Big Warranties

Who is BIG Warranties?

BIG Warranties is an insurance provider based at Branksome Business Park in Poole, Dorset, selling cover for domestic appliances, home emergencies, boilers, landlord properties, motor breakdown and gadgets. It states that it was founded in 2009 and has insured more than 200,000 customers.

Its market position is built on price. The company describes its proposition as “big cover, small prices”, pitches directly at cost of living pressures, and competes openly on premium against larger rivals. Its appliance policies are sold with no mandatory excess, unlimited claims and accidental damage included alongside mechanical and electrical failure.

The detail most consumers will not spot is the corporate one. Go Assist, the national repair brand, is a trading name of BIG Warranties Limited. The company that sells you the policy is the company that repairs the appliance.

What do the public records show about the company?

BIG Warranties Limited is registered in England under company number 07002567, incorporated on 27 August 2009, with its registered office at Unit 17, Branksome Business Park, Bourne Valley Road, Poole. The company’s own website gives the same address as its trading address and states that it is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 798998.

Who underwrites the policies?

This is the question to resolve before buying, and it cannot be answered from the website pages alone. BIG Warranties describes itself as an insurance provider and states that it is FCA authorised, but the pages reviewed do not name the insurer carrying the risk.

There is a clue in the group’s own wording. The footer on the Go Assist site, the same company, states that BIG Warranties “is an insurance provider that can offer an insurance policy to cover future issues” and that “we offer products from a range of insurers”. That phrasing points to policies underwritten by third party insurers rather than by BIG Warranties itself, and potentially by different insurers for different products.

To the company’s credit, it does publish the documents that answer the question. Full policy wordings and Insurance Product Information Documents, the standardised summaries required for insurance sales, are available for each product on its terms and conditions page, alongside a terms of business document. The insurer is identified in those documents rather than on the marketing pages.

Why the underwriter matters

With any insurance policy, the firm that sells it and the insurer that pays the claims can be different companies. The seller must be authorised to distribute insurance, while the insurer carries the risk and is the entity behind Financial Services Compensation Scheme protection.

Open the Insurance Product Information Document before you buy. It is short, it is standardised, and it names the insurer along with the main exclusions and limits. If a complaint is ever unresolved, an insurance complaint can usually be referred free of charge to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

What cover does BIG Warranties sell?

Appliance insuranceWashing machines, tumble dryers, dishwashers, cookers, range cookers, fridges, freezers and fridge freezers, sold individually or as multi-appliance and whole-kitchen policies.

Home emergency and boiler coverBoiler only, home emergency only, or combined cover, extending to heating, plumbing, drainage, electrics and pest infestation.

Landlord policiesLandlord versions of the appliance, boiler and home emergency products, aimed at rented property portfolios.

Motor breakdown and gadget coverUK and European motor breakdown cover plus gadget insurance, sitting outside the home entirely.

What do the appliance policies include?

On its published terms, the appliance cover is competitive. The company advertises unlimited claims, no excess, and cover for accidental damage as well as mechanical and electrical failure, which it notes many competitors exclude. Where an appliance is beyond repair it states it will replace it with a like for like model or offer a settlement, and it offers discounts for insuring several appliances, advertised as 20% off when four appliances are covered.

Premiums are not published. The website invites you to submit your details for a price, so the only way to judge value is to obtain a quote and compare the annual cost against what a one-off repair would actually cost. Whitegoods Help does not estimate prices.

How the sales process works

It is worth knowing what happens after you fill in the quote form, because this is not a straightforward online purchase. The company states that you enter your details to receive an instant price online, after which a member of its UK-based team will be in touch to discuss the quote, operating 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday. An agent then works with you to settle on a cover level before the policy is set up.

That is a telephone sale following an online enquiry, and it is a perfectly legitimate way to sell insurance. It does mean submitting the form is a step towards a sales call rather than a price comparison, and that the cover level you end up with is arrived at in conversation. Take the time to read the policy wording afterwards rather than relying on what was described on the call.

Policies renew automatically

BIG Warranties states that policies are set up as rolling contracts, with a reminder sent 21 days before the renewal date so customers can change or cancel.

Twenty one days’ notice is reasonable and above the bare minimum, but the practical effect of any rolling contract is that cover continues, and payments continue, unless you actively intervene. Diarise the renewal date when you buy, and check the renewal premium against a fresh quote rather than letting it roll.

The Go Assist connection, and why it cuts both ways

Because Go Assist is a trading name of BIG Warranties Limited, this group both sells appliance cover and operates the engineer network that fulfils repairs. Very few providers in this market are structured that way. Domestic & General, by contrast, authorises claims and dispatches contracted third party engineers.

There are real advantages. A claim does not have to be passed to an external contractor, scheduling and parts sit under one roof, and there is no argument between insurer and repairer about who is responsible when something goes wrong. Go Assist also employs salaried engineers with vans and accredited training, so the group has genuine repair capacity rather than merely a booking system.

The counterpoint deserves stating just as plainly. When the company assessing your claim is also the company that would pay for and perform the repair, the decision on whether a fault is covered is taken by a party with a direct financial interest in the answer. That is not an accusation of anything, and vertical integration is common across many industries. It is a reason to keep your own written record of what was diagnosed and what you were told, and to know that the Financial Ombudsman Service exists if a claim decision looks wrong.

