Making a claim

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We want all of our customers to be able to access our services equally. For customers who may need additional help we have put some information and support in place to make it easier. Click here to find out more.

Got a question? Frequently Asked Questions

Furniture Insurance Customer Portal Interested in partnering with us?

Furniture Protection Plan FAQ's

A furniture protection plan is essentially ‘no excess’ furniture insurance. It gives you peace of mind to completely enjoy your furniture.

Visit the furniture insurance page for more info, or click below to watch a short video about what a Guardsman protection plan is...

The price of your furniture varies varies per item, depending on things like the size and price of your item. If your furniture hasn’t been delivered yet, get in touch with your retailer who may still be able to update your order to include a Protection Plan!

There are no excesses to pay! There are absolutely no hidden or surprise costs and no renewal fees each year. 

The price you pay at the start is the only cost for the whole 3 o5 years (the length of plan is dependent on the plan you've purchased).

Making a claim is easy. The quickest and easiest way is to log in to the Guardsman Customer Portal here and log a new claim.

 Alternatively give us a call using the telephone number on your plan certificate. 

This can be found in Section 6: Making a Claim (Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm)

 Click below to watch a short video on our Claim Process

Don’t panic, we’re here to help!

  • First, carefully remove any excess liquids or solids
  • Then blot any remaining residue with a clean white cloth or slightly damp paper towel
  • Be careful not to rub the area as this can damage the upholstery or carpet pile
  • Leave it to dry naturally or carefully use a hair dryer on a cool setting to speed up the process

If their is a stain left behind, then log in to the Guardsman Customer Portal here which will take you to your own dedicated dashboard where you can make a claim online. Alternatively call us using the telephone number on your plan certificate (Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm)

A stain remover wipe is sent as the first step in the stain removal process because...

  • It’s so effective that it may completely remove the stain
    • This means you don’t have to spend your time waiting in for one of our technicians to visit
  • Even if it doesn’t completely eliminate the stain, it will certainly improve the chances of your technician being able to professionally remove it as it will have broken down the components of whatever it is that has caused the stain.

Our specialist stain remover wipe is really easy to use and is effective at removing stains from carpets and fabric upholstered furniture.

1. Blot the fresh spill with a clean white paper towel or cloth to soak up the excess

2. Remove the wipe from the packet and gently blot the stain applying a light pressure

3. For more stubborn stains, you may need to persevere and repeat using a clean part of the wipe each time you blot

4. Don't be tempted to rub the stain, or wipe aggressively as this may damage the fabric or carpet

5. Leave to dry naturally

 Click below to watch a short video on how to use the wipe:

Our Furniture Protection Plans are for new furniture only, that means renewals aren’t available.

Furniture Protection Plan coverage varies between each retailer and plan purchased. Generally, most plans cover for staining and accidental damage for 5 years. 

Click here to find out more about the different plan's available

As well as regularly vacuuming, manufacturers recommend having your carpets and upholstery professionally cleaned every 6-12 months. We’d highly recommend Safeclean, our carpet and upholstery cleaning experts.


As well as generally improving the appearance of your furniture and flooring, professional cleaning can increase its lifespan by removing the dirt and dust which build up in between the fibres causing damage and wear.


Professional cleaning also makes your home a healthier environment by removing allergens and bacteria which can be harmful to health, exacerbating symptoms of hay fever, asthma and skin conditions such as eczema.

Having your item professionally cleaned doesn’t invalidate your Furniture Protection Plan, however damage caused during the cleaning process would not be covered.

If your retailer is a partner with us, furniture protection plans should be offered to you at the time you purchase your furniture either at check-out (if online), or in store.  Don't worry, if your new furniture has not yet been delivered, there is still time to purchase, just call your retailer who can give you more details. 

Our specially formulated protector treatment will help prevent spills and liquids from penetrating and damaging the fibres of your carpet or fabric. It isn’t magic... it’s just a really effective chemical solution that works by treating each individual fibre. That makes it easier for you to remove any staining that such spills may leave behind, reducing the likelihood of permanent damage.

The protector treatment...

  • Coats individual fibres
  • Repels liquids
  • Makes stain removal easier
  • Does not smell, leave a residue or change the texture of your fabric/carpet
  • It’s non-hazardous & doesn’t react further once applied

Once you’ve completed the claim process either in the Guardsman Portal or over the telephone it can take up to 5 working days for us to assess your claim.

If your claim is covered under the terms and conditions of your plan, we will either post out to you a stain remover wipe to try if applicable (unless you request us not to) or one of our independent technicians will contact you within a maximum of 2 working days to make an appointment.

The appointment they offer you should be within the next 10 working days (don’t worry if that isn’t convenient, you can ask them for another date).

Please note: if you need to cancel once the appointment is booked, please give us at least 24 hours-notice or you may be charged for the visit.

Replacement parts and items take on average between 4-16 weeks to arrive but may take longer. This lead time is set by the manufacturers who often make parts to order and can be internationally based. It’s just like ordering new furniture from a retailer and will take a similar amount of time as your original furniture did to arrive. We’ll let you know as soon as we have a delivery date.

We appreciate feedback and are truly sorry if we've fallen short of your expectations. Ensuring your satisfaction is our top priority, and we're committed to making things right for you.

Whether it's a product issue, a customer service complaint, or any other aspect that didn't meet your expectations, we're here to listen and work towards a resolution that leaves you satisfied.

