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Travel insurance FAQs

1. Should I buy an annual or single trip travel policy?

   The cover offered for our annual and single trip policies is almost identical. An annual policy could be more suitable if you are likely to travel more than once in the next year.

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2. How do I know if my holiday destination is safe to travel to?

   The Foreign and Commonwealth Office publishes up-to-date advice on every country and whether or not it's safe to travel there.

   To view country specific advice visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website http://www.fco.gov.uk

   Alternatively, contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice Line on 0845 850 2829.

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3. I've booked a holiday to a destination which may become dangerous for travel and I no longer want to go there. Can I cancel my holiday with my tour operator?

   If the Foreign and Commonwealth Office http://www.fco.gov.uk is not advising against travel to that destination, your tour operator will contend that it's safe to travel there. If you wish to cancel, you should check the terms and conditions of booking, paying particular attention to the section on cancellations.

   If the Foreign and Commonwealth Office changes its advice and warns against all non-essential travel to your destination, your tour operator is still not legally obliged to make any concession. However, under the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) code of conduct, you should be offered the chance to defer your trip, choose an alternative holiday or have a full refund.

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4. What happens if the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against travel to my holiday destination whilst I'm there?

   Your tour operator should arrange for your return immediately, free of charge. They should also reimburse you for any unused portion of your holiday. If you have not booked through a tour operator, please call the Sheilas’ Wheels Holiday Hotline  on +44 (0) 208 763 4899.

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5. How can I keep track of Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice whilst I'm away?

   If you're worried your chosen destination may be unsafe during your stay, you can:

   1. call the Sheilas' Wheels Holiday Hotline on +44 (0) 208 763 4899 which can be found on the back of your Policy Booklet
   2. check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website. Most hotels have internet access or a nearby internet cafe
   3. telephone the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice Line on 0845 850 2829. This number is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you are calling from overseas, you should call 00 44 1530 553424 (Monday to Friday, 8am - 8pm) and 00 44 2891 476754 at all other times. Their website address at http://www.fco.gov.uk

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6. There has recently been terrorist activity where I'm going on holiday, but the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is not advising against travel there. Why is that?

   Unfortunately, terrorists operate in a large proportion of the world and advising, for this reason, against travel to all these countries would inhibit world travel and disrupt normal life.

   It's worth noting that the risk of being involved in a terrorist attack is very small, especially where the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office http://www.fco.gov.uk is taken.

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7. What happens if I'm the victim of a terrorist attack whilst abroad?

   As a standard feature of this policy, Medical Expenses, Repatriation and Personal Accident cover is provided if you are a victim of a terrorist attack. All other sections of cover are excluded.

   For advice you can call the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice Line on 0845 850 2829. This number is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you are calling from overseas you should call 00 44 1530 553424 (Monday to Friday, 8am - 8pm) and 00 44 2891 476754 at all other times. Alternatively, their website address is http://www.fco.gov.uk

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8. I've decided to cancel my holiday, as I don't wish to travel due to the risk of terrorism. Can I claim under my Sheilas' Wheels Travel Insurance policy?

   Cancellation on the grounds of war or terrorism isn't covered by your policy.

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9. Do I need baggage and money cover?

   Both annual and single trip policies give you the option of removing baggage and money cover if you're certain that it's covered by your home insurance. Please check your household insurance policy to ensure cover will be in place for the duration of your trip.

   If you require extra cover, our policies allow you to ‘top up’ this cover from our standard £1,500 to £2,500.

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10. What is your 'Handbag on Holiday' cover?

    This is a feature of our baggage cover, which is included in our policies unless you have chosen to remove it. If you are unfortunate enough to have your handbag snatched from your person whilst on holiday, we won’t charge you an excess for that claim.

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11. I'm currently suffering from a medical problem. Will this be covered under my travel policy?

    The medical screening questionnaire will confirm whether claims relating to an existing medical condition will be covered on the policy. You simply need to complete an online quote or call 0845 604 3562 for confirmation whether a particular medical condition will be covered.

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12. I'm planning a six week holiday in Spain. Would such a long break be covered under your annual policy?

    An annual policy allows up to 45 days cover for any one trip, so a six week holiday is fine.

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13. I have four children. Do I need to pay extra for all of them to be covered under 'Family' cover?

    Family rates allow for an unlimited number of children to be covered.

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14. How do I qualify for your 'kids go FREE' offer?

    Anyone that selects either family or single parent family cover can include their children free of charge.

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15. My partner and I live together but are not married. We also have children, so are we still eligible for the 'Family' rate?

    Yes, provided they are named on the Policy Schedule.

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16. One of my children has turned 18 but would like to go on a family holiday this year - would they be covered?

    Under both annual and single trip policies, if your child is in full-time education and travelling with you, then they would be fully covered up to and including the age of 22.

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17. What happens if I have a problem abroad?

    We have a dedicated 24 hours a day, 365 days a year emergency assistance line that you can contact from anywhere in the world. Simply call +44 (0) 208 763 4899.

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18. Will I be covered for hazardous sports?

    Annual and single trip policies both provide cover whilst participating in some hazardous sports and these are listed in the Hazardous Activities section of the Policy Booklet. If you're taking part in any sport or activity not listed in the Policy Booklet, please contact 0845 604 3562 to check if you can be covered.

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19. If I apply online, will I be covered if I'm going on holiday today?