Readers weighing the two sides of this group may want to read the companion review of Go Assist and its repair terms, which covers the parts and labour limits applied by appliance brand on its pay-as-you-go repairs.

What are the genuine strengths and weaknesses?

The assessment below draws on the company’s published material, the Companies House register and the Financial Services Register. It is not based on testing the service.

Is appliance cover worth buying at all?

This deserves a straight answer rather than a pitch in either direction. Appliance insurance is not a con, and it is usually not good value either. It transfers a risk that most households could carry themselves, at a price that has to include the provider’s costs, commission and margin.

A mainstream washing machine will often run for years without a fault, and the common out-of-warranty failures are repairable for a fixed sum. Set the monthly premium aside instead and, across several appliances, most people finish ahead. Cover makes better sense in three situations: where an unexpected bill would cause genuine hardship, where an appliance is expensive to replace, and where a household has a history of heavy use and frequent faults.

BIG Warranties’ no excess position does strengthen the case relative to policies charging £75 or £99 per claim, because an excess can swallow most of the value of a small repair. Weigh that against the premium, not against the marketing.

Check the rights you already have before paying for cover

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you may have a claim against the retailer for up to six years in England and Wales, and five years in Scotland, where goods were not of satisfactory quality. Manufacturers must also make functional spare parts available for years after a model was last sold.

Read the guidance on faulty appliances and the Consumer Rights Act, consumer rights on appliances, free five year parts guarantees and the Right to Repair rules. Many households pay for cover duplicating protection they already had.

Whitegoods Help has looked at this question repeatedly, and the conclusions are worth reading first: should you buy a washing machine extended warranty, a reader’s five year warranty offer assessed, and the comparison of appliance insurance against subscription schemes.

Who might BIG Warranties suit, and who might it not?

Likely a reasonable fit
Households that have decided they want appliance cover and object to paying an excess on top of the premium. Anyone insuring several appliances at once, where the multi-item discount applies. Landlords wanting appliance, boiler and home emergency cover from one provider with property-specific policies. Households that value accidental damage cover, which several competitors exclude.

Probably not the right choice
Anyone whose appliance is still in guarantee or within the statutory window against the retailer. Households able to absorb a one-off repair bill, who will usually do better setting the premium aside. Anyone who wants to buy online without a sales call. Anyone uncomfortable that the party deciding a claim is also the party performing the repair. Owners of cheap appliances where a few years of premiums approach replacement cost.

How does it compare with the alternatives?

The wider question of who to call when something breaks is covered in manufacturer versus independent engineer, and it is worth settling whether to repair or replace before buying cover on an ageing machine.

Before you buy any appliance policy

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  Open the Insurance Product Information Document and find the insurer’s name, the exclusions and the limits.
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  Check the company name and reference number on your paperwork against the Financial Services Register.
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  Multiply the monthly premium by twelve, then compare it against one fixed-price repair.
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  Ask whether the appliance’s age or condition affects cover, and get the answer in writing.
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  Note the renewal date and set a reminder, since the policy rolls over automatically.
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  Keep a dated record of every visit, diagnosis and part fitted. See claiming compensation from a retailer or repairer.

Safety warning on DIY appliance repairs

Domestic appliances combine mains electricity with water, heat and moving parts. Always disconnect an appliance from the mains before removing any panel, and never work on a live appliance. Capacitors can retain a dangerous charge after disconnection.

Gas appliances must only be worked on by a Gas Safe registered engineer. If you smell gas, call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 immediately and check credentials on the Gas Safe Register. See the DIY repair safety guidance.

Note also that attempting your own repair on a covered appliance may invalidate a claim. Check the policy wording first.

What about spare parts?

Where an appliance is not covered and the fault is straightforward, fitting the part yourself is an option for the reasonably confident. The full model and serial number from the rating plate determines which version of a part will fit, and getting that right matters more than anything else.

Whitegoods Help maintains guidance on sourcing appliance spare parts, the difference between genuine and pattern parts, and what to check before buying spares. Start any diagnosis with the appliance error codes hub.

Frequently asked questions about BIG Warranties

Editorial summary

BIG Warranties competes on price and on terms, and on paper the appliance product is genuinely attractive within its category. No mandatory excess is a meaningful advantage, because an excess of £75 or £99 can wipe out most of the value of a routine repair claim. Accidental damage cover, unlimited claims, multi-appliance discounts and a like for like replacement promise are all reasonable, and the company publishes the policy wordings and Insurance Product Information Documents that let a careful buyer check the detail.

Owning the repair network is the most distinctive thing about it. That brings real practical benefits, and it also means the party deciding whether your fault is covered is the party that would perform and pay for the repair. That is worth knowing rather than worrying about, and it argues for keeping your own written record of any diagnosis.

The weaknesses are mostly about evidence rather than cover. The insurer is not named on the marketing pages. The 99% claims approval figure rests on four months of data from early 2024. Experience and customer numbers are stated inconsistently across the site. Awards are referenced without being named. None of that is disqualifying, but a company inviting people to trust it with a monthly payment could stand behind firmer numbers, and the fix would be straightforward.

For a household that has already decided it wants appliance cover, dislikes excess charges and is insuring more than one machine, this is a credible option from a properly authorised firm with its own engineers. For everyone else, the underlying arithmetic still favours setting the premium aside and paying for a fixed-price repair on the rare occasions one is needed.