current account - purchase protection insurance policy

At cahoot, we aim to provide our customers with comprehensive cover and exceptional service at a fair price. But we think you will find being a cahoot customer offers you even more. Spending a few minutes reading this information should give you an idea of what you can expect from us.

cahoot purchase protection insurance provides free automatic cover for most purchased items(s) costing a total of £50 or more and purchased in the same transaction using your cahoot card. The most we will pay for all claims during the period of insurance is £3,500.The purchased items(s) are protected against loss, theft or accidental damage for a period of 90 days from the purchase date.

You will also find information on how to make a claim. As we know you'll want it sorted out quickly, we've kept the claims process simple and hassle-free.

This policy may only be relied on and enforced by the parties to it, that is you and us and shall not be directly or indirectly enforceable by any third party.

All communication will be in English. cahoot is able to provide literature in alternative formats. The formats available are:- Large print (as recommended by RNIB), Braille, Audio tape and PC disk. If you would like to register to receive correspondence in an alternative format please contact us for a 'Preferred Communication Request' form.

  1. Right of Cancellation

    1.1 We will let you cancel this cover at any time. If you cancel the cover within 14 days after you take out your debit or credit card, cover will be cancelled from the start date. If you make a claim for a purchase in this period, we may seek to recover the monies paid to you in settlement of the claim.

    1.2 To exercise your right to cancel your policy, please go to the secure zone and email us via 'contact us'.

    1.3. All cover under this policy will end when you cancel your card.

  2. Definitions


    Words which appear in this summary of cover in bold type have specific meanings which are explained below:

    card.
    The credit card or debit card issued in respect of the card account.

    cardholder.
    Any person who has been issued with a card.

    card account.
    The cahoot credit card account and/or cahoot current account maintained for the cardholder(s) by cahoot.

    card statement.
    The statement of account issued monthly for the card account, which includes details of all purchases made with the card.

    conditions of use.
    The terms governing the operation of a card account.These are issued by cahoot and amended from time to time.

    money.
    Current bank notes and coins, cheques, postal and money orders, postage stamps that are not part of a stamp collection, savings stamps and savings certificates, phone cards, luncheon vouchers, travellers cheques, travel tickets, premium bonds, pre-paid tickets and gift vouchers.

    motor vehicles.
    Any electrically or mechanically powered vehicles (including motorcycles, toys and models). This does not include:

    1. any electrically or mechanically powered wheelchairs or gardening machinery;
    2. any electrically or mechanically powered toys, models or golf trolleys which are controlled by someone on foot.

    period of insurance.
    The period from the start date to the date the card account is terminated (see 'when the cover ends' in section 6).

    purchase date.
    The date shown on either the card statement, sales voucher or store receipt, whichever is the earliest.

    purchased item(s).
    A single item or a number of items which total £50 or more and purchased in the same transaction and which are bought after the start date by you. The items purchased may be for your own use or as a gift for another person, excluding:

    • jewellery and watches in baggage unless carried by hand and under your personal supervision.
    • money.
    • animals or plants.
    • perishable goods.
    • second-hand goods.
    • goods purchased for business purposes.
    • motor vehicles, caravans, trailers, aircraft, hovercraft, watercraft (other than hand-propelled) or parts and accessories on or in any of them.
    • goods or items delivered by mail or courier until received by you.

    same transaction.
    Goods purchased at the same time and charged to the card account as a single transaction.

    start date
    The date upon which cahoot approves the application for the card account.

    you, your.
    A cardholder who is eligible for this cover (see the section below on 'eligibility').

    we, us, our.
    CGU underwriting Limited.

  3. Eligibility


    To be eligible for cover, you must be resident in the UK and Isle of Man at the start date and be so continuously throughout the period of insurance.

    After the start date, you will continue to be insured under this cover when you use your card to pay for the purchased item(s) in any period of insurance (up to a maximum of £3,500) until the cover has ended (see 'when the cover ends' in section 6).

  4. We will pay

    For loss, theft of or accidental damage to the purchased item(s) which occurs within 90 days of the purchase date, we will, at our option, pay either:

    1. the cost of repair; or
    2. the cost of replacement; or
    3. credit your card account based on the cost of repair or replacement.

    The most we will pay is the purchase price of the purchased item(s) shown on your card statement or the store receipt and is subject to a maximum of £3,500 in any one period of insurance (regardless of the number of cardholders ).

