Insurance, and what your policy excludes

Of everything in the estate, this is the product most likely to be the subject of a claim, and the one where an insurer reads the application most carefully.

This is the craft where it matters most

You are selling an open flame that the customer will leave burning in their own home, on their own furniture, near their own curtains.

Product liability cover is not a formality here. It is the thing standing between a fire and your personal assets.

What the exclusions usually are

Failure to meet recognized standards. Some policies exclude or reduce cover where the product does not meet the relevant voluntary standards, which for candles means ASTM F2417 and F2058. That is the clause that turns "voluntary" into "required".

Products not burn tested. Asked as a question on the application, and answering it loosely is a bad idea.

Embedded decorative items. Botanicals, glitter and crystals are specifically excluded by some insurers.

Manufacture in a residential property, or in a property whose own insurance does not know about it.

Sales outside a stated territory, which catches online.

What markets and retailers ask

A certificate at a stated limit, sometimes naming them as additional insured.

Wholesale asks at higher limits than markets do, so if wholesale is the plan, buy for it rather than upgrading later.

Getting the cover right

Tell the insurer exactly what you make, where you make it, whether you burn test and whether you embed anything. An accurate description is what makes the policy respond.

Tell your home or premises insurer as well. Melting wax over a heat source in a domestic kitchen is a business use, and a property policy that does not know about it may not respond either.

And update them when the range changes. A new format or an embedded decoration can move you outside cover you believe you still have.

References