Stopping Staysure: What you need to know

About Staysure

Staysure is one of the UK's leading specialist travel insurance providers, primarily serving the over-50s market since 2004. Based in Northampton, the company has built its reputation on offering comprehensive travel cover for older travellers, including those with pre-existing medical conditions who often struggle to find suitable insurance elsewhere. They've expanded significantly over the years and now provide various insurance products including home insurance, pet insurance, and life insurance, though travel insurance remains their core offering.

What sets Staysure apart in the crowded insurance marketplace is their focus on customers who might be considered higher risk by mainstream insurers. They specialise in covering travellers with medical conditions, offering policies that include cruise cover, winter sports options, and extended trip durations. The company processes over 500,000 policies annually and has won numerous industry awards for their customer service approach.

Most importantly, Staysure operates on an annual policy basis for most of their products, which means understanding their cancellation procedures becomes crucial if your circumstances change. Whether you're moving to a different provider, no longer need the cover, or have found better value elsewhere, knowing how to properly terminate your policy can save you money and prevent automatic renewals.

Plans, features and pricing

Staysure offers a comprehensive range of insurance products tailored to different customer needs. Let me break down their main offerings so you understand exactly what you might be cancelling.

Travel insurance options

Their travel insurance comes in several tiers. Single trip policies cover one holiday, typically ranging from £15 to £150 depending on destination, duration, and your medical history. Annual multi-trip policies prove more economical for frequent travellers, generally costing between £80 and £300 per year. These cover unlimited trips within a 12-month period, though individual trip durations are usually capped at 31, 45, or 60 days depending on which level you choose.

The coverage levels include Essentials, Premier, and Premier Plus. Essentials provides basic medical cover and cancellation protection, whilst Premier adds increased medical limits and baggage cover. Premier Plus represents their top tier with enhanced limits across all categories and additional benefits like gadget cover and car hire excess protection.

Other insurance products

Beyond travel insurance, Staysure provides home insurance with buildings and contents options, typically ranging from £150 to £400 annually depending on your property value and location. Their pet insurance covers dogs and cats with lifetime policies starting around £20 monthly. Life insurance products include over-50s life cover with guaranteed acceptance and no medical questions, usually costing between £10 and £50 monthly based on age and coverage amount.

Key features across products

All Staysure policies include a 14-day cooling-off period where you can cancel for a full refund if you haven't travelled or made a claim. They offer 24-hour emergency assistance lines, and most policies allow you to add family members or travel companions. Pre-existing medical condition cover remains their standout feature, though this requires medical screening during the application process.

Terms of service and cancellation policy

Understanding Staysure's cancellation terms proves absolutely essential before you begin the cancellation process. I've seen countless customers lose money simply because they didn't grasp the timing requirements or refund calculations.

The cooling-off period

First and foremost, Staysure provides a 14-day cooling-off period from either the policy start date or the date you received your policy documents, whichever comes later. During this window, you can cancel for any reason and receive a full premium refund, provided you haven't travelled or made a claim. This statutory right comes from the Financial Conduct Authority regulations and applies to all UK insurance products.

Keep in mind that the cooling-off period operates on calendar days, not working days. If day 14 falls on a weekend, that's still your deadline. I always recommend acting within the first 10 days to allow processing time and avoid last-minute complications.

Cancellation after the cooling-off period

Once the cooling-off period expires, your cancellation rights change significantly. For annual travel insurance policies, you can still cancel at any time, but Staysure will calculate a pro-rata refund based on the unused portion of your policy, minus an administration fee typically ranging from £25 to £50. Additionally, if you've made any claims during the policy period, you won't receive any refund regardless of how much time remains.

For single trip policies, cancellation after the cooling-off period but before travel usually results in a partial refund minus administrative costs. However, once your trip has commenced, these policies become non-refundable even if you return early or don't complete your journey.

Automatic renewal provisions

Most importantly, Staysure operates automatic renewal on annual policies. They'll typically send a renewal notice 21 to 30 days before your policy expires, and unless you actively cancel, they'll automatically renew your cover and charge your payment method. This catches many customers off guard, especially if their circumstances have changed or they've found alternative cover.

The automatic renewal can be stopped at any time before the renewal date without penalty. However, once the new policy period begins, you're back into a new contract with a fresh cooling-off period but no entitlement to cancel the previous year's policy.

Legal requirements for cancellation

Under UK consumer protection laws, insurance companies must accept cancellation requests in writing. Verbal cancellations over the phone aren't legally binding, which is precisely why postal cancellation provides the most reliable method. Written cancellation creates an audit trail and proves you met your contractual obligations.

Cancelling by post - the complete guide

After processing thousands of insurance cancellations, I can tell you that postal cancellation remains the gold standard method. Let me walk you through exactly why and how to do this properly.

Why postal cancellation is most reliable

Phone cancellations create problems because you're relying on the representative to accurately record your request, and you have no proof of what was said or when. Online portals sometimes experience technical glitches or don't clearly confirm receipt. Postal cancellation, particularly via Recorded Delivery, provides irrefutable evidence of your cancellation request, the exact date you sent it, and proof of delivery.

Additionally, postal cancellation protects you legally. If any dispute arises about whether you cancelled or when you cancelled, your Recorded Delivery receipt serves as legal evidence. I've seen cases where customers thought they'd cancelled by phone, only to face continued charges because the company had no record of the conversation.

Preparing your cancellation letter

Your cancellation letter needs specific information to be processed efficiently. Start by including your full name exactly as it appears on your policy documents. Next, include your policy number, which you'll find on your insurance certificate or renewal documents. Include your address and contact telephone number for any follow-up queries.

State clearly and unambiguously that you wish to cancel your policy. Specify the cancellation date you're requesting - either immediate cancellation or a future date if you want cover to continue until a specific point. Request written confirmation of the cancellation and details of any refund due.

Keep in mind that vague language causes processing delays. Don't write \