AASA insurance Confusion?

[Mozza]

Down here in the great southern land the AASA Debate is running RED HOT(insert; $h!# is on the fan!), our CAMS state manager has been "Boned" over the fact that he didn't know that Targa Tas was going to switch to AASA, and his office is one storey above the Targa Office.
There is alot of talk (by CAMS Purists!) about the insurance coverage of AASA not being as good as the CAMS Insurance.

Q. According to some CAMS members "excess" for an event (circuit or rally!) for organising bodies on a CAMS claim is $5000 and AASA is $30 000----Is this correct? or just a bit of Febuary merry making?

[MATNESmotorsports]

ASAA just needs to put some info out about what they are REALLY offering for those of us that are interested. is there a contact number/Hot line for ASAA?

i just want to know who gets to clean the fan once this all settles down

MATT

[Big Trev]

Boring -

[Mike Cherry]

That would be a great idea.

With all due respect, nearly everything you need to know about CAMS insurance is available off their web site, not so with the AASA, which inevitably leads to the "conclusions & confusion" that exist.
My experience with them wasn't very fruitful, not much better than a total lack of knowledge of the matters at hand & I'm not purporting that CAMS is any better, but if they want to present themselves as a better alternative......

[Ric Cary]

Originally Posted by Mike Cherry

With all due respect, nearly everything you need to know about CAMS insurance is available off their web site, not so with the AASA, which inevitably leads to the "conclusions & confusion" that exist.
My experience with them wasn't very fruitful, not much better than a total lack of knowledge of the matters at hand & I'm not purporting that CAMS is any better, but if they want to present themselves as a better alternative......

Mike you should probably try using your own Name

[Mike Cherry]

FYI Mr Cary, I did.

[Big Trev]

Boring -

[KPW]

Originally Posted by Big Trev

BTW, I have let Bruce (Free Agent) know of this thread and I am sure he will respond when he can gain all the facts.

Cool. Can he tell us all about the events and dates that make up the AASA ARC while he's here? It is after all now the 27th of February! The promised weekly updates have been a bit thin on the ground.

[Mike Cherry]

Thanks Big Trev.
I understand what you are saying, I wouldn't try to argue the point at all, that was just my experience.
As a sport, we all need to see a way forward through this, regardless of the outcome.

[pvda]

Originally Posted by Mike Cherry

With all due respect, nearly everything you need to know about CAMS insurance is available off their web site, not so with the AASA, which inevitably leads to the "conclusions & confusion" that exist.

Mike I think you'll only find the very editted highlights of the CAMS Policy on the web site BUT you can make an appointment to visit ANY AASA race track to read the entire AASA Policy.

Now I'm talking circuit racing here and from what I understand the different disiplines will have their own policy to prevent cross subsidies.

I do know as FACT that the MGCC here in Vic sent a member who also happens to be an insurance lawyer to look over both the AASA & CAMS policies (took some convincing CAMS to let him read it) and while finding fault in both which he gave suggestions to fix the wording found the AASA one to be the better of the two.

[Mozza]

Originally Posted by pvda

found the AASA one to be the better of the two.

Right then thats BIG!
but is the excess $5000 or $30 000, surely there is someone who has directed a AASA Event online !!!!

[gslrallysport]

Originally Posted by pvda

found the AASA one to be the better of the two.

That's the general consensus from people who have gone into the AASA office with their own lawyers sceptical of the coverage to see for themselves. From what (limited) coverage I've read personally the AASA outcovers CAMS in pretty much everything...

[Mike Cherry]

That is most enlightening & reassuring.
May I suggest then that they pop it onto their website, the other party would then feel obliged to, no?
I fail to see a reason for any secrecy, after all, we are the ones buying the insurance & therfore are entitled to read the detail, yes?

[Free Agent]

Mike, tell that to CAMS!. See how far you get.

I find it fascinating that suddenly, everyone is interested in insurance cover, and its extent, when for YEARS, when CAMS had no competitor, no-one seemed to ever enquire as to the coverage that was offered. It was a no-brainer that CAMS had "adequate" coverage, as was their duty to the members.

Would the AASA, who in the early days only sought to self-insure the racetracks owned by the founding group, be dumb enough to offer a product that did not do the job? even if it was slightly different in form to the CAMS offered product?

Regards Bruce Robertson

[Free Agent]

Further to my previous post, I make the point that Octagon would have done due diligence on all areas of AASA operations before making the profound decision not to continue to use CAMS. Insurance may be ONE of the reasons for change. I reckon I might know a few more, or at least make an educated guess.

It is well known (in Victoria) that the then CAMS state manager, in the early days of AASA popping its head up, made it his duty to lag and bag the AASA insurance, and he was doing this from a position of total ignorance. Unfortuneately, a good yarn sticks, and I am sure that there are many people out ther who see it as their sacred duty to the great God CAMS to perpetrate the myth. Even CAMS board members have been heard cranking on about the so-called deficiencies of the AASA policy. They wouldn't know jack>>>> about it.

Winton Motor Raceway management, for several years, has demanded, and got, the CAMS policy IN ITS ENTIRITY, as it was entitled to do, so Winton knew what it was covered for, and also NOT what was covered. The extracts of the CAMS policy on the website are nice, but are not anywhere near the whole story.

Another thing that needs explaining, is that AASA has never "advertised" or "touted" its services. The clubs, private promotors and companies using AASA sanctioning are doing so because THEY approached the AASA, not the other way around. Approximately nine hundred and fifty permits for motorsport activities were sanctioned and insured by AASA in the past twelve months. Have ther been claims? Yes. Has anyone heard of any complaints about the service received on claiming? I haven't.

I understand CAMS still have not settled the claims resulting from the incident in the Domain in Hobart during Targa Tassie, when the Mini? went into some people and cars - that was two years ago ( I will stand very corrected if this has occurred recently ). I am sure there are reasons for that, but you will never get told. At some point, as competitors, you have to let the sanctioning and insurance bodies DO THEIR JOB. If you don' t like the job they are doing, don't play in their sandpit. Seems to me that is what is happening to CAMS right now.

Also, don't forget that insurance is not "one size fits all". I bet everyone who carries comprehensive car insurance can cheapen off their premium if they take a higher excess. Risk versus benefit. It is a constant balancing act, for both CAMS and anyone else who carries insurance.

It is correct that a barrister from the insurance side of the world compared policies. Both were pronounced very good. Both had slight and easily fixable little wording issues, as he perceived it. AASA fixed the issues within hours. I understand CAMS fixed their issues quickly too. And I stress, they were minor issues. BOTH policies are very comprehensive, and are probably as good as it gets in a motorsport environment, and are as good as any offered worldwide. Don't lose sight of that.

Cheers Bruce Robertson