Terms and Conditions
You have entered into a contract of insurance with Inter Partner Assistance SA and a separate contract with Homeserve to arrange and administer the policy. This document represents the entire agreements of the parties on the matters in question, which will be subject to English Law and the parties submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.
Please read this document carefully, we do not wish you to discover after an incident has occurred that you are not insured. If you have any queries, please call Homeserve on 0800 073 1243.
DEFINITIONS RELATING TO THE INSURANCE AND ADMINISTRATION TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Certain words within your terms and conditions or your Policy Summary have a particular meaning, shown below. Each time we use one of these words it will have the same meaning:
1. You/your: the permanent occupier of the property as recorded on your policy documents and your spouse/partner and family who live with you.
2. Inter Partner Assistance SA/we/us/our: Inter Partner Assistance SA, The Quadrangle, 106-118 Station Road, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1PR, United Kingdom. Registered No. FC008998.
3. Homeserve: Homeserve GB Ltd, Cable Drive, Walsall, WS2 7BN, registered in England no. 2770612.
4. Property: The private dwelling, garage, domestic outbuildings (excluding sheds, greenhouses, and non-permanent structures) and garden all within the property boundary at the address shown on your policy documentation. It must be your permanent home and owned and solely occupied by you and your family as a private residence with no business use.
Flats, maisonettes, mobile homes, bedsits, and let and sub-let properties are not covered. Council and housing association tenants will not need this service.
5. Emergency/ies: sudden and unforeseen damage to the internal plumbing or drainage or underground external drains which immediately:
a) exposes you to a risk to your health; or
b) creates a risk of loss of or damage to the property or
c) makes the buildings uninhabitable.
6. Internal plumbing and/or drainage : the water pipework, water storage and drainage systems for which you have responsibility inside the buildings of your property.
7. Underground external drains: the drainage pipes and private sewers (shared drains) that serve your property and are within your property boundary but are not beneath or inside any building or outbuilding, and drainage pipes that solely serve your property and are outside your property boundary up to the junction with the main services where you have responsibility.
8. Uncontrollable emergency: an internal plumbing or drainage emergency where you are unable to temporarily stop the incident from causing further immediate damage within the home (i.e. by turning the water off, containing the leak or not using the affected facilities).
9. Emergency repair(s): repair work by a plumbing or drainage engineer authorised by Inter Partner Assistance SA to identify and/or eliminate the emergency.
10. Temporary reinstatement: the back-filling of any necessary excavation to leave the ground level. This does not include the reinstatement of hard or soft landscaping, such as drives, pathways, walls, flower beds or lawns.
COST OF COVER
1. The cost of cover is the total amount you pay as detailed in your policy documentation, which consists of the Arrangement and Administration Fee of £15.00 and the premium. The Arrangement and Administration Fee is the amount you pay for arranging and administering the cover, and the premium is the amount you pay for the insurance contract. These arrangements do not affect the amount that you pay for your cover or the service that you receive. References to “Plumbing and Drainage Cover” and “Cover” in all documents include services within both contracts.
2. Your policy premium will be reviewed upon renewal. Any claims made will also be considered within the review. Any amendments to the policy premium will be confirmed on your Policy Summary approximately 28 days before the expiry of your cover.
ADMINISTRATION TERMS AND CONDITIONS
This cover is arranged and administered for you by Homeserve GB Ltd, Cable Drive, Walsall, WS2 7BN.
1. Homeserve will arrange and administer your insurance cover and agree service standards for the delivery of the cover provided by the insurance. If the insurance does not provide the cover you need, you should return your Policy Summary to Homeserve at the FREEPOST address shown below (see number 9) within 28 days of the policy start date and your premium will be refunded in full, provided no claim has been made. Please note that your statutory cancellation rights, which run for 14 days, are included within this 28 day period.
2. This policy shall run for a period of 12 months commencing on the policy start date shown on your policy summary, under period of insurance. Please note, if you cancel outside of the 28 day cancellation period, regardless of whether a claim has been made, your premium will not be refunded.
