The Framers Forum

Hi there!

Following an issue with some frames of ours (currently being resolved, but very costly) I'm wondering what other framers approaches to liability / condition reporting / insurance are?

We're insured up to the gills, but I believe it doesn't cover accidental damage, and I'm cautious to approach the insurer in case of increased premiums, so we've settled up out of our own pocket.

It's given me enough of a fright to want to guard against any future disagreements.

Would other framers be willing to share their wording and approach to condition reporting, artwork value and liability while it's in your care? Do you get clients to sign off a document for all/ any of the artwork you take on?

Since speaking to our conservator, I've seen that all of their emails have a footer that states that the artwork is at ALL times the clients risk and should be insured accordingly. Do any framers here use similar terms with their clients?

Anyone else's experiences and steps taken to avoid future issues would be GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks,

Joshua

Our Hiscox insurance policy has a specific sub section covering "Goods held in Trust". I have been assured that this covers any damage by whatever means whilst it is in our care.
I have always assumed it's a given that we are responsible for whatever is left in our care. The sticking point for me would be assuming that the customer can provide evidence of the value they declare to me, should a claim be necessary. I've only had to deal in hypotheticals and long may it last!

I'm the same as Justin and luckily it's still hypothetical as I haven't made a claim.
I'm with Hiscox and part of the decision making for insurance companies was goods held in trust.
From memory the maximum value is £5k but I can phone and increase for short periods of time if required.
I'm not sure a liability waiver form releases you of responsibility though and does that mean if you are working on a customer's artwork and damage it you are going to say 'tough luck, you signed a form'?
Only a couple of times in 15 years have I had any issues and both times I sorted it out myself.
Once a print was damaged when I went to frame it and hadn't been when I took it in. I assume it was some kind of flaw with the paper or ink but I messaged the artist directly and they sent me a replacement with the same edition number at cost price.
The second time I got blood on a print from a paper cut and it didn't wipe out. I offered to get a new print but the customer wasn't overly bothered and didn't want me to go to any extra effort. In the end I got the logo of the museum engraved on a small plaque and stuck it over the stain. It looked great and the customer was really chuffed.

Hi, the insurance company once explained it to me "vicarious liability" ie the insurance company wait for the music to stop and blame whomever they can to get the money back, and as the work is in your care etc.

I would look into releases written for art conservators and take pointers from what they include or exclude.

In this modern day of AI have you asked your question in that arena as it encompasses more that just picture framers?

Hi everyone,

I would like to share some of my own experiences and observations on this subject.

Insurance for picture framers is, in my opinion, a relatively underdeveloped sector. As a result, many insurers such as Aviva, AXA, Allianz, and Intact tend to treat framing businesses in much the same way as art galleries. Whilst clauses such as "Goods in Trust" provide cover for many forms of accidental damage to clients' artwork, it is important to understand the extent of that cover.

In most cases, insurers are primarily concerned with funding the restoration of the artwork rather than its replacement. Since original artworks are often irreplaceable, this approach makes sense. However, when it comes to limited edition prints or other works where replacement may be more appropriate than restoration, insurers will often do everything possible to avoid paying for a replacement.

Fortunately, I have never had to make a claim involving artwork entrusted to us. However, I do have experience making a claim when our CMC machine developed a fault. The insurer rejected the claim because the machine had "suddenly stopped working." In hindsight, I realised they may have viewed the situation differently had the incident been classified as accidental damage or mishandling rather than mechanical failure.

From my experience, insurance policies can often feel as though they are written so that 99% of scenarios are excluded and only 1% are covered. Furthermore, if your business operates with limited cash flow, insurance can become particularly challenging. Even when a claim is accepted, insurers rarely pay immediately. You are often expected to cover the cost of repairs, restoration, or replacement parts upfront and then wait weeks, or sometimes months, for the claim investigation to conclude before reimbursement is considered.

For this reason, I would strongly recommend maintaining a dedicated contingency fund for unforeseen events. In our case, resolving the issue with our CMC machine ultimately cost us over £4,000, and despite having insurance in place, we did not receive a single penny towards the repair.

These are simply my personal experiences, but I hope they may be helpful to others when evaluating their insurance arrangements and risk management strategies.


Best wishes,
Amir

Amir Tasadikari
Head of Sales and Marketing
Faam Gallery & Picture Framing specialist