ABOUT E-SERIES INSURANCE

USING E-SERIES INSURANCE

How do I do a search?

Go to the e-series Insurance Website
Select required product
For searches, complete the search form then click Submit

How much information must I enter to do a search?

You can search using any of the following data items

Registered Number / Business Number
Business Name
Business Telephone Number
Postcode
Post town

OPENING & CLOSING ACCOUNTS

How do I open an account?

Go to the e-series Insurance Website (www.uk.experian.com/insurance)
Choose the relevant product
Click the Register button
Complete the account opening
Click the Submit button beneath the form

Once your form is received and your account is opened a digital certificate is installed on your PC to ensure system security. An Experian representative will contact you directly to guide you through this process and confirm that your account is operational. You are then ready to use e-series Insurance

Do I have to open an account online?: Yes.

Can I speak to someone if I need help completing the account opening form?: Yes. Contact the Experian Insurance Services team on 0115 934 4444 or via e-mail at cust.support@uk.experian.com

How quickly can I open an account?: An account can be opened and ready to use in 5 working days

How quickly can I use the service?: You can use the service immediately after you have authorised your certificate

Am I bound by a period of time once I open an account?: No. To close the account all Experian needs is 7 days notice in writing. There are no minimum commitment or licence fees to use e-series Insurance

What if I have several outlets?: Each PC that requires access to e-series Insurance needs to have its own digital certificate. Complete an account opening form for each PC, remembering to use the same head office number and invoicing address. The details of the digital certificate are sent via e-mail. We suggest organisations that will access e-series Insurance from many different PCs contact Experian directly on 0115 934 4444 (see the customer services page under contact us above for more help)

Is the personal information I enter on the account application form confidential?: Yes. Your details are protected by the Data Protection Act and are not disclosed to anyone other than Experian

Do I need to send any documentation in the post?: No, the entire process is carried out online and over the telephone

How do I close an account?: Write to Experian quoting your name, retailer billing address number, address and postcode. Your account will be closed 7 days from receipt of the letter and a closing statement will be sent to your head office for final settlement

ABOUT SITE SECURITY & DIGITAL CERTIFICATES

What is Secure Access?: Secure Access is a digital certificate that allows Experian to create a secure channel between your PC and our mainframe computer. Your secure access digital certificate will be installed as part of our account opening process. Once installed, you will be informed of your certificate information by e-mail. You will then be able to use e-series Insurance

What is a digital certificate?: A digital certificate is an electronic file that is installed on the account holder's PC after the account is opened. It is a security device that uniquely identifies you each time you use the service

Why do I need a digital certificate?: The certificate is needed to ensure Experian complies with the Data Protection Act and protects the account holder from unauthorised users and associated costs. Without the certificate the account holder cannot use e-series Insurance

How many digital certificates do I need?: One certificate is needed for each PC. You can use as many PCs as you need but you must use the same retail head office number to ensure accurate invoicing

How do I know the service is secure?: The digital certificate installed on your PC ensures that any information transferred between your PC and Experian is encrypted to protect against hackers.

SITE ACCESS

Where is the e-series Insurance Website?: http://www.uk.experian.com/insurance for the e-series Insurance homepage

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Which Internet browsers can I use to access this site?: To access e-series Insurance without problems you need Internet Explorer 5 or higher, or Netscape 6. Older versions of browsers may have problems accessing this Website. Free downloads for these versions are available from the Microsoft or Netscape Websites

Can I access this site using a Macintosh computer?: No. You may be able to access the site from a Macintosh computer if you are using Windows emulation software and an appropriate PC version of the browsers mentioned above, but we do not actively support this option

Do I need to install any special software on my PC to use e-series Insurance?: No. e-series Insurance is hosted on the Experian Website and access is via a Web browser (Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 or higher, or Netscape 6)

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Is there someone I can speak to if I can't use the service?: Yes. For account set-up queries phone 0115 934 4444. For technical queries please see the customer services page under contact us above, and be ready to quote the e-series Insurance and your individual account number

Will I get charged for calling the Experian Service Support Desk?: Yes. All calls are charged at national rates

What are the opening hours of the Experian Service Support Desk?

