[misterrartois]

Hi all

I am starting up in the wonderful world of Domestic carpet cleaning in the first week of the new year.I am attending the ncca course at the end of January..but obviously for the first few weeks i will not be ncca registered.
 The question i am posing is,can i still be insured for working on carpets??(i have the first job on Friday week...so obviously need to be insured before then).

I have heard hsbc is very good?

Thanks in advance for any help and a very happy new year to all

[jasonl]

A very small percentage of carpet cleaners are members of the NCCA, you can obtain cover without being a member.

[scott.]

membership of that organisation  is not necassary..I found, that training courses dont make a blind bit of difference to your premium either...they will ask how long you have been in business though...I dont condone lying, but most of them, i believe, expect an answer of 2 years or more, or they wont insure you....I also found, HSBC to be one of, if not the cheapest...at around £242 per annum...give them a call...(based in Bournemouth) (excess £250)

[Steve Chapman]

How can they expect you to be in business for at least two years before you get insured?

That don't make sense to me

surley insurance is required right from day 1 for any service business!

regards
steve

[scott.]

I agree...but, I guess they dont wanna take the risk...and I guess you could have been previously insured by another company...try getting a 1st time quote, and see what it costs....besides, how are they to know how long youve been in business?...It's just a question they ask...
anyway...you mean to tell me that every carpet cleaner in the UK has been insured from day one :....wouldnt bet on it.

[AquaMagic]

Bit of a parodox here, its the other way round, You have to be insured to be a NCCA member so dont worry to much, the NCCA have an insurer they recommend for Public Liability & Treatments Risk, the Company is called Mcgregor Lloyd and they are a broker, when you go on the course you wil be introduced them via some literature, i used them and found them reasonable and very helpfull.

Dene

[the red carpet]

HSBC £242

Im guessing that must include insuring your equipment aswell or something

As im with them and pay £94 a year.

They will take you on as a new trader with no training or experience, and you dont even have to come up with the money up front its payable by direct debit at about £7-£8 a month.

Thats for public liability and treatment risk, with a £500 excess

[misterrartois]

Thanks aquamagic..thats exactly what im looking for.

Red carpet..with a £500 excess,is it worth getting insured!!

[scott.]

Thats why mine is only £250 excess methinks...slightly higher premium...but worth it.

[calmore]

Insurance is a bit of a no brainer, really.

For less than £2 a week you are covered if something major goes wrong. You can also use it as a selling point: "We carry £1,000,000 of insurance" sort of thing. It helps build confidence with the customer.

[the red carpet]

misterrarois, No it is not really worth it in my opinion but then no insurance is.

when you think how much it costs with your buisness insurance, home contents, buildings insurance, car insurance
then theres payment protection on your credit cards and other credit commitments and extended warranties on evertything from your telivision to your microwave, insurance on your mobile phone and god knows what else.

You would have to be bloody unlucky to get mugged for your mobile, shrink a carpet, crash your car, get burgled and flooded and your tv and microwave to blow up, oh and loose your job.

So in my opinion there is only ever one winner, them

[scott.]

I had a £4,000 claim against a carpet I done last year...nothing i done wrong...just one of them things....GLAD I was insured...so I wouldnt say it was a waste of time...it's there for that very reason....Accidents...worth every penny of the £242...you just never know.