If you are turning out for a local public event, do you know if you are covered if anything goes wrong?
Public liability insurance is a must-have for event organisers – from craft fairs and dances to firework displays and carnivals.
The policy covers paying compensation for injury to any third party at the event – from staff, exhibitors, delivery people and visitors.
Also built-in is legal expenses cover for the event organiser, and if the case is lost, those of the claimant.
Simple enough – and at a cost of around £100 for an event, not a prohibitive cost for even small events.
However, the Insurance Blogger was surprised to find many small clubs, groups and organisations either don’t know about the cover – or simply don’t bother to safeguard their visitors.
Mrs Blogger’s wife recently promoted a dance in the village hall, only to find the public liability insurance certificate was out-of-date and the hall had no cover. With 150 paying guests, a dozen staff, bar and a live five-piece band, the potential for disaster was great.
Luckily, the hall secretary updated the cover when faced with the prospect of refunding the not insignificant cost of cancelling the event.
Then, the Blogger was told in confidence that the local first responders – NHS trained and managed volunteer first aiders – were running a 999 fun day at the weekend without any public liability insurance.
The event had displays, including emergency vehicles, from the police, air ambulance, fire service and ambulance service.
The view by the committee was why should we pay when these services all have their own cover. They do for their own activities, but that does not cover parking or walking around the field.
At least help was not too far away if the worst happened…
To the Blogger, it seems an anomaly that event insurance is not a legal requirement for any group or organisation.
Showing posts with label Insurance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Insurance. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Festival thieves prey on unguarded camp sites
Thieves stole belongings worth £226,738 from festival-goers at the leading music events last summer.
The figure was totted up by police from music lovers reporting 1,100 crimes at the leading 11 festivals – with 75% of the thefts from unguarded tents and the others mainly coming from pickpocketing.
The cash figure comes from eight of 11 events as police did not supply the figures for the others, says insurer Aviva, which compiled the statistics.
With the festival season about to get in to full swing, the insurer is warning anyone with tickets to safeguard their possessions and to check they are covered for loss, theft or accidental damage on their home contents insurance.
Last year saw a 19% increase in the value of thefts compared with 2010.
The biggest increase was at the V Festival in Essex, which saw the value of thefts more than double to almost £87,000.
However, although the value of thefts was up, the number of thefts dropped by 14%, suggesting that people are taking more expensive personal items with them, like MP3 players, cameras and smartphones.
Aviva reckons the average value of possessions people take to a festival is £1209.97.
Jonathan Cracknell, household underwriter at Aviva, said; “Rain or shine, hundreds of thousands of people will be heading out to the many festivals and outdoor events being held this summer. So as well as thinking about what bands and stands they are going to see, music fans also need to think about personal security – it is clear that while festival-goers are watching the acts, thieves are watching out for their expensive gadgets and belongings left back in their tents or tucked in their pockets.
“Our research also shows that while crime might be down at festivals compared with last summer, the average cost of belongings being taken is rising – with people still venturing out armed with expensive screens and accessories. So swapping the digital for the disposable is a good idea and using the free lock-up areas wherever possible.”
The figure was totted up by police from music lovers reporting 1,100 crimes at the leading 11 festivals – with 75% of the thefts from unguarded tents and the others mainly coming from pickpocketing.
The cash figure comes from eight of 11 events as police did not supply the figures for the others, says insurer Aviva, which compiled the statistics.
With the festival season about to get in to full swing, the insurer is warning anyone with tickets to safeguard their possessions and to check they are covered for loss, theft or accidental damage on their home contents insurance.
Last year saw a 19% increase in the value of thefts compared with 2010.
The biggest increase was at the V Festival in Essex, which saw the value of thefts more than double to almost £87,000.
However, although the value of thefts was up, the number of thefts dropped by 14%, suggesting that people are taking more expensive personal items with them, like MP3 players, cameras and smartphones.
Aviva reckons the average value of possessions people take to a festival is £1209.97.
Jonathan Cracknell, household underwriter at Aviva, said; “Rain or shine, hundreds of thousands of people will be heading out to the many festivals and outdoor events being held this summer. So as well as thinking about what bands and stands they are going to see, music fans also need to think about personal security – it is clear that while festival-goers are watching the acts, thieves are watching out for their expensive gadgets and belongings left back in their tents or tucked in their pockets.