3. The first 3 months of this policy is offered to you as a trial (the trial period). If you are not satisfied with this policy for any reason, then you may cancel it by informing Homeserve of your wish to cancel the policy at least 14 days prior to the end of the trial period.
4. If you do not cancel this policy during the trial period then the minimum period for which you may hold this policy is 12 months (including the trial period).
5. If you fail to make a payment on the due date, your policy will be suspended immediately and during this period you will not be covered. Homeserve will notify you in writing within 5 working days if you fail to make a payment. If you do not pay in full within 30 days of the due date, your policy will be cancelled. Any outstanding payments will be requested and upon receipt of cleared funds your cover will restart.
6. Homeserve reserve the right to cancel this policy by giving you at least 7 days notice at your last known address. If Homeserve cancel the policy, Homeserve will refund your premium for the remainder of the current policy period shown on your Policy Summary, unless a claim has been made.
7. Homeserve will contact you in writing before your policy expires to arrange renewal of your policy. Homeserve also reserve the right to refuse renewal of any individual Homeserve policy.
8. You are responsible for informing Homeserve of a change of your address so that cover can be transferred to your new property. Please phone 0800 073 1243 to advise us of your new address or write to the FREEPOST address shown below (see number 9).
9. If you have a complaint relating to an administrative matter, please phone 0800 073 1243 or write to Freepost RLYC-LXAL-GEEH, Customer Relations Department, Homeserve, Walsall, WS2 7BN. In the unlikely event that you are not satisfied with the response from Homeserve, you can ask us for details of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).
INSURANCE TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The insurance is underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance SA who are a wholly owned subsidiary of AXA Assistance SA and part of the worldwide AXA Group.
Inter Partner Assistance SA is authorised by the Commission Bancaire, Financière et des Assurances (CBFA) in Belgium (their regulatory arm) and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) here in the UK.
What is covered?
Section A – Internal plumbing or drainage
1. If you suffer an emergency relating to your internal plumbing or drainage at the address on your terms and conditions, you should call us on the 24 Hour Claims Number on your Policy Summary. We will then:
a) advise you of how to protect yourself and the property immediately while awaiting assistance;
b) organise and pay up to £1,000 (including VAT) on your behalf for an approved plumbing or drainage engineer to carry out the emergency repairs that are immediately necessary to:
(i) protect you against risk to your health;
(ii) make the buildings of the property safe and habitable.
Section B – Underground external drains
1. If you suffer a leakage or blockage in your underground external drains, you should call us on the 24 Hour Claims Number on your Policy Summary. We will then organise and pay up to £2,000 (including VAT) for an approved drainage engineer to unblock or repair or replace the damaged section of drain in order for us to resolve the immediate emergency including temporary reinstatement to leave the drain running clear.
2. Our liability to pay for such repairs applies: (a) to drains and private sewers within the property boundary and up to the point at which the pipes enter or go under your home; (b) to drains on private land outside your property boundary and up to the public highway (where you have sole responsibility and a legal right of access) and (c) to drains in the public highway, where you have sole responsibility.
3. Drains/sewers and water supply pipes within and under your home and outbuildings and soil vent pipes on your property are covered under Section A only.
Section C - Hotel accommodation
1. In the event that your home is uninhabitable for 48 hours or more as a result of an event covered under Section A or B and no alternative accommodation is available, we will reimburse hotel costs of up to £200 (including VAT).
The following applies to Section A and Section B:
1. There can be a maximum of 2 claims under Section A (internal plumbing or drainage) and a maximum of 2 claims under Section B (underground external drains) within the period of insurance stated on your Policy Summary.
