Frequently Asked Questions

This is a professional financial service provider who has the authority ("power of attorney") to act directly on behalf of one or more insurers or banks. An authorized agent does almost everything that an insurer, mortgage bank or finance company also does.Almost, because he bears no financial risks. That is how it is regulated by law. An authorized agent has his own license from the Financial Markets Authority (Afm).An authorized agent is a financial service provider with an important added value - his power of attorney(s). This allows him to serve you better and faster.

As an authorized agent, we handle everything ourselves.
It's nice when you value good, fast and personal service - without unnecessary bureaucratic detours.

Quite simply. In that case, the policy or agreement is signed by the authorized agent himself. He does so on behalf of one or more insurance companies or banks. If there are more than one, their share is mentioned. In insurance, for example: 50% insurance company X, 30% insurance company Y and 20% percent insurance company Z.

The authorized agent has a power of attorney from one to sometimes dozens of insurers and banks. He can act on his own behalf. However, he is not obliged to place financial products with the parties for which he has a power of attorney.However, he will in principle choose a power of attorney product if that is appropriate for you, because he then has complete control over the service to you.

Letterhead or website usually bring quick relief. Or consult the policy: if a policy or agreement is signed by the financial service provider rather than the insurance company or bank, you are almost certainly dealing with an authorized agent.You can also consult the register of financial service providers at www.afm.nl; the membership list of the Dutch Association of Authorized Insurance Companies can be found at www.nvga.org.

A financial service provider who is not only an intermediary but also an authorized agent offers you numerous advantages. He handles, accepts and processes applications for insurance, financing, mortgages or other financial products completely independently, without the intervention of insurers or banks. You run no risk: banks and insurers are bound to what the financial service provider has agreed with you as their authorized agent.

Yes. After all, the risk carriers are always well-known companies. However, in your application, policy administration and claim settlement, you deal with only one trusted service provider: the authorized agent.

Sure! An authorized agent fully complies with the requirements set by the Financial Markets Authority (Afm). Moreover, banks and insurers that grant a power of attorney to a financial service provider set additional conditions of professional competence, transparency and integrity.Most authorized agents are affiliated with the Dutch Association of Authorized Insurance Companies (NVGA), which has its own quality standards. Go to www.nvga.org.Alle authorized agents are affiliated with the Financial Services Complaints Institute, P.O. Box 93257, 2509 AG The Hague or go to www.kifid.nl.Heeft. If your complaint concerns health insurance, you can contact Stichting Klachten en Geschillen Zorgverzekeringen (SKGZ), P.O. Box 29, 3700 AG Zeist, www.skgz.nl.

Whether insuring a car or fleet of vehicles, a home or factory complex, individual or group health insurance, the authorized agent is a professional who can provide the right financial product.In addition to standard financial products from banks and insurers, the authorized agent can also provide you with customized products in the form of his own proxy product. He can adjust the price or conditions of a standard company product himself. The authorized agent can also develop his own new financial product and market it under his own brand name. A proprietary proxy product is the authorized agent's "house brand.

Schouten Zekerheid Assuradeuren charges policy fees when issuing policy documents. These are costs for drawing up, mutating, renewing and sending the policy. These are also the bank charges for payment transactions and the costs for, for example, ISA and similar links for the purpose of policy preparation. We do not charge for canceling an insurance policy.The costs for drawing up, renewing or changing a policy can vary from zero euros (€ 0.00) to five euros (€ 5.00). We inform our clients about these costs prior to taking out the insurance. The exact amount of the policy fee is stated on the policy documents and/or invoice.

Damage to your home caused by fire, for example, is extremely annoying. That is why we make sure that you receive expert assistance as quickly as possible. Below are the most frequently asked questions about claims handling. Do you still have questions? Feel free to contact your insurance advisor or claims expert - we'd be happy to help!

Several parties may be involved in the settlement of your claim:Your advisor - He or she represents your interests with the insurer.Salvage coordinator - Immediately after a fire damage incident, a salvage coordinator may visit, in addition to the fire department. He or she acts on behalf of the joint insurers to limit consequential damage as much as possible and, if necessary, also helps with practical matters such as shelter, transportation and clothing.Claims handler - He or she remotely assesses the circumstances of the damage and determines whether a claims adjuster should visit.Claims adjuster - Comes by to record your damage, answer questions and objectively determine the cause and the amount of damage. He draws up a damage report and discusses this with you for approval.Counter-expert (optional) - You can also engage a damage expert yourself, a so-called counter-expert, who settles the claim with the insurer on your behalf. The costs for this are often part of the damage and are reimbursed in whole or in part (check your policy conditions).The claims handler will ultimately assess whether the damage is covered, based on all the data, the policy conditions and any damage report.