“Our research also shows that while crime might be down at festivals compared with last summer, the average cost of belongings being taken is rising – with people still venturing out armed with expensive screens and accessories. So swapping the digital for the disposable is a good idea and using the free lock-up areas wherever possible.”
Why do I have to pay to complain about my insurance?
Car and home insurance companies are forever looking for new ways to make money out of their customers – and the Insurance Blogger can reveal yet another.
After recent blogs highlighting the cost of repairs and offering tips on how to drive down the cost of car insurance, it comes as no surprise these slippery customers have other tricks up their sleeves.
Phone calls are the latest money-making exercise – free calls to tempt new customers while loyal customers who want to talk about their cover, make a claim or complain have to pay premium rates.
Free 0800 numbers are on most of the new business lines – while only six out of 34 banks, insurers and energy firms tested by consumer champion Which provided free phone options for current customers.
Instead, most advertise 0844 or 0845 numbers, including says Which, leading insurer Churchill.
The costs vary for a 20 minute call to premium numbers from a BT landline -
● 0845 – around 50p
● 0844 or 0870 – around £1
● 0871 – around £2
Calls from mobiles cost even more
The Insurance Blogger assumes that insurers budget for the costs of administration, including sending letter and telephone calls in the cost of a premium.
After all, if they are clever enough to calculate risk to set a premium, their mathematicians must be able to cost how much they spending managing customers and claims.
If call centres are raking in an average £1 a minute, if every line is picking up a call for 8 hours a day, that adds up to every phone in the centre earning the insurer £480 a day.
Now times that by five days times 52 weeks and that’s £124,800 a year.
That’s a conservative estimate as most customer lines are open for more than eight hours a day and across weekends as well.
To the Insurance Blogger’s mind, that’s money that insurers could be diverting towards cutting the cost of my cover rather than towards the pockets of shareholders as dividends.
After recent blogs highlighting the cost of repairs and offering tips on how to drive down the cost of car insurance, it comes as no surprise these slippery customers have other tricks up their sleeves.
Phone calls are the latest money-making exercise – free calls to tempt new customers while loyal customers who want to talk about their cover, make a claim or complain have to pay premium rates.
Free 0800 numbers are on most of the new business lines – while only six out of 34 banks, insurers and energy firms tested by consumer champion Which provided free phone options for current customers.
Instead, most advertise 0844 or 0845 numbers, including says Which, leading insurer Churchill.
The costs vary for a 20 minute call to premium numbers from a BT landline -
● 0845 – around 50p
● 0844 or 0870 – around £1
● 0871 – around £2
Calls from mobiles cost even more
The Insurance Blogger assumes that insurers budget for the costs of administration, including sending letter and telephone calls in the cost of a premium.
After all, if they are clever enough to calculate risk to set a premium, their mathematicians must be able to cost how much they spending managing customers and claims.
If call centres are raking in an average £1 a minute, if every line is picking up a call for 8 hours a day, that adds up to every phone in the centre earning the insurer £480 a day.
Now times that by five days times 52 weeks and that’s £124,800 a year.
That’s a conservative estimate as most customer lines are open for more than eight hours a day and across weekends as well.
To the Insurance Blogger’s mind, that’s money that insurers could be diverting towards cutting the cost of my cover rather than towards the pockets of shareholders as dividends.
10 ways to make your car insurance cheaper
The average cost of car insurance is around £1,500 a year – but that figure does not take in to account the most expensive policies for young drivers could cost up to £4,000 or more.
Driving down the cost of car insurance can make a real financial difference to many motorists.
Although the cost of fuelling is falling, other than loan repayments for a car, the cost of insurance is probably the main other expense for a driver.
Paying £4,000 a year for cover is equivalent to spending £77 a week, and just £5 sliced off the weekly bill will put £260 extra in a driver’s pocket over a year.
To help make driving cheaper – here’s a list of the top 10 ways to make car cover less expensive:
Change your job description – make sure your job title isn’t pushing making your insurance more expensive when a more accurate title would be cheaper
Change your car – Cheap cars with small engines are cheaper to insure
Pay a higher excess – Raising the excess spreads risk for the insurer and gives a lower price
Compare quotes – Check the price with at least three comparison sites or providers
Challenge your insurer to match or beat the best quote
Don’t pay for cover you do not need – make sure you are not spending for add-ons you won’t use
Get quotes 29 days before renewal – they are often valid for 28 days, so if prices go up, the quoted figure still holds
Look at fitting a telematics black box for ‘pay as you drive’ cover
Park overnight in a garage instead of on a street – this will bring the cost down
Pay in one go instead of taking credit
Many of these tips won’t deliver cheap car insurance on their own – but taken as a whole they can knock pounds off the amount a driver pays.
