Xref: utzoo comp.sys.mac.misc:6196 comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc:4163 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!news.cs.indiana.edu!cica!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!caen!sdd.hp.com!wuarchive!csus.edu!ucdavis!csusac!csuchico.edu!walleye.csuchico.edu!tempest From: tempest@walleye.csuchico.edu (Kenneth K.F. Lui) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc,comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc Subject: SUMMARY--computer insurance (un-abridged!) Message-ID: <1990Nov29.040219.5286@ecst.csuchico.edu> Date: 29 Nov 90 04:02:19 GMT Sender: news@ecst.csuchico.edu (USENET) Reply-To: tempest@walleye.csuchico.edu (Kenneth K.F. Lui) Distribution: usa Organization: California State University, Chico Lines: 118 Well, it looks like something happened to my message when I posted it. Here's the full version. [BTW, the problem was a bug/feature (?) in Pnews. I separated a respondent's reply with a line consisting of "--" followed by some text and Pnews obligingly truncated my message. Sorry about the extra bandwidth.] Hi, This is a summary of my request several weeks ago concerning advice for computer insurance. To recap, I purchased another system and feel the need to protect my investment (this is for personal use, like my other system). As a neophyte when it comes to insurance, I asked for recommendations about specific companies and what to look out for and what to avoid. Here are the respondents, in mail-box arrival order (they've been paraphrased unless noted): --- - klee@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.edu If the system is small, don't bother with insurance; however, if what one has large systems [and I take it that many systems count to be one large system] it would be advisable. --- - William Moss, gt0831c@prism.gatech.edu - Gerald A. Edgar, edgar@mps.ohio-state.edu Get a ride on one's current home/property insurance. [As a matter of fact, most of the responses recommended that I do this or go through a traditional insurance company with some modifications. See other responses.] --- - Scott J. Bury, sjbury@owlnet.rice.edu [Scott gave me a description of his insurance policy on $8000 worth of equipment.] "Inland marine" policy [sic] from State Farm for electronics and data processing equipment. The policy protects against theft, power spike damage, etc, with full replacement. It costs $100/year. --- - Jim Gaynor, gaynor@magnus.ircc.ohio-state.edu Speak to the agent regarding protecting electronic equipment because most home-owners' policies don't take them into consideration. [Jim has a policy with NationWide for $100/year. It seems as though Scott Bury--above--also has a "special" for electronic equipment.] --- - Brian G. Gordon, briang@Eng.Sun.Com [Brian also recommended that I get a special policy that covers electronic equipment. It is worth it although the basic premium may be be increased.] --- - Annette Myjak, arm@sps.com [Annette picked up a ride on her standard renter's policy for her computer equipment. She mentioned that the insurance provider wouldn't let her have a "business" policy because it was for personal use. __What's the difference between "personal" and "business policy??__] --- - Peter Bye, pbye@ub.d.umn.edu [Peter recommends St. Paul Company (St. Paul, MN). He says basically the same thing Annette said.] --- - Greg Feldman-Hill, gfh@rsch.oclc.edu [Greg also recommended that I get a policy from my current home insurance provider.] --- - William Shirley, WShirley@wesleyan.edu [William sent me a very informative message about insurance companies in general. I'll include it in its entirety.] From daemon Tue Nov 20 09:33:42 1990 >From WSHIRLEY@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU Tue Nov 20 09:33:41 1990 Return-Path: Date: 18-NOV-1990 11:46:34.45 From: WSHIRLEY@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU Subject: insurance Ken, The source for insurance company ratings is a book, the 'Gold' book, which can be found at most librarys. I checked the two or three most heavly advertised 'computer insurance companies' (after calling them and finding out who the actual underwriter was) and found that only one of them was listed and it had a low mark. The integrity of the underwriter (the comp. which actually will pay you in case of a loss) is important otherwise you may be sending money and only getting an imaginary peace of mind. The company Safeware may promise the world (which it does) but the actually underwriter that it contracts with (the insurance co. of iowa or whatever) may be in week shape. In the end I concluded that limited real coverage is more important than promises to replace erased software. I contacted a reputable agent in my area and they found a Co (Aetna) which would include Computers as a rider (an extra item specifically mentioned and paid for) on a homeowners policy. So the result is that for $160 I have insurance on all my stuff and Computer. I sleep at nights knowing that the company will be there tommorrow. William Shirley WShirley@wesleyan.edu --- End of summary --- Well, that's it. I'll probably go to one of the "big" names and get a policy that covers electronic equipment, esp. data processing. I was hoping that the companies that dealt specifically with computers would have been a better deal, but then nobody who has a policy with them replied. Perhaps computer-specific insurance companies are better, perhaps not--I'll never know. Thanks very much for all the replies I've received; sorry for taking so long to summarize. * Bing * thanks for playing :-) Ken ______________________________________________________________________________ tempest@ecst.csuchico.edu, tempest@walleye.ecst.csuchico.edu,|Kenneth K.F. Lui| tempest@sutro.sfsu.edu, tempest@wet.UUCP |________________|