Terms of Business

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR ZURICH CUSTOMERS

Zurich Insurance Europe AG (Zurich), previously called Zurich Insurance plc, is a non-life insurance company and is part of the Zurich Insurance Group. Zurich recently relocated its head office from Ireland to Germany. Registered in Frankfurt, Germany (reg no 133359) with its registered seat at Platz der Einheit 2, 60327, Frankfurt A.M. Registered in Ireland as a branch (reg no 910127) with registered branch office at Zurich House, Frascati Road, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, A94X9Y3. Zurich Insurance Europe AG is authorised by the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) in Germany and is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland for consumer protection rules. BaFin's website is www.bafin.de.
Registered in Ireland for Value Added Tax (VAT), registration no. IE9F55841D. Zurich is a member of Insurance Ireland and subscribes to its voluntary code of conduct. Zurich is subject to a number of Codes of Conduct published by the Central Bank of Ireland including the Consumer Protection Code and the Minimum Competency Code and these can be found on its website at www.centralbank.ie. Further information regarding the move can be found at https://www.zurich.com/zip/head-office-move.

Quotation Period: 

Quotes are valid for a period of 30 days for home, van and farm protection, and 7 days for private car insurance.

Cooling-off Period - Right of Withdrawal

As a consumer you have the right to withdraw from any Zurich policy within 14 working days of the latest of the date of inception of cover, or the date on which you receive your policy schedule, without penalty and without any reason being required. The right of withdrawal may be exercised by notice in writing to Zurich, quoting your policy number. In relation to motor vehicle insurance a notice of cancellation is not properly given unless the relevant certificates of insurance and insurance disc have been surrendered to Zurich.

Should the right be exercised, Zurich will charge a pro-rata premium for the period you are on cover.

Main Characteristics of the policy

The main characteristics of your (the consumer's) insurance policy are, as explained to you and as set out in your policy terms and conditions which you have been given and which are available on request from Zurich.

Period of insurance

Subject to cancellation, the period of insurance in respect of any policy held with Zurich will be the period specified by Zurich as such in the policy schedule and/or renewal notice.

What will happen if I want to cancel my policy?

You (the Consumer) can cancel your policy at any time by writing to us. We will cancel the policy on the date we receive your request in writing. In the case of motor insurance, we will cancel your policy from the date we receive the relevant certificate and disc of motor insurance. Please note that if you should cancel your policy (outside the Cooling-off Period referenced above) a cancellation fee of €25 will apply for home insurance. If you should cancel your policy within the first year of insurance (outside the Cooling off Period referenced above), a cancellation fee of €25 will apply for private car insurance and €75 for van.

What will happen if Zurich cancel my policy?

Where Zurich notifies you that it is cancelling your Policy in accordance with the Policy terms, Zurich will repay the balance of the premium for the unexpired term of the Policy without imposing any financial cost on you and provide you the reason or reasons for the cancellation.

Will I receive a refund after I cancel my policy?

Provided that no incident giving rise to a claim has occurred in the current period of insurance, you will be entitled to a proportionate return of the premium for the unexpired period of insurance. Where it applies, we will deduct an administration charge from any return of premium.

Payment options

An instalment payment facility may be available. Please contact Zurich or your Broker for further details. Payment can also be made by credit or debit card or by cheque, postal order or bank draft.

If you choose to pay on Zurich's instalment plan a service charge is applied. Zurich payment method history also impacts future pricing, so payment by instalments is likely to lead to a higher premium at your next renewal.

What happens if I miss an instalment payment?

If you pay your premium by instalments, we may cancel the policy if you miss a payment. We will write to you, allowing 21 days to make the payment before the policy is cancelled.

Zurich reserves the right to charge a €20.00 transactional fee to customers in the event of a default on your direct debit payments. This will be collected with your next payment on the policy.

What happens if I make a claim?