Driving down the cost of car insurance can make a real financial difference to many motorists.
Although the cost of fuelling is falling, other than loan repayments for a car, the cost of insurance is probably the main other expense for a driver.
Paying £4,000 a year for cover is equivalent to spending £77 a week, and just £5 sliced off the weekly bill will put £260 extra in a driver’s pocket over a year.
To help make driving cheaper – here’s a list of the top 10 ways to make car cover less expensive:
Change your job description – make sure your job title isn’t pushing making your insurance more expensive when a more accurate title would be cheaper
Change your car – Cheap cars with small engines are cheaper to insure
Pay a higher excess – Raising the excess spreads risk for the insurer and gives a lower price
Compare quotes – Check the price with at least three comparison sites or providers
Challenge your insurer to match or beat the best quote
Don’t pay for cover you do not need – make sure you are not spending for add-ons you won’t use
Get quotes 29 days before renewal – they are often valid for 28 days, so if prices go up, the quoted figure still holds
Look at fitting a telematics black box for ‘pay as you drive’ cover
Park overnight in a garage instead of on a street – this will bring the cost down
Pay in one go instead of taking credit
Many of these tips won’t deliver cheap car insurance on their own – but taken as a whole they can knock pounds off the amount a driver pays.
Press 2 if you are making a fraudulent insurance claim
The Insurance Blogger feels somewhat tainted after discussing two home insurance claims on the phone.
The experience was completely unsavoury and involved some minutes listening to a school ma’am reading a recorded message warning me of the perils of making a fraudulent claim.
Apparently, I would be branded a thief, my family and pets would be rounded up and sent in to captivity and my shame would live on generally making my life miserable for years to come because my name would be indelibly inscribed on an industry fraud database.
For goodness sake, my roof is leaking after the recent storms – hence the widening stain on the bedroom ceiling. I just want someone reliable to get up there and repair the problem.
It’s three floors up and probably needs scaffolding, so I guess a £100 job will spiral up to a grand or more to justify the £200 excess.
Then, I had the bad luck to drop my camera, well an envious Mrs Blogger’s camera as she has now assumed ownership as a new one may be on the way.
Two claims in one day! Am I a professional dishonest person, asks the claims advisor, unashamedly asking me or Mrs Blogger are convicted thieves, serial insurance claimants or generally unsavoury characters.
I am sure insurance firms are routinely ripped off by customers, but the Blogger has not made a claim in years. I understand they want to rein in compensation and pay out the least possible, but the whole process could be a lot more user friendly.
Instead of shouting out a warning to thieves and fraudsters that must concern and worry the vast number of genuine claimants who must outnumber the crooks by a considerable amount, insurance companies could be a little more restrained.
Perhaps a ‘Press 1 if you are a genuine caller’ and ‘Press 2 if you are a fraudster’ telephone menu on the claims line would work better, like the green and red channels at customs.
The experience was completely unsavoury and involved some minutes listening to a school ma’am reading a recorded message warning me of the perils of making a fraudulent claim.
Apparently, I would be branded a thief, my family and pets would be rounded up and sent in to captivity and my shame would live on generally making my life miserable for years to come because my name would be indelibly inscribed on an industry fraud database.
For goodness sake, my roof is leaking after the recent storms – hence the widening stain on the bedroom ceiling. I just want someone reliable to get up there and repair the problem.
It’s three floors up and probably needs scaffolding, so I guess a £100 job will spiral up to a grand or more to justify the £200 excess.
Then, I had the bad luck to drop my camera, well an envious Mrs Blogger’s camera as she has now assumed ownership as a new one may be on the way.
Two claims in one day! Am I a professional dishonest person, asks the claims advisor, unashamedly asking me or Mrs Blogger are convicted thieves, serial insurance claimants or generally unsavoury characters.
I am sure insurance firms are routinely ripped off by customers, but the Blogger has not made a claim in years. I understand they want to rein in compensation and pay out the least possible, but the whole process could be a lot more user friendly.
Instead of shouting out a warning to thieves and fraudsters that must concern and worry the vast number of genuine claimants who must outnumber the crooks by a considerable amount, insurance companies could be a little more restrained.