    Subject to the limits above, items belonging to a set or pair will be covered up to the purchase price of the set or pair, provided that the purchased item(s) cannot be used separately and cannot be replaced individually.

    Where your card has been used as partial payment for goods, we will pay up to the amount charged to the card account as shown on your card statement.

    This cover is only for supplementary insurance with respect to goods not covered either in part or in full under any other policy. Where the purchased item(s) are only partially covered or if valid claims made under any other policy are subject to an excess, we will pay the difference or the excess under this cover. Where the purchased item(s) are bought, lost, stolen or damaged outside the UK, we reserve the right to refuse to pay a claim under this cover unless we have received satisfactory evidence of loss, theft and/or damage.

  5. What we will not pay

      The policy excludes:
    • failure or inability of any equipment or any computer program to recognise or correctly to interpret or process any date as the true or correct date or to continue to function correctly beyond that date. This shall not exclude any resulting loss or damage otherwise insured by this policy.
    • theft from any unattended vehicle unless the purchased item(s) were hidden from view:
      - in a fully enclosed boot
      - under a factory-fitted cover/parcel shelf
      - or in a glove box and all windows and the sun roof were securely closed and the doors and boot locked.
    • radiation, contamination or the radioactive effect of any nuclear fuel or its components.
    • atmospheric or weather conditions, including the action of light.
    • pollution or contamination unless caused by
      - a sudden, unforeseen and identifiable accident.
      - leakage of oil from any fixed heating installation within your home.
    • flood and earthquake.
    • sonic bangs or pressure waves caused by aircraft and other aerial devices.
    • war risks, including war, invasion, act of foreign enemy hostilities (whether war be declared or not), civil war, rebellion, revolution or military or usurped power.
    • loss/damage/theft that occurs more than 90 days from the purchase date.
    • theft, malicious damage or loss away from the home, unless it is reported to the police.
    • loss of the purchased item(s) which is not reasonably explained by you.
    • normal wear and tear.
    • inherent product defect.
    • insects, vermin (including squirrels), fungus or rust.
    • pets.
    • electrical or mechanical breakdown of the purchased item(s).
    • the taking apart, maintenance of, cleaning, restoring, dyeing or repair of the purchased item(s).
    • physical abuse of the purchased item(s) by you or a person living in your home.

    There shall be no payment under this cover due to loss of or damage to any property due to it being confiscated, seized or destroyed by order of any government, public or local authority.

  6. When the cover ends

    The cover will end when any one of the following happens:

    • your death.
    • the card account is terminated by you.
    • the termination by cahoot of your rights under the conditions of use and/or the withdrawal of the card from you by cahoot.
    • cahoot advises you that your cover has ended.

  7. Making a claim

    You will immediately need to complete a claim form, which can be obtained by contacting cahoot via "account manager" through the secure website or telephone 0870 607 0829.

    Please return the claim form and a copy of your sales voucher or card statement to:
    cahoot,
    PO Box 254,
    1 New Augustus Street,
    Bradford, BD1 5LL.

    Your claim must have been received within 90 days of the incident occurring. If it is not, we will not pay your claim. Should you need any help in completing your claim form please do not hesitate to contact cahoot on 0870 607 0829.

  8. Settling a claim

    So that we can settle your claim, we ask you :
    - to give us all the necessary information and help we need.
    - to forward to us, unanswered, every writ, summons or other communication in connection with the claim as soon as you receive it.
    - not to admit liability or to offer or negotiate any payment of claim unless we say you can. The payment of claims is dependent on your recognition of our right to do the following at our own expense:
    - to take over or investigate and conduct in your name any negotiations or legal action in connection with the claim under this cover.
    - to take any necessary proceedings to recover any payment made under the terms and conditions of this cover, for our own benefit..

    If we accept a claim but cannot agree on how much we will pay, the claim can be referred to an independent arbitrator. This does not affect your right to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

    If we choose to settle the claim by paying cash we will forward reimbursement due to you. We do, however, reserve the right to make the cheque payable to the store from which the goods were purchased.

  9. General conditions

    You must take all reasonable steps to safeguard purchased item(s) against loss, theft or damage. If you do not keep to the terms and conditions of this cover, you will not be entitled to make a claim.

    Any loss, including theft, must be reported to the police immediately.

    If you make a false, fraudulent or exaggerated claim, or you give us false information, we will not pay the claim and your cover will end. We will have the right to recover any payment already made.

