Did you think Debenhams was just a retail outlet? Most people would recognise it as a high street brand, but what about Debenhams Insurance? Under this umbrella, it offers travel, car, pet, wedding, gadget and life insurance. In this guide, we will focus on travel, car, pet and gadget insurance. We’ll share reviews, contact numbers and information about the portal. Keep reading if you want to know more...
Debenhams Insurance
Debenhams personal finance services include insurance, credit card and travel money. As well as creating great shopping experiences for customers, the company started Debenhams Insurance to offer customers peace of mind from a brand they already know and trust. Its insurance policies are provided by external companies, but Debenhams manages the customer relationship at the beginning, and you can buy direct from its website or over the phone.
History of Debenhams Insurance
Debenhams has had a colourful history and has been a British icon for over 100 years. Originally operating stores across the UK, it has diversified over the years to include an online presence in both its retail offering and now personal finance, including insurance products.
Timeline
- 1788 - The company is formed by William Clark.
- 1813 - William Debenham becomes a partner and the company changes its name to Clark & Debenham.
- 1905 - The company is incorporated as Debenhams Limited.
- 1928 - It’s first listed on the London Stock Exchange.
- 1972 - Diversifies its business and buys supermarket group, Cater Brothers. It then goes on to modernise 40 food halls in its stores.
- 2003 - Debenhams opens its largest store in Birmingham.
- 2010 - Debenhams’s travel partner, ROCK Insurance Group, wins the Travel Trade Gazette's "Travel Service Provider of the Year 2010".
- 2016 - Debenhams announces that it will start to focus less on clothing and more on food, beauty products and gifts.
- 2019 - Debenhams goes into administration.
Debenhams Insurance today
The Debenhams of today looks nothing like the Debenhams of yesterday. As with most retailers, it has had to shift its sole focus from stores to include the online space in order to keep up with the changing times. The company went into administration in April 2019, which meant that its lenders took control. These are made up of high street banks and hedge funds.
Debenhams says that, for now, stores will continue to trade as normal. Its personal finance products (including insurance) will not be affected either as they are operated by external companies.
Debenhams personal finance: insurance
Under the Debenhams Personal Finance banner sits insurance, credit card and travel money services. Debenhams Insurance products offered are travel, car, pet, wedding, gadget and life insurance. This section will focus on travel, car, pet and gadget insurance.
Travel insurance
Debenhams travel insurance is arranged and administered by ROCK Insurance Group, and underwritten by Mapfre. It has two main types of travel insurance policies:
- Single trip - This will cover you for a single trip of up to 365 days.
- Annual multi-trip - You can take as many trips as you want throughout the year, but any individual trip must not exceed 60 days. You can choose Worldwide insurance, including or excluding the USA, Canada, Caribbean and Mexico.
Both the single trip and annual multi-trip policies are available to applicants up to and including the age of 75.
You receive a £5 Debenhams gift card when you take out a single trip policy and a £15 gift card when you purchase an annual multi-trip policy.
Debenhams includes a huge range of optional extras you can add to your travel insurance policy:
- Excess waiver - The excess is reduced to nil (except where stated). You must buy this at the time of purchasing your policy.
- Winter sports - Covers you and your equipment if you’re hitting the slopes.
- Sports and activities - Debenhams splits sports into three categories. Category A sports are covered automatically (e.g. snorkelling and tennis). You have the option of adding Category B cover (e.g. camel/elephant riding and bungee jumping) which also includes A. If that’s not enough excitement for you, then you can also add Category C cover (e.g. abseiling and paragliding), which includes all B and A sports too.
- Golf - If during your trip your equipment is lost or damaged you will be reimbursed for the cost of repair or value of your owned or hired golf equipment. You will also get loss of green fees if you have to return home early or the course is closed due to bad weather.
- Overseas wedding - Cover for loss, theft or damage of your wedding rings, attire, gifts, photos or video recordings. You’re also covered for additional costs of hiring a wedding photographer or videographer if your hired professional cannot attend.
- Cruise - Additional cover in case of missed port departure, cabin confinement, itinerary changes or unused excursions.
- Gadgets - Choose from three levels of cover which have varying claims limits and range from three to seven gadgets protected under a policy. You can add this for a maximum of 90 days on a single trip policy or 31 days for an annual multi-trip policy.
Find out more in our comprehensive Debenhams travel insurance guide (coming soon).
Car insurance
Debenhams Insurance offers third party, fire and theft, and comprehensive car insurance. Debenhams partners with the following policy providers:
Some of the highlights include:
- Overseas trips included when driving to countries in the European Union. You will be covered for up to 90 days away. Cover in Europe will usually only be third party cover.
- You will receive a courtesy car as standard if your car is being repaired (after an accident covered by your policy).
- Medical expenses of up to £100 are covered under a comprehensive policy.
There are also a whole host of optional extras you might like to add to your car insurance policy including:
- No claims discount protection
- Motor legal expenses
- Key cover
- Mis-fuel cover
- RAC Roadside & Recovery
- RAC Full UK Breakdown Cover
- RAC Full UK & EU Breakdown Cover
- Replacement vehicle hire
- Windscreen cover
You can find the different policy wording documents online. Read our comprehensive guide on Debenhams car insurance for more details (coming soon).
Gadget insurance
Gadgets insurance will protect your technology, such as phones and laptops. Debenhams Insurance has four different product types:
- Personal - best suited when insuring 1-3 gadgets.
- Student - covers your gadgets at home, university or travelling abroad for up to 90 days of the year.
- Business - covers gadgets owned by your company and used by any employee.
