You may have gotten insurance for something like your vehicle for instance and you decided to not drive it anymore. It may be due to shifting to another country, state, etc. which does not need car insurance.
The car may need to be sold. For this, you will want to cancel the insurance. If you got it for your property and are selling it, you may want a refund. It depends on the circumstances.
Different insurance companies may have different policies concerning a refund. The following aims to tell you generally what the minimal requirements are to get a refund.
Cancellation Provision Clause
This clause tends to be a provision within an insurance policy that allows an insurer to cancel an insurance policy before its expiration date.
You need to know that life insurance ones do not have cancellation clauses. Health insurance ones do have cancellation clauses but the clause will not let the insurer cancel the policy.
You need to carefully understand the insurance policy for anything to be sure that you know of all the rules present.
When are you asking for a refund?
Some insurers have cancellation fees that need to be paid. The amount depends on the company that you are insured with, the amount you pay and the amount of time the policy has been present prior to you finishing it. If for instance you have decided to keep your car safe with cable seals and want to cancel insurance, do this as soon as possible.
If you cancel early then there will not be any add-ons that you will be refunded for, like breakdown cover. No claims discount present for that time will be missed as well.
Cooling-off period
The cooling-off period refers to the time immediately succeeding purchase. It is the time that you are allowed to alter your mind concerning purchasing the policy.
Insurers need to give at least a 14-day cooling-off period. At this time, you can cancel it. It begins when you get the documents, or at the time that the cover starts.
However, the insurer can apply a fee that will handle the expense of administration. This will not be as much as you have to pay after the cooling-off time.
Certain insurers let you have a longer cooling-off period. Therefore, check this carefully before selecting any policy.
What insurers may refund
Once again it depends on the insurer. Insurers often will not refund say the last two months of your premiums. If you have not decided on any claims, this will even lead to you not receiving a claims bonus, particularly for that year.
When canceling in the middle of the year, you may receive around four months of your premiums back. The reason is that insurers fund the admin expenses with early months’ premiums. The insurer may need to update the local database concerning your cancellation.
Generally, you need to carefully understand the rules of the insurance company you are working with. Ask about their refund policy.
