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Insurance

scientific lamp [deleted] Posted 17 years ago
I'll not go into the details, but I had an incident the other day that resulted in the loss of two D2X bodies, a 17-55DX lens, a 12-24DX lens, memory cards, bag and associated bits.

Without insurance, I'd have been left unable to do my job for quite some time since it would have been almost impossible to find the cash to replace my kit in a timely manner.

My insurer - Towergate Camerasure - have really come through for me. They were notified of my claim on Tuesday and, now that they've received all the supporting documents, they've approved my claim and are issuing a cheque direct to the store that is providing my replacements.

All I need to do is pay the policy excess (£150) and the VAT element of the goods when at the store (since I'm VAT registered) and that's it. I'll be out of pocket for just over £1300 in the short term, but £1150 of that is VAT that I can reclaim.

So - if there's anyone out there that hasn;t got their gear insured, go get it done today!
WOW. Lucky you, not so lucky of course losing that stuff in the first place =[
See i was thinking about getting insurance but who actually insures cameras out there!? AND i'm not exactly a pro yet but it's still worth it incase anything happened. Lol.
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Todd | ishootshows.com Posted 17 years ago
You can insure your gear a number of ways, but having the gear listed as a rider on a home-owner's/renter's policy is one common way to cover it.

Lots of threads on insurance

Coverage usually breaks down into either personal use or professional use. In this case, the latter simply means shooting for money, and you will generally need to go with that option if you do any paid shooting, even if you don't break/lose your gear while on a paid gig.

Todd | ishootshows.com/
gabi porter Posted 17 years ago
I just spent more than $2,000 on new equipment and if anything was lost, stolen or irrevocably broken it would be a real hardship to replace any or all of it. This is a good reminder what I need to take care of this weekend. Thanks, McNeil.

For personal not professional shooters, check with your credit card companies to see what kind of buyer's insurance your gear might be covered under, at least for a short period of time.
Tasha {Redwall Photo} Posted 17 years ago Edited by Tasha {Redwall Photo} (member) 17 years ago
Very good reminder - Emma, you should definitely get your gear insured! It's generally not very expensive and is more than worth it.

Whenever I buy something new, the next stop is my insurance agent... especially after I talked to someone who had their gear stolen from a church during a wedding (really, who steals in a church?!).
RockTog Posted 17 years ago
I insure my gear through my homeowners policy. I ahve a separate rider for all my gear (and jewelry, but that's a different matter). Basically, it's about $10 a year for every $1000 of coverage. Covers theft, loss, and damage.
gabi porter Posted 17 years ago
I know we've covered this on other threads, but forgive me for forgetting the answer... if I put my camera gear on my homeowner's policy, does that only cover the gear when it's in my home?
pricey hole [deleted] Posted 17 years ago
I was just thinking about this since I just literally bought a Nikon D300! So it would be sickening if something happened to it. I think I'll try to go through my renter's insurance.
stale rose [deleted] Posted 17 years ago
I have a great policy (in the States) with State Farm Insurance. They carry both my gear replacement and business liability.

@ballulah: Your homeowners will cover your gear, subject to policy limitations, wherever you are. Generally, however, it's only personal use on your homeowners policy. In any event, make sure that your policy is a full "replacement cost" policy that covers "all perils." Those two phrases are very important. You may also need an additional coverage "rider agreement" if the value of your gear exceeds certain limits.

Your agent should be able to go over all of this with you. Otherwise, if you're in Maryland, I can recommend two very good agents who are familiar with handling this type of coverage for small businesses and individuals.
Tasha {Redwall Photo} Posted 17 years ago
What Geren said... just wanted to pipe in and second State Farm!

Also, if you use your computer for "business purposes" that can also be insured under the same policy. As I take my laptop with me oftentimes, that was really helpful.
gabi porter Posted 17 years ago
Thanks for the info. I'm in NY rather than MD, I'll get in touch with my agent and see what's what. I seem to recall there being a problem with State Farm in NY State, but that might just be car insurance.
tinnitus photography Posted 17 years ago
this reminds me that i should probably also get a rider for my record collection...it's worth far more than my gear.
Wozza_efx2 Posted 17 years ago
i'm looking into www.photoguard.co.uk/ - they seem to have reputable backers and my cover would be about £30 a year or so.

i'm not professional by any stretch - but i can't afford to lose the £400+ i've invested in kit.
scientific lamp [deleted] Posted 17 years ago
Update:

My insurance agent really came through for me - I picked up two D3 bodies, the 14-24 f/2.8 and 24-70 f/2.8 lenses and a couple of 4GB Extreme IV cards last week to replace the kit that was lost.

I'm a bit out of pocket in the short term what with having to pay the VAT element and the excess, but nowhere near as much as I would have been if I'd had to replace the gear out of my own funds.
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cheap basketball [deleted] Posted 17 years ago
@Geren .... who are the agents you recommend dealing with? I have auto insurance with state farm already maybe they can just add something to my policy. I definitely want to cover this equipment because it would take me forever to replace my gear out of pocket.
Alexander Zetlitz Posted 17 years ago
The first thing I did when I got my D3 was to get it insured. Sure, it'll cost me $260 a year, but for an $8000 camera there is no way I'll ever risk it. If my gear isn't insured, it never leaves my house.
pricey hole [deleted] Posted 17 years ago
I just called my AllState agent and he said it's only covered for theft or if its lost? Not if it's damaged. Is this what other AllState people have for their Renter's Insurance?
gabi porter Posted 17 years ago Edited by gabi porter (member) 17 years ago
@Bryan - I just called my All State broker just now about adding coverage to my homeowner's policy (which is very similar to most renter policies)...yeah yeah, I'm a big procrastinator. My basic policy is just over $250 annually, to add off-property theft, loss and damage is going to add another $100 and change (for equipment valued at $3,000, with no deductible).

For all you NY area shooters, she's fantastic, my mom pointed me in her direction. She's in Greenpoint, Jane Chrostowski. 718-349-7200. Call her if you have any questions on how to best insure your gear.