Technical queries on 0115 934 4444

Day	Time
Mon-Fri	08:00 - 21:00
Sat	06:00 - 18:00
Sun	08:30 - 16:30

TROUBLESHOOTING

I can not use the site. What should I do?

Make sure you have a suitable Web browser installed. You need Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 or higher, or Netscape 6. You can get free upgrades to these browser versions from the Microsoft or the Netscape Websites
Make sure you have correctly installed the digital certificate. You can call the Experian Service Support Desk on 0115 934 4444
Make sure you can access the Internet by pointing your browser to other sites, for example the home page of your Internet Service Provider
If you still cannot access the site contact the Experian Service Support Desk on 0115 934 4444

Why can't I successfully use e-series Insurance?: Before you can use our Website to buy information we need to ensure you have a secure connection to Experian. To achieve this you need to open an account or request that we activate your access if you already have an Experian account

Why can't I access e-series Insurance from other PCs?: To ensure a secure environment for the exchange of data it is necessary to install and register the secure access digital certificate on each PC you use to access e-series Insurance. If you need additional certificates contact us by email or phone

PC SUPPORT

Who should I ring for network errors?: The Experian Website does not use your network so it is unlikely that any network messages are a result of using our Website. You should contact your PC support specialists or network helpdesk.If you are experiencing problems when attempting to e-mail us from your office PC it is possible that an e-mail service has not been included as part of your browser installation. Your company may also have a firewall installed that limits your capabilities when using the Internet

Can Experian help me if I have problems with my PC?: No. Experian are not PC suppliers and therefore we cannot provide support for PCs. You should contact your PC support specialists directly

Can Experian help me if I have problems with my ISP?: No. Experian are not Internet Service Providers (ISP). We cannot provide support or assistance for any Internet service except our own. If you cannot access Experian's Internet pages you should check your Internet connection and ensure you can log onto your ISP home page before contacting us. If you cannot log onto your ISP home page, you should contact your Internet Service Provider or PC support specialists if you connect via a corporate network

ABOUT EXPERIAN

Who are Experian?: Experian helps organisations find the best prospects and make fast, informed decisions to improve and personalise their relationships with their customers. It does this by combining sophisticated and intelligent decision-making software and systems with some of the world's most comprehensive databases of information on consumers, businesses, motor vehicles, property, insurance claims and policies. Through multi-channel delivery of its Web-based products and services, Experian enables its clients to conduct secure and profitable e-business and develop state-of-the-art CRM systems for communicating and building one-to-one relationships with customers. Experian has headquarters in Nottingham, UK, and Orange, California. Its 12,000 people support clients in over 50 countries. Annual sales exceed Ł1 billion.For more information visit the company's Web site on www.uk.experian.com

Is Experian an Internet Service Provider (ISP)?: No

ABOUT BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR INSURANCE

What reports are available via Business Information for Insurance?

The following reports are available

Underwriting Reports Levels 1 – 4
Claims Report Level 1 & 2
Credit Report
Directors Report
Non-limited business report
Corporate Tree with Risk
Corporate Tree without risk
Business Owners Report
International Reports

What information is contained in the underwriting and claims reports?

