Notwithstanding any other law:
(a) As used in this section, “portable electronics vendor policyholder” means a portable electronics insurance agent licensee pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 1758.69.
(b) An insurer may terminate a portable electronics insurance policy or otherwise change the terms and conditions of a portable electronics insurance policy only upon providing the portable electronics vendor policyholder and enrolled customers with at least 30 calendar days’ written notice.
(c) If the insurer changes the terms and conditions of a policy of portable electronics insurance, the insurer shall provide the portable electronics vendor policyholder with a revised policy or endorsement and each enrolled customer with a revised certificate, endorsement, updated brochure, or other evidence indicating that a change in the terms and conditions has occurred and a summary of those changes.
(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), an insurer may terminate an enrolled customer’s enrollment under a portable electronics insurance policy upon 15 calendar days’ notice for discovery of fraud or material misrepresentation in obtaining coverage or in the presentation of a claim under the policy.
(e) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), an insurer may immediately terminate an enrolled customer’s enrollment under a portable electronics insurance policy without prior notice for any of the following:
(1) For nonpayment of premium.
(2) If the enrolled customer ceases to have an active service with the vendor of portable electronics.
(3) If the enrolled customer exhausts the aggregate limit of liability, if any, under the terms of the portable electronics insurance policy and the insurer sends notice of termination to the enrolled customer within 30 calendar days after exhaustion of the limit. However, if notice is not sent within 30 calendar days, enrollment shall continue notwithstanding the aggregate limit of liability until 30 calendar days from the date the insurer sends notice of termination to the enrolled customer.
(f) If a portable electronics insurance policy is terminated by a portable electronics vendor policyholder, the portable electronics vendor policyholder shall mail or deliver a written notice to each enrolled customer advising the enrolled customer of the termination of the policy and the effective date of termination. The written notice shall be mailed or delivered by the portable electronics vendor policyholder to the enrolled customer at least 30 days prior to the termination. However, if the notice is not sent within 30 calendar days, enrollment shall continue until 30 calendar days from the date the portable electronics vendor policyholder sends notice of termination to the enrolled customer or until a new portable electronics insurance policy is in effect.
(g) Whenever notice or correspondence with respect to a policy of portable electronics insurance is required pursuant to this section, it shall be in writing and sent within the notice period required pursuant to this section. Notices and correspondence shall be sent to the portable electronics vendor policyholder at the portable electronics vendor policyholder’s mailing address specified for that purpose and to its affected enrolled customers’ last known mailing addresses on file with the insurer or the portable electronics vendor policyholder. The insurer or portable electronics vendor policyholder shall maintain proof that the notice or correspondence was sent for not less than three years after that notice or correspondence was sent.
(Added by Stats. 2013, Ch. 321, Sec. 21. (AB 1391) Effective January 1, 2014. Note: See conditions in Section 1758.693 regarding the initial operative date of Article 16.1, commencing with Section 1758.6.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018