In the unlikely event that you’re unhappy with the service you’ve received or the outcome of your claim, you can make a formal complaint. As a stringently regulated company, we take all complaints very seriously and will be handled in accordance with FCA guidelines.

If your complaint is in regards to a Protection Plan, quote your Plan reference number or claim number as this will help to provide you with a quicker response.

Contact us by:

  • Emailing: complaints@guardsman.co.uk
  • Write: Guardsman Industries Limited, 152 Brook Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 4SD
  • Enquiry Form: Complete the enquiry form on our 'Contact Us' page and select "Raising a complaint" from the drop down options
  • Telephone: Please raise your concerns with our Claim Resolution team by calling 01235 444751

 What happens next?

  • Your complaint will be acknowledged within five working days and we aim to resolve your complaint as soon as possible from first notification.
  • Guardsman have a maximum of fifty-six days (8 weeks) to resolve your complaint, and should this not be possible, Guardsman will notify you in writing and provide right of escalation to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
  • If your complaint cannot be resolved within 8 weeks, we will notify you in writing to confirm both the causes of the delay and the time in which we expect to resolve your complaint. 
  • If you're still unhappy with our final response, or if we've not given you a final response within 8 weeks of your complaint, you may be entitled to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service for help and advice. 

    Call: 0800 023 4567 or 0300 123 9123

    Email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk

    Write: The Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower, London E14 9SR

    You must contact the Financial Ombudsman Service within six months of the date of receiving our final decision letter. If you do not refer your complaint in time, the Ombudsman may not have our permission to consider your complaint and so will only be able to do so in very limited circumstances. For example, if the Ombudsman believes that the delay was as a result of exceptional circumstances.

If you need to cancel your appointment please give us at least 24 hours’ notice. Email: fieldservices@guardsman.co.uk, providing your surname, postcode, time and date of the appointment you are cancelling and your claim number.

Technicians manage their own diaries so appointments and cancellations must be booked directly through them. The quickest and most straightforward way to do this is to contact the technician directly on the phone number provided and advise them directly.

To change your address, add a named person, change phone numbers you can login to the Guardsman Portal here and make the updates in the My Account section. Alternatively contact the Policy Administration team via email policy.admin@guardsman.co.uk

 If you need to update your email, please contact the Policy Administration team directly. 

If you sell or give away your furniture you can transfer the policy to the new owner. You just need to get in touch with our Policy Administration team via email us: policy.admin@guardsman.co.uk. Please note, there is a £10 administration charge to transfer policies.

 

Our protector spray is a water-based solution which does not contain PFOA/S (Perfluoro octyl alcohol / sulphate) or Teflon.

 

If you purchased a protection plan (often referred to as Sofacare or furniture insurance) when you purchased new item(s) of furniture, the retailer who you purchased it through will send us your details to allow us to register your policy on our system. This usually happens around the time the furniture has been delivered, or is due to be delivered. 

If you provided an email address, you will receive an email from us (the insurance administrators), which is simply to let you know that you (the policyholder) have access to our online Customer Portal, which allows you 24/7 access to your policy, and enables you to notify us of any potential claim request at a time that is convenient to you.

If you believe we have been given your details to us in error, please not hesitate to contact us via our Policy Administration Department and we will liaise with them accordingly.

 

Customer Portal

As you are a Guardsman furniture protection plan owner we have emailed you to advise about online portal for all Guardsman protection plan holders; which means you now have 24/7 access to your policy information including what you are covered for and how to make a claim with us.

Click here to visit our portal

Simply click here and login using the details you received on your welcome email. Don’t worry if you’ve forgotten them, you can re-set your details on the Portal homepage

As this is a relatively new Portal, we are in the process of uploading any historical data which may take some time to do.  Check back in a week or so, or alternatively contact us to let us know.

If you are able to remove the affected section either by unzipping it, undoing a button or it is attached by velcro then this is considered to be a loose part.  If it is stitched and unable to be removed then this is a fitted part which will require a technician visit to fit the part.

Each photograph needs to be less than 5mb and either a jpeg, png or bmp file. 

The portal is unable to accept any other file formats.

You can amend your contact details, including your address, and telephone numbers within the portal easily, just login here and click on the 'update details' section within My Policies. 

Alternatively you can contact the Policy Administration department, details of which can be found on your Policy Certificate. 

If you wish to update your email and / or name, please contact our Policy Administration department

To update your marketing preferences, simply login to the portal here, click on the 'Update Details' button under My Policies section and scroll to the bottom of the page to update your preferences.

There is a forgot password option on the home page of the portal, click the link and you will receive a link to reset it.

To update your email address, please contact the Policy Administration team via email policy.admin@guardsman.co.uk

 

Partner with us

Choosing to work with Guardsman means choosing to work with the best service provider for both you and your customers. We provided unrivalled coverage, the best technicians for the job and leading customer service from our UK based claim centre.

When working with retailers we endeavour to provide flexible, bespoke options when it comes to our plans, products and promotional materials whilst protecting your brand through stringent compliance. We have worked with some of the largest national retailers across the UK, some for 30+ years. To find out more, get in touch via info@guardsman.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you.

Our network of talented furniture repair technicians are all independently contracted to carry out Guardsman service work. To find out more about joining us, get in touch with our Technical Manager through: fieldservices@guardsman.co.uk.

Visit  www.safeclean.co.uk to find out more about joining our UK wide network of carpet and upholstery cleaning technicians with a 50 year heritage.

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