Car insurance

[juski 0]

I'm thinking about (well looking into) starting up as a mobile DJ again after a gap of more than 10 years. In between I did bar & club work and as far as I can remember I told my car insurers about my 'hobby' and didn't have to pay any extra for it.

 

Anyway, with being 'legit' at the very front of my mind, insuring my vehicle has come up on my expenditure list.

 

What are my options?

 

Can anyone offer some advice?

 

I already know I'll need PLI, gear insurance & PAT testing... what can I expect to have to fork out in terms of extra car insurance premium?

 

Thanks in advance :)

[mikeee 0]

Go To CONFUSED, put in all your details and see what comes back.

 

I am insured as a DJ, fully comp with norwich union £219.00 a year.

[centrestagediscos 0]

budget have been brilliant, they arranged my insurance through premier and last week i had a car go in the back of me on the way to a gig, one phone call and they arranged for my van to be picked up for repairs, a replacement van and also solicitors and all done within a couple of hours.

[juski 0]

QUOTE (mikeee @ Aug 1 2005, 11:36 PM)

Go To CONFUSED, put in all your details and see what comes back. I am insured as a DJ, fully comp with norwich union £219.00 a year.

Blimey!

 

It'd be nice to have insurance that cheap - but I bet they won't give me a price like that for Manchester.

 

I'll give them a try anyway. Might also be worth asking my current insurers.

 

Thanks Mike.

[spinner 0]

Have had a Norwich Union Premier Van policy for years.

 

NU was one of the few willing to offer cover and the only one quoting a reasonable rate once "Mobile Disc Jockey" was declared as an occupation.

[YourBigEvent 0]

What with 2 x PLI, 1 x PAT, 2 x Car Insurance I can't remember who is who.

[juski 0]

Well I've just got off the phone with my current insurance provider. There's gonna be NO additional premium if I use my car to transport gear, but the gear itself won't be covered (no sweat).

 

That's very surprising.. I honestly expected them to take my eyes out http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif

[McCardle 1]

 

Here you go - taken from the Insurance section

 

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[jamminroadshow 0]

I used to work for a Insurance company and the Disco thing came up often. It really depends on what they see it as. There is the argument that you use the vehicle in line with you work so should get at least a 20% loading (this is there idea not mine)

 

Then there is that fact that the car is more likely to be stolen as it may have expensive equipment in it. And one final point is that its going to be in a place where lots of drunken people are and they are more likely to trash cars for no reason.

 

You will always need class 1 business use and this is where it is cheap as this with most companys is the same but any higher class and they ask silly money. When i started in 1998 not many normal insurances would even look at it and i would never get a van covered thankfully over the last few years the insurance companys have seen the light.

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Edited January 30, 2006 by jamminroadshow

[ChrisPointon 0]

QUOTE

Then there is that fact that the car is more likely to be stolen as it may have expensive equipment in it

 

Which is essentially just the same for a PC Repair Operative, Photographer, TV Service Agent, Builder (Expensive tools) Motor Mechanic (£10k Makita tool chest + £25k diagnostic equipment), but do they pay huge premiums, errr no I think not, the motor industry has no shortage of specialised insurers looking out for their interests - read Exchange and Mart! http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/188.gif .

 

I can think of several other occupations where more expensive goods are carried as a routine every day of the week, and they are not frowned upon as much as a DJ who does about 3000 business miles a year and whose vehicle is used for his DJ'ing activities on a part time basis, often restricted to once or twice a week.

 

Do MP's pay silly insurance prices on the basis that they are carrying 'priceless' paperwork which may get stolen and leaked to the sun or news of the world? http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif , do Doctors pay over the odds for having a whole myriad of drugs carried in their vehicles which make them a target for methodone addicts and organised crime?.

 

A friend of mine is a police officer, and his car has been targeted as a result of individuals who he has met as part of his work, despite this he still pays less insurance than me, he's even offered special rates by several insurers due to his occupation - despite it also being high risk! http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/rolleyes.gif

 

QUOTE

And one final point is that its going to be in a place where lots of drunken people are and they are more likely to trash cars for no reason.

 

So Bar Staff must also be paying silly prices for car insurance then?, i'll go and add that occupation into my quote form, and i'll bet you 100-1 that it will come back cheaper than being a DJ working on the same premises and parked in the same car park! http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/whistling.gif .