2. In the event of an emergency, covered under Sections A or B, we will carry out an emergency repair. We will not cover any other repair work that may be required in addition to the emergency repair, such as: repairs required to avoid the problem re-occurring; or to ensure your plumbing and drainage system is restored to an adequate functional standard for ongoing use; or any normal day-to-day maintenance work. For example, a blocked drain will be left running clear so as to alleviate the immediate emergency but if the drain is required to be re-aligned to avoid the problem re-occurring, this is not covered; a leaking water tank will be drained to alleviate the emergency of water escaping through the home but the leaking tank will not be replaced.
3. In the event of an uncontrollable emergency within your home, if an approved engineer does not arrive at your property within two hours of notification, Homeserve will refund your policy premium in full. If you feel that this applies to a claim you have made under this policy you should call Homeserve on 0800 073 1243 or write to Freepost RLYC-LXAL-GEEH, Customer Relations Department, Homeserve, Cable Drive, Walsall, WS2 7BN.
4. The cover limits stated in Sections A and B include the cost of call-out, labour, materials and VAT. The maximum amount we will pay under more than one section of this policy, arising from any one event is £2,000 including VAT. This excludes any hotel accommodation payments.
5. All permanent repairs are guaranteed for as long as you choose to remain a Homeserve plumbing customer. A permanent repair is only carried out if it’s as cost effective as an emergency repair.
General Conditions:
1. Claims must be made via the 24 hour claims number by you or a person calling on your behalf at the time of the emergency. We will not cover the costs of work carried out by contractors not authorised by us in advance.
2. In order for us to verify your cover, when calling, please have your policy number ready to quote. The engineer may also ask you to produce your policy summary when they arrive at your property.
3. This policy is for homeowners only. Retail, commercial and other premises used for business are not eligible for this cover.
4. If any loss, damage or expense covered under this policy is also covered by any other insurance or maintenance contract, you must provide us with full details of the other contract. We will not pay more than our fair share (rateable proportion) of any claim.
5. You must co-operate with us in obtaining reimbursement of any costs we incur under the terms of this cover, which may have been caused by the action of a third party, against whom you have a legal right of action.
6. Details of you, your insurance cover and claims will be held by us for underwriting, processing, claims handling and fraud prevention subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998.
7. We may change any of the terms upon which we provide this insurance to you, including the underwriting risks, the level of cover, or any other term whatsoever. Where this change benefits you, we will make the change immediately and notify you of the change within 28 days. In all other cases we will write to advise you of the change at least 28 days prior to any change taking effect.
What is not covered?
1. Inter Partner Assistance SA provides the services and benefits described in these terms and conditions for the period of insurance shown on your Policy Summary. But there are conditions and exclusions, which limit your cover. Please read them carefully to ensure this policy meets your needs.
Exclusions
1. The following are excluded from cover:
a) repairs to your underground water supply pipe outside any building or outbuilding (your water company may provide this service subject to their terms and conditions and you should refer to them for details);
b) any water tap which requires re-washering;
c) temporarily frozen pipes which have not resulted in confirmed damage;
d) external guttering, rainwater downpipes, rainwater drains and soakaways;
e) incidents related to water flowing externally out of any overflow pipes;
f) a leaking central heating radiator, where you are able to turn off the radiator and stop the leak;
g) showers including the shower unit, controls, outlet or shower head;
h) ground, air and water source heat pump systems;
i) no water or hot water from your hot water taps;
j) domestic appliances and their associated pipework e.g washing machines, dishwashers, waste diposal units etc;
k) swimming pools or decorative features including ponds, fountains and any associated pipes, valves or pumps;
l) cesspits, septic tanks and any outflow pipes;
m) vacuum drainage systems;
n) shared drainage facilities (sewers) outside the property boundary;
o) drains and sewers that do not serve your property and for which you do not have responsibility;
p) any replacement costs of pumps, water tanks, radiators, thermostatic radiator valves, cylinders, sanitary ware (e.g. basins and toilet bowls), water softeners, waste disposal units, macerators or any central heating component (e.g. motorised valves, boiler parts etc.);
q) drain clearance where you have previously been advised of the need to install access points (e.g. rodding eye, manhole etc) at your cost;
r) all pipework, pumps, panels and controls linked to solar panel heating and air conditioning units.
