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Blackbox insurance or telematics as it can also be known has some specific features which makes it different from a standard insurance policy. This guide provides you with information about Brightside Blackbox Insurance to assist you in making an informed decision about whether the product is right for you and your circumstances.
Section 1 – Brightside Blackbox insurance – what is it?
Section 2 – What you need to think about
Section 3 – Event Fees and Charges
Section 4 – Cancellation Costs
Section 5 – How your data is used
Brightside Blackbox Insurance is the name for our telematics offering. Telematics Insurance uses data from a small blackbox we call a device, which must be fitted to your vehicle within 7 days of the start date of your policy. The device records driving behaviour and the information collected is analysed to understand driving and aptitude on the road, which can translate to more accurate insurance premiums.
When you purchase a Brightside Blackbox Insurance policy a discount is included within the price of your policy on the assumption that you and any named drivers will drive in accordance with the agreed driving behaviours.
If you and any named drivers drive in accordance with the agreed speed limits, don’t exceed the disclosed mileage and keep your vehicle at the address you disclosed then Brightside Blackbox Insurance could work out cheaper than a standard (non-telematics) policy. If you don’t you will incur additional fees and charges which could make the policy more expensive.
You must inform anyone that is insured to drive your vehicle that it is fitted with a blackbox device that will collect and transmit data about how your vehicle is driven and used. This is important as you will be liable for the driving behaviour of named drivers and their poor driving behaviour could result in you having to pay additional fees or charges or in the worst case scenario the cancellation of your policy.
There are some key things you need to think about when considering Brightside Blackbox Insurance:
You will need to have a device fitted to your vehicle – this will need to be done within 7 days of the start date of your policy. Failure to make your vehicle available for device fitting will result in your policy being cancelled.
Your Driving Style – You should consider how likely it is that you and any named driver will drive within the agreed behaviours, as failure to do so will result in additional fees and charges.
Your Financial Situation – In the event that you incur additional fees and charges you need to consider if you afford to pay them. Failure to pay any fees and charges incurred will result in the cancellation of your policy.
Are you likely to go over your mileage limits – Your mileage will be monitored by the device and if your predicted mileage is higher than the mileage you declared, an additional premium will be payable along with our admin fee. So if you have any driving holidays planned then you will need to take this into consideration.
How likely are you to change your vehicle during the policy term - If you change your vehicle you will have to pay for a new device to be fitted alongside any additional premium required for the new vehicle and our admin fee. In some circumstances the insurer may be unable to cover your new vehicle, in which case the policy will be cancelled and you will incur fees for cancellation.
If you decide to take out a Brightside Blackbox Insurance policy there are events that if recorded by your device will trigger additional fees and charges and / or result in the cancellation of your policy.
| Event | Insurer Charge | Brightside Admin Fee | Total |
Speeding Notification 1 Exceeding the prevailing speed limit by 50% | £112 (Including IPT) | £35 | £147 |
Speeding Notification 2 Exceeding the speed limit by 50% or more and you have had a Speeding Notification 1 event within the previous 60-day rolling window. | £224 (Including IPT) | £35 | £259 |
Mileage Your predicted mileage is higher than the number of miles declared at inception / renewal of the policy. | Additional premium will be payable for increased mileage. | £35 | Additional premium + £35 |
Postcode Your vehicle is not being regularly kept at the postcode declared when you purchased the policy. | Additional premium may be payable dependant on postcode. | £35 | Additional premium + £35 |
Unsuccessful device installation appointment | £50 | £0 | £50 |
Fitting a new device to a different vehicle | £115 (The insurer may also charge an additional premium for your new vehicle.) | £35 | £150 |
Removal of the device (optional) | £60 | £0 | £60 |
Tampering with the device | £100 | £0 | £100 |
| Event | Policy cancelled with 7 days’ notice? |
Deliberate tampering of the device | Yes – In addition to the £100 insurer fee detailed in the table above. |
Speeding Notification 3 Exceeding the speed limit by 50% or more and you have had a Speeding Notification 1 & 2 event within the previous 60-day rolling window. | Yes |
Event 100 Where you have exceeded 100 miles per hour | Yes |
If the policy is cancelled by yourself or by us, the cancellation charges are likely to be higher than a standard vehicle insurance policy. We may cancel the policy where there is valid reason to do so by sending at least 7 days’ notice. Valid reasons include, but are not limited to, the following:
| When | Insurer Charge | Brightside Fee (in addition to insurer charge) |
| Cancellation before cover begins (Device not fitted) | £0 | £0 |
| Cancellation before cover begins (Device fitted) | Device fee: £120 | £0 |
Cancellation in cooling off period (Device not fitted) |
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Cancellation in cooling off period (Device fitted) |
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Cancellation outside cooling off period (Device fitted) |
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If you cancel outside of the “cooling off period” (the first 14 days from the policy start date) the insurer will retain a percentage of the premium paid. This could mean that there is little or no refund following the charge for time on cover and the addition of our fees and charges for cancellation. The proportions of your premium that will be retained by the insurer on cancellation are:
| 14 days to 1 month on cover | 25% of total premium |
| Up to 2 months on cover | 40% |
| Up to 3 months on cover | 50% |
| Up to 4 months on cover | 65% |
| Up to 6 months on cover | 75% |
| Up to 8 months on cover | 90% |
| Over 8 months on cover | 100% |
Reclaimed Commission
When we arrange your insurance policy the insurer pays us a commission. If you cancel your insurance policy outside of the cooling off period (which is the first 14 days) the insurer will reclaim a proportion of that commission from us. We will deduct the amount of the reclaimed commission from any return premium owed to you, or add it to any outstanding balance due.
Your blackbox device acts in a similar way to your mobile phone whereby there is SIM card which sends your data to the insurer’s partners ITS who analyse how safely you’re driving. From the date the device is installed it will collect information including (but not limited to):
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This information will be used by the insurer to build up a profile of how, where and when your vehicle is driven and for the following purposes:
The insurer also uses this data for other purposes full details of which can be found in the policy wording. At the end of your insurance period, or if your policy is cancelled, the device will be de-activated and no further data collected. Please see the policy wording for full details of how the insurer will use your data.
So now you are aware of some of the key things you need to consider when make a decision about whether to purchase Brightside Blackbox insurance. Full details of the benefits and limitations of this policy can be found in the Policy Wording.