    This cover shall only become operative where the loss and/or damage to the purchased item(s) is not covered under any other policy of insurance.

    If a claim is made, you must transfer the ownership of the purchased item(s) to us if asked to do so.

    Your cover may be amended from time to time. In such circumstances we will give you 30 days' notice of any changes to your insurance cover.

    This cover does not acquire a surrender value and the rights under this cover cannot be transferred to anyone else. This cover may be cancelled by us by giving you 30 days' notice. We will tell you about any change by email, through the cahoot secure web site or by post.

    The parties to a contract of insurance covering a risk in the UK are allowed to choose the law applicable to the contract. In the absence of any written agreement to the contrary the law applicable to this contract and our relationship with you will be that applying in the country where you usually live, where this is within the UK, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Otherwise English law will apply.

    To help us improve our service we may record or monitor telephone calls.

  10. Our promise of service

    At cahoot our aim is to give you the highest standards of service and to meet any claims under this cover, honestly, fairly and promptly.

    However, if you feel that we have not met these standards, we want to know. Please send your complaint to us via contact us. Alternatively call us on 0870 6000 655, or write to us at:

    Customer Relations,
    cahoot,
    Friars House,
    Warwick Road,
    Coventry,
    CV1 2TE.

    Most problems are resolved at this stage. However, if you are still not satisfied with the way in which cahoot has dealt with your complaint, you should refer your case to:

    The Manager, Secretariat,
    Abbey National plc,
    PO BOX 911,
    Central Milton Keynes,
    MK9 1AD.

    If Secretariat cannot resolve your complaint, you should refer your case to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Please note, however, that the Financial Ombudsman Service will not consider your complaint until our internal complaints procedures have been exhausted. The address is

    The Financial Ombudsman Service,
    South Quay Plaza,
    183 Marsh Wall,
    London,
    E14 9SR.
    Tel: 08457 080 1800

    Alternatively, if your complaint is about the terms and conditions of this cover, we will refer your complaint to the insurer who will advise you what action is being taken and what options are available to you if your complaint cannot be resolved.

    The insurer is:
    CGU Underwriting Limited,
    PO Box 298,
    Bradford, BD1 5YQ.

    You can also write to:
    The Financial Ombudsman Service,
    South Quay Plaza,
    183 Marsh Wall,
    London,
    E14 9SR.
    08457 080 1800

    Please do not contact the Financial Ombudsman until you have followed the complaints procedure, as they will not consider your complaint until our procedures have been exhausted. None of the above affects any rights you may have to take legal action against cahoot or the insurer.

    cahoot will pass your information to the insurer for the purposes of administering your policy and processing any claim(s) which you may make. The insurer may contact you from time to time to keep you informed of other products and services in which you might be interested. cahoot may also share your information with Abbey National Group companies to advise you of any products or services that may be of interest to you.

    This is an important document and should be kept in a safe place, but THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT A POLICY OR CONTRACT OF INSURANCE. The policy is on file at the offices of CGU Underwriting Limited, copies of which are available on request.

    cahoot is a division of Abbey National plc. Abbey National plc, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority only advises on its own Life Assurance, Pension, Mortgage, and Collective Investment Scheme products and acts as an Insurance Intermediary for General Insurance. Registered Office: Abbey National House, 2 Triton Square, Regent's Place, London NW1 3AN. Registered in England. Reg No 2294747.

    Your insurers are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme ("FSCS"). You may be entitled to compensation from the scheme if they cannot meet their obligations. This depends on the type of business and the circumstances of the claim. Insurance advising and arranging is covered for 100% of the first £2,000 and 90% of the remainder of the claim, without any upper limit. Further information about compensation scheme arrangements is available from the FSCS.

    CGU Underwriting Limited, Registered in England and Wales.

    94405 Registered office:
    St Helens,
    1 Undershaft,
    London, EC3P 3DQ.
    A member of the Aviva group. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Sevices Authority.

    cahoot is a division of Abbey National plc. Abbey National plc. Registered Office: Abbey National House, 2 Triton Square, Regent’s Place, London, NW1 3AN, United Kingdom. Registered Number 2294747. Registered in England. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. FSA registration number 106054. www.fsa.gov.uk/register. cahoot and Abbey are registered trademarks.

    Abbey National plc advises on mortgages, a limited range of life assurance, pension and collective investment scheme products and acts as an insurance intermediary for general insurance

a division of Abbey National plc