Insurance

[size4riggerboots]

It has suddenly struck me that as the proud owner of yet another shiny new toy, I should probably get some insurance, seeing as if I were to loose my phone, ipod, laptop, external hard-drive, camera, and/or kindle, I would be a weeny bit upset, not to mention out of pocket. There is also the question of my jewellery, clothes, shoes and all that girly cr@p I pretend not to be interested in. Basically, it mounts up!!

Now I don't currently have insurance because a) I think it's all a scaremongering con, b) It's too expensive, c) Bad stuff will never happen to me, surely? But, the fear is starting to creep in.... So I turn to you and ask...

Who does cheap comprehensive insurance for people like us????

[Chiefy]

Mine is covered under my house insurance...away from home section, I tell them it's lost / damaged etc while on holiday. The Telegraph regularly has Endsleigh insurance as a partner so probaley them

Otherwise no idea....carry less "stuff"? This from a bloke with enough electronics to embarass a branch of Dixons.....though not su much in the clothes and shoes department...1 pair of undies for 11 weeks is more than enough for anyone surely?!

[GuinnessMan]

I think Endsleigh do it for about ?16 a year or something daft? Student rate obviously...

[size4riggerboots]

Hmmm looking at Endsleigh, I could either get their travel insurance, or their student insurance, but would either cover me while working on ship?? Randomist, alistairuk, antijanner.. any thoughts?

[GuinnessMan]

You would be covered by the companies insurance whilst you are working on their vessels...

[ETwhat?]

Few travel insurance polices cover you for more than a month long stint, and most polices are also crap at insuring technology as for most people its covered on their home policy, it requires fine print reading for every company you look at.

What about when traveling to/from a ship, given that thats really the time that stuff is vunerable. I would imagine ti comes down to who's time your traveling on are you on company time till your back on your own doorstep or the moment you get onto the Quay side

[Steve]

Hmmm looking at Endsleigh, I could either get their travel insurance, or their student insurance, but would either cover me while working on ship??

Endsleigh have some sort of deal with Nautilus, including a "discount" and coverage suited to seafarers. IIRC the student possessions insurance, if arranged with the (Nautilus) seafaring specific clauses, should cover most stuff. I've got their home contents (with Nautilus box ticked) and that covers my extended absences and a specified amount of stuff I take with me away from home. I've looked at alternatives and never found anything satisfactory. They did try to bump my premium up to something stupid at the last renewal, but I went through the online process as a "new" customer (and tweaked a few things, excess etc.) and it dropped to something more sensible.

Would you trust your company or their insurance to cover your losses? Do they even claim to?

[jcwilson91]

sorry to bump this off topic, but is there any sort of seafarer motor insurance?

[size4riggerboots]

Do you have a link for that Steve? Can't find it on Endsleigh's landlubbers pages!

[Dosedmonkey]

Yes phone Endsleigh up, they do seafarers specialist insurance, and also very competative student insurance, especailly helpful for insuring your room if your in a shared house or accomodation block.

[Lewis]

On a slightly related note What sort of insurance do employers generally provide at see. If pirates board and nick your wages or your laptop breaks in rough seas can you expect the boss to over that?

[Dosedmonkey]

I think if pirates attacked that is the last of your worries, it is highly unlikely that this would occur to you as a cadet, and if it does someone will sort you out after, a laptop is peanuts compared to the price of vessel, cargo and crew coming under attack.

When flying the airline will pay up for any lost luggage, but can be a lengthly process.

Many normal insurances for laptops, mobile phones and other posessions will only cover you in the UK. Travel insurance from UK companies can normally only be purchased for journeys starting in the UK. So if you plan on going on a holiday when you pay off the vessel, it can be hard to get insured. As far as healthcare goes, when you are transit to or from a vessel, the company will have an agent assigned to you in any stop overs, who will sort you out if anything goes wrong.

Personaly I think insurance isn't necesary for transitting to and from the ship. Endsleigh do do good insurance for seafarers though.

[Steve]

When flying the airline will pay up for any lost luggage,

Only up to the limits of the Montreal Convention.

[Steve]

Do you have a link for that Steve? Can't find it on Endsleigh's landlubbers pages!

Assuming they still do a Student Possessions Insurance for cadets there should be an option to indicate that you are a Nautilus member. There certainly is/was on the Home Contents form. A drop down list of possible discount factors, like "civil servant", "armed forces", etc. that includes "Nautilus". Otherwise, Nautilus site says you can call 0800 028 3571.

[Snowy]

Thread Resurrection both for others information and possible help after reading NTop's thread from a month ago and having a bit of trouble myself...

I used to have a brilliant Military policy from Towergate Wilsons ('Right Dress' - highly reccomended if you're in any way employed by the MOD) that covered all my 'Kit' wherever I was in the world and whatever I was doing. Essentially I had all my Uniform, some named expensive personal clothing items (a posh suit, walking boots etc) and all my gadgets; laptop & all its peripherals, phone, watch, gps, speakers, sunglasses, leatherman, big northface grip etc etc etc, all in one big bundle. This was then covered for loss/theft & accidental damage in accommodation, IN TRANSIT or onboard ship. It also covered accidental damage to service accommodation - like the student policies do.

Now as a civilian, seafarer and student I seem to confuse the hell out of any other insurer, including Endsleigh. The best they can do is cover me under a student policy whilst I'm at college or a separate home and contents plan (I currently don't have a house so have to be based at Dad's) with an extended un-occupancy seafarer's bonus (the Nautilus discount) and hope they'll cover my stuff 'away from home' if I'm economical with the truth. Furthermore, none of these are cover for transiting between the two, which in my experience is the most likely time stuff is going to go missing and I'm loathe to trust an airline. To get that too I'll also need a business travel insurance policy!

So TL;DR,

• FYI - Check your H&C insurance policies to ensure transit is covered, or continue to lie fluently.
• Question - Are there better options for an amphibious gypsy with shiny toys than a Student/H&C/Travel policy wombocombo?

Cheers!