QUESTIONS REGARDING ORIGINALS AND COPIES OF INSURANCE DOCUMENTS

QUESTION

Dear Mr. Old Man,

I appreciate if you clarify the following points regarding insurance documents?

Case 1:
L/C requires Insurance Certificate in 2 originals?
Two original Insurance Certificates are presented without indicating the number of originals issued.
It is a discrepancy?
In my opinion, if only one original is presented, there is no need for the insurance policy to indicate the number of originals issued. However, if more than one original insurance policy are presented, the insurance policy must indicate the number of originals issued.
Am I correct?

Case 2:
L/C requires Insurance Certificate in 2 originals?
One Insurance Certificate marked “ORIGINAL” and one Insurance Certificate marked “DUPLICATE” are presented.
Is it a discrepancy?
In my opinion, Insurance Policy marked DUPLICATE is a copy and not an original. So, I can raise the discrepancy. Am I correct?

Case 3:
L/C requires Insurance Certificate in duplicate.
One original of Insurance Certificate and one copy of Insurance Certificate are presented.
Is it a discrepancy?
In my opinion, it is not a discrepancy. Am I correct?

Thank you in advance for your comment.

Best regards,

Student
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ANSWER

Hi,

1. Not a discrepancy. Unlike a transport document, there is no need for the insurance document to indicate the number of originals issued. However, if the insurance document indicates that it has been more than one original, all originals must be presented.

2. Not a discrepancy. For insurance document, it is practice that the insurance document marked “DUPLICATE” is an original.
What’s more? According to ISBP 745 A28, documents issued in more than one original may be marked “Original”, “Duplicate”, “Triplicate”, “First Original”, “Second Original”, etc. None of these markings will disqualify a document as an original.

3. You are correct. It is not a discrepancy.
Duplicate means two folds or two copies. Similarly, triplicate means three folds or three copies…
Where LC requires presentation of multiple documents by using terms such as “in duplicate/triplicate”, “in two/three folds ” or “in two/three copies”, this will be satisfied by the presentation of at least one original and the remaining number in copies.
Where LC require Insurance Certificate in duplicate, the presentation of two originals or one original and one copy of Insurance Certificate is acceptable.

Kind regards,

Mr. Old Man