lowregisterhead Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 I just want to ask our very learned membership for some opinions on a recent event... thanks in advance for all responses! I did a gig in Europe last weekend, and my bass was 'lost' by the airline en route, necessitating the hiring of a bass to be able to do the gig. The tour manager said they'd cover it, which they did, but now they're asking me to claim on my own travel insurance to reimburse them. This wasn't mentioned at the time, and I'm not keen on having to fill in endless forms, as well as potentially having to pay a higher premium next time I renew due to the claim (160 Euros). The artist's management pay for flights, food & accommodation, even airport parking - my feeling is they are responsible for getting me and my instrument to and from the gig, and any mishaps along the way pertaining to equipment, other than a total loss perhaps, should be a matter for their insurers, not mine. The receipt is in their name in any case, which may nix any claim made be me anyway. Thoughts? P.S. The good news is my bass was delivered out of the blue by the airline's handlers yesterday, none the worse for its little adventure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Are you even sure you can claim on your own insurance? After all your bass wasn't lost ( thankfully) 'only' delayed, so I'd check the policy carefully to see if this sort of thing is covered. If it is covered, how much are you going to claim. I don't know how much it costs to hire a bass for a day but I suspect it's not much. How much is the tour manager going to bill you for (you'll need an invoice as proof of your loss)? Annoying as such things are, sometimes the amount of the loss is not really worth a claim, especially considering future premium hikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Irrespective of the rights and wrongs, it'll be a 'small print' issue. If there's no small print, then a key issue is the relationship you have with the folks involved and whether you want to risk that for a bit of form filling and hassle with the likely outcome that whatever happens, you won't be out of pocket anyway. Might not be relevant, but when I was a pro-cyclist I had a pretty serious crash and was told that if I wanted compensation - it was the result of a technical fault with one of the bikes - I had to sue my sponsors. Biting the hand that feeds is never a good idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropzone Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Try engaging with the handler, thier insurance may cover it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Costs incurred due to the luggage not arriving on time should be taken up with Baggage control, IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 (edited) I had this happen to me a few months ago in Dubai. It was a three day gig, and my Bass turned up at the hotel on the third day. Two day Bass hire was eventually paid for by British Airways. They gave me a reference number, and on exit their CS desk on receipt of the hire invoice accepted this. Three weeks later a cheque arrived from a UK BA office. The production company tour manager on the show said she would pay If BA did not. So from that experience, maybe your promoter should cough up, or if not, next port of call should be the airline/handler. (Although I think that should have been done at the time). Edited July 31, 2014 by lowdown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 [quote name='Dropzone' timestamp='1406808713' post='2514886'] Try engaging with the handler, thier insurance may cover it. [/quote] Worth a try, but I wouldn't be holding my breath. Few, ( if any?) insurance policies will cover consequential losses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowregisterhead Posted August 2, 2014 Author Share Posted August 2, 2014 Thanks for all the input, folks. The management have now told me they'll absorb the full hire cost, even after I offered to meet them half way, so no ill feeling hopefully. I'll know if I don't get called again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Sounds like a good conclusion for 'just one of those thing' that can happen through no fault of your own. I wonder how much the bass hire actually cost the promoter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowregisterhead Posted August 4, 2014 Author Share Posted August 4, 2014 [quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1407084066' post='2517156'] Sounds like a good conclusion for 'just one of those thing' that can happen through no fault of your own. I wonder how much the bass hire actually cost the promoter? [/quote] The management were charged 160 Euros, which seems a bit steep for a rather battered Sandberg California VM5 IMHO. I got the feeling it wasn't a hire bass at all, but some mate of the promoters who loaned it for a fee. Who knows - it did the job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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