Frequently Asked Questions

If your device stops recording your trips, it may need to be reset or recharged — especially if the battery is low.

Here’s what to expect:

• You’ll receive an email from the provider with a link containing step-by-step instructions to help you reset or recharge the device.
• You can also access the instructions directly using the link below.
• If you need further assistance, please contact our Driver Success Team at 0208 629 3308 — we’re happy to help.

How to successfully reinstall your Theo Device – Theo

You are required to purchase the necessary top-up miles promptly after being contacted. Delaying your purchase may result in policy cancellation if you do not comply within the timeframe provided.

If you have any queries or need assistance, please call our customer service team on 0208 629 3308. Our opening hours are Monday–Saturday 09:00–17:30. Or use the Customer Portal (Sign in to Carrot Customer Portal) for guidance and support regarding your mileage or top-up process.

We currently use 2 different device types:

• Self install (Theo) — This is a device that you can install yourself using our guides.
• Hardfitted — This is a device that is fitted to your vehicle by a technician.

If you are unsure what device type you have, you can check your policy documents which will give you all the information you need.

We’re serious about privacy. The data recorded by your Telematics device remains private.

No. The device, plus installation and data costs, is included with your Carrot policy at no additional cost.

The cost of a new device would be classed as a repair cost, which would be covered by your Carrot Insurance policy. If you change your vehicle after a total loss claim, you will have to pay for a new device to be fitted depending on the outcome of the claim.

Yes. The installation and activation of your Telematics device is quick and easy, and usually takes one of our experienced mobile technicians less than an hour, at a location of your choice.

It’s a small unit that tucks neatly away out of sight and has absolutely no effect on the operation of your car in any way.

Installing and activating your self-fitted Telematics device is quick and straightforward. Most users can complete the setup in under an hour by following the provided instructions for self-fitted device and by seeking help from an experienced engineer at the location of your choice.

The device is compact and designed to be discreetly placed out of sight, with no impact whatsoever on your vehicle’s performance or operation.

Yes – all drivers using the insured vehicle must follow the black box guidelines. This helps ensure the policy remains valid and is not affected by any unsafe driving behaviour.

If you have a hard fitted device, before the appointment the engineer will get in touch to let you know when to expect them.

When they arrive just hand over your car keys so they can fit the hardfitted telematics device. They’ll also take some photographs of your car and check its roadworthiness. Finally they’ll check that there aren’t any modifications to your car, as we can’t insure any car that has been modified.

It usually takes just under an hour, and can be done at a location of your choice – so no need to take the day off work!

The Telematics device records your journeys and information about how you’ve been driving. This includes data on speed, smoothness and usage, which all contribute to your total Driving Style Score. The Telematics device also enables your car’s GPS location to be identified in the unfortunate event that your car gets stolen.

Theo is a solar-powered telematics device that monitors your driving behaviour and sends insights to the Better Driver by Carrot app.

This innovative technology keeps you informed by sending notifications if it detects risky driving behaviour, such as speeding or incidents. It’s easy to use and provides a driving score based on your performance.

If the telematics device detaches from your windscreen, it may be due to incorrect installation or weather-related issues.

Our device provider will be notified automatically and will send a replacement cradle to your address. You’ll also receive an email confirmation.

Please follow the installation instructions provided via the link below and upload a photo through the app to confirm successful installation.

How to Replace your Theo Cradle – Theo

Note: There is a limit to how many replacement cradles you can request per policy year, so ensure the device is fitted correctly.

Reminder: Please do not remove the device from the windscreen unless instructed to.

This will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, if this occurs please contact us on 0208 629 3308. Our opening hours are Monday–Saturday 09:00–17:30.

We’ll send your renewal invitation a few weeks before your policy is due to end. This gives you plenty of time to check everything is correct. Get in touch if you need to make any changes.

Your price will be based on several factors, including:

• Insurer prices for the year
• Number of miles we think you’ll need, based on past driving
• If you’ve had any claims in this policy year
• Your total no claims entitlement
• Your personal details

Don’t worry! Contact us to update your information. Our team will let you know if we can offer a price based on your new info.

