ICOB 6.2 Cancellation rights and period
A retail customer has a right to cancel a non-investment insurance contract in accordance with ICOB 6.2, ICOB 6.3 and ICOB 6.4.
The period of cancellation is:
- (1)
30 days for a non-investment insurance contract that is a pure protection contract; and
- (2)
14 days for a general insurance contract.
Where the terms of an insurer's contract give a retail customer a longer period to cancel (that is, in excess of the 14 or 30 days specified), the insurer must disclose in the information about the right to cancel the differences between the retail customer's right under ICOB 6.2.1 R and the terms of the contract, which operate independently.
Where a contract is a mixed contract, that is, it has elements of both a general insurance contract and a pure protection contract, a 30 day cancellation period must apply.
The cancellation period in ICOB 6.2.2 R must begin on the later of:
- (1)
(for a non-investment insurance contract that is a pure protection contract) the day the retail customer is informed that the contract has been concluded; or
- (2)
(for a general insurance contract) the day of the conclusion of the contract; or
- (3)
the day on which the retail customer receives the contractual terms and conditions and information in accordance with ICOB 5.3.4 R, ICOB 5.3.6 R(1) or ICOB 5.3.8 R in a durable medium.
- (1)
Where ICOB 6.2.5 R(3) applies, an insurer is entitled to assume that documents have been received in accordance with generally accepted principles of law. That is:
- (a)
that provided the document is sent to the correct address or number, documents posted first class on business day 1 are received on business day 2;
- (b)
that a fax is received when sent, if an appropriate transmission report is generated by the transmitter's machine; and
- (c)
that an e-mail is received when sent.
- (a)
- (2)
The general assumptions in ICOB 6.2.6 G(1) can be contradicted by a retail customer. In such cases the burden would be on the retail customer to show that the evidence on which the insurer was relying was not correct. If the retail customer could show this then unless the insurer itself had information to suggest that this was not the case, the insurer should generally accept the retail customer's evidence.
The provisions in ICOB 6.2.5 R(3), under which time may run from the day on which the retail customer receives the contractual terms and conditions and information in accordance with ICOB 5.3.4 R, ICOB 5.3.6 R(1) or ICOB 5.3.8 R, as applicable, would cover situations where:
- (1)
the contract has been concluded by a means of distance communication by which the contractual information could not reasonably have been provided prior to the conclusion of the contract in a durable medium (for example, by telephone) and is therefore provided subsequently; or
- (2)
the contract is not a distance contract and the retail customerhas not received the contractual terms and conditions in a durable medium before the conclusion of the contract.
If an insurer has provided information in accordance with ICOB 5.3.4 R, ICOB 5.3.6 R(1) or ICOB 5.3.8 R in a durable medium, it need not accept a notice of cancellation if it is served later than the period specified for that contract.
If a firm does not give a retail customer information about his cancellation rights in a durable medium in accordance with ICOB 5.3.12 R, the contract is cancellable.