WHAT WE DO

Deposit & Stage
Payment Protection

WHAT IS DEPOSIT AND STAGE PAYMENT PROTECTION INSURANCE? WHY DO I NEED DEPOSIT & STAGE PAYMENT PROTECTION INSURANCE?

WHAT HAPPENS ONCE A DEPOSIT HAS BEEN PAID? HOW DO I MAKE A CLAIM ON MY INSURANCE POLICY?

WHAT IS DEPOSIT AND STAGE PAYMENT PROTECTION? WHY DO I NEED DEPOSIT & STAGE PAYMENT PROTECTION? WHAT HAPPENS ONCE A DEPOSIT HAS BEEN PAID? HOW DO I MAKE A CLAIM ON MY INSURANCE POLICY?

Deposit and stage payment protection provides you with peace of mind that should your installer cease to trade, you will have protection in place for payments you have made to the installer.

What is deposit and stage payment protection?

You may be asked to pay a deposit or make a stage payment when you place an order for your home improvement installation. This is normal practice for most companies as it helps to safeguard them against manufacturing products they will probably not be able to use elsewhere should a customer cancel their order.

Deposit & Stage Payment Protection Insurance

The deposit and stage payment protection covers up to 25% of the contract value (maximum £5,000) for a period of 120 days, subject to the policy terms and conditions.

To benefit from this protection:

You must be registered by the member on our online portal;
You must hold the contract with the Supplier named on the certificate;
You must be able to provide proof of payment made to the Supplier named on the certificate.

No protection will be in place until we have written to you to confirm we have arranged this, following the registration of your installation on our system, and in accordance with the points above. If you have not received our letter confirming your protection has been arranged within 5 working days of you signing the contract please contact our member or us urgently as you are not covered.

Please note: Any payments (deposits and stage payments etc) made by you to the member exceeding 25% of the contract value (or the maximum limit of £5,000) prior to final installation and completion of the contract are not covered by the scheme or the insurers in any way.

Why do I need deposit and stage payment protection insurance?

In the past, people have paid deposits or stage payments, only to find the company has ceased trading before the installation has begun. In these cases, most times, the customer loses their deposit or stage payment and is in the unfortunate position of having to find another contractor, negotiate a new price and make another payment before the work can commence.

Using HIES accredited installers eliminates this problem.

Find a HIES accredited installer

What happens once a deposit has been paid?

Receipts & Copy Contracts

You must ensure that you receive a receipt for any and all payments made to your installation company and a copy of the contract and written guarantee between yourself and your installation company. You must keep copies of these in a safe place as these will be needed should you need help and wish to make a claim a later date. Failure to keep copies of these documents and provide copies when requested by either the scheme or the insurers may invalidate any potential insurance claim/s you may make.

Check You Are Registered With The Scheme

You must check that your contract with the installation company is registered with the scheme and that you receive your documentation from the scheme. If you and your contract are not registered with the scheme, then no financial protection is in place either from the scheme or the insurers. If you have any questions or would like to double check you are registered please contact the scheme on 0344 324 5242 or email info@hiesscheme.org.uk

Once you have signed a contract with a HIES member and paid your deposit, the member must register your details online with HIES within 48 hours. We will then send your:

Customer Registration Certificate – confirming your details are registered with HIES and the comprehensive protection provided to you.
Deposit and Stage Payment Protection Certificate – this protects any deposits or stage payments you may make to the supplier in accordance with the details above.

Please keep the above documentation in a safe place along with any contractual documentation.

How do I make a claim?

A claim can be made simply by contacting the insurance provider directly and they will ask you to complete a claim form and submit this together with evidence of your contract with the HIES member and proof of payment.