Insurance

Is there anyone here who sells there images, say at craft shows and/or stock, for instance, got insurance cover ?

Home insurance companies seem to define someone who sells their photos as 'professional', not distinguishing between someone who wonders around with a camera taking a few shots and them selling them at a craft fair and someone who covers, say the Winter Olympics.

So before I start asking photo insurance companies their view of what constitutes a 'professional' as there anyone here with a view on insurance cover ?

I feel I may be persuading myself to go to the NEC again this year to ask these questions of the reps and also to look at the Irix 15mm (I've just posted a question here). I wasn't planning this, but maybe it might be good approach. Getting advanced info would help ...

Many thanks

Public Liability Insurance is really a necessity, just in case someone trips over your tripod and breaks a leg.

But for selling prints, what sort of other insurance would be essential? If they all went up in a fire the cost of replacement would be relatively low and maybe less that the excess on a policy.

There is a difference between selling a few photos to help finance your hobby and earning a living from it. Do you advertise your services with a set of costs? Do you earn sufficient for the Inland Revenue to take an interest, because for amateur artists and craftspeople there is some latitude. I am guessing the criteria for insurance is how exposed your equipment is to risk and the amount of time it is used which for a pro would obviously be much higher as well as needing public liability cover. If that doesn’t apply then I would say you are not a professional. Incidentally that term has become massively devalued of late to just cover someone earning a living from something as opposed to someone with formal training and qualifications and membership of a professional body on whom people rely for an informed service.

Hi John, I have public liability cover so I'm OK there. It's the equipment cover I'm looking at.

Rob, "earning a living?". I wish Yes HMRC is involved, and I earn a little after costs at shows etc., but there's a big difference in risk between what I do and what a proper pro does - this is where I'm trying to quantify.

I would have a look at specialist brokers. I use Darwin Clayton and they organised a policy for me after I'd given them details of what cover I needed.

Thanks John. I'll take a look ...

Photoguard defines an pro as earning over 50% of income. So on this basis I'm easily an amateur. Looks like an OK option. Reading the policy docs it seems to cover what I need. I've a few questions about how to allocate some gear to be insured and some not, as like many I've got a few items that rarely ever get used, so I'd want to exclude them. Overall it looks a reasonable option ... They will be at the NEC ...

Just to add, Photoguard seem to be a little hopeless in responding to emails, in my experience so far. I'd have thought they would be interested in selling their product. Seems not.

Eventually went with aaduki. Their response and help in setting my insurance was streets ahead of the others (many) I enquired to. Of course, this means little if they are turn out to dreadful in dealing with claims. Hope I never need to find out ...