Exclusions are the terms in a contract or an insurance policy that name the losses, causes or items it won't pay for. In self storage there are two sets: the storage agreement's limits on the operator's liability, and the exclusions in the policy that insures your goods.
In our storage agreement
Clause 30 of our terms says your goods "are stored at Your sole risk and responsibility". It excludes our liability for "(a) loss or damage to Your business, if any, including consequential loss, lost profits or business interruption" and for "(b) loss of or damage to Goods" unless it results from our negligence or breach of contract, and then our liability "will be limited to the sum of £100 in total". It doesn't exclude liability for death or physical injury caused by our negligence. Clause 35 says we're not liable for loss or damage to goods caused by events beyond our reasonable control, such as fire, flood and electrical power failures.
Our insurance FAQ says the agreement requires you to "either: accept our contents protection cover, or arrange insurance at your own expense".
In our Contents Protection policy
Contents Protection is Wigwam's own policy, underwritten by RSA under its "Self Storage Customers' Goods" scheme.
- Damp: not paid. Wigwam's policy excludes atmospheric or climatic damage, so pack everything clean and fully dry.
- Mould: our flood guide says the policy excludes mould and damp damage. The policy wording isn't published, so ask on 0800 2545585 whether mould that grows after a covered leak is paid.
- Water: our Contents Protection page lists burst pipes and water leakage as covered. Flood isn't settled: two of our guides say flooding is excluded and one says flood damage is covered, so ask on 0800 2545585.
- Theft: covered only with "forcible entry or exit".
The full list of exclusions is in the Summary of Insurance, which isn't published online; clause 48 says it is "provided to You". Ask on 0800 2545585 for a copy before you rely on the cover, and whether it pays for goods held for someone else, how it settles a claim for business stock, or a single high-value item.
Some things you can't store at all: clause 18 bars, for example, "(i) currency, deeds and securities" and "(j) items which are unique in nature and/or where the value to You cannot be assessed on a financial basis". That's a storage ban, not a cover exclusion: see what goods are prohibited.
Relying on home insurance? Our Contents Protection page says standard home policies ordinarily don't cover goods stored away from home, and the few that do "often exclude various specific storage-related risks".
Related terms: Contents protection · Legal liability · Claim · Mould and mildew
Related questions: Does contents protection cover damp and mould? · How do I make a claim if something in my unit is damaged?