In the event you need to make a claim for loss or damage, please let us know immediately by calling our 24/7 Emergency Helpline 0818 208 408. Terms and conditions may apply and these will be fully explained to you by your claims handler.

Please note that an excess may apply to your claim, an excess is the first part of the claim for which you are liable to pay. For further details please check your policy document or contact your claims handler.

Property Damage

Our priority is to provide financial support to customers throughout the claim process to ensure any repair/ reinstatement work is completed as quickly as possible. In the event of a property claim, we may (a) release a proportion of the estimated cost of repair/reinstatement prior to completion of the work (b) pay the balance (otherwise known as the retained amount) to you on completion of the work and on receipt of appropriate documentation validating the costs incurred by you for the repair/reinstatement work (including VAT invoices). The retained amount will not exceed:

(i) 5 per cent of the claim settlement amount in a case in which the claim settlement amount is less than €40,000; or
(ii) 10 per cent of the claim settlement amount in a case in which the claim settlement amount is €40,000 or more.

Conflict of Interest

Zurich has procedures in place to avoid conflicts of interest and, when they cannot be avoided, we will fully disclose the potential conflict and ensure that customers are treated fairly.

Complaints Procedures

At Zurich, we care about our customers and believe in building long-term relationships by providing quality products combined with a high standard of service.

If it should happen that you have cause for complaint, either in relation to your policy, claim or any aspect regarding the standard of our service, please see the steps outlined below.

• If you have arranged your policy with Zurich through a Broker, you should firstly direct your complaint to the Broker with whom you arranged your policy. If your complaint is not resolved by your broker, you can get in touch with us directly by contacting the Customer Services Co-ordinator, Zurich Insurance Europe AG, PO Box 78, Wexford. Telephone (01) 667 0666. Email customersupport@zurich.ie.
• If you deal with us directly, you should contact the Customer Services Co-ordinator, Zurich Insurance Europe AG, PO Box 78, Wexford. Telephone (01) 667 0666. Email customersupport@zurich.ie. If your complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may avail of your right to refer the matter to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman:
• Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman, Lincoln House, Lincoln Place, Dublin 2, D02 VH29. Telephone: (01) 567 7000. Email: info@fspo.ie. Website: www.fspo.ie.

Your right to take legal action is not affected by following any of the above procedures.

Governing Law

The laws of Ireland will apply to your policy and the Irish courts will have jurisdiction to hear any disputes regarding your policy, unless otherwise stated on your proposal form and/or your statement of fact or in your policy terms and conditions.

Language

The Zurich policy and all communications in respect of the policy will be in English.

Please consult your policy document, and/or schedule for full policy terms and conditions which you have been given and which is available on request from Zurich. If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact Zurich on 01 667 0666 or 0818 400 700. Please note Zurich may record phone calls for training and security purposes and to ensure the highest level of customer service.

Premium Alterations

If an alteration to the policy results in an additional premium due to the Insurer or a refund premium due to the Insured, we will only charge or refund such premium provided the amount involved is greater than or equal to €10. The following fees may be incurred if you are making changes to your insurance:

• Temporary Additional Drivers - €25.50 minimum administration fee
• Temporary Substitution - €25.50 administration fee if the temporary car is not like for like
• Duplicate Documents – no charge

Explanatory Note

All references made to Zurich refer to Zurich Insurance Europe AG.

Data Protection

This notice gives a brief summary of what Zurich, may do with your personal information. The information that you provide, or others provide about you, (‘data’) will be used for the administration of your policy and/or any claims made on the policy within the Zurich Insurance Group and our partners inside and outside the European Economic Area. We may share your data with our agents and service providers, members of the Zurich Insurance Group, other insurers and their agents, with any intermediary acting for you and with certain regulatory bodies. Data is at all times treated as confidential and the appropriate measures are taken to ensure it is secure. There is more detailed information contained in your Data Protection Notice and Insurance Policy Documents. Please read these carefully. Please also see our full Privacy Policy available on www.zurich.ie/privacy-policy.