- Family gadget bundle - better value when covering all your family’s gadgets on one policy.
If you’re a new customer, you will benefit from a Debenhams gift card when you take out a gadget policy. You’ll receive a £5 gift card if you buy a personal, student or business policy and a £10 gift card if you take out the family gadget bundle policy.
Pet insurance
Owning a pet is rewarding but can be expensive. Debenhams pet insurance will cover you for events such as vet bills, third party liability and death by illness or accident.
You have four levels of cover to choose from ranging from least to most protection: Essential, Basic, Extra and Elite.
You will receive a Debenhams gift card worth up to £30 when you buy a policy, depending on which one you choose.
Debenhams Insurance contact numbers
You may need to get in contact with Debenhams if you’re an existing customer or considering buying an insurance policy. Here are the Debenhams Insurance contact numbers listed by product:
Travel insurance
General enquiries and quotes - 0343 658 0371 Claims - 0343 658 0374
Car insurance
General enquiries and quotes - 0344 840 6305 Claims - 0344 840 9506 Breakdown claims RAC - 0330 159 0453 Windscreen claims - 0190 423 4893
Gadget insurance
General enquiries and quotes - 0330 880 1733 Claims - 0330 880 1743
Pet insurance
General enquiries and quotes - 0333 234 0580 Claims - 0333 234 0618
Make a complaint
If you take out Debenhams Insurance we hope everything goes smoothly. Sadly, it can’t always be that way and if you need to complain, here are the details:
Car insurance Phone: 0344 776 5652 Post: Debenhams Car Insurance Complaints Department Lysander House Catbrain Lane Bristol BS10 7TQ Email: [email protected]
Travel insurance If you have a complaint relating to the sale or administration of your policy, contact: Post: The Compliance Manager ROCK Insurance Group Griffin House, 135 High Street Crawley, West Sussex RH10 1DQ Email: [email protected]
If you have a complaint about how a travel claim has been handled, contact: Phone: 0330 400 1420 Post: The Customer Relations Manager MAPFRE Assistance 1 Victoria Street Bristol Bridge, Bristol BS1 6AA Email: [email protected]
Gadget insurance Post: The Complaints Manager Debenhams Gadget Insurance Suite 2209-2217 Eurotowers Europort Road Gibraltar Email: [email protected]
Pet insurance Phone: 0333 234 0622 Post: The Complaints Department BDML Connect Limited The Connect Centre Kingston Crescent, North End Portsmouth, Hampshire PO2 8QL Email: [email protected]
How do I get a Debenhams Insurance quote?
The easiest way to get a quote for Debenhams Insurance products is online. This is fast, convenient, and all the information is in front of you. Simply head to the insurance product you’re interested in (i.e. travel). On each home page there is a white button titled “Start your quote”. If you click this, you can then enter your details and get a quote.
If you would prefer to speak to an agent, you can call the relevant phone number listed in the Debenhams Insurance contact section above.
Is there a Debenhams Insurance portal?
There is no single Debenhams Insurance portal . On every screen from the insurance product pages you will see a button in the top right hand corner called “Log in”, however, this is for customers with a Debenhams store or credit card. It allows these customers to view their balance and statements, make payments, manage direct debits and contact Debenhams.
Debenhams has an online portal you can use for car and gadget insurance. They have a slightly different look and feel across both products. For the car insurance portal you sign in using your email address and password. For gadget insurance you sign in using your email address and quote or policy number.
Debenhams Insurance review: a quick look
You’ve read about the different products Debenhams Insurance can offer you, now let’s see what customers say. Do they like the service they receive? What are the good and not-so-good points?
Positive reviews online centred around value for money and excellent customer service when purchasing and querying a policy’s details. Another consistent point we found was focused on how simple the quote process is to do online and how easy it is to navigate the Debenhams Insurance website.
“Easy and quick quote with excellent value for money, would use this service again and recommend it to anyone.” - Feefo customer
One of the biggest gripes was around the gift card not arriving. Some customers mentioned they didn’t receive it or had to chase it before it arrived. Debenhams has responded to some posts stating that the gift card can arrive anywhere up to 60 days after purchasing a policy.
Complaints handling
There is no data available on complaints about Debenhams Insurance because the financial products are handled by external companies. As most complaints with insurers are around the claims process, why don’t you read our nifty guide on how to make a successful claim (for travel insurance)?
Selectra’s verdict
If you purchase a Debenhams Insurance policy you will receive a Debenhams gift card, which is a nice little bonus. Having said that, some customers have complained they didn’t receive theirs or it takes too long.
Insurance is more than gift cards though and you need to make sure a policy is right for you. Debenhams’s agents are praised for their friendly and helpful nature and this is always important. If you’re not sure about any of the details in a policy, give Debenhams Insurance a call to confirm.
It’s tricky to decipher just how good a provider’s track record is when the insurance is provided by other companies. Debenhams is one such provider. You can always check out the specific companies to put your mind at ease. These vary depending if you’re looking at car, travel, pet or gadget insurance but are stated clearly on the Debenhams Insurance website.
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| Simple process to buy a policy and easy to navigate website. | Gift card doesn’t always arrive and you may have to chase. |
| Excellent customer service. | While some of its insurance products are through one provider, others (e.g. car) are through multiple providers. This could impact the experience you have, if the quality of service might vary between the providers. |
Data and information correct as of October 2019.
All material on this page and the selectra.co.uk website is for information purposes only and does not constitute any form of financial advice. Selectra.co.uk is not responsible for any consequences that might arise from your use of the information provided.