Perhaps a ‘Press 1 if you are a genuine caller’ and ‘Press 2 if you are a fraudster’ telephone menu on the claims line would work better, like the green and red channels at customs.
Alien Abduction Insurance – Space
If you are the kind of person who thinks they have everything battened down when it comes to insurance, then think again if you don’t have alien abduction cover.
Several insurers offer this UFO abduction cover – with benefits ranging from providing long term psychological care, sarcasm protection and cash pay outs.
One policy even includes a $20 million double indemnity if the alien tries to eat you.
UK web site Alien Abduction Insurance is offering $1,000 cover paid as $1 a year for the next 1,000 years – but abductees need to prove the abduction.
The policy demands:
Keeping the insurance certificate on your person at all times, as you never know when you might get beamed up
Grabbing proof of being aboard the mothership – the insurer will accept photographs or alien DNA
Asking an alien to sign a statement proving you were detained on a space ship
On return to terra firma, completing the claim form is the only formality between you and that $1 a year.
A valid claim must include the name or description of the alien life-form and the type of space craft you travelled on – preferably with a photograph.
Insurer UFO2001 asks for the meagre sum of just $7.95 offering $10 million pay out for proven alien abduction.
The problem is the insurance only pays out once and most alien abductees claim multiple incidents.
Qualification is simple – prior alien abductions are not valid for claims.
The insurer claims to have sold 1,200 policies – but surprisingly no claims for the pay out of $1 a year for 10 million years have been received.
Asked why his firm offers alien abduction insurance , Mike St Lawrence said: “ I checked my insurances and saw I was not covered for alien abduction. It’s the perfect insurance for someone who thinks they have everything covered.”
Several insurers offer this UFO abduction cover – with benefits ranging from providing long term psychological care, sarcasm protection and cash pay outs.
One policy even includes a $20 million double indemnity if the alien tries to eat you.
UK web site Alien Abduction Insurance is offering $1,000 cover paid as $1 a year for the next 1,000 years – but abductees need to prove the abduction.
The policy demands:
Keeping the insurance certificate on your person at all times, as you never know when you might get beamed up
Grabbing proof of being aboard the mothership – the insurer will accept photographs or alien DNA
Asking an alien to sign a statement proving you were detained on a space ship
On return to terra firma, completing the claim form is the only formality between you and that $1 a year.
A valid claim must include the name or description of the alien life-form and the type of space craft you travelled on – preferably with a photograph.
Insurer UFO2001 asks for the meagre sum of just $7.95 offering $10 million pay out for proven alien abduction.
The problem is the insurance only pays out once and most alien abductees claim multiple incidents.
Qualification is simple – prior alien abductions are not valid for claims.
The insurer claims to have sold 1,200 policies – but surprisingly no claims for the pay out of $1 a year for 10 million years have been received.
Asked why his firm offers alien abduction insurance , Mike St Lawrence said: “ I checked my insurances and saw I was not covered for alien abduction. It’s the perfect insurance for someone who thinks they have everything covered.”
Fashion Injuries given a Dressing Down by Lawyers
The latest stupid insurance statistics dealing with fashion related injuries actually caused a few chuckles in the Insurance Blogger office.
Personal injury firm First4lawyers have well spent time and money compiling the stats – which gives some idea of why legal fees are so high if they call this research work.
Judging by the results of the survey, most of us near professional carers to help us get dressed.
Two thirds of us – a massive 66% – confess to be so challenged when putting clothes on that we have hurt ourselves.
Zips are the biggest offenders – with 37% of adults admitting they have inadvertently nipped their, well, the polite term is skin – in a zip.
Heavy bags are the next. 1 in 4 admit lugging a bag round has strained their back.
Other fashion injuries include:
Rashes from fabrics rubbing the skin (17%)
Tripping over untied laces (16%)
Tripping over long dresses (15%)
Simply putting on or taking off clothes has ended with 14% of adults pulling a muscle
Toppling off high heels and spraining ankles (13%)
Eye injuries from fluff or threads (8%)
Ear injuries from catching earrings (7%)
And possibly the Insurance Blogger’s favourite – Fainting because clothing is too tight (4%)
The results of the survey so concerned those caring folks at First4lawyers that they felt obliged to issue a warning about getting dressed and undressed.
“Fashion can be fabulous, but it can also be dangerous too,” said a First4lawyers spokesman. “Many fashion injuries can be avoided, so we’d urge people to take care when it comes to their style.