It’s important that you update your details before your policy renews, so that we can ensure your policy is valid.

We will email this to you. If you don’t receive it in a few days, get in touch with us on 0208 629 3308.

Yes, and we’ll apply this when calculating your renewal premium.

Yes. However, if you are due a refund, this will be held back until the claim is closed.

If you are found to be at fault when the claim is closed, you won’t receive a refund and will be required to pay the outstanding balance of your insurance policy.

To request a cancellation, please use our cancellation form.

If your policy is set to auto-renew, you can opt out of this at any time throughout your policy. You will need to contact us before the end of your policy if you want to stop it.

To ensure you get your full year’s No Claim Discount, your policy will continue running until the end of your policy year, unless you need us to cancel immediately.

If you have a self install (Theo) device, please remember this is required to be returned for recycling. Please be aware that your Theo device contains a battery so can’t be disposed of with your household waste.

For hard fitted devices, we don’t continue recording your driving data after cancellation. But if you want to remove the device, please take it to a suitable recycling centre.

If you have a hard fitted device and would like an engineer to remove this for you, please contact us and we can arrange an appointment for you. Removal will be charged at £50. You don’t need to return the device after cancellation.

You won’t lose the discount completely, unless you’ve made a claim – but it will stay – but it will stay the same as when you joined Carrot.
No claims discount (NCD) is awarded for each full year of insurance, so if you cancel mid-way through the year your no claims discount will not increase.
For example, if you joined Carrot with no previous no claims discount and cancelled 6 months into your policy having had no accidents, you will start at zero no claims discount for your next policy.

If you want to cancel your policy, please use the cancellation form to request a cancellation. To find out about the fees associated with this, please contact us — you can also read our terms & conditions here.

Carrot Insurance Services will do its best to provide you with a high level of service and customer care every time. However, sometimes things can go wrong, and we may fail to meet your expectations. Our internal complaints procedures allow us to deal with complaints fairly, effectively and promptly. If you think we have let you down, please tell us why.

• Our internal complaints procedure
  • Our internal complaints handling procedures follow the guidelines of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as set out in their handbook.
• What you need to do if you have a complaint
  • We are keen to keep all of our customers happy, so please contact usdirectly if you have a complaint. We will always welcome your feedback and will aim to put things right for you.

You should raise your complaint with us by web chat, email or letter to:

Email us

complaint@carrotinsurance.com

Send something by post

• Complaints, Carrot Insurance Services, 98 Liverpool Road, Formby, Liverpool, Merseyside, L37 6BS

• How we will handle your complaint
  • We will:
    • Endeavour to resolve your complaint as quickly as possible
    • Acknowledge your complaint promptly and in writing
    • Advise you of the person dealing with your complaint and how you can contact them
    • Provide a final response to your complaint within 8 weeks of receipt
  • If we cannot reach a resolution
    • If you are dissatisfied with our response, you can refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).
    • The Financial Ombudsman Service,
      Exchange Tower, London,
      E14 9SR
    • Tel: 0800 023 4567

Online: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

We’re sorry you’re thinking of leaving. If you want to cancel your policy, please use the cancellation form to request a cancellation.

To find out about the fees associated with this, please contact us — you can also read our terms & conditions here.

The more miles you travel, the greater your chance of being involved in an accident. The cost of your policy may be higher if you travel more miles in a year.

Don’t know your mileage? Don’t worry! We know it can be hard to predict your mileage, especially if it’s your first car insurance policy. We provide a handy calculator when you get a quote on our website, or you can call us on 0208 629 3308.

What if I don’t buy enough miles at the start of my policy?

If it looks like you’re going to exceed your mileage allowance, you can top-up at any point. If you buy miles in the first 30 days of your policy, we will apply a discount.

When you take out a policy with Carrot Insurance Services, you will be given a black box or a smartphone app. The black box will be fitted to your car, and the app will be downloaded to your phone. The black box or app will track your driving behaviour, including things like your speed, acceleration, and braking.