[High Fidelity 0]

I'm with Budget with Class 1 business use and found when I was doing the quotes online, there was very little difference between Social/Domestic/Commuting and class 1 business.

 

As for equipment being insured whilst in the vehicle, I don't think anybody covers this.

 

A flight case I recently sold on Ebay went to a band who had all their gear nicked out of the vehicle. Their's wasn't covered either.

[ChrisPointon 0]

Using Bar Staff / operative as my part time occupation instead of Mobile DJ lowered my 'test' premium by £148 a year based on the same details. Go figure! http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/rolleyes.gif .

 

Maybe we should start a DJU Insurance Brokerage for DJ's and instead of Sheila's Wheels, call it Bruce's B*ll*cks?

[jamminroadshow 0]

There are jobs with more expensive equipment in the vehicles that is not the point that i am making the fact there there is something more than a coat in the car makes it more of a target.

 

MP's do have a higher bill than the rest same with footballers its just the risk that you are to the insurance company. If you are bar staff then that is a higher risk for damage and drink driving as you are surrounded by it. I am not saying that i agree with it only that it is there.

 

I have always thought the same about why police get cheaper quotes as they must be a target but i do not make the rules remember. One of the lowest risk jobs is a magistrate and they send very nasty people to jail so i do not get that either.

 

 

 

 

[analyst 0]

I don't think its has got anything to do with genuine risk, it is more about insurers' prejudice.

 

Put more simply, they have dropped their hand to hold you firmly by a delicate place, and as they squeeze the best you can do is squirm.

 

If you mention anything to do with "the entertainments industry" you will get the same treatment from insurers. Its because, as you all know very well, we spend ALL our nights out at lavish parties where the drinks and drugs flow freely, before we jump back in behind the wheel for some new crazy lunatic stunt.

 

Even the car park attendant at the BBC gets the same treatment for his sin of being employed there.

[spinner 0]

QUOTE (High Fidelity @ Jan 30 2006, 02:07 PM)

As for equipment being insured whilst in the vehicle, I don't think anybody covers this.

Your equipment insurance should cover that.

 

Mine does although it has an exclusion if the van is left unattended overnight.

[Simonlm 0]

The excuse i was given was that i couldn't be insured as a DJ becuse it involves working on Lisenced premises, although moved to driectline and they're ok with DJ's and quite cheap too!!

[Kingy 0]

QUOTE (Chris_Pointon @ Jan 30 2006, 03:16 PM)

Maybe we should start a DJU Insurance Brokerage for DJ's and instead of Sheila's Wheels, call it Bruce's B*ll*cks?

Chris, will you wear the pink frock???? http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/tongue.gif

 

I for one would pay for that!!

 

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[ChrisPointon 0]

QUOTE

The excuse i was given was that i couldn't be insured as a DJ becuse it involves working on Lisenced premises

 

Thats a load of Bruces' - I used the occupation of Bar Manager on the sample quote form and was given a much lower quote than for Mobile DJ - both would work in Licensed Premises.

 

Mind you, if insurance companies take the same view of DJ's as Brides do on the wedding forums, I'm surprised that we can get insurance at all! http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/tongue.gif .

[Kingy 0]

I have had the renewal for my car ( not the van) and asked about putting my 17 year old daughter who is learning to drive on the policy. It would go up by £1400.

 

My car costs me £209.10 this year, my van £700!!!!

[ChrisPointon 0]

I love the way that insurance companies start a second vehicle policy from scratch with zero or only a token introductory NCB. Even if you as the policy holder have one or two other vehicles insured with full NCB http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/rolleyes.gif .

 

When I inherited my Fathers' car after his death, I was told the policy would be transfered into my name but would start from 1 year NCB, even though i'd been a named driver on there with him for the previous 5 years, and had a van insured in my name, also with full NCB - the cost, a princely £350 difference.

 

I've recently sold the Vectra, as I've got a company car but i've been told that the NCB I built up on the car policy will now be lost, if I don't transfer it within the next 2 years. So basically, if in 3 years time I change jobs and have to get a car again, it's starting from scratch all over again http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/wallbash.gif .

 

Talk about stacking the odds up in their favour http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/rolleyes.gif