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Home insurance FAQs

1. What does buildings insurance cover?

   It covers your house and the fixtures and fittings, sheds, summerhouses, garages and greenhouses, which are all designed and only used for domestic purposes. It also covers swimming pools, hot tubs, hard tennis courts, terraces, patios, driveways, footpaths, walls, gates, hedges and fences all within the same site at the insured address shown in your schedule.

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2. How much should I insure my contents for?

   You should insure your contents for the amount it would cost you to replace them as new.

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3. Do you offer accidental damage cover?

   Yes, we do. Accidental damage cover is offered on contents and buildings as an optional extension for an additional premium.

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4. Can I get a no claim discount on home insurance?

   Yes - we offer a no claim discount on contents insurance only. We offer up to 40% no claim discount for 5 claim-free years, which increases by 1% each claim-free year with us up to a maximum of 45%, which represents 10 claim-free years. You may also protect your contents no claim discount at new business, provided you have 4 or more claim free years. An additional premium will be charged to protect the discount. If a claim is made during a period of insurance and the discount has been protected the discount will not be affected. If more than one claim is intimated in a period of cover we will remove the protection.

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5. Can you explain the full claims process to me?

   If you would like some more information about making a claim on your home insurance, click here to go to our home insurance claims FAQs page.

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6. Can I cover my possessions away from home?

   Yes, you can protect your possessions away from your home under our 'contents away from home' cover (also known as personal possessions cover away from home). We'll cover your possessions while they're temporarily removed anywhere in the United Kingdom and while they're temporarily removed for up to 60 consecutive days anywhere in the rest of the world. If you have any individual item valued at £1,500 or more, or a pedal cycle worth more than £500, you'll need to tell us about it and we'll class it as a "specified item".

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7. Why do I need family legal protection?

   Family legal protection provides you with legal assistance and advice in disputes involving things like employment contracts, purchased goods & services, bodily injury, tax enquiry cases and more.

   You'll also have access to helplines giving advice on European law, tax and health matters.

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8. Are my contents covered for business use?

   We'll cover any office furniture and computer equipment owned by you and used for business purposes that are kept in your home, but not any other items which you own or use (whether totally or partially) for business purposes or which are connected with any employment.

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9. Do I get a discount if I have window and door locks?

   Yes, if you have approved security locks we may be able to offer you a further reduction on your premium.

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10. Do you cover bicycles?

    Yes, our contents in the home would give you basic cover. If you'd like cover away from home, you should add "personal possessions cover away from the home" to your policy. There is a limit of £500 per pedal cycle. If your pedal cycle is worth more than £500 you'll need to tell us about it so that we can class it as a "specified item".

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11. What must I do if my circumstances change during the period of insurance?

    You must tell us as soon as possible about any changes in the information you give us, including the sums insured, and about any other new facts we should take into account when providing you with insurance. We may then re-assess your cover and premium. If you don't tell us about any relevant changes, we may reject or reduce any claim or even treat you as being uninsured.

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12. Why do I need home emergency cover?

    For a small additional cost, Sheilas Wheels’ home emergency cover offers peace of mind when you need it most - immediately after a domestic emergency in your home. So should you need emergency repairs in a hurry, there's someone you can rely on. One call to the home emergency helpline, and we will arrange for a reputable contractor to come to your home and carry out any immediate repairs. We will pay, subject to an overall limit of £500, including VAT, per claim for the call out charge and up to 2 hours labour costs and parts and materials up to a maximum of £100 including VAT. We will provide this assistance if an emergency affects your home as a result of damage to your roof, plumbing and drainage system, main heating system, domestic power supply, toilet unit, home security, or if you have lost your keys.

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13. Doesn't my home insurance cover me for home emergency anyway?

    In the event of an emergency, your home insurance will cover your contents and property for the damage caused to such items as your furniture, carpet, fixtures or fittings. For example, if your central heating system broke down, and leaked water over your carpet, your home insurance would cover the damage to your carpet and any other items affected. However, your home insurance would not cover the repair of the heating system, or the tradesman's call-out charges and hourly rates. Having home emergency cover bridges this gap and means that you wouldn't need to worry about finding a reputable tradesman, day or night. We will pay, subject to an overall limit of £500, including VAT, per claim for the call out charge and up to 2 hours labour costs and parts and materials up to a maximum of £100 including VAT.

