Suggestions Business Insurance covering auto graphics

[originalsigns]

I need general liability insurance for my sign company that includes vehicle graphics. I just got a letter from my insurance company (The Hartford) that they won't renew my policy because they saw truck graphics on my website. Who do you use or recommend? thank you!

 

[InstantOneMedia]

We found our insurance through PIAG (Printing and Imaging Association of Georgia. There is a Florida affiliate, Florida Graphics Alliance. If they provide similar services to PIAG, they should be able to help you find an insurance provider that can cover all of your needs. https://www.floridagraphics.org/

 

[letterman7]

I have Hartford as well. Ask for a 'garage owner's' umbrella. Covers everything (or potentially everything) that could happen to the vehicle while it's in your possession. That said, they've never said anything to me about truck graphics - my agent suggested the additional coverage just in case something happened (like me dropping a tool on the hood or something). Question your agent or Hartford directly and see why they are denying your coverage. Applying graphics should not be cause for denial.

 

[equippaint]

We got dropped about 5 years ago for no rhyme or reason. I was mad and over thought it. It has to be something to do with risk and time. My theory was that they calculate risk and can determine how many years on average one will go without a claim and how much that claim will cost. When you have too many or none, then your risk level is outside of the determined norm and you become a bigger liability for a large claim so they drop you. Or, data tells them that you will have a claim in 4 years but you make it 4 clean then they drop you because statistically it is going to happen and at that point the odds are not in their favor.
Id recommend calling an agent and letting them shop it for you too. They will know which carriers prefer what types of businesses.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

My theory was that they calculate risk and can determine how many years on average one will go without a claim and how much that claim will cost. When you have too many or none, then your risk level is outside of the determined norm and you become a bigger liability for a large claim so they drop you. Or, data tells them that you will have a claim in 4 years but you make it 4 clean then they drop you because statistically it is going to happen and at that point the odds are not in their favor.

I would suspect that this has something to do with it. They are only making money as long as you are paying your dues and they aren't shelling out anything (or very, very little). And if a particular industry leans to big payouts, a lot of payments, or some combination thereof, they may not want to deal with any of that.

If you are keeping big ticket items that belong to other people for any length of time, statistically the longer you keep those items, the more likely something can happen on your watch. And after so long, chances are something is going to happen. Do anything for any length of time, something is bound to happen.




Having said that, I don't know of a plain "general liability" insurance coverage that would cover something like this, but I haven't had a call to shop around for it to cover anything on those lines. I would imagine something would have to be tacked on to a "general" policy.

If I recall correctly, this is also a home based business (I think you had an other thread on this topic), that may also add in a different layer to how an insurance company would handle a policy like this. I don't know for sure, just speculating.

 

[originalsigns]

I have Hartford as well. Ask for a 'garage owner's' umbrella. Covers everything (or potentially everything) that could happen to the vehicle while it's in your possession. That said, they've never said anything to me about truck graphics - my agent suggested the additional coverage just in case something happened (like me dropping a tool on the hood or something). Question your agent or Hartford directly and see why they are denying your coverage. Applying graphics should not be cause for denial.

It's not a matter of having vehicles on my property or in my shop, it's the graphics being applied to vehicles. I don't even offer wraps and that's what I was flagged for. I asked if they could ad something to my policy and they said 'NO" and that was the end of the conversation. I talked to three other insurance companies and was told the same thing, they won't give me insurance if I apply graphics to vehicles. I talked to two brokers who won't touch my business because of it, I'm baffled. I've been lettering trucks for 30 years and never had a issue. I've had The Hartford for 10 years and no claims or late payments. They went to my website and saw a picture of a truck with graphics on it and used that as grounds to cancel, the garage keepers thing was never brought up, just graphics.

 

[equippaint]

Insurance companies are weird. It's all numbers, there is very little personal intervention that happens so you can plead your case but it will usually not make a difference. They don't understand your business and to them, what you do is what the paper says that you do. You really need a broker that speaks their language and properly frames what you do properly.
If I had to guess, the issue with vehicle graphics would be with window perf being cited in accidents for visibility issues? With that said, when we got dumped, our carrier allowed us to sign a waiver excluding any work on buses since that was their hang-up even though we had been expressly covered to work on them for years. It was a mess. Two brokers gave up and the third went through 17 places to find one to take us. Trust me, a good broker pays dividends

 

[letterman7]

It's not a matter of having vehicles on my property or in my shop, it's the graphics being applied to vehicles. I don't even offer wraps and that's what I was flagged for. I asked if they could ad something to my policy and they said 'NO" and that was the end of the conversation. I talked to three other insurance companies and was told the same thing, they won't give me insurance if I apply graphics to vehicles. I talked to two brokers who won't touch my business because of it, I'm baffled. I've been lettering trucks for 30 years and never had a issue. I've had The Hartford for 10 years and no claims or late payments. They went to my website and saw a picture of a truck with graphics on it and used that as grounds to cancel, the garage keepers thing was never brought up, just graphics.

That's very odd. At the moment I'm shopping for new insurance. My Hartford agent sucks, so I'm transferring to another firm. As soon as I hear from them about coverages I'll let you know. Shop it around - someone dropped the ball. Who heard of a sign shop that doesn't letter vehicles?

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

Travellers has covered us for everything, before that we had country mutual and before that Colorado Casualty. We have switched only because over time of no claims the prices sky rocket unexpectedly. Our independent agent says its common as no claims means high risk to most companies... He said sometimes small claims for minor things stems that.

 

[originalsigns]

OK - I have a quick update. I just got a new policy through CoverWallet and my new carrier is STARR, it's even cheaper than I paid with Hartford. I'm not in anyway trying to sell and I have nothing to gain I'm just giving a quick update. I'd like to thank all of you for the help & guidance once again. I love this forum, it's saved me many headaches over the years. I hope this info can help someone else in my situation.

 

[faizanaltaf]

OK - I have a quick update. I just got a new policy through CoverWallet and my new carrier is STARR, it's even cheaper than I paid with Hartford. I'm not in anyway trying to sell and I have nothing to gain I'm just giving a quick update. I'd like to thank all of you for the help & guidance once again. I love this forum, it's saved me many headaches over the years. I hope this info can help someone else in my situation.

Thanks, I am also looking for insurance for my sign business, will get quotes from them to see what their current prices are and how's their service, I have got quotes from several other companies as well and they are looking good as well

 

[Kentucky Wraps]

Just add "Garage Keepers" rider to the policy.

 

[WhiskeyDreamer]

I have HMK insurance. One thing i learned when we switched, make sure that they have anyone that will be driving the vehicles covered on the insurance. We have to drive vehicles onto the road and around the building to our garage bays. If i had got in an accident during that drive, it wouldn't have been covered. It is now.

 

[Geneva Olson]

Liberty Mutual here.