We are in the market for an insurance policy to cover us when we are at shows and teaching jewelry making classes. Does anyone have any suggestions? I have seen ads for ACT. Has anyone had any experience with them? Right now we are with Nautilus Insurance Company.
Thanks!
Karen
Replies
Karen -- ACT has been all over this site. They, in fact, are a sponsor and one of the reasons we can keep it free for artists. Solid track records in general. Don't know about this specific question. RLI helps keep us going also -- very friendly to small businesses.
Also, do a little sleuthing on the site and see what else you can come up with. You'll get a lot of good info.
Thanks, Connie! I appreciate the information.
Just a word from experience. I had business insurance when I had a gallery in Saugatuck, MI. It covered my work at the Gallery and at art shows. Then, while pulling a 30' Airstream trailer on I-75, my wife and I suffered a high-speed roll-over. The trailer broke free and we, in our Ford van, flipped over 1 1/2 or 2 1/2 times (I didn't have time to count). We ended up, up-side-down in our seat belts (never drive without them).
Everything that wasn't bolted down or belted in was destroyed or dead. That included my cat (my favorite) and my inventory ($25,000 worth) not to mention a totaled van. When talking with my insurance company, I learned that "in transit" was not in my policy. That would have cost $2.50 extra, but my agent never mentioned it. I suffered a total loss.
BTW, when I called CERF, an artist friendly charity to which I had contributed several times, for a helping-hand, I found out that I wasn't an artist after all, I was a photographer and they don't help photographers.
A year later, I had to close my gallery under a mountain of debt. Gee, was it really only $2.50?
All I can say is, wow. I am dumbfounded. First I am thankful you and your wife are now okay. But to lose everything? Why would an agent NOT mention that when you are specifically talking about a brick and mortar studio that you will pack up and take to shows? Does not make sense to me. I can understand why YOU would not think of that differentiation (in-transit vs. being set up at a show) but the agent? Awful.