Underwriting Report Level 1

Confirmation of company name, address and principle activities
Commercial Delphi Score and trend
Risk of failure
Red, Amber and Green Result

Underwriting Report 2

Confirmation of company name, address and principle activities
Commercial Delphi Score and trend
Risk of failure
Red, Amber and Green Result
Payment performance
CCJ information
Summary of financial information
Summary of directorships and shareholders
High level corporate structure

Underwriting Report 3

Confirmation of company name, address and principle activities
Commercial Delphi Score and trend
Risk of failure
Red, Amber and Green Result
Payment performance
CCJ information
Summary of financial information
Summary of directorships and shareholders
High level corporate structure
2 years balance sheet and profit and loss
Key ratios for industry comparisons
Detailed corporate structure
Full directors data
The option to authenticate directors
Details of mortgages, charges and satisfactions

Underwriting Report 4

All data available from Experian

Claim Report 1

Confirmation of company name, address and principle activities
Commercial Delphi Score
Commercial Delphi Trend
Commercial Delphi twelve month history
CCJ – number and value over 6 years
CCJ – number and value over 12 months
CCJ trend
Risk of failure
Balance Sheet – 2 years
Profit & Loss 2 years
Key Ratios – Industry comparisons
Directors information specifically number of directors and number that are shareholders
Full directors data
The option to authenticate directors
High-level corporate structure
Red, Amber and Green result

Claim Report Level 2

All data available from Experian

What are the Red, Amber and Green rules?: The Business Information for Insurance Reports contains a set of policy rules with variables that an insurer can set as required. These policy rules have been designed for use by insurers and provide an instant indication to the user, through the use of a Red, Amber or Green (RAG) status, of the company’s risk profile. This will aid users in interpreting the data being returned and enable quick decisions to be made. Full details of the RAG rules can be obtained by contacting Experian on 0870 8423043

If I have a company on Limited Company Monitoring, what changes in the report would cause me to receive a Limited Company Monitoring message?

Should any changes occur in the limited company information listed below, a message will be generated by our system and sent to you in order to keep you informed.

Company Name Change
Petitions for Winding Up
Meetings of Creditors
Appointment of Liquidator
Resolution for Winding Up
Winding Up Orders
Registrars intention to dissolve a company (Section 652(3))
Company dissolved by Registrar (Section 652(5))
Company reinstated by Registrar (Section 653(2))
Dismissal of Petition for Winding Up
Appointment of Receiver/Administrative Receiver
Mortgages/Charge lodged at Registry
Mortgage/Charge satisfied
Receiver/Administrative Receiver ceasing to act
Registered Office address change
Later Accounts Filed
Later Annual Return filed
Account reference date change
Legal status change
Change in Directors
Alteration of Memorandum/Articles of Association
Special Resolution passed
Notification of County Court Judgements
Satisfaction/Set aside of County Court Judgements
Issue of Consumer Credit Licence
Amendment of Consumer Credit Licence
Payment Performance
Appointment/Discharge of Administrator
Approval of Voluntary Agreement
Rescission/Cancellation of Voluntary Arrangement

Please note, you will not receive notification for all possible changes. For instance, if in your contract with Experian it is stated that you only wish to be informed about company name changes, you will only receive messages acknowledging those particular changes.

What is a Commercial Delphi Risk Score?: The Commercial Delphi Risk Score is an analytical tool designed to highlight the strength, performance and ultimately the creditworthiness of each company in a single score.

How are the Commercial Delphi score bands arrived at?: These are constructed by comparing the good/bad odds of each company and then classifying companies within bands depending on their good/bad odds. Good/bad odds show the level of risk assigned to each company depending on the level of their score.The high score bands represent the safest bets

What are the differences between the Risk Index and the Commercial Delphi score?: Although the basic formulation behind the score is very similar, there are some major enhancements to the Commercial Delphi score. The most fundamental change has been the introduction of scores given to companies that have yet to file accounts.

How is the Commercial Delphi Score generated?: The score itself combines up to 50 different factors including profitability, gearing and size along with other non financial items such as County Court Judgments, payment performance information, lateness of accounts, regional failure analysis and directors' information.

How do Experian calculate industrial ratios?

The analysis prepared by Experian makes use of 22 salient ratios.