    If you have already booked a holiday and you are buying annual cover then you should start your policy immediately to ensure you have cover for cancellation, if required. If you buy a single trip policy you will be immediately covered. Once your purchase is complete you will be sent an email to let you know how to access your policy documents.

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20. What is the maximum age you'll cover?

    The maximum age for an annual trip policy is 70. The maximum age for a single trip cover is 80.

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21. How can I pay for my Sheilas' Wheels 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. Payment online 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:

    

    We also use ‘MasterCard Securecode’ for Maestro and Mastercard payments, which is the online security measure developed by MasterCard.

    After entering your Maestro or Mastercard number online to make a purchase, you will be redirected to your issuing bank and asked to enter the password for your card. If the password is correct then your payment will be authorised.

    If you have not yet been asked to set up a password for your card, you will be asked to do so.

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22. When and how do I get my documents?

    Once your purchase is complete your personalised documents will be stored securely online. We will email you to let you know where and how to access them. To protect your security, we will provide you with a unique username and password. You can view and/or print out your documents, whichever you prefer.

    You'll need Adobe Reader to view your documents. If you haven't already got it, click here for a free copy.

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23. What if I delete the email telling me where my documents are?

    If you accidentally delete the email telling you how to access your documents, simply call Customer Service on 0845 604 3563 and we will re-send the email.

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24. Can I have a printed copy of my documents?

    The documentation that you can access online will be in a printable format. However, if you are unable to print your documents or prefer to receive a paper copy, please call Customer Service on 0845 604 3563.

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25. I need my documents in large print so I won’t be able to read the documents you email me. What should I do?

    We are committed to meeting the needs of all our customers. If you have a visual impairment, we can provide documents in large print, Braille or on audio cassette. Simply call Customer Service on 0845 604 3563 (lines open Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 9am-5pm) and we will arrange to send the documents in a format that suits you.

    In addition, if you have a hearing or speech impairment, you can use Typetalk whenever you contact us, or contact us by specialised Textphone on 0800 316 0775 (lines open Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 9am-5pm).

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26. How long will my documents be available online?

    Your insurance documentation will be available online for the duration of your policy. If you need to access your documentation after this time, please call Customer Service on 0845 604 3563.

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27. How secure is my personal information?

    All your information, including your personal and medical information, is stored securely. Once your purchase is complete your personalised documents will be stored securely online. We'll send you an email with a secure link and a unique username and password to access your documents. We'll also ask you security questions based on the information you provided us with when you took out the policy.

    We use the latest encryption technology SSL or Secure Socket Layer, which protects your payment details and all your personal information. For more information on security, please visit our privacy and security section.

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

    If you don't want to receive any marketing material, you can 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, date of birth and, if applicable, policy number. Please note we are unable to accept responsibility for information which is lost or intercepted in transit.

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29. 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 the renewal date if you are an existing customer. As long as you have not made a trip and no incidents have arisen which could result in a claim under your policy, we will refund the premium you have paid. If you wish to cancel your policy at any other time, premiums paid will not be refunded.

    If you wish to cancel your policy, please call Customer Service on 0845 604 3563.

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30. How do I complain?

    Our complaints procedure

    We always aim to get things right first time for our customers although we know that sometimes you will feel this hasn’t happened. We want to hear about this so we have an opportunity to put things right for you.

    If you need to complain we are committed to having an accessible complaints process where we will always try to resolve your complaint speedily and at the earliest possible stage.

    Often if you ring us we can sort things out for you straight away, with this in mind please call us first.

    If it’s about your claim,

    Call 0845 604 3564 about your car insurance claim

    Call 0845 604 4215 about your home insurance claim

    If it’s about any other matter,

    Call 0845 604 3550 about car insurance

    Call 0845 604 4206 about home insurance

    Every effort will be made to resolve your complaint for you within 48 hours. On the rare occasions this can’t be achieved then your complaint will be passed to our Customer Relations department, who act with the full authority of our Chief Executive.

    Your complaint will be acknowledged upon receipt – telling you who will be managing your complaint and how long we expect this to take. Once their investigations are complete a final decision will be sent to you in writing.

    The address of our Customer Relations team is:

    Customer Relations
    Esure
    The Observatory
    Reigate
    Surrey
    RH2 0SG

    If after considering our final response you are still dissatisfied, or on the rare occasion that a final decision hasn’t been sent to you within eight weeks, you have the right to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. They are an independent body that arbitrates on complaints about general insurance products and other financial services. They can be contacted at:

    The Financial Ombudsman Service
    South Quay Plaza
    183 Marsh Wall
    London
    E14 9SR
    Tel: 0300 1239 123 or 0800 0 234 567
    email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk

    The Financial Ombudsman Service will handle most complaints you might have but there are some instances that fall outside of their authority. 

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

    Once your purchase is complete you will be sent an email to let you know how to access your policy documents. This email is confirmation of your cover, and will display your policy number and cover start date. The Policy Booklet is also available online.

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32. How can I renew my policy?

    Approximately 4 weeks before your annual policy expires, we'll send you a renewal invitation by post which will give details of how to renew. However, you can still renew your policy in advance of receiving your renewal invitation from 6 weeks before your renewal date. To do this please call us on 0845 604 3562 (office hours: Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday 8am to 7pm and Sunday 9am to 5pm).

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33. Can I renew my policy on this website?

    Unfortunately, we don't currently offer the facility of renewing your annual travel insurance online. Instead call us on 0845 604 3562.

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