The current Coronavirus outbreak has placed the Nation in an unimaginable and worrying time, with unprecedented pressures being placed on the NHS, businesses and individuals. The country is facing the prospect of extended restrictions to our movements; the dedicated NHS staff risk their own lives to save others on a daily basis. Whilst all this is happening it is having a huge impact on our clients and their livelihoods. Please be assured we are doing everything possible to support you during this time.
How Quotax is supporting our clients during this difficult period
In response to the government’s latest measures we have taken the decision to temporarily close our offices to protect both our staff and customers. Please rest assured we have a robust business continuity plan in operation which has enabled all of our team to work successfully from home and you are able to contact us in all the usual ways.
A number of our clients have called to discuss options to reduce their monthly outgoings at this difficult time. Please see below a list of frequently asked questions with answers that may give some guidance.
Your Questions answered
If I pay by Direct Debit can I defer my payment whilst the current crisis is ongoing?
If you pay by Direct Debit your Premium Funding will almost certainly have been arranged by Close Brothers Premium Finance. At Quotax we are able to make minor changes to your plan (we can sometimes alter a payment date by a few days). Any significant changes you require to make will need to be directed to Close Brothers Premium Finance. They can be contacted on 0333 321 8566, please quote your reference number when calling them, this can be found on the documentation that they sent you when the loan was arranged.
I paid my policy in full; can I now get my money back and pay monthly?
If you have already paid in full we are unable to now move you onto a monthly direct debit scheme mid term.
I am unable to make my Insurance payment what can I do
If you have an annual Insurance policy which is due for renewal and you are unable to meet that expense please talk to one of the Quotax Customer Service team about setting up a monthly plan with Close Brothers Premium Finance.
If you are already paying by Monthly Direct Debit and you are unable to make the next payment call the Quotax Team, they may be able to change the payment date, alternatively call Close Premium Funding on 0333 321 8566 and remember to have your reference number to hand.
I want to cancel my policy can I do this?
If you are taking your vehicle off the road you can cancel your Insurance Policy. Please remember that some charges are made when a policy is cancelled, therefore the return premium may not be exactly pro-rata to the time that you have had on cover. If any incident has been reported during the policy year the Insurer may decline to offer a refund. Please be aware that you may lose some of your No Claims Bonus if you have not completed a full year of Insurance cover. You must also declare your vehicle SORN if you are keeping it off the road and uninsured.
If you are paying your premium by Direct Debit (with Close Premium Finance) and you cancel your policy we will obtain a refund of premium from your insurer (subject to no claims having been made in the policy year). The refund will be calculated in accordance with your policy wording and terms of business. We will use this refund to offset the outstanding balance owed to Close Brothers Premium Finance. In some instances, the refund from the Insurer (please refer to your policy booklet for scale of return) may not be sufficient to settle the balance to the Premium Finance Company. If this is the case you will be responsible for the outstanding amount.
Before you decide to cancel your policy please carefully consider the following
All vehicles are required to be insured that are taxed. It is possible to declare your vehicle SORN as long as the vehicle is not on a public road; it is however a requirement that any vehicles kept on a public road must have minimum levels of cover.
It is also a Public and Private Hire licensing requirement with most Councils that your vehicle should be Insured for Hire and Reward for the duration of plate, please therefore check with your Licensing Authority or TFL before cancelling.
If you are paying for your vehicle on finance/lease or a similar scheme most finance providers stipulate that the vehicle must be insured comprehensively for the duration of the finance agreement, before deciding to cancel please check with you Finance provider
Are there any alternatives to cancelling my policy?
Some of our Insurers will give the option to reduce cover to Social Domestic and Pleasure only if you are not using the vehicle for Hire and Reward, please speak with your local Plating Council first as it is usually a requirement that the vehicle is covered for Hire and Reward whilst plated.
Can I freeze my Insurance?
Insurers have not traditionally allowed cover to be frozen or premium holidays to be taken.
Are you still able to offer a 24/7 claims service?
Yes – all of our providers have comprehensive business continuity plans in place which have been implemented, please contact our claims departments in the normal ways.
We have been working closely with our insurer panel to support our Taxi Driver clients whilst they look to diversify their activities in order to maintain some level of income during this difficult period.
We have negotiated the following extensions in cover with our Insurer Panel for the duration of the crisis and in the case of Antilo Insurance for one month only (this will be reviewed at the end of one month)
• Markerstudy, we can now confirm that, on a temporary basis during the Corona Virus crisis, policy cover is extended to cover all Taxi policies to deliver fast food, collection and delivery of prescriptions, food/grocery shopping and small parcel delivery. This extension of cover is provided completely free of charge.
• Haven Insurance, we can now confirm that, on a temporary basis during the Corona Virus crisis, policy cover is extended to cover all Taxi policies to deliver fast food, collection and delivery of prescriptions, food/grocery shopping and small parcel delivery. This extension of cover is provided completely free of charge.
• Antilo, we can now confirm that, for one month only during the Corona Virus crisis, policy cover is extended to cover all Taxi policies to deliver fast food, collection and delivery of prescriptions, food/grocery shopping and small parcel delivery. This extension of cover is provided completely free of charge.
• ERS, we can now confirm that, on a temporary basis during the Corona Virus crisis, policy cover for Taxis can be extended to cover journeys delivering fast food, collection and the delivery of prescriptions, food/grocery shopping and small parcel delivery. This extension of cover is provided completely free of charge. You will need to call our office in order for us to notify ERS that you intend to carry out this type of work so that they can endorse your policy to cover this.
• Allianz, we can now confirm that, we are able to extend cover for the Carriage of Goods.
. You will need to call our office in order for us to notify Allianz that you intend to carry out this type of work so that they can endorse your policy to cover this.
In all cases we must advise you that the goods that you will be transporting will NOT be insured but the journey itself will be. This means, if the goods transported are DAMAGED or LOST during transit, no cover will be in place.
Should you wish to insure the goods that you are transporting, please contact us and we will be able to quote for a separate “Goods in Transit” policy.
Finally
Please remember we are here to offer help and support to you. We can only make changes to your policy that the Insurer has agreed. The Insurers are reviewing what changes can be made to their policies regularly and the options may change. Our staff are working from home taking large volumes of calls so the wait times may be longer than you might ordinarily expect. Thank you for your understanding with this.
We hope that you and your families remain safe and well.
Kindest regards,
Daniel Fosker and all of the Quotax team.
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