From the moment you report a claim, your insurer is responsible for handling it quickly and correctly. In many cases, the insurer engages a loss adjuster for this purpose.The loss adjuster will help you with:Taking stock of the damage and investigating the cause, together with you.Giving advice to prevent future damage.Determining the extent of the damage and checking whether the insured amount is correct.Initiating the necessary work, in consultation with you of course.Calculating the damage amount within the policy conditions, for repair, rebuilding or replacement.Taking your preferences into account if you prefer to carry out certain work yourself.Calling in repair or cleaning companies, in consultation with you.Maintaining contact with the insurer or your insurance advisor.Supervising the entire damage process, so that you are relieved.The damage assessor may be employed by the insurer or work for an external assessment agency. All loss assessors we engage are registered with the Dutch Institute of Register Experts (NIVRE). They adhere to the Code of Conduct for Damage Assessment Organizations, so you can be sure that you will receive expert and reliable assistance.More information:www.nivre.nl - about damage assessors and registration.www.verzekeraars.nl - about the code of conduct.

Yes, you can. Do you want to use your own loss adjuster in addition to the loss adjuster appointed by the insurer? Then you choose a contra-expert.Your contra-expert works together with the insurer's expert and appoints a third damage expert together in advance. This third expert determines the damage amount if you do not agree together.Who pays the costs? The reasonable costs of all experts are reimbursed. Only costs that are not directly related to the claim settlement - such as advocacy - will not be reimbursed, unless required by law.Avoid surprisesDiscuss well in advance exactly what the contra-expert is going to do for you. This way you can avoid unexpected costs. Your insurance advisor can help you with this.Do you have questions about using a contra-expert? Feel free to contact your insurance advisor - he or she will be happy to help you.

And who pays for it?If you have damage and we have it repaired, we will engage a repair company on your behalf. The goal: to limit and repair the damage as quickly as possible. This can be done by various types of companies, such as a construction company or cleaning company.How does that work?We always consult with you first before we engage a repair company.The costs for the repair company are paid by the insurer.Do you want the repair company to carry out additional work or improvements? That is often possible. The costs of this will be discussed with you in advance and you will pay them yourself.Deed of AssignmentRepairmen often ask for a 'Deed of Assignment'. If you are not or not fully insured, or if you have a deductible, you have to pay that part yourself. Then you pay that part yourself.You remain the clientThe damage expert arranges the repair company for you, but formally you remain the client. That means that you sign the order form. If a deductible or VAT offset applies, you will receive the invoice for that.Sustainable repairsRepairs must not only be professional, but also sustainable. The repair companies we work with carry the 'Sustainable Recovery' hallmark and meet strict sustainability requirements.

Sometimes it is necessary to find out exactly what caused the damage. In that case, the insurer may hire an investigative agency. What does an investigation agency do?The investigator asks you questions about the facts and circumstances surrounding the claim. The goal is to determine the cause of the damage as clearly as possible. The costs of this investigation are paid by the insurer. The investigators must comply with the applicable codes of conduct and protocols. You can read these at www.verzekeraars.nl. Would you like to conduct your own investigation? Would you like to conduct your own investigation into the cause of the damage? That is possible. You can hire a qualified investigation agency to do so. Keep in mind that in that case the costs are for your own account. Your insurance advisor can tell you more about this.

Your claim will be handled in several ways, for example: Payment of the claim amount to which you are entitled according to your insurance policy (from this your deductible is still deducted). Repair in kind, whereby the damage is repaired immediately instead of being paid out in cash. There are often several options for damage repair. Do not make a hasty decision and discuss with the damage expert what is the best approach in your situation. Do you have a question about recovery? Contact the repair company. Can't work it out together? Then you can always fall back on the damage expert.

When a repair company comes to repair your damage, they will often ask you to sign a 'Deed of Assignment' with which you give permission to the insurer to pay the bill directly to the repair company. This way, you don't have to advance the amount yourself first (except for any deductible or the portion not insured).

For a private residence older than two years, only 6% VAT is due for painting and plastering work. The painter will ask you for a statement about the age of your home.

For companies, VAT is directly recoverable from the tax authorities. VAT is not included in damages. The repair company will charge VAT directly to you.

If you have a claim, you can expect the following from us: Prompt and expert claims handling - we will pick up your report immediately and ensure a smooth settlement. Repair where possible - if the damage can be repaired, we will engage a repair company in consultation with you. Clear agreements - we always act according to the agreements in your policy conditions. Fair and careful treatment - we comply with the Code of Conduct for Insurers, which sets out the core values and rules of conduct for financial institutions. You can read the full code of conduct at www.verzekeraars.nl.

After a claim, we will help you as best we can. It is therefore important that you keep to a number of agreements: Prevent the damage from increasing - take measures as soon as possible to limit further damage. Cooperate properly - provide all the information and cooperation needed to settle the claim correctly. Deliver requested data quickly - such as bills, quotes or other documents needed by the claims adjuster. The faster you provide these, the faster we can settle your claim.Be honest - don't commit fraud. In case of fraud (such as adjusting amounts or submitting higher claims than the actual damage), we will take appropriate action. In this way, together we ensure a quick and fair settlement of your claim.

After the loss adjuster has visited you or when the repair company has repaired the damage, we would like to hear how you experienced this, so we will send you a short questionnaire for our customer satisfaction survey. For this we use the e-mail address we already have for you, or the e-mail address you gave to the loss adjuster or repair company. Your feedback helps us to continuously improve our services.