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14. Why do I need pest cover?

    Sheilas' Wheels pest cover offers peace of mind when you need it most - immediately after you discover a wasp or hornet nest or an infestation of rats, mice or grey squirrels in your house. You'll know that you can simply call our pest helpline and we'll arrange for a reputable contractor to come to your house to remove it. We'll pay up to £150 (including VAT) per claim for the call-out charge and the professional extermination or control of the pests.

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15. Doesn't my home insurance cover me for pest damage?

    Your Sheilas' Wheels home insurance policy doesn't cover damage to your house caused by pests or the removal of the infestation.

    For just a small additional premium you'll have the peace of mind of knowing that if you have a wasp or hornet nest or an infestation of rats, mice, or grey squirrels in your house you can simply call our pest helpline and we'll arrange for an approved contractor to deal with it. We'll also pay up to £150 (including VAT) per claim for the call charge and the professional extermination or control of the pests.

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16. How can I pay for my Sheilas' Wheels home insurance policy?

    We offer our customers 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 of your home policy can be spread over the year by paying instalments by direct debit. Online payment is via a secure server, which uses advanced encryption technology to ensure your details are safe during transmission.

    We accept the following credit and debit cards:

    
     
    The terms and conditions that apply if you want to pay by instalments are set out in our Credit Agreement.

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17. What is “identity fraud detection and assistance” and how do I apply?

    With identity theft becoming one of the UK’s fastest growing crimes, Sheilas’ Wheels has joined forces with Experian to offer Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance customers free access to Experian’s CreditExpert identity fraud detection and assistance service for extra peace of mind.  This service helps protect you from identity fraud and helps you restore your credit record if someone does steal your identity. 

    After you’ve bought your Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance policy you simply need to register online to access this service.  You’ll find details of how to do this, including the web address, in the leaflet about the identity fraud detection and assistance service included in your Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance welcome pack. Please note you are not automatically registered for this service when you buy a Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance policy

    Once you’ve registered for this service you will have unlimited online access to your credit report. Experian will also monitor your credit report and send you alerts by text or email whenever there’s a significant change in your credit record so you can check that no fraudulent applications have been made in your name. Obtaining and regularly monitoring your credit report in this way is recommended by the Home Office as a way of protecting yourself from identity fraud. 

    If someone does steal your identity and your credit record is affected, you’ll be able to call identity fraud experts who will help and guide you through the process of restoring your credit record. 

    Once you’ve registered for this service you can relax knowing that you’ll continue to enjoy this valuable service until your Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance renewal date, unless your policy is cancelled before.

    This free service is for the first named policyholder named on your Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance Schedule.

    This CreditExpert service is operated by Experian and is subject to their  terms and conditions.
    

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18. What should I do if I don't want you to send me any marketing material?

    We give you an option to tell us during the quote process if you don't want to receive any marketing material. If you don't take up this option and change your mind at any future date, you can also email us at dpo@sheilaswheels.com or write to the Data Protection Officer, Sheilas' Wheels, The Observatory, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 0SG. Please include your full name, address and date of birth.

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19. 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. 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. If you do not exercise your right to cancel during the 14 day period, your policy will continue as normal.

    We have the 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 you are paying by instalments and you miss a payment, we may cancel your policy. We will give you seven days notice in writing before we do this as set out in the paragraph above. You will still have to pay any outstanding premium and any administration fees due to us and we may take any outstanding premium and any administration fees due to us from any claim payment we make to you.

    If you decide to cancel after the initial 14 day period, you must contact us before the cancellation date either in writing or by telephone. Should you wish to cancel your policy on that same day, you must contact us by telephone.

