Marine Cargo Insurance – Insure or not to insure?

Should you insure your Cargo?

Freight forwarders generally do not insure your shipment automatically, although depending on the nature of your goods and value they can usually arrange full marine insurance on your behalf.

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The purpose of marine/transit insurance

The purpose of marine/transit insurance is to cover the goods during transit for “All risks/total value” of the consignment and not to rely on the limited liability of agents or carriers.

  • This can be undertaken by Barrington on behalf of the client upon receipt of written instructions. (Barrington cannot arrange such insurance other than with the freight paying party.)
  • If Barrington is requested to arrange transit/marine insurance, it is arranged ON BEHALF OF THE CLIENT and it is not Barrington actually insuring the goods. It is the same as if the client arranged the insurance himself through an insurance company or broker. Barrington will charge a client for this service.
  • A customer can probably obtain cheaper premiums through their own brokers.
  • It is important to clarify whether breakage insurance for fragile goods is required or not, such as glassware and ceramics. Premiums will be higher for breakable items.
  • If transit/marine insurance is implemented, and if there is a claim, normally insurers would settle any bona fide claim expeditiously and then claim from the carrier/agent under subrogation. The carrier/agent would then normally settle with the marine/transit insurers within the terms of their liability, be it CMR or other relevant terms.
  • If a client does not take out a marine/transit insurance cover, then they rely on the relevant terms of the carrier/agent should there be a claim, and depending on circumstances, the total value of such a claim may not be fully covered and this is at the client’s risk, not that of the carrier or agent.
  • Marine/transit insurance is value-based at a premium per GBP 100.00 insured. Normally the insured value is the delivered value plus 10%. The 10% effectively covers the cost of freight for a duplicate consignment should the first one be lost. If a claim is made against such a cover, it does not mean that premiums would normally be increased unless there is a succession of attrition claims. Also, there is not normally an excess applicable unless there is an inherent risk of damage being sustained during transit, e.g. bags/sacks which can easily be snagged.
  • “No claims bonuses” do not apply to marine/transit insurance.
  • Consequential loss claims are not covered by marine/transit insurance and are not accepted by Barrington or any carrier/agent for whatever reason – as is indicated in our terms.
  • Claims cannot lawfully be deducted from the Barrington sales ledger account. They are to be dealt with separately from the normal trading account as indicated in our terms. If you have a shipment with us and wish to obtain an insurance costing, please contact our operations staff today. Please contact us immediately for a quotation.

**Insurance regulations mean that we cannot arrange insurance on personal effects shipments or on non-commercial movements**

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Daniel Gardner
Daniel Gardner
2024-04-03
The team at Barrington where incredible at delivering our goods on-time despite the new Brexit regulations on goods being imported. We even didn't pay tax on the returning shipment coming back to German.
Drewit Studio
Drewit Studio
2024-03-25
Brilliant service. Extremely helpful, and they supported us all the way through the process of transporting goods to mainland Europe, which for anyone who hasn't done that before can seem quite daunting. Would definitely recommend using this company.
Jason Scott
Jason Scott
2024-03-22
Working with Barrington was brilliant. They really looked out for us, tackling our tough shipping/freight requirements keeping us informed at every stage of the process. Thank you
James Ayre
James Ayre
2024-03-21
kept up to date with all progress, i know they had a particularly troubling time with import customs messing up paperwork but sorted all that out for me. highly reccomend will use again
Peter Seal
Peter Seal
2024-03-08
Excellent company, very efficient and great communication. Competitive , quick quotes!
LOFT&VINTAGE Kft.
LOFT&VINTAGE Kft.
2024-03-02
We are very satisfied, we would like to thank the team for this with an awesome rating! They handled the delivery of a very sensitive, valuable, gigantic pallet for us at a fair price and without any problems. I mean, out of 4 companies, only they were able to undertake it. Nothing is damaged! We recommend the company to everyone :)
Sophie Benge
Sophie Benge
2024-02-06
Joshua at Barrington Freight is friendly and patient. Their service hassle-free and affordable compared to other freight forwarders.
Alex Burton
Alex Burton
2024-02-04
Fantastic service from Barrington Freight. It was our first time exporting goods from the UK and it was very reassuring to have them manage the shipment. The process was made easy and hassle free and Simon was always quick to respond to any queries. I would highly recommend.
Mat Wilkinson
Mat Wilkinson
2024-01-22
these guys are excellent. Incredibly helpful, flexible and friendly- i cant recommend them highly enough- genuinely a brilliant team.