Insurance up-selling

Has anyone tried using their GIT insurance as an up-selling technique?

i.e. giving the customer a basic quote for a delivery which does not include insurance, then offering insurance as an added extra?

Anyone know of any legal complications in doing this?

I always think it's important not to confuse insurance with liability. Just because you offer a price without insurance doesn't necessarily mean you're not liable for their loss.

Neat idea, though. Just like rental car companies do. Quote a low price, them upsell proper insurance cover and sensible excess etc.

Tim, could you clarify the difference between insurance and liability? I understand that I am responsible for the safety of someone's goods, but am I financially liable if a customer actively chooses a cheaper, uninsured option? Would I be within my rights not to make a claim on my GIT, and tell the customer 'hard luck'?

I recently asked a large haulage firm to quote the delivery of a pallet from Scotland to England. They gave me a price and told me that it did not include insurance cover.

I think what they meant was they wouldn't accept any liability for any loss. If they lost it or broke it, it's your tough luck. And they are entitled to offer those terms. If you accept them, that's all good.

Unless the shipper and the carrier both agree to limit the liability, the carrier can end up paying for the whole loss, even if there isn't any insurance.

Some kind of liabilities can't easily be limited, whether there's insurance in place or not. Employer's liability, and public liability for example. They're the really scary ones, as a court will generally decide if you're liable or not, and whether you're insured or not won't be a factor in the decision. The amounts are usually quite high too, which is why it's always worth having Public Liability insurance as a courier, obviously.