:
- any country which is a member of the European Union; and
- any other country for which the Commission of the European Community is satisfied that arrangements have been made to meet the requirements of EC Directives on insurance.
If you wish, we can provide an international motor insurance certificate (Green Card).
This may provide less cover than you have at home.
In return for any extra premium we may charge, we will extend the cover provided by your policy, except for cover provided under motoring legal protection and breakdown assistance cover, to named countries in Europe, and certain other countries outside Europe for up to a maximum of 90 days in one policy year. We will also give you an international motor insurance certificate (Green Card). Your car will also be covered while being carried by a recognised carrier between those countries for the period shown on the Green Card.
11. How do I get my Certificate of Motor Insurance?
Your Certificate of Motor Insurance will be posted to your contact address within 3 to 5 working days.
12. How secure is this site?
We believe that security is of the utmost importance to our customers, and we therefore have what we believe are the most secure systems on the market.
We use the latest encryption technology, SSL or Secure Socket Layer, which protects your payment details and all your personal information. We are also registered with Verisign, a leading Internet Security Company. To verify the site security, click on the padlock at the bottom of the page in the quote or buy process or click on the Verisign logo below, and this will immediately display our registration certificate. This is proof of our commitment to ensuring your security when using this site.
If you pay for your policy by credit card, then you will also have the additional protection of the Consumer Credit Act. Your maximum liability on your credit card is £50 in the event that it is lost or stolen or used fraudulently and your liability stops as soon as you notify the credit card company that the card has been lost or stolen or used fraudulently.
13. What are the known browser problems with the Security Certificate and how do I resolve them?
View browser and third-party application problems that have been recognised by VeriSign.
Test your browser to check that it is capable of the recommended level of security.
14. How do I complain?
We are committed to providing you with a first class service but we recognise that there may be an occasion when you feel we may not have done this and you wish to make a complaint. We will always try to resolve any complaint speedily and at the earliest possible stage.
In the first instance, please call us. If it is about our customer service call 0845 605 7757. Alternatively, if it is about your claim call 0845 605 767.4
We will try to resolve your complaint on receipt but if this is not possible then we will send you a written acknowledgement no later than four working days after we receive your complaint. This will tell you the name of the person handling your complaint and enclose our complaints procedure leaflet.
We will write to you to confirm our resolution of your complaint. If we have not resolved it within four weeks, we will write to you again to explain why and tell you when we expect to give you our decision.
In the unlikely event that your problem has not been solved to your satisfaction, you may contact our Customer Relations Manager who will review your complaint and send you our final decision in writing. Our Customer Relations Manager acts with the full authority of our Chief Executive. The address of our Customer Relations Manager is:
The Customer Relations Manager
Halifax Car Insurance
The Observatory
Reigate
Surrey
RH2 0SG
If we have not resolved your complaint within eight weeks, or if your complaint is still not resolved to your satisfaction, you have the right to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. The contact details for the Financial Ombudsman Service are:
Financial Ombudsman Service
South Quay Plaza 2
183 Marsh Wall
London
E14 9SR
Telephone: 0845 080 1800
www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk
The Financial Ombudsman Service will handle most complaints you might have, but there are some instances that fall outside its authority. The Ombudsman's decision is binding upon us but you are free to reject it without affecting your legal rights.
15. Who will underwrite my policy?
Your policy will be underwritten by esure Insurance Limited, part of the Halifax and Bank of Scotland group and who is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
16. How do I cancel my policy?
If you are dissatisfied with the cover provided by your policy, you have 14 days to cancel from the date you receive your documents if you are a new customer or from your renewal date if you are an existing customer. If you decide to cancel, you must return your Certificate of Motor Insurance to us at The Equinox, 19 Cadogan Street, Glasgow, G2 6QQ. As long as no incidents have arisen which could result in a claim under your policy, we will refund the premium you have paid.
If any incidents have arisen, we will refund the premium you have paid less a pro-rata charge for the time you have been on cover, unless your car is considered to be a total loss or has been stolen and not recovered. In the latter situations we will not refund any premium paid and, if you are paying by instalments, you must still pay us the balance of the full annual premium.
If you do not exercise your right to cancel during the 14 day period, your policy will continue as normal. If you cancel your direct debit this does not mean that you have cancelled your policy. Also, if you decide to cancel after 14 days, you must tell us and return your Certificate of Motor Insurance to us. As long as no incidents have arisen which could result in a claim under your policy, we will refund the part of the premium you have not yet used, less an administration fee to take account of our costs in providing your policy. The fees are detailed in your Schedule.
We will cancel your policy from the date we receive your Certificate of Motor Insurance. If you have lost your Certificate of Motor Insurance, we will ask you to complete a Lost Certificate Declaration and your cancellation will not take effect until the date we receive your Certificate of Motor Insurance or Lost Certificate Declaration. If the amount due when you cancel the policy is more than the amount you have paid, you must pay us the difference.
If a claim has been made, we will cancel your cover but not refund any premium. If you are paying by instalments, you must still pay us the balance of the full annual premium.
We also have a right to cancel your policy at any time by giving you seven days' notice in writing. We will send our letter to the latest address we have for you. If we do cancel your policy, we will refund the part of the premium you have not yet used.
If you or we cancel your motor insurance at any time, we will automatically cancel any motoring legal protection or breakdown assistance cover purchased with the main policy.
17. What should I do if I don't want you to send me any marketing material?
We give you the option to tell us during the quote process whether you want to receive any marketing material. You can also email us at dpo@halifaxcarinsurance.co.uk, or write to:
Data Protection Officer,
Halifax Car Insurance,
The Observatory
Reigate
Surrey
RH2 0SG
18. What can I use my car for?
Your cover allows use of your car for social, domestic and pleasure purposes, commuting to and from a permanent place of work and for personal business use for you and your spouse, if named on the policy.
You are not covered to use your car for commercial travelling, any purpose in connection with the motor trade, carriage of goods or passengers for hire or reward, racing, pacemaking, speed testing, rallies, trials or competitions.
If you want any other people to use your car for business purposes, please call us on 0845 608 9913.