LIQUIDITY RATIOS:

Current Ratio
The sum of Current Assets and Quoted Investments expressed as a Ratio of Total Current Liabilities
Acid Test
The sum of Current Assets less Stock and Work in Progress, divided by Total Current Liabilities
Stock Turnover
Total Sales divided by Stocks: The number of times Stocks are turned over during the year
Credit Period (Days)
Trade Debtors divided by Total Sales and multiplied by 365, giving the average number of days taken before accounts are paid
Working Capital/Sales
Working Capital (namely Current Assets minus current Liabilities) expressed as a percentage of Sales
Trade Creditors/Debtors
Trade Creditors expressed as a Ratio of Trade Debtors

PROFITABILITY RATIOS:

Return on Capital Employed
Pre-tax Profit expressed as a percentage of Capital Employed (Shareholders’ Funds + Long-term Loans + Other Long-term Liabilities)
Return on Assets
Pre-tax Profit as a percentage of Total Assets
Pre-tax Profit Margin
Pre-tax Profit expressed as a percentage of Turnover
Return on Shareholders’ Funds
Pre-tax Profit expressed as a percentage of Shareholders’ Funds

GEARING RATIOS:

Borrowing Ratio
Total Debt expressed as a percentage of Net Worth (Shareholders’ Funds less Intangibles)
Equity Gearing
Shareholders’ Funds expressed as a percentage of Total Liabilities (sum of Capital Employed and Current Liabilities)
Debt Gearing
Long-term Debt expressed as a percentage of Net Worth
Interest Cover
Pre-tax Profit expressed as a Ratio of Interest Payable

PRODUCTIVITY RATIOS:

Sales/Tangible Fixed Assets
Total Sales expressed as a Ratio of Tangible Fixed Assets
Average Remuneration/Employee
Total Employee Remuneration divided by the Number of Employees
Profit/Employee
Pre-tax Profit divided by the Number of Employees
Sales/Employee
Total Sales divided by the Number of Employees
Capital Employed/Employee
Capital Employed divided by the Number of Employees
Tangible Fixed Assets/Employee
Tangible Fixed Assets divided by the Number of Employees
Total Assets/Employee
Total Assets divided by number of Employees
Employee Remunerations/Sales
Wages Expressed as a percentage of Total Sales

OTHER MANAGEMENT RATIOS:

Export Ratio
Exports (where disclosed) expressed as a percentage of Sales
Income Gearing
Gross Interest Paid expressed as a percentage of Pre-Interest, Pre-tax Profit
Total Debt/Working Capital
Total Debt expressed as a ratio of Working Capital
Debtors/Total Assets
Trade Debtors expressed as a percentage of Total Assets

What is a Business Owners report for?: A Business Owners report is for those occasions when a Non-limited business cannot be located as a business. This may be because the business is new and not listed with any credit reference agency. The report is a risk report that will provide a Commercial Delphi score indicating the likelihood of the business failing in the subsequent 12 months, based on an assessment of those people who run the business.Provided consent has been given, up to 3 proprietors can be entered, and the Business Owners report will provide an aggregated view of those proprietors.

How long does it take before documents appear on Experian's database?: This can vary depending on the volumes of filing taking place at any one time. Outside off-peak periods, it is usual for documents filed at Companies House to be available 5 days later. At this point the data is also sent electronically to Experian. In some cases updates can be processed in under 8 hours.

What does a Commercial Delphi score of zero mean?: Scores of zero denote that either the companies no longer exist, have failed or that they can no longer apply for credit without reference to an external authority (e.g. receivers).

How does Commercial Delphi score a company with no financial information?: Experian has developed vast new databases covering Payment Performance and Directors' data. These two elements have proved crucial in enabling Experian to score companies with no financial information.

How is Experian's business data kept up-to-date?: Experian's databases are updated on a daily basis in order to keep our information current and accurate, and fulfil our legal obligations as a data provider. Amendments are made either by our team of dedicated data entry specialists, or, in some cases electronically. Strict quality control procedures are in place to ensure all data is rigorously checked for accuracy. The updates to the database take place between midnight and 6am in order to cause minimum inconvenience, as whilst they are occurring the database is offline.