2. Inter Partner Assistance SA shall not be liable for:
a) any item not forming part of the internal plumbing or drainage and/or the underground external drains;
b) any event arising from circumstances known to you before the insurance began;
c) any loss in the event of damage occurring where the property has remained unoccupied for 60 or more consecutive days;
d) loss or damage arising as a result of disconnection from or interruption to the gas, electricity or water mains services to the property;
e) normal day-to-day maintenance of the internal plumbing and drainage, or the underground external drains at your property, for which you are responsible;
f) the replacement of items that wear out over a period of time;
g) like for like replacements of parts, for example mixer taps, spray attachments, plug hole strainers, fittings etc, necessary in repairing or remedying the emergency of the internal plumbing or drainage facilities unless an alternative is supplied by you at the time of our engineer’s visit;
h) the restoration of any fixtures or fittings (e.g. fitted units, special floor coverings such as wood block or ceramic tiles etc) removed in the process of conducting the emergency repair;
i) any fixtures including lead piping where replacement is only necessary as a result of legislation or health and safety guidelines, or to meet current best practice;
j) systems which have not been installed, serviced or maintained in accordance with established practice or manufacturer’s instructions;
k) damage caused to the property and/or its contents whilst completing a repair will not be reinstated to the original condition. The engineer will advise if any damage is likely to occur;
l) any defect, damage or breakdown caused by malicious or wilful action, negligence, misuse, or third party interference including any attempted repair or modification to the internal plumbing or drainage services, and/or underground external drains which does not comply with recognised industry standards;
m) any liability for consequential loss whether as a result of a defect or malfunction of the internal plumbing or drainage , and/or underground external drains, or arising from any goods, services, arrangements or advice provided by us or any agents acting on our behalf, unless through our or their negligence;
n) costs incurred where you have been informed of the need to complete permanent repairs to avoid emergencies;
o) any investigative work (such as CCTV), where the immediate emergency has been resolved;
p) any part of the internal plumbing or drainage and/or underground external drains which is too difficult to access safely, e.g. where asbestos is present;
q) any costs above the limits of cover. You are responsible for agreeing and settling these costs directly with the engineer;
r) any loss arising from subsidence, heave of the site or landslip caused by:
i) bedding down of new structures;
ii) demolition or structural repairs or alterations to the property;
iii) faulty workmanship or the use of defective materials;
iv) river or coastal erosion;
s) any defect, loss or damage occasioned by fire, lightening, explosion, tempest, flood, earthquake, impact or other extraneous causes;
t) any loss or damage arising as a consequence of:
i) war, invasion, act of foreign enemies, terrorism, hostilities (whether war is declared or not), civil war, rebellion, revolution, insurrection, coup, riot or civil disturbance;
ii) ionising radiation or contamination by radioactivity from any nuclear fuel or from any nuclear waste from combustion of nuclear fuel, the radioactive toxic explosive or other hazardous properties of any explosive nuclear assembly or its nuclear component.
Inter Partner Assistance SA - a promise of service
We wish to provide you with a high standard of service. Very occasionally we receive complaints which we investigate at once, and every effort is made to resolve them to your satisfaction. If you have a complaint please phone Homeserve on 0800 073 1243 or write to FREEPOST RLYC-LXAL-GEEH, Customer Relations Department, Homeserve, Cable Drive, Walsalll, WS2 7BN.
If your complaint relates to the service you experienced as a result of a claim, and you feel that the matter has not been resolved satisfactorily, you may escalate your complaint to the General Manager of Inter Partner Assistance SA, The Quadrangle, 106-118 Station Road, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1PR. In the unlikely event that you are not satisfied with the response from Inter Partner Assistance SA, you can ask us for details of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).
Insured Address to which this cover applies:
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If any details are incorrect, please call the admin telephone number
This information can be supplied in Large Print, Braille or Audio on request
