Background
Freelance visual artist and product designer Miss J has been working in the design space for years, with her work often taking her around the world. However, after having her laptop stolen while attending a design festival in Barcelona, in 2022, she had to make her first ever insurance claim. She explains what led to the claim, how she found the process with Kingsbridge, and why she believes everyone should have business insurance.
The Challenge
Kingsbridge customer Miss J was the victim of a laptop theft while working at a design festival in Barcelona.
After exhibiting her digital artwork onstage at the event, she took her belongings, including her brand-new, three-month-old M1 MacBook, to the backstage area. This was a secure VIP area for those speaking and exhibiting, where they could work or leave their belongings. Anyone accessing it needed a wrist band.
She explains, “After working in there for a while, I headed out with my belongings. On my way out, a Spanish man, wearing a VIP arm band, approached me to chat about my work. The language barrier cut the conversation short, and it was only with hindsight that I reflected on how strange the interaction had been. However, at the time, I believed him to be a fan of my work and thought no more of it.”
After discovering that the VIP room was secure, Miss J left her bag and equipment and headed out to meet some friends. Having attended the event several times before, and never having had any issues, she hadn’t considered that she would ever have anything stolen.
Unfortunately, when she returned, she noticed that her bag was unzipped, and her laptop had gone. It had happened so discretely that the woman sitting right next to her belongings hadn’t noticed the theft.
It transpired that the man who had approached her earlier had been watching her on stage – where he had seen all her equipment – and he had entered the VIP area after gaining access to a wrist band and had taken her laptop while she was out of the room.
After first speaking to the event managers to discuss their insurance and find out about being compensated, she was advised to make a claim on her own insurance policy.
The Solution
Thankfully, Miss J had taken out Kingsbridge’s Media and Creative package policy with a Business Equipment add-on. So, after the theft, she immediately emailed her Kingsbridge Claims Manager, explaining exactly what had happened, and he quickly got back to her.
He explained that, due to the fact that the laptop hadn’t been stored away in a safe or locker, there was a 50-50 chance that she wouldn’t receive a pay-out, as, technically, she needed proof that the item had been locked away for a claim to be made. However, he told her that a letter from the festival director, verifying various factors, would help her claim.
She spoke to the festival director, who verified his position and explained that the area was indeed deemed secure by the festival, that there were security staff hired by the festival to look after the artists possessions, that there were wrist bands that were given out only to artists, and that several protocols had been broken in the course of the theft.
This, combined with video footage and further evidence, was taken into account, and Miss J’s account manager soon came back to her with the good news that her claim had been successful.
The Result
Miss J explains that the claims process was “very straightforward”, taking just 1 month to resolve. Within 2 months, she had received the full amount, meaning she was able to buy a brand-new laptop.
While the theft was a stressful situation for Miss J, she says, “I was really impressed by the communication and service I received from Kingsbridge. My claims handler was very, very quick to reply. You could tell that he understood that this was a particularly stressful situation, and that silence can add more stress.
He was very responsive and kept me updated by email, and only called if there was a real need to phone me – for example, right at the beginning, to discuss exactly what had happened, and right at the end, to tell me the good news.
When it comes to choosing insurance, Miss J explains “I only took out contractor insurance initially because it was a requirement, but I’m so glad I had it in place, and I’ve since added other items, including my iPad to the policy.
It was a recruitment agency that recommended Kingsbridge to me. After looking at reviews and seeing how simple the process was, I decided to give it a go and I’m really glad I did. I’m grateful for the expertise at Kingsbridge and I learnt a lot with regard to the rules surrounding my policy. I now never leave my equipment anywhere unless it is locked away.”
When it comes to the result of her claim, she says, “I’m very, very happy. I genuinely couldn’t be more grateful to my claims handler and to Kingsbridge, and I’d 100% recommend other contractors and freelancers get contractor insurance to insure anything that is valuable and would stop them from being able to work.”
Thank you to Miss J for sharing her story. We’re so glad we could be there to help her get the money back to replace her laptop.
If you’d like to find out more about our business insurance package for contractors, and how our personal claims managers can support you, give us a call on 01242 808740 or visit our website.
