Post Invaded Again!

[Krazedkiter]

I really needed some renewal info. But it went to Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah. Does it matter anymore what question we ask?

[el_guestos]

I've been going round in circles with this one as well, I assume your talking about the independent Instructor Insurance?

As far as I can tell their underwriters have either refused to provide insurance for this year and so the IKO are having to find another company to underwrite, or they are changing the policy quite a bit and still haven't come up with the final version. When I spoke to the guys at the IKO they said they don't know what will and won't be covered under the new policy as they had no info.

So I guess the rest of us have to just sit and wait!

[cglazier]

At our local area we require kite schools to be insured. Last year an independent instructor started teaching with just IKO insurance. We reviewed his IKO policy and found it inadequate.

I would recommend you carefully read any insurance policy to see just what it covers.


CG

[not annonymous]

We reviewed his IKO policy and found it inadequate.

What, specifically, were the inadequacies?

[FredBGG]

We reviewed his IKO policy and found it inadequate.

What, specifically, were the inadequacies?

Do a search for RichardM postings..
he has looked into it.

One alarming thing he pointed out is that the first few pages of th policy are not on the downloadable policy, despite the fact that the rest of the pages refer to the first pages repeteadly..

[Dave K]

FWIW; PASA underwriter still in place writing polocies

[abel]

At our local area we require kite schools to be insured. Last year an independent instructor started teaching with just IKO insurance. We reviewed his IKO policy and found it inadequate.

I would recommend you carefully read any insurance policy to see just what it covers.


CG

I second cgazier.
I used to have the IKO insurance, but had to ask for specific written clarifications on 'doubty' points.
They did send the clarifications, so I signed.
Since I stopped instructing, I have personal insurance only (and do my best not to aggravate or cause any harm to bystanders).
One of the most important points is protection from third parties injured by your students.

[RichardM]

If they no longer provide insurance, they have given up because this particular fraud was becoming too obvious. (I suppose that this means that IKO members can no longer kite at Crandon in Florida?)

IKO insurance is a blatant fraud. I invite the IKO to deny this allegation and/or accuse me of defamation.

PASA uses the same waiver as the IKO and the same insururer (First Flight Insurance), therefore I believe that the PASA policy is identical to the IKO's and if so, is just as fraudulent.

THE POLICY:

It is 56 pages of needlessly confusing legalese with constant exceptions, amendments etc. which needlessly refer back to other sections which make it as difficult as possible to determine what is covered and when.

THEIR LINK:

However, the IKO is so determined that you not be able to understand it that their link to their "policy" actually only links to the last 49 pages and constantly refers to the MISSING FIRST SEVEN pages.

(Here is a link to the PARTIAL "insurance" policy: (Prepare to have your brain scrambled, numbed and turned to mush).
http://www.ikointl.com/docs/pdf/kiteboa ... policy.pdf

NON-EXISTENT "COVERAGE":

There are so many exclusions, amendments etc. that I couldn't count them all. However, a FEW paragraphs which limit or eliminate supposed "coverage" which the IKO would have you believe you get follow:


EXAMPLE # 1:
STUDENTS ARE NOT COVERED:

On page 11, it says that you're NOT covered if your STUDENT is injured during a lesson!

"WHO IS AN INSURED
This endorsement modifies insurance provided under the following:
COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY COVERAGE FORM
Form CG 00 01 12 04, SECTION II – WHO IS AN INSURED (***) is amended by adding the following language immediately following Section 3 thereof:
“4. Each of the Individual Members of the Named Insured, but only with respect to
their liability arising out of “Covered Activities” as that term is defined in this
policy. However, none of the Individual Members is an insured for “bodily
injury” or “property damage” suffered by a student of the Individual Member,
which occurs either in the course of or as a proximate result of the Individual
Member engaging in the business of instruction for hire in the sports of Power
Kiting.”

(***Note how this endorsement skips back to amend a previous part of the policy - coincidentally in the MISSING 7 pages - making it almost impossible to keep track of what is going on).

