Anyone Had Recent Interaction With Hugh Wood, Now Risk Strategies?

This past Tuesday a once in a generation rain, which occurs every year now, flooded my first floor apartment stamp room with almost a foot of water in less than ten minutes. I lost several dealer size boxes of better w-w covers; about 500 WWII Patriotics; two boxes of better large manila cards with Souvenir Sheets, larger multiples and some stamps with certs; and several red 102 and 104 boxes of w-w sets and singles stock. All of which is now drying/molding in my bathtub. Luckily no albums were affected.
I called High Wood's APS phone number Tuesday afternoon and had to leave a message. Thursday afternoon I called again, having received no response. I did get a woman who seemed unfamiliar with stamps, and who sent me a standard claim form by email, and said when I returned it, it would be forwarded to a colleague " familiar " with stamps, for processing. The form seems more oriented to fine art than stamps and covers, the questions seemed to be aimed at a business, focused on theft or carrier loss, and vague on valuation.
I know Risk Strategies acquired Hugh Wood last fall, but I am a bit wary on how to evaluate the material, especially the covers. I acquired most of the damaged items over a 3 decade as a partner in a stamp firm which my partners and I closed in 2017. I also lost most of any receipts, etc as the water consumed my paper file cabinet and my PC tower shorted out. It is now being hopefully salvaged at a Best Buy.
Has anyone made a claim recently, and if so, what should I expect?

First, I am sorry for you losses. I once asked my uncle why he gave up his avid stamp collecting. His reply was, when I found it floating in my basement.

I have had no contact as you asked. But to bring folks up to speed with changes:

https://goscf.com/t/72024
https://goscf.com/t/69481&whichpage=1
https://goscf.com/t/88762

I visited APS in the month of May and I was going to go down and talk to the folks at Hugh Wood, and nobody was there the entire day. Disappointing, to say the least.

Please keep us up to date on how this goes over time, if you don't mind.
I'm sure many here would be interested to know.

Your post reminded me of an issue that I wanted to raise with Hugh Wood, so I sent an email to the email address shown for Hugh Wood on the APS website a few days ago; no response yet. I'll let you know if I hear anything. When you google Hugh Wood, the response takes you to the Risk Strategies website which has appears to have info on Commercial Marine Insurance and Fine Art only. The link on the APS website for "www.hughwood.com" also just takes you to the same Risk Strategies website. I have also sent an email to the APS to see if they can shed light on the situation.

If this doesn't resolve rapidly with satisfaction, it needs to be escalated immediately to the APS executive team or Woods will be facing the loss of tens of thousands in premiums. They need to treat these reports as a big, big deal.

Can you find Hugh Wood in the acquisition forest?

https://www.insurancejournal.com/ne....8%20billion.

At the recent York UK stamp & coin show, had a visit to my booth from the new Divisional Director, Fine Art & Specie Division, HWS Specialty (the HW from Hugh Wood) London. They're still selling philatelic insurance at least in the UK and their website says they also have offices in France, Greece & Australia (where their parent company Steadfast Group is HQed) but no mention of the Hugh Wood USA offices.
https://hwsspecialty.com/about-us/

Steve Taylor

This suggests Hufh Wood outside the US and Canada and in those jurisdictions, no longer, are part of the same holding.

https://www.fasken.com/en/experienc...k-strategies

Which, essentially, is the same as the Risk Solutions press release says.

https://www.risk-strategies.com/pre...national-b.v

The BV suggests the holding company is registered in the Netherlands or Belgium.

stampwiz - I just heard back from Wendy Masorti at the APS. Hugh Wood is still in the stamp insurance business. The contact at APS for Hugh Wood also send an email:

"Wendy has sent your email below over to us.  I apologize that you have not been able to reach our team.  We can be contacted in a few ways:

Phone: 814-933-3821 or toll free at 1-888-277-6494

Email: aps@hughwood.com

Address: 220 Match Factory Place, Bellefonte, PA 16823 (please note, we are not in the office every day, so in person meetings are not our preferred method of contact without an appointment set up)

Business Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM EST

I have attached our application and coverage information sheet to help get you started.  If you have any specific questions, you may either email me or the email address above or call our team at either of the above numbers.

Please know our team is still the same team from Hugh Wood, and there have not been any changes to our insurance program beyond the name of the company."

Her name is Emily Bittner and her direct email is "ebittner@risk-strategies.com"

She attached an info sheet and an application which is indeed geared towards stamp collectors.

Send me a PM if you want me to forward the info. Please don't post your email address here. Cheers.

Interesting. While I was at a Doctor appointment this morning I got a call from area code 212 which is NYC. I let it go to voice mail. Just listened to it. It was a woman in NYC with Risk Strategies there asking me to call so she could help me with the claim form. Have to have a MRI this afternoon so will call tomorrow morning most likely. She said she was told to respond to my concerns that I had " posted somewhere on line ".

We will see how this goes. Will be surprised if she has any idea about stamps and covers, but wonders never cease.

Thank you for the contact info. Will follow up with her, then contact MS Bittner.

Good luck with the MRI and those radiophonic noises!