Insurance for your model boat?

[nhp651]

To all fellow like minded modellers, this thread has been spurred on by benjidog, and the unfortunate damage to a model in transit.

A firm called Walker Midgley Insurance Brokers, of Yorkshire Bank Chambers, Fargate, Sheffield, S1 2HD, tel: 0114 250 2770, web site www.walkermidgley.co.uk will insure your model, your equipment and your workshop, either individually or as a whole lot ( irrespective of whether you have house insurance covering out houses )and the cost for such as insurance for any boat costs as little as £7.00p (approx) per £1000.00p insured.It also insures those of you who operate steam plants against third party injury. This can include taking your boat away from home, and even for the event of loss should it sink! a godsend for those budding submariners around us. they are also authorised and regulated by the FSA.

Can I make it clear here and now, THAT I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS FIRM and it is not an advert, but purely a help to likeminded modellers. I suffered a loss of approx £4k last year when our national carrier tipped a show model on it's end and top and smashed it to pieces. Had I known about this company before hand it would have saved me much heart ache and tears,:sweat: (Cloud) and if it helps another modeller, I am please to pass the info on. cheers,neil.(K) (==D)

[trawlercook]

thanks neil its good to know that you can insure models ,i myself have all mine covered on my house policy and it cost a lot more than you said in your thread.thanks again for the info
regards colin

[Shipbuilder]

Thanks for info. I phoned them yesterday & they sent me their "Terms & Conditions." As with all insurance firms that I have had contact with regarding the transport of models - there is a catch. They don't pay the first £250 of each claim! Even if my models suffer serious damage, it does not cost that much to repair them. Also, mine are usually valued between about £250 & £800, so it really is not viable at all! I have used UPS for international deliveries for over a year now & they have never broken or lost anything, even as far afield as Hong Kong. UPS offer transit insurance, but one never knows what "hidden condtions" arise in the event of a claim until it happens. Some time ago, my previous carrier damaged a model & said that they would be pleased to pay for the repair, but the amount paid would be for the cost of the materials only & not the labour. It took two days to repair, but the only things used were a few scraps of wood & wire worth virtually nothing!
Does anyone know of any realistic & proven insurance for the transport of models?
Bob

[nhp651]

I don't think carriers really know the costs of building and replacing a model. I often get asked the costs to build a model ship, and when you quote them £6.50 an hour they look at you stupified. yet these people who ask are such as solicitors, plumbers, and other so called " professionals " try getting one of them to work for you at £6.50 an hour? when was the last time a garage charged you £6.50 an hour labour charge for servicing your car. moses was still in his nappies! and that is why carriers also do not believe what the real worth of a model is? and therefore will not carry the costs of conveying such models.

[Shipbuilder]

Yes, I have found the same thing. A prime example is a barber. I timed mine when cutting my hair and it took about 12 minutes for which I paid £6.30! Unfortuantely, a model usually takes a great may hours to build, so even very low £s per hour build up quickly. As far as transport is concerned, my first carrier a number of years ago was OK & paid up for damage on several occasions, but they wer taken over by another company who said they would only pay out on cost of materials. Materials for miniature models such as mine are minimal, so I had to find another. Next I went to Nightspeed who were great, but again they wer taken over by Amtrak who was a "cost of materials only" firm. Fedex will not insure scale models & works of art although they seem to take great care of items & have delivered several models for me world-wide without damage. I now use UPS who insure for loss or damage for a small percentage of cost of model. They have made a number of deliveries for me over the last two years both UK & international & have never damaged or lost anything at all.
Bob

[nhp651]

Thanks for that Bob, really well worth knowing, and will save a lot of heartache.cheers,neil.