Congratulations- I guess? When should I trigger my insurance?

[ruff]

Well....I guess after twenty eight years without damaging a client upholstery, I finally did it.
A freak accident where the tool's trigger got under the fabric and did an L shaped 1" tear. Naturally it was a custom made ottoman. $2000.00

Question is:

1. Is it worth triggering the insurance or pay out of pocket? My deductible is $500.00.
2. If I do, it may trigger a raise in next years premium. Mostly due to bad ratio (from insurance co point of view) of low premium versus claim higher than yearly.
3. Or since it is a relatively low claim, it may not cause an issue.

What's your experience and advice?

 

[Lee Stockwell]

I'm glad my brother has a great upholstery shop with an awesome reputation here.

 

[Mikey P]

Which tool?

 

[Mikey P]

No connection in the trades?

 

[Able 1]

I hit the corner of a bathtub and just shattered it with my spinner.. I thought I was going to have to replace it! We worked hard to make everything go as smooth as possible for our custy.. We did the leg work to tracked down the best guy around. I ended up paying a guy $165 to fix it.

For me it would have to be over 5,000 to claim.

 

[hogjowl]

Lee was so helpful

 

[Desk Jockey]

Chances are good you turn in a claim and your insurance will go up. However if you don't then you're making payments for nothing.

28 years. Man you were way way over due!

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Lee was so helpful

FIND a great upholstery shop, if you can.

 

[JS41035]

1. It depends. How much is your annual GL insurance? Ask your agent how much it would go up. How much longer are you gonna work? (Not trying to be a jerk, but if you are retiring next year....)
2. I know guys that have turned in $12000 claims and had there rates raise by 600 annually. Definitely worth it in that instance.
3. Probably worth having it fixed. If customer is willing. Maybe get some quotes. Then offer a couple hundred more than repair cost to walk away.

 

[Bob Pruitt]

Naturally it was a custom made ottoman.

I would ask her if she could contact the person who made it for her and get a quote for the repair or recover... naturally you are more than happy pay the bill. Might not be that bad.

 

[hogjowl]

FIND a great upholstery shop, if you can.

Why didn't you just SAY THAT?

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Why didn't you just SAY THAT?

That wouldn't have grabbed your attention.

 

[hogjowl]

Let me remind you, Jason. I have given you advance warning.
There are plenty of signs.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Jason isn't here to help you, you'll have to bug Justin.

 

[JS41035]

We all look alike to you? Let me guess , you have red headed friends.

 

[hogjowl]

Only one.
And she's bi-polar

 

[ruff]

It was the Sapphire tool. The rubber thing wears off at the end of the trigger and the rubber falls off. It was a stretchy fiber and I was working on a stubborn stain that required back and forth movement. Because the fiber was stretchy it got caught and held by the exposed end of the trigger and.....voila. Freakish sort of an accident.

May have helped if the SS tool had a more rounded trigger (it is pretty sharp when the rubber thingie wears and falls off, and I should have paid more attention to the potential of damage from that.)

The piece is custom made, has many panels and it matches the other two chairs that came with it. No way to fix it so it is unnoticeable. The $2000.0 is for reupholstering and new fabric. I could try a cheaper upholsterer, but then you take the chance she won't be happy .......and here we go again.
I can afford it either way.

What I am trying to learn for people's experience is:

1. How much % is my premium likely to go up, if I make a claim. Considering may (bad) ratio. Meaning yearly premium is lower than yearly insurance cost.
2. Or since it is a relatively low claim, and I never had a claim (though only been with this insurance co for 7 years)- it may not cause an issue.

So, experienced ones with insurance claims- What's your experience and advice?

Justin, good question- I am not retiring in a year or anything close to that. Unless you know something I don't

 

[Mikey P]

Next time blame the dog.

 

[ruff]

No dog, or guinea pig, or cat or even the occasional Tasmanian devil.
Not blaming anybody. Just a freak accident and Murphy's law took over from there- custom piece, a cleaner that tries to do the best job and a client that works with designers and likes perfect.

Now, where is the advice from the insurance experienced ones?

 

[Desk Jockey]

Sue Sapphire.

Ok, seriously we eat it and don't turn it in but our deductible is 5k.

I agree ask your agent for his opinion just in case its doesn't affect the premium.

Maybe sue Nate for not telling you to glue the rubber thingy on.
@Nate The Great

 

[Nate The Great]

I'd sue SS also... In hindsight, the first tool you sold never had an issue with damaging fabric...

 

[BIG WOOD]

I'd sue SS also... In hindsight, the first tool you sold never had an issue with damaging fabric...

They have bragged about how gentle this tool is on delicate fabrics. I'm sure this isn't the first time this has happened over the years. I don't understand why that rubber cover isn't glued on in the first place. All of them fall off. It's a nuisance that could have been prevented

 

[Desk Jockey]

I was kidding!

Crazy fookers!

Ya'll voted for Trump didn't ya?

 

[PrimaDonna]

The $2000.0 is for reupholstering and new fabric.

Do they still make the fabric?

You run the risk of this dye lot not "matching" the other pieces. Likely not noticeable if they aren't right next to each other, but you could potentially be looking at getting all the pieces re-upholstered so they match. Is the $2000 just to do that particular piece, or all of the pieces?

 

[Lee Stockwell]

No pictures?

 

[ruff]

No picture and eventually you weigh how much more irritation you want to expose the client to. So far it's been friendly, but than she's getting a new piece . It always comes to how perfect the client wants it to be. Most people that had custom made ottoman and matching chairs and are willing to pay a design place for it, expect it to look great.

It will be noticeable meg. We all know that some clients are very reasonable and forgiving and some expect perfection. People are different. So the choice is either get into a dispute, which is not an option for me, or roll with the dice.


Lee, just imagine an L shaped rip an inch on each side. Could it be made better? Yes. Is it good enough for the client? No.

Richard, I talked with my agent, she gave me the info about how the insurance companies go about it. That's why I brought this subject to see how things like that have affected their premium. Federal agents are kicking in Nate's Hawaiian mansion's door as we speak.

Sure, it will be nice if SS did a better trigger where the rubber does not fall off and gets torn so easily. It will also help if the metal did not have sharp edges. It will definitely improve the tool and reduce chances of an accident.

 

[steve_64]

I ate a $2200 gas spill.starting the year off. Didn't want to involve the insurance for that

 

[Lee Stockwell]

I'm saving my insurance for "the big one" if that ever happened.

I usually pay out of pocket and immediately for mistakes. The one time, 20+ years ago, I got insurance involved I hated the way it went down.

 

[Papa John]

Ofer-- is the tear on the pillow top of the Ottoman?
I was able to un-sew the pillow top on an ottoman, flip it over Re-attach the pillow top making a damaged ottoman new again. Another cleaner had caused the dye to bleed on the Ottoman before I was called in to rescue the ottoman.

As for claims like this-- I just pay it and move on..less headache.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Sure, it will be nice if SS did a better trigger where the rubber does not fall off and gets torn so easily. It will also help if the metal did not have sharp edges. It will definitely improve the tool and reduce chances of an accident.

It would have still happened. The force coming back with the trigger would have still made a tear.
Use the product according to the label and you won't have a problem.