Insurance companies are gouging e-comm sites

Liability costs doubled.

[lgn]

We run a store and a website. Just recently we decided to move our location and our insurance company did a review.

As soon as they found out we were operating a web site, they refuse to renew our coverage.

Their rational was that we were selling the majority of our goods to Americans (we are based in Canada), and that we had to much US exposure.

We tried to explain to the insurance company, we sell products that are very bland when it comes to liability risks, but to no avail. We also tried to explain that jurisdiction for the transaction was our own province, so we had no US exposure. No Luck.

After several weeks of trying we finally found an insurance company that would insure us for double the premium we were paying before. Ouch!

Anybody had a similiar experince?

[DavidP]

Insurance companies are also gouging the developers of e-commerce websites. Despite the fact that my security, firewall and credit-card gateway work had dropped to about 5% of my overall business, my insurer decided to cancel my policy. I was left with a choice of either more than doubling my premium or dropping that line of work altogether.

I chose the latter - so I am now fully covered for everything except security-related work.

[DavidP]

Another point I forgot to add. I am also not covered against acts of terrorism.

I would imagine that you aren't either - so heck very very carefully the wording no your policy. Mine takes a rather broad definition of terrorism to include almost any ideologically motivated act that causes damage.

So if a kiddie H@x0r crew decides to fill a rainy weekend by vandalising your website and then claims it was an "anti-capitalist statement" or some such - guess what?