InsureandGo
Encyclopedia
InsureandGo is a private limited
insurance
company
based in the United Kingdom
.
They mainly specialise in travel insurance
, but also provide computer
and gadget insurance products. Their travel insurance policies are available to residents of the UK
and, since 2010, Australia
.
, Essex
, where they were based for the next 6 years.
In November 2005, InsureandGo claimed to be one of the first companies to remove the terrorism clause from their policies. InsureandGo also said that they had led the travel insurance market in doing this and urged other companies to do the same.
in 2006, taking on 300 extra staff in the process. The company had bought Southend-based Travel Claims Services in September of the previous year.
, in 2006. In 2008, InsureandGo signed another two-year contract with the team.
In April 2011, InsureandGo extended their sponsorship of the team for the 2011/12 season.
In July 2007, InsureandGo won a two-year contract enabling them to provide white-labelled insurance services on behalf of OG Enterprises, which is a Guardian Media Group
firm.
InsureandGo announced a new sponsorship deal with Southend Rugby Club in January 2009. Under the deal, under 16s will be able to watch their home games for free.
In August 2009, InsureandGo began giving customers the chance to offset their carbon emissions when they purchase a travel insurance policy.
The company launched a new product called Travel Dispute Cover in early 2010. The cover, which can be purchased in addition to one of InsureandGo's travel insurance policies, provides legal assistance to travellers who have had a contract breached by their tour operators, travel agents or hoteliers.
Also in early 2010, InsureandGo launched a range of travel insurance products for residents of Australia
.
In October 2011, InsureandGo opened their Irish operation with the launch of the InsureandGo.ie website.
insurance company, Mapfre
, purchased InsureandGo in October 2010 for an undisclosed sum. InsureandGo is now a wholly owned subsidiary
of Mapfre Asistencia Compañía Internacional
de Seguros y Reaseguros, S.A. which forms part of the MAPFRE
Group.
. Underwriters for their home and car insurance products included AXA
, Zurich
, Legal & General
and Fortis
.
list, which ranks Britain's fastest growing privatley held companies by growth in sales over the previous 3 years. They were included in the list in 2005 and 2006.
In 2008, InsureandGo was awarded twice at the Fast Growth Business Awards, which were presented by BBC News' Kate Silverton
. The company was named the T-Mobile
'Fast Growth Business of the Year' and was also named 'Online Business of the Year'. On the panel of judges that decided the outcome of the awards was entrepreneur Peter Jones
, from the BBC
television programme, Dragon's Den
.
Commenting on receiving the award, InsureandGo's founder, Perry Wilson, said: "It is fantastic recognition for all the hard work put in by the InsureandGo team and a great platform from which to take the business to the next level."
InsureandGo was voted Best Travel Insurance Provider For Customer Service and Most Trusted Travel Insurance Provider at the Moneywise Customer Service Awards 2009.
InsureandGo picked up the Large Company Innovation Award at the 2010 Essex Business Awards.
Private company limited by shares
A private company limited by shares, usually called a private limited company , is a type of company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales, Scotland, that of certain Commonwealth countries and the Republic of Ireland...
insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
company
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
based in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
They mainly specialise in travel insurance
Travel insurance
Travel insurance is insurance that is intended to cover medical expenses, financial default of travel suppliers, and other losses incurred while traveling, either within one's own country, or internationally...
, but also provide computer
Computer insurance
Computer insurance is the insurance of computer hardware, systems and data against loss or damage....
and gadget insurance products. Their travel insurance policies are available to residents of the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and, since 2010, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
History
InsureandGo was founded in 2000 in BraintreeBraintree, Essex
Braintree is a town of about 42,000 people and the principal settlement of the Braintree district of Essex in the East of England. It is northeast of Chelmsford and west of Colchester on the River Blackwater, A120 road and a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line.Braintree has grown contiguous...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, where they were based for the next 6 years.
In November 2005, InsureandGo claimed to be one of the first companies to remove the terrorism clause from their policies. InsureandGo also said that they had led the travel insurance market in doing this and urged other companies to do the same.
Relocating to Southend-on-Sea
Due to the company's expansion, InsureandGo relocated to new offices in Southend-on-SeaSouthend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
in 2006, taking on 300 extra staff in the process. The company had bought Southend-based Travel Claims Services in September of the previous year.
Sponsoring Southend United F.C.
Following their move to Southend-on-Sea, InsureandGo took over as the main shirt sponsors of local football club, Southend UnitedSouthend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
, in 2006. In 2008, InsureandGo signed another two-year contract with the team.
In April 2011, InsureandGo extended their sponsorship of the team for the 2011/12 season.
Recent history
In December 2006, InsureandGo hired chartered accountants BDO Stoy Hayward to explore its options, including the possibility of selling the company for a reported £100 million.In July 2007, InsureandGo won a two-year contract enabling them to provide white-labelled insurance services on behalf of OG Enterprises, which is a Guardian Media Group
Guardian Media Group
Guardian Media Group plc is a company of the United Kingdom owning various mass media operations including The Guardian and The Observer. The Group is owned by the Scott Trust. It was founded as the Manchester Guardian Ltd in 1907 when C. P. Scott bought the Manchester Guardian from the estate of...
firm.