There are many benefits to taking out a policy with Carrot Insurance Services, including:

You can get connected with a black box or our clever smartphone app.
You can check your progress using the app or online dashboard.
You can drive safely to get a positive (green) driving score.

Carrot Insurance Services is a good option for drivers who are looking to save money on their car insurance and who are willing to drive safely. If you are not comfortable with your driving behaviour being tracked, then Carrot Insurance Services may not be the right option for you.

‘Telematics’ is just another word for the technology we use to record your journeys and driving style.
Using some smart motion sensors and other clever gizmos, Carrot’s telematics device collects and sends journey information to us.
It measures things like acceleration, braking, swerving, and the number and length of journeys that you make. We use this information to calculate your Driving Style Score.

Telematics insurance can reward safe driving. Telematics insurance is ideal for drivers aged 17-24 years of age, who may be considered a higher risk by insurers due to their lack of motoring experience. The Telematics device monitors driving behaviour and could reward you with cheaper insurance premiums.

Is Telematics Insurance Worth It?

The benefits of Telematics insurance with Carrot include:

Access to a dedicated UK-based call centre
Theft tracking if your car is stolen
Direct telephone, text, and email alerts
Why Choose us for Your Telematics Insurance Quote?

We are specialists in insurance for young drivers and with over 40 years of experience in providing personal vehicle insurance to UK drivers you are in safe hands. If you are considering Telematics car insurance to see how much you could save, then follow the steps below:

Obtain a quote
You can start a quote online and obtain a figure in minutes. Alternatively, if you would like to speak to our dedicated insurance team please call 01704 339 328.

Purchase the policy
You can buy online or over the phone and once purchased you will receive complete guidance on your Telematics device installation. We will confirm if the device installation is to be carried out by you or with one of our skilled telematics engineers.

Drive with confidence
Once installed you can drive as normal and a member of our young driver insurance team will contact you with any important updates about your driving.

Telematics Mileage Explained
When you purchase Telematics insurance from Carrot, you will be allocated a declared number of miles which you can drive within any one period of insurance – the period of insurance is your policy term which will run for 12 months. In the event that you expect to travel more than this, please contact us to purchase Top-Up Miles. These Top-Up Miles will then be added to your mileage allowance, meaning you can then drive further within the allocated period and not incur a penalty (as long as the Top-Up Miles are not exceeded). The maximum mileage limit for any one period of insurance is 30,000 miles.

If your car is scheduled for repairs, please let us know before it goes into the garage. Share the garage details with us so we can review your policy if any events occur during that time.

Also, make sure your engineer is aware that a telematics device is installed in the vehicle.

Once your Carrot Insurance policy is active, we’re unable to reduce the premium, as it’s based on your personal details and current market rates.

If you find a cheaper quote — either with us or another provider — you’re free to cancel your existing policy and take out a new one at any time.

If you choose to cancel your policy, cancellation fees may apply depending on when the cancellation occurs.

Cooling-off period (first 14 days): No cancellation fees will be charged.
After the cooling-off period (after 14 days): Cancellation fees may be applied.
At the time of cancellation, we will charge for the time you were covered, and additional fees may be included. Please note that your initial payment is part of the annual premium and covers the first month of your insurance policy. This payment is usually higher than your regular monthly instalments, as it helps reduce the cost of your ongoing monthly payments.

Yes. If you’re planning a holiday road trip to Europe, we’ve got you covered!

Some rules apply, so if this is important to you, get in touch before you buy. Our team will be happy to help.

Yes – click here to get a quote.

Yes. You can either pay for your insurance for the year in full with a single payment, or by monthly instalments.

As Carrot are a broker and not a lender and depending on your policy type, we can arrange a credit agreement to help you spread the cost over monthly instalments. Full terms and conditions are available on request.

No doubt about it, negotiating your first year of driving is tough, and sometimes it’s easy to fall into the trap of buying a modified car.

Ask most people what they consider to be a modification and the answer you’ll receive is ‘huge spoilers and blacked out windows’. Both correct, but a modification is any change to a vehicle that wasn’t part of the original specification, like non-standard alloys, stereos and even stickers.

Purchasing a modified car can cause problems further down the line, such as invalidated insurance – and no one wants that.