    If we decide to cancel your policy or you decide to cancel your policy after the initial 14 day period, we will refund your premium as follows:-

    • If you cancel your policy before the first renewal date, we will refund the part of your premium which you have not yet used less an administration fee as shown on your policy schedule, to take account of our costs in providing your policy. This fee may change from time to time. We will tell you if it changes. If the amount of premium you have paid and not yet used is less than the administration fee you must pay us the difference. If a claim has been made, we will cancel your cover but will not refund any of the premium and if you are paying by instalments, you must still pay us the balance of your full annual premium.
    • If you cancel your policy after the first renewal date, we will refund the part of your premium which you have not yet used less an administration fee as shown on your policy schedule. This fee may change from time to time. We will tell you if it changes. If the amount of premium you have paid and not yet used is less than the administration fee you must pay us the difference. If a claim has been made, we will cancel your cover but will not refund any of your premium and if you are paying by instalments, you must still pay us the balance of your full annual premium.

    If you or we cancel your home insurance policy at any time, we will automatically cancel any family legal protection, home emergency and pest cover you purchased with it. Please note that no refund is payable under these sections.

    Changes to your Policy
    If you change your policy details or cover at any time during the cover period, we may charge an administration fee details of which can be found on your policy schedule. This fee may change from time to time. We will tell you if it changes.
    

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20. How do I complain?

    Although we are committed to providing you with a first class service, we recognise that there may come a time when you feel we haven't delivered and you want to make a complaint. We will always try to resolve any complaint speedily and at the earliest possible stage. The person dealing with you will be authorised to settle your complaint.

    In the first instance, please call our Customer Service Department on 0845 604 4206. If you're calling about your claim, please call our Claims Department on 0845 604 4215.

    We'll try to resolve your complaint as soon as we receive it but if this isn't possible, we'll send you a written acknowledgement of your complaint no later than four working days after receiving it. This will tell you the name of the person handling your complaint and will have a leaflet setting out our complaints procedure.

    We'll write to you to confirm what we have done to resolve your complaint. If we haven't resolved it within four weeks, we'll write to you again to explain why and tell you when we expect to give you our decision.

    In the unlikely event that the problem hasn't been resolved to your satisfaction, you may contact our Customer Relations Manager who will review your complaint and send you our final decision in writing. The address of our Customer Relations Manager is:

    The Customer Relations Manager
    Sheilas' Wheels
    The Observatory
    Reigate
    Surrey
    RH2 0SG

    If we haven't resolved your complaint within 8 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 of 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.

    Our Customer Relations Manager acts with the full authority of our Chief Executive. However, you may at any time, write directly to the Chief Executive at the Reigate address.

    Identity fraud detection and assistance is provided by Experian on their terms and conditions. If your complaint relates to this please contact:

    Consumer Customer Service
    Experian
    PO Box 8000
    Nottingham
    NG80 7WF
    Telephone 0845 604 4228
    Email cso_do@uk.experian.com

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21. How do I know if my cover has been accepted?

    Once you've entered your payment details, the "payment confirmation" page will be displayed. This page is confirmation of your cover, and will display your policy number and cover start date. Your policy documents will then be posted to you by first class post.

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22. How can I renew my policy?

    Approximately 4 weeks before your policy expires, we'll send you a renewal invitation by post which will give details of how to renew and what your new premium is.

    If you pay your premium by direct debit, we may automatically renew your policy. We'll notify you of our intention to do this before your policy expires and give you details of the renewal terms including any changes in your policy cover. If you don't wish to renew your policy, you should tell us before the renewal date. If you don't tell us and your policy is renewed, we'll continue to make deductions from your bank account for the new premium.

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23. Can I renew my policy on this website?

    Unfortunately, we don't currently offer the facility of renewing your home insurance online. Instead to renew, please call our contact centre on 0845 604 4208.

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24. Can I renew my policy if I haven't yet received my renewal invitation?

    We'll send you a renewal invitation approximately 4 weeks before your policy expires. However, you can renew your policy in advance of receiving your renewal invitation from 6 weeks before your renewal date. To do this please call our contact centre on 0845 604 4208 (office hours : Monday to Friday 8am - 8pm, Saturday 9am - 5pm and Sunday 10am - 2pm.)

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