InsureandGo announced a new sponsorship deal with Southend Rugby Club in January 2009. Under the deal, under 16s will be able to watch their home games for free.
In August 2009, InsureandGo began giving customers the chance to offset their carbon emissions when they purchase a travel insurance policy.
The company launched a new product called Travel Dispute Cover in early 2010. The cover, which can be purchased in addition to one of InsureandGo's travel insurance policies, provides legal assistance to travellers who have had a contract breached by their tour operators, travel agents or hoteliers.
Also in early 2010, InsureandGo launched a range of travel insurance products for residents of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
In October 2011, InsureandGo opened their Irish operation with the launch of the InsureandGo.ie website.
Change in ownership
SpanishSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
insurance company, Mapfre
Mapfre
Mapfre is a Spanish insurance company, based in Majadahonda, Madrid. The name comes from the old mutual origin of the company , but the company now only refers to itself as Mapfre...
, purchased InsureandGo in October 2010 for an undisclosed sum. InsureandGo is now a wholly owned subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
of Mapfre Asistencia Compañía Internacional
de Seguros y Reaseguros, S.A. which forms part of the MAPFRE
Mapfre
Mapfre is a Spanish insurance company, based in Majadahonda, Madrid. The name comes from the old mutual origin of the company , but the company now only refers to itself as Mapfre...
Group.
Underwriters
InsureandGo's travel insurance products are currently underwritten by Mapfre Asistencia, who also own the company. Past underwriters for their travel products have included Europ Assistance, AIG UK and Lloyd's of LondonLloyd's of London
Lloyd's, also known as Lloyd's of London, is a British insurance and reinsurance market. It serves as a partially mutualised marketplace where multiple financial backers, underwriters, or members, whether individuals or corporations, come together to pool and spread risk...
. Underwriters for their home and car insurance products included AXA
AXA
AXA S.A. is a French global insurance group headquartered in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. AXA is a conglomerate of independently run businesses, operated according to the laws and regulations of many different countries. The AXA group of companies engage in life, health and other forms of...
, Zurich
Zurich Financial Services
Zurich Financial Services AG is a major financial services group based in Zurich, Switzerland.-History:The Company was founded in 1872 as subsidiary of the Schweiz Marine Insurance Company under the name Versicherung Verein...
, Legal & General
Legal & General
Legal & General Group Plc , commonly known as Legal & General, is a multinational financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Its products include life insurance, general insurance, pensions and investments. It has operations in the United Kingdom, Egypt, France, Germany,...
and Fortis
Fortis (finance)
Fortis N.V./S.A. was a company active in insurance, banking and investment management. In 2007 it was the 20th largest business in the world by revenue but after encountering severe problems in the financial crisis of 2008, most of the company was sold in parts, with only insurance activities...
.
Awards and recognition
InsureandGo was named in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100Sunday Times Fast Track 100
A list published annually in December in partnership with The Sunday Times newspaper in the UK.The list ranks Britain's fastest growing privately held companies by sales growth over the last 3 years....
list, which ranks Britain's fastest growing privatley held companies by growth in sales over the previous 3 years. They were included in the list in 2005 and 2006.
In 2008, InsureandGo was awarded twice at the Fast Growth Business Awards, which were presented by BBC News' Kate Silverton
Kate Silverton
Kate Silverton is an English journalist, currently employed by the BBC.- Early life and education :Silverton was born in Essex, England, the daughter of English parents; Terry Silverton, a black-cab driver turned registered hypnotherapist and Patricia Silverton, who now heads her daughter's...
. The company was named the T-Mobile
T-Mobile
T-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
'Fast Growth Business of the Year' and was also named 'Online Business of the Year'. On the panel of judges that decided the outcome of the awards was entrepreneur Peter Jones
Peter Jones (entrepreneur)
Peter Jones, CBE is a British entrepreneur and businessman with interests in mobile phones, television, media, leisure, and property. He became a television celebrity through his appearances on the BBC Two show Dragons' Den and on his American television show American Inventor...
, from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television programme, Dragon's Den
Dragons' Den (UK)
Dragons' Den is a British television series, hosted by Evan Davis. The format of the show is owned by Sony Pictures and is based on the original Japanese series, which has been sold around the world...
.
Commenting on receiving the award, InsureandGo's founder, Perry Wilson, said: "It is fantastic recognition for all the hard work put in by the InsureandGo team and a great platform from which to take the business to the next level."
InsureandGo was voted Best Travel Insurance Provider For Customer Service and Most Trusted Travel Insurance Provider at the Moneywise Customer Service Awards 2009.
InsureandGo picked up the Large Company Innovation Award at the 2010 Essex Business Awards.