Other problems owners of modified cars can face are:

• DIY modification projects can make the vehicle unsafe to drive
• Performance-enhancing aspects of a car can cause more damage in a crash, putting you at higher risk of injury
• Heavily modified cars are prime targets for thieves (and vandals, sadly)

These problems mean modified cars are a no-go for a lot of insurance companies (us included) and it’s good to know before you buy your first car, or any used car, what to look for to avoid any nasty surprises when your box is fitted.

First, look for the obvious. Are the wheels a different make to the vehicle itself? Do the alloys look painted or overly large? Can you see through all the windows to look inside the car?

Granted not all modifications are as easy to spot, but if something doesn’t seem quite right to you feel free to ask the owner or garage you’re planning to purchase the car from. If you aren’t able to do that you can always head to trusty Google! Search the spec of vehicle you’re looking to buy and see – do the images reflect the car you’re looking at buying?

If you’ve checked all of the above, but you’re still unsure, get in touch and we’ll be happy to assist.

Carrot Insurance Services is a car insurance company that uses a black box or a smartphone app to track your driving behaviour. You can find out more on our About Carrot page

We monitor your mileage on an annual basis. If you are at risk of exceeding your annual mileage allowance or are predicted to double your allowance within the first 50 days, we will contact you.

If we predict that you’ll drive double your annual allowance within the first 50 days of your policy, you must purchase Top Up Miles (TUMS). You’re required to top up at least 50% of the excess mileage predicted, or your policy may be cancelled.

Yes. For example, if you have an allowance of 10,000 miles but are predicted to drive 20,000 miles, you’re exceeding your limit by 10,000 miles. You must top up by at least 5,000 miles (50% of the excess).

You can top up your miles by calling us on 0208 629 3308 or by using our Customer Portal.

Sign in to Carrot Customer Portal.

Our opening hours are Monday–Saturday 09:00–17:30.

Yes. The premium increase of your miles will be calculated at point of purchase & is based on your driving score, you can use your Carrot Better Drive App to monitor your driving score. Alongside this, there is also a £30 non-refundable administration fee.

The maximum mileage limit for any one period of insurance is 30,000 miles.

If your policy cancels due to you having exceeded your mileage allowance, or if you have made a claim, or a claim has been made against you, you will not be entitled to a refund.

If your policy is cancelled for any other reason and is cancelled within the first 50 days, your refund will be calculated based on the remaining days on your policy. You will also be charged a total of £109.00 – a £75 Cancellation Fee and £34 device fee (for further information on fees please check your terms of business agreement). If you pay by monthly instalments, your refund will be used to reduce the amount owed on your finance agreement.

If your policy cancels due to you having exceeded your mileage allowance, or if you have made a claim, or a claim has been made against you, you will not be entitled to a refund.

If your policy is cancelled for any other reason, and is cancelled after the 50 days, your refund will be based on whichever is the lesser amount from calculating the refund on both: the remaining days or remaining miles on your policy. You will also be charged a total of £109.00 – a £75 Cancellation Fee and £34 device fee. If you pay by monthly instalments, your refund will be used to reduce the amount owed on your finance agreement.

No, if your policy is cancelled because you exceeded your mileage allowance, you will not be entitled to any refund.

You must top up your miles if instructed to do so, either by phone on 0208 629 3308 or via the Customer Portal (Sign in to Carrot Customer Portal), to avoid cancellation of your policy. Our opening hours are Monday–Saturday 09:00–17:30. If your policy is due to be cancelled you will receive notification of this by email.

Unless there are any exceptional circumstances, if you do not buy the minimum required top-up miles after being notified, your policy will be cancelled. This ensures that all policyholders stay within their agreed mileage limits and maintain valid cover.

Yes, we will continue to monitor your mileage throughout the policy term. If you are predicted to exceed your allowance at any point, we’ll notify you so you can top up your miles as needed.

You can monitor your mileage throughout the policy year using the Carrot Better Driver App. You can also call us on 0208 629 3308. Our opening hours are Monday–Saturday 09:00–17:30.