EXAMPLE # 2:
INSTRUCTORS ARE NOT COVERED:

Here's an excerpt from (missing) page 2, listing some EXCLUSIONS:
"e. Employer’s Liability
“Bodily injury” to:
(1) An “employee” of the insured arising out of and in the course of:
(a) Employment by the insured; or
(b) Performing duties related to the conduct of the insured’s business; or
(2) The spouse, child, parent, brother or sister of that “employee” as a consequence of Paragraph (1) above."

EXAMPLE # 3:
NOBODY IS COVERED:

Here's another excerpt from (missing) page 2, listing some EXCLUSIONS:

g. Aircraft, Auto Or Watercraft
“Bodily injury” or “property damage” arising out of the ownership, maintenance, use or entrustment to others of any aircraft, “auto” or watercraft owned or operated by or rented or loaned to any insured. Use includes operation and “loading or unloading”.

If you or your employee run someone over with your Personal Watercraft, boat etc. your "insurance" doesn't cover you. This means that the "insured" would have to PAY these costs.
(I understand that some IKO instructor "certifications" REQUIRE use of boats and/or personal watercraft).

EXAMPLE # 4:
NO MEMBER WHO SIGNED THE UNCONSCIONABLE WAIVER IS COVERED:

Here is an EFFECTIVE EXCLUSION disguised under "COVERAGE D – LIABILITY TO PARTICIPANTS:" on page 10: (lists when coverage IS supposedly provided).

"(5) In the case of “bodily injury”, prior to the time of the occurrence,
the injured “participant” had signed (or, in the cases where the
“participant” is under the age of 18 years, the “participant’s”
parent or legal guardian had signed) the International
Kiteboarding Organization Release, Waiver and Assumption of
Risk Agreement and the same was still in effect at the time of the
occurrence; and"

If the waiver was found to be void due to unconscionability or other reasons, that means it was NOT IN EFFECT and the "insured" would NOT have been "covered". Since the waiver is ridiculously unconscionable, this is likely. In fact, if the insurance company wanted to GET OUT OF PAYING a large claim, they could point out that it is unconscionable. It would then be up to the CLAIMANT to prove it was NOT unconscionable.

If you have a sttrong stomach, you may want to try to read their waiver. Here is the link:
http://www.ikointl.com/docs/pdf/waiver- ... arders.pdf


The foregoing are by NO means the only serious flaws in the so called "insurance".

REMEMBER, THE REAL REASON MONEY MAKING ORGS LIKE THE IKO AND PASA PUSH THEIR BOGUS "CERTIFICATIONS" AND "INSURANCE" IS TO LIMIT ACCESS TO ONLY THEIR MEMBERS.

Once they have enough of a grip on enough sites, they can raise rates and create regulations as much as they want and YOU'LL HAVE NO CHOICE but to comply.

Richard M.
Malibu Kitesurfing - since 2002
(310) - 430 - KITE (5483)
http://www.MalibuKitesurfing.NET
kfRichard@MalibuKitesurfing.NET

[lukeskiteboarding]

Has anyone made a claim with IKO insurance?
Does anyone know someone who has had to actually use it?

[RichardM]

Has anyone made a claim with IKO insurance?
Does anyone know someone who has had to actually use it?

Chris, from Miami Kiteboarding, claimed on an iKitesurf forum that they paid a relatively small claim and I believe that in some other thread on this forum someone claimed that they paid some relatively small claim.

It is MEANINGLESS that an insurance company pays small claims even though the terms of their policy would let them deny the claim. If they make a couple million dollars a year selling a bogus policy, paying a few small claims is simply a small cost of doing business. It is when you have a BIG claim - the kind you really need insurance for - that they are liable to have some weasely attorney point out that it ISN'T covered.

Richard M.
Malibu Kitesurfing - since 2002
(310) - 430 - KITE (5483)
http://www.MalibuKitesurfing.NET
kfRichard@MalibuKitesurfing.NET