Commercial insurance required for wedding videographer hobby?

3rdDegree

My wife and I have a small wedding videographer business on the side. It's run like a ligitimate business (declare tax, public and indemnity insurance, etc.) We obviously charge for our services to try and cover costs, but it's just a hobby and we usually do around ten weddings a year (although we only have two booked this year). We both have "proper" full time jobs apart from this. My question is, would this type of thing usually need business car insurance?

If so, I think I'll have to give it up. With the number of weddings we do per year being so low, what we charge just about covers the yearly costs; but we don't do it for the money, we do it because we really enjoy it. We often need to bring two cars to a wedding and if I have to get business insurance on two cars, it would mean the losses would be too high to justify it.

Thanks

BrianBoru00

varies depending on insurer but in general - NO as you are just travelling to and from your place of work. Its generally "class 1".
You are not transporting anyone or selling items from the vehicle so the basic insurance + "limited business use" with AXA for example. It'll be on your policy in any case.

3rdDegree

BrianBoru00 wrote: »

varies depending on insurer but in general - NO as you are just travelling to and from your place of work. Its generally "class 1".
You are not transporting anyone or selling items from the vehicle so the basic insurance + "limited business use" with AXA for example. It'll be on your policy in any case.

Thank you so much for the reply. Yes, my policy does mention "limited business use".

Cheers

Cows Go µ

3rdDegree wrote: »

Thank you so much for the reply. Yes, my policy does mention "limited business use".

Cheers

In any case, you should check with your insurer as what you consider limited business use and what they consider limited business use could be very different. Judging by what you said, I'd say you would probably need class 1 use which generally has no charge

coylemj

BrianBoru00 wrote: »

varies depending on insurer but in general - NO as you are just travelling to and from your place of work.

I think 'travelling to and from your place of work' encompasses a regular commute to a fixed location and not a person travelling to a different location on each occasion to do freelance paid work.

I know it's in a different league in terms of mileage and days worked but insurance wouldn't really differentiate much between the OP's wedding video business and a plumber or electrician operating out of a van.

Class II (non-sales, not carrying goods or samples) limited business use should cover it but he should write a letter to the insurance outlining exactly what he does so it's on the record. Axa used to give me that for free.

BrianBoru00

coylemj wrote: »

I think 'travelling to and from your place of work' encompasses a regular commute to a fixed location and not a person travelling to a different location on each occasion to do freelance paid work.

I know it's in a different league in terms of mileage and days worked but insurance wouldn't really differentiate much between the OP's wedding video business and a plumber or electrician operating out of a van.

Class II (non-sales, not carrying goods or samples) limited business use should cover it but he should write a letter to the insurance outlining exactly what he does so it's on the record. Axa used to give me that for free.

Yes they would.
It is essentially the difference between class 1 and class 2.

If you bothered to read my post i explicitly stated that class 1 is generally the required class.

coylemj

BrianBoru00 wrote: »

Yes they would.
It is essentially the difference between class 1 and class 2.

Tell us then how there can be a difference between an electrician or plumber's tools and the OP's video cameras?

AFAIK 'goods and samples' does not include tools of your trade, it refers to goods for sale or samples for demo.

BrianBoru00

Social Domestic + Pleasure, Class 1, Class 2 have no universal definition hence it is wise to consult your policy document.

Every class 1 insurance I've enquired about has been quoted at no extra cost and includes persons travelling to different locations for their work whereas class 2 has had an extra premium.

Its a few years ago since I queried with a number of companies and I did put that exact question to them and the answer given was that in the case of a plumber or electrician they are carrying goods for sale. i.e. a washer or bolt , or in the case of a sparky wires or fuses. They may not explicitly list them on a bill but the sale of those goods is included as part of their labour costs.


A photographer is not selling anything when travelling to a wedding. Now if they were selling photographs on the day then its a different kettle of fish.


http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/motoring_1/motor_tax_and_insurance/motor_insurance.html

https://www.123.ie/customer-care/my-policy-cover/am-i-covered/for-business-use-with-my-car

I will say that not every company was definitive in the difference but that could have been down to the agent handling my call but I was contracting and travelling to different sites on different days but not selling anything and Class 1 was the cover I needed

coylemj

BrianBoru00 wrote: »

I will say that not every company was definitive in the difference but that could have been down to the agent handling my call but I was contracting and travelling to different sites on different days but not selling anything and Class 1 was the cover I needed

+1 I got this from Axa about 20 years ago. They didn't define it as Class I or II, I think they called it 'restricted business use' (with an indemnity for my employer) and I got it on the basis of a letter I sent them outlining why I was visiting my employr's customers, that I was not carrying goods or samples and not engaged in selling. They didn't charge me extra.

Agree with you that there is no absolute definition of the various classes. Chill.ie says Class I does not not include any cover for business whereas Allianz says it does but only up to a max. of 1,000 business miles in a year, after which they require you to take out Class II cover.