SOURCE: Press Association
A car insurer admitted today it refuses to cover musicians – despite featuring Iggy Pop in its adverts.
The veteran rocker is the star of Swiftcover’s “Get a life. Get Swiftcovered” campaign.
Swiftcover, part of the Axa insurance group, claimed it chose the long-haired American singer – whose hits include Lust for Life and The Passenger – to be the face of the company as an actor who “loves life” rather than as a musician.
But the online insurance firm came under attack for turning down people who work in the music and entertainment industry for car insurance, citing higher levels of risk and potential claims costs as its reasons.
The Advertising Standards Authority said it has launched an investigation after receiving 12 complaints from those deemed ineligible because of their jobs.
A spokesman for the ASA said: “We have received 12 complaints and we are formally investigating those complaints.
“They have challenged whether it is misleading to suggest Iggy Pop has insurance with Swiftcover because its website states that those who work in entertainment cannot take out a car insurance policy with that insurer.”
Bill Bridges
July 26, 2011
I have been trying to get public liability insurance as a musician and cannot even get a quote.
It seems if I was a hairdresser wielding a cut throat razor close to someone’s throat I could get insurance, but obviously if I was playing some music to them their lives would be in grave
danger so naturally I could not expect any insurance company to cover me. Someday I’m
hoping someone will explain it to me