“Be careful when zipping up trousers and dresses, only carry what you actually need in your bag, don’t wear clothes that are too long or heels that are too high and always make sure your shoe laces are done up.”
Personal injury firm First4lawyers have well spent time and money compiling the stats – which gives some idea of why legal fees are so high if they call this research work.
Judging by the results of the survey, most of us near professional carers to help us get dressed.
Two thirds of us – a massive 66% – confess to be so challenged when putting clothes on that we have hurt ourselves.
Zips are the biggest offenders – with 37% of adults admitting they have inadvertently nipped their, well, the polite term is skin – in a zip.
Heavy bags are the next. 1 in 4 admit lugging a bag round has strained their back.
Other fashion injuries include:
Rashes from fabrics rubbing the skin (17%)
Tripping over untied laces (16%)
Tripping over long dresses (15%)
Simply putting on or taking off clothes has ended with 14% of adults pulling a muscle
Toppling off high heels and spraining ankles (13%)
Eye injuries from fluff or threads (8%)
Ear injuries from catching earrings (7%)
And possibly the Insurance Blogger’s favourite – Fainting because clothing is too tight (4%)
The results of the survey so concerned those caring folks at First4lawyers that they felt obliged to issue a warning about getting dressed and undressed.
“Fashion can be fabulous, but it can also be dangerous too,” said a First4lawyers spokesman. “Many fashion injuries can be avoided, so we’d urge people to take care when it comes to their style.
“Be careful when zipping up trousers and dresses, only carry what you actually need in your bag, don’t wear clothes that are too long or heels that are too high and always make sure your shoe laces are done up.”
Car Insurance Talk Shop is a Load of Hot Air
The big car insurance talk-in chaired by Transport secretary Justine Greening turned out to be just a load of hot air.
The talking shop was billed as a roundtable summit between politicians and industry movers and shakers that would solve problems.
The result was a big, fat zero for motorists who are unlikely to see the cheap car insurance they hoped for.
The meeting, in Whitehall, London, was talked up as a council of war against crash-for-cash fraudsters who have milked millions from innocent drivers with their spurious whiplash claims.
But after the talks, the minister admitted no one really had a solution to the industry’s problems.
“There is no one silver bullet to tackling fraudulent whiplash claims or reducing young driver premiums but we have already taken decisive action by banning referral fees, reforming no-win no-fee rules and cracking down on fraud,” said Greening.
“We will also work with industry to take full advantage of the use of telematics, or in-car black boxes, to give young people a greater choice of options if they want to drive.”
In other words, talk about car insurance turns out to be much cheaper than buying a policy, especially for younger drivers.
The government blames motorists for driving up the cost of premiums by profiting from a compensation culture that has pushed up claims by 70% in the last five years.
Around 1,500 whiplash claims are made every day, which cost the insurance industry £2 billion last year – equivalent to £90 on every driver’s premium.
Insurance companies claim disputing whiplash claims is almost impossible.
Measures discussed at the talks included a ban on claims from drivers travelling at less than 10mph, a ban on referral fees paid to personal injury lawyers and ways for insurers to dispute claims rather than make out-of-court payments.
The talking shop was billed as a roundtable summit between politicians and industry movers and shakers that would solve problems.
The result was a big, fat zero for motorists who are unlikely to see the cheap car insurance they hoped for.
The meeting, in Whitehall, London, was talked up as a council of war against crash-for-cash fraudsters who have milked millions from innocent drivers with their spurious whiplash claims.
But after the talks, the minister admitted no one really had a solution to the industry’s problems.
“There is no one silver bullet to tackling fraudulent whiplash claims or reducing young driver premiums but we have already taken decisive action by banning referral fees, reforming no-win no-fee rules and cracking down on fraud,” said Greening.
“We will also work with industry to take full advantage of the use of telematics, or in-car black boxes, to give young people a greater choice of options if they want to drive.”
In other words, talk about car insurance turns out to be much cheaper than buying a policy, especially for younger drivers.
The government blames motorists for driving up the cost of premiums by profiting from a compensation culture that has pushed up claims by 70% in the last five years.
Around 1,500 whiplash claims are made every day, which cost the insurance industry £2 billion last year – equivalent to £90 on every driver’s premium.
Insurance companies claim disputing whiplash claims is almost impossible.
Measures discussed at the talks included a ban on claims from drivers travelling at less than 10mph, a ban on referral fees paid to personal injury lawyers and ways for insurers to dispute claims rather than make out-of-court payments.
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