Do You Insure Your Vehicle For Banding Use?

robkay

A friend of mine(a plumber) was stopped in his van last year after an evenings banding.....Police knew the vehicle was insured but when they checked the contents in the rear of van it contained guitar amp and PA System........asking him where he had been he told them that he had a band and had been out playing at a pub.......he was then breath tested which proved negative, tyres and lights were all checked and o.k....

Then we come to insurance, Police then asked if the vehicle was insured for use in carrying musical equipment and for the occupation of banding, van is insured for his plumbing business with no mention of Musician........

Outcome......his insurance was declared nill and void and he was charged for having no insurance......quite a stiff fine and a 3 months ban.......

Makes you think, doesn't it.....

Rob

VimFuego

I would probably say I'd been to a lesson/jam session/something musical related but non paying.

Misterg

Ouch!

Had he upset someone in the local pinny wearing lodge?

How serious is his 'banding'? Could he not claim it was part of S, D & P?

DrJazzTap

Does it matter if you don't get paid? Does seem to be rather twattish. Yes if it's your living, granted. But what if you teach football to youngsters at the weekend and you get paid for it?

Do you have to declare your car is being used by a professional sports coach??

Roland

Most insurance policies cover Social, Domestic, and Pleasure. In my case I spend far more than I earn from music, so I claim S&P. If your kids are in the football team then it can also be D. It may be that the van was insured for work purposes only.

Fuzzdog

Mine is insured for musical purposes, must confess that's mostly because it was a stipulation of a regular gig a few years ago rather than it being due to my desire to adhere strictly to the law.  I never really even thought about it before that, so never had any sort of business cover for gigs.  Um, I mean, of course I did, occifer!  Lovely hat you have on! ^:)^

Costs me the grand total of £0 extra a year because I told my insurance company I was going elsewhere if they couldn't give me a good deal on it.  

Phil_aka_Pip

If it were me, I'd argue that regardless of whether I got paid for the gig, I'm in no way covering the cost of my musical activities let alone making a living out of it. Any money received is only a contribution towards expenses.

The so-called "extra risk" is bollocks. There's no more risk in it than if you were travelling to/from a Fretboard GearFest, or playing in the house band at your local church (if you are a churchgoer). Same driver, same vehicle, same stuff in the back. Which, incidentally, your motor insurance won't cover anyway so there's no reason for them to be interested about what's in the back. It's not going to make you  more likely to have a prang, is it?

ESBlonde

The risk is genuine. The number of vehicles on the road at 2am is very small but the proportion of accidents goes up significantly!
Leaving aside the drink drive issue for a moment, the likely hood of a musician being on the road regularly in the small hours increases the insurance risk (that's not to say it will be your fault). It's simply a numbers game.

VimFuego

could you argue you'd just nicked em? Up to plod to then prove you legally owned them and were a working musician.

shuikit

Was it also insured for Social, domestic and pleasure or was it just for business?

I would imagine, that if you were not being paid for the gig then it would be S,D &P but if you were being paid for it then it might not..

stickyfiddle

Sounds like this van was probably insured through the plumbing company and only for plumbing duties. 

Bit harsh from the coppers, but not incorrect if the above is true.

Phil_aka_Pip

ESBlonde said:

The risk is genuine. The number of vehicles on the road at 2am is very small but the proportion of accidents goes up significantly!
Leaving aside the drink drive issue for a moment, the likely hood of a musician being on the road regularly in the small hours increases the insurance risk (that's not to say it will be your fault). It's simply a numbers game.

So you could legally drive your gear around in the van at 2am just for the hell of it but not if you've been to a gig?

lloyd

Seem's very harsh to me-Like others have said my gigs don't cover the cost that playing in a band cost me so I'd hope not to get a fine and a ban on the back of that-I'd tell them I was back from a jam in the future though....JIC

Phil_aka_Pip

lloyd said:

Seem's very harsh to me-Like others have said my gigs don't cover the cost that playing in a band cost me so I'd hope not to get a fine and a ban on the back of that-I'd tell them I was back from a jam in the future though....JIC

Persactly.

imalone

VimFuego said:

could you argue you'd just nicked em? Up to plod to then prove you legally owned them and were a working musician.

"Are you insured for burglary sir?"

Si_

I was stopped once with a car full of gear (amps, guitars lights PA etc), Police just asked where I was going. I explained I was coming back from a pub gig and this was the band gear and he had no problem with that, didn't even breath test me.

Your mate must have been really unlucky, and I'm surprised by the severity of the outcome. as others said, I can only assume he was insured for business use only. My brother has a works van and there told specifically that if he's not on work business then the van isn't insured so he's not allowed to drive it (so he can't use it to nip to the shops and things like that at the weekend).

IvisonGuitars

I think your mate was just unlucky or was stopped by a couple of them who were just out of police college/by the booker's/needed to get their quota up.

A good few years ago now, we were stopped heading out of Cardiff in my dads van around 1am, full of band gear, 2 of us on a sofa(!) in the back and they asked us where we'd been. The one guy opened up the back to check the gear was what we said it was while the other regaled us with stories of how he was in the Police Brass Band and loved doing gigs himself! Said he'd check us out on MySpace (told you it was a long time ago!).

Then they sent us merrily on our way!

Oh, and the van was insured for carrying Garden Machinery...

Gassage

robkay said:

A friend of mine(a plumber) was stopped in his van last year after an evenings banding.....Police knew the vehicle was insured but when they checked the contents in the rear of van it contained guitar amp and PA System........asking him where he had been he told them that he had a band and had been out playing at a pub.......he was then breath tested which proved negative, tyres and lights were all checked and o.k....

Then we come to insurance, Police then asked if the vehicle was insured for use in carrying musical equipment and for the occupation of banding, van is insured for his plumbing business with no mention of Musician........

Outcome......his insurance was declared nill and void and he was charged for having no insurance......quite a stiff fine and a 3 months ban.......

Makes you think, doesn't it.....

Rob

It makes me think that all police are utter cunts.

There is no other word. There's not one good one, each are crooked fuckers who have no interest other than being a cunt.

If you are stopped NEVER EVER EVER say anything other than your name and address. That is it.

stickyfiddle

Gassage said:

robkay said:

A friend of mine(a plumber) was stopped in his van last year after an evenings banding.....Police knew the vehicle was insured but when they checked the contents in the rear of van it contained guitar amp and PA System........asking him where he had been he told them that he had a band and had been out playing at a pub.......he was then breath tested which proved negative, tyres and lights were all checked and o.k....

Then we come to insurance, Police then asked if the vehicle was insured for use in carrying musical equipment and for the occupation of banding, van is insured for his plumbing business with no mention of Musician........

Outcome......his insurance was declared nill and void and he was charged for having no insurance......quite a stiff fine and a 3 months ban.......

Makes you think, doesn't it.....

Rob

It makes me think that all police are utter cunts.

There is no other word. There's not one good one, each are crooked fuckers who have no interest other than being a cunt.

If you are stopped NEVER EVER EVER say anything other than your name and address. That is it.

It's not all police, but I suspect the bad ones are the ones who get put on friday night 2am random-check duty...

Gassage

@stickyfiddle

It IS all police. They have a pack mentality. Maybe one or two that buck the trend but holistically, cunts.

How can Cressida Dick even be allowed liberty? She should be inside for manslaughter. How has Bernard Hogan-Howe not had crimnal proceedings against him?

It's a farce.

I can honestly say if I meet someone socially who is a cop, I absolutely walk away from them.

Gassage

Here we go....

CAW.