Ask Aaduki

Insurance questions asked by Societies' members.

aaduki Q: Dear Aaduki,
I recently hired a camera from a professional hire company and they charged me an additional 10% for the insurance even though I had my own. Is this allowed?

R, Leeds

A: Aaduki says: A lot of hire companies do this and the answer is it will depend on their Terms and Conditions. Certainly if they are "selling" insurance they will need to be regulated by the Financial Service Authority so I would ask them for their FSA register number or check online at www.fsa.gov.uk and look for the register. If they are not registered then they shouldn't be selling it! Aaduki have a close affiliation with www.hireacamera.com and they definitely don't insist you buy insurance from them - in fact, they don't sell it! As long as you can produce a cover note then that should be fine and if you are insured with Aaduki they will do all the necessary checks direct with us!

Q: Dear Aaduki,
I went to a shopping centre recently to arrange to have a stall there and they wanted £10 million Public Liability. Surely this is overkill?

J, Kent

A: Aaduki says: Absolutely! I cannot see how you would need this much in a shopping centre. The best thing to do in this case is usually to produce a certificate for the £5 million and tell them not to be so silly! If they insist, we can arrange it for you, but we need a week's notice and it will cost you! The reason for this is that Insurance Companies themselves have to get permission from THEIR Insurance Company to do it! Expect to pay a minimum of around £300 for this cover.

Q: Dear Aaduki,
Am I covered if a protest march I am covering turns into a riot?

P. Preston

A: Aaduki says: A difficult question as it depends on who you're insured with and what they say! As a general rule, marches are fine but civil commotion and/or riots aren't! In this case, you would need to convince the insurance company that you were moving away from the "action" when the incident occurred. It also depends on the actual incident itself as well - for example you dropping the camera will be different from having ripped it out of your hands! The best solution is to perhaps get an answer direct from your Insurers.

Q: Dear Aaduki,
As a wildlife photographer I have insured my equipment with my home insurers. Since I don't take pictures of people and am rarely around them I shouldn't need any other cover is this right?

M, Dorset

A: Aaduki says: In my opinion,no it is not. If you are earning ANY income or expenses then you will need Public Liability cover as a minimum. It may seem that you're never going to use it but what if you were doing a talk to a camera club and someone tripped over one of your cables? Or someone driving along a moor road alleged that it was the light shining off your lens that made them crash? I would also look at if your household Insurer is the best place to put your equipment cover if you are working too.

Q: Dear Aaduki,
How would a Insurance Company deal with an allegation where the bride and groom say the pictures are rubbish but the photographer thinks they are of a professional standard?

F, Norfolk

A: Aaduki says: A difficult question as it depends on the personalities of the bride and groom a lot of the time. Insurers may at times make a payment to "get rid of" the claim - this is not to suggest in anyway they think the pictures are substandard but in the long run paying someone a £1,000 at the beginning of a claim could mean a saving. After all, if it goes to court there are the associated legal fees plus you could lose! Also, the last thing you want is a dis-satisfied couple going to the local paper and trouncing your reputation as your bookings tend to dry up. Sometimes an expert, like your Association, might be asked to comment and advise. There is no easy answer to this I am afraid, it will depend on each claim.

Q: Dear Aaduki,
I have started to work with nurseries taking pictures of children. I have now been asked for a CRB check - should I get one?

D, Humberside

A: Aaduki says: There isn't a requirement on your insurance to have one, but I would suggest that if you want to continue in this line of work then you should have one. As a precaution before you get it, it may be wise to insist that you are not alone with any children - that way no allegations of ANY kind can be levelled at you. If you pop along to a police station and tell them what you want, and why, they can usually arrange it for you. It costs about £60. Alternatively, contact your local Youth Service Team at a Local Authority and ask them to arrange it for you = that might be a good idea because it then lets them

Q: Dear Aaduki,
I was shopping around for quotes and one of your competitors quoted a premium slightly lower. However, they provided professional negligence cover and said it was the same as professional indemnity. I checked this with a friend of mine who works in insurance and although he said he knew they were not the same and that professional negligence was not as good as professional indemnity, he could not tell me the difference. Can you?

D, Devon

A: Aaduki says: The main difference between the two covers is that Professional Negligence (PN) cover means that you have actually had to have taken the pictures and there actually has to be something wrong with them! Professional Indemnity (PI) on the other hand, means that you might not have made the wedding or that the photographs have been "lost or damaged" by a 3rd party. There is no guarantee that you would have a claim under PN for example if a lab lost a film of yours or your computer wiped the shots. This would almost certainly be covered under PI. My advice would be, make sure it is PI that you're getting - the cover is better and the price difference is negligible! If you are insured on the Aaduki Scheme with the SWPP, then £2 million Public Liability and £75,000 PI costs £110.00 per year.

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