Craft show insurance

[whatknot]

Just wondered, for those who stand craft fairs and the like in the UK

Who has a public liability policy ?

Just went to book a stall and on the booking form it stipulates you have to have a policy

 

[hammer n nails]

Best to have it costs about £50 I don't go to craft fairs but make dog stuff and sell at dog shows I am asked for it lots of times

 

[whatknot]

Thanks for that, first show we did there was no mention of it so did wonder if anyone bothered or not

Bit of a scam isn't it

 

[Brandlin]

Bit of a scam isn't it

No. its YOUR insurance policy covering YOU if something you do or provide hurts a member of the public.

You think its a scam? wait until you get sued and you dont have it.

 

[whatknot]

I hear what you are saying BUT I wonder how many actually take it out

And yes I consider it a scam, money for old rope

As it is, is it worth doing a show ?

 

[NickN]

I bet none of the people that sell liberated tractor parts and tools at these shows and rallies have it...

I have it though, as operator of a 'machine' at these events.

 

[acewoodturner]

If you have any assets such as a house, car or workshop full of tools, it is worth suing you if you have sold something that has injured a person or your stand at a show collapses and injured a person. Whilst such kinds of scenarios are rare, they occasionally still happen. There is no point in suing someone if they don't have any assets. Its a gamble to take and not one I would do. As it doesn't cost anyone to sue another person these days with all the ambulance chasing lawyers offering 'where theres blame theres a claim' its a no brainer.
I do shows regularly and some organisers ask to see your certificate of insurance whilst others never even mention it, but I always have it. You pay your money and you take your chances!

Mike

 

[whatknot]

Thanks both for your input

It does leave me thinking is it worth doing a show at all ?

If you are only doing a few craft shows and the stall is £12 to £15 and the other costs involved of food, travel etc, getting back £55 as quoted is a lot to get back to break even

 

[Brandlin]

Public liability insurance usually runs over 12 moths so you amortise the cost over the year.

My other hobby is toy soldiers. At the large event a few years ago a trestle table collapsed under the weight of lead, knocking a wooden partition onto a member of the public. He chased the stall owner for reparations, without insurance it put him out of business.

You are liable for the safety of people in the public domain exposed to your products and stall.

 

[Rorschach]

Luckily the only show I go to has tables etc provided by the venue so unless I throw something at a customer I think I am ok lol.

 

[whatknot]

Yes I fully understand how it works, I have been in business for many years

I suppose if you were doing a show a month or more the cost is spread, but in our case I doubt we would do four a year

So each show we would have to take £35 to £40+ just to pay to stand

My question was more to see if any others stand these markets and have insurance, I guess its the wrong place to ask as most crafters are unlikely to be in this forum

If a craft stall has to have insurance, what of a stand at a boot sale ? I have never heard of any car booters taking out insurance, if this was the case I don't think there would be any boot sales

Public liability insurance usually runs over 12 moths so you amortise the cost over the year.

My other hobby is toy soldiers. At the large event a few years ago a trestle table collapsed under the weight of lead, knocking a wooden partition onto a member of the public. He chased the stall owner for reparations, without insurance it put him out of business.

You are liable for the safety of people in the public domain exposed to your products and stall.

 

[loftyhermes]

If you are selling anything at a craft fair or anywhere else for that matter, then you really should have public and product liability. It's been mentioned about tables collapsing but what if the product you sell injures or damages their property. I'll give an example, what if you sold pens and you sold a fountain pen to someone and they came back and said that it's leaked, damaged their Ralph Loren shirt and Armani suit, here's the bill for replacement, or that tealight holder set fire to my house. As it has been said before, there are a lot of where there's a claim there's a blame and no win no fee merchants out there. I do craft fairs and my insurance is with Ian Wallace, it's just under £80 a year. Oh and don't forget it's a deductable expense on your tax return.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Some organisations provide basic cover for their members, e.g., the Association of pole lathe turners and green woodworkers provides, as part of the membership benefits, enough insurance cover for demonstrating and have-a-go sessions at APTGW and local group events. There's the (inexpensive) option to extend to cover selling surplus products, demonstrating outside of group events, and "associated crafts", e.g., forging tools.

I don't pay for the extra benefits, and have occasionally risked selling surplus products, but I think I'm fairly safe as I've yet to hear of a major injury from a garden dibber or lemon squeezer. But you never know.

 

[whatknot]

Putting the possibility of a table collapsing aside, which is highly unlikely, I very much doubt anyone is going to injure themselves with one of my clocks, portraits, crosses, signs ;-)

If you are selling anything at a craft fair or anywhere else for that matter, then you really should have public and product liability. It's been mentioned about tables collapsing but what if the product you sell injures or damages their property. I'll give an example, what if you sold pens and you sold a fountain pen to someone and they came back and said that it's leaked, damaged their Ralph Loren shirt and Armani suit, here's the bill for replacement, or that tealight holder set fire to my house. As it has been said before, there are a lot of where there's a claim there's a blame and no win no fee merchants out there. I do craft fairs and my insurance is with Ian Wallace, it's just under £80 a year. Oh and don't forget it's a deductable expense on your tax return.

 

[loftyhermes]

Yes I very much doubt anyone is going to injure themselves with one of your clocks, portraits, crosses, signs etc. But you never know and it's not just about anyone injuring themselves it would also cover subsequent damage to other property. If you had a claim made against you, would or could you stand the cost of fighting the case. I doubt anything untoward will happen in or to my house but I still have insurance on it, just in case, like I've got PPL insurance for doing craft fairs, just in case. I've just checked and my craft insurance is £78.77p a year. At the end of the day, it's entirely up to you if you're happy taking the risk of not having insurance.

 

[whatknot]

There is a lot of difference between a property and the need for insurance for it and its contents and a craft stall

But comparing the two, I have just renewed my house insurance, which covers up to one million pounds, and 50k contents for £132

Yet they want £55 for public liability for craft shows

Something of an imbalance there I feel

Unfortunately its not up to me, if the promoter will not take a booking unless you have it

As to being tax deductible, that is fine and dandy if you pay tax


I doubt anything untoward will happen in or to my house but I still have insurance on it, just in case, like I've got PPL insurance for doing craft fairs, just in case. I've just checked and my craft insurance is £78.77p a year. At the end of the day, it's entirely up to you if you're happy taking the risk of not having insurance.[/quote]

 

[loftyhermes]

If something did happen like someone tripping over your stuff whilst setting up and knocking over the stall next to you then you would liable for both the other stalls stock and any injuries, then you could lose your house and contents. As for you not paying tax, that implies you've not registered your craft selling then.

 

[whatknot]

If something did happen like someone tripping over your stuff whilst setting up and knocking over the stall next to you then you would liable for both the other stalls stock and any injuries, then you could lose your house and contents. As for you not paying tax, that implies you've not registered your craft selling then.

No it implies I don't earn enough to pay tax !

As to registering, perhaps you are referring to the USA

As I have said, I wasn't really looking for life advice, I was interested to know if anyone who stands at craft fairs in the UK takes out insurance?

 

[loftyhermes]

OK, I stand craft fairs and have product and public liability insurance and registered as a sole trader. In the UK the taxman requires you to register with them when you start selling anything whether you make a profit or not. As far as I know it's the law but stand to be corrected if that's not the case.