# Insurance for Camera gear



## bearemt (Aug 1, 2012)

Hey Guys I'm traveling to europe and I want to insure my gear any ideas


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## scotty512 (Aug 1, 2012)

i just added it to my home insurance attaching the information and the value, seemed the lowest cost


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## Drizzt321 (Aug 1, 2012)

scotty512 said:


> i just added it to my home insurance attaching the information and the value, seemed the lowest cost



I've done the same, even had a claim for dropping my 5d2 recently and no problem with the claim. Just know, if you are actually making some money off of it, I would get real photographers insurance which will also cover set injury/liability and other things like that. The valuable personal property rider likely won't cover equipment if your using the equipment in commercial/paid usage.


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## Wideopen (Aug 7, 2012)

Drizzt321 said:


> scotty512 said:
> 
> 
> > i just added it to my home insurance attaching the information and the value, seemed the lowest cost
> ...



+1 set injury/liability is a big one if youre pro


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## victorwol (Aug 13, 2012)

I have it all insured with Farmers via Geico. About $1.6 per $100 insured. No deductible.


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## Studio1930 (Aug 13, 2012)

victorwol said:


> I have it all insured with Farmers via Geico. About $1.6 per $100 insured. No deductible.



Per what? Month, quarter, 6 months, year?


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## neuroanatomist (Aug 13, 2012)

I have State Farm personal articles policy, $7.60 per year per $1000 coverage (apparently less than half the cost of '_save money in 15 minutes or less with Geico_'  ), no deductible, full replacement, worldwide coverage for loss/damage/theft/etc.

With any of these 'personal' options (which explicitly state that the gear is not used to make money, and the policies are much cheaper than business policies), you have to be careful submitting claims. Generally, these policies are linked to your homeowner's/renter's policy, and claims are reported to the CLUE database which tracks such things. That database is used to determine rates and eligibility for homeowner's coverage, i.e. too many claims and your home insurance rates go up or your policy may be dropped (yes, they can do that!).


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## victorwol (Aug 13, 2012)

Studio1930 said:


> victorwol said:
> 
> 
> > I have it all insured with Farmers via Geico. About $1.6 per $100 insured. No deductible.
> ...



Sorry, year. Non Professional, since I do not make money with it, not yet. So have it insured as personal items. I know professional might cos about an extra dollar per 100.


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## victorwol (Aug 13, 2012)

neuroanatomist said:


> I have State Farm personal articles policy, $7.60 per year per $1000 coverage (apparently less than half the cost of '_save money in 15 minutes or less with Geico_'  ), no deductible, full replacement, worldwide coverage for loss/damage/theft/etc.
> 
> With any of these 'personal' options (which explicitly state that the gear is not used to make money, and the policies are much cheaper than business policies), you have to be careful submitting claims. Generally, these policies are linked to your homeowner's/renter's policy, and claims are reported to the CLUE database which tracks such things. That database is used to determine rates and eligibility for homeowner's coverage, i.e. too many claims and your home insurance rates go up or your policy may be dropped (yes, they can do that!).



Have to check on that... seems to be about half what I'm paying to Farmers....


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## zedarean (Aug 13, 2012)

I've been wondering about this myself, is it possible to insure my gear if I'm not a homeowner?


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## bdunbar79 (Aug 13, 2012)

zedarean said:


> I've been wondering about this myself, is it possible to insure my gear if I'm not a homeowner?



Of course. You can buy insurance for anything. The rates might be a bit higher though.


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## lethalfalcon (Aug 13, 2012)

In the U.S. what you want is normally called an inland marine policy, which covers actual replacement cost in the event of loss/damage. Couple that with liability in case you hit someone with that giant lightbox and you're good to go for a pro. Costs are usually around $2.00 - $4.00 per $1,000 per year. Companies that specialize in photographer's insurance are effectively giving you this. I'd imagine they have something similar in Europe. Best bet would be to call your current insurance company and see what they offer, and then shop around for other rates based on what they tell you.

Personal articles policies are fine if you're a hobbyist. If you make a single dime off your services, though, you'd better get it converted, because they'll deny your claim in a heartbeat if they find out. If you're planning on making money, you're already depreciating/writing off your equipment anyway, so get a business policy and write that off, too.


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## preppyak (Aug 13, 2012)

neuroanatomist said:


> I have State Farm personal articles policy, $7.60 per year per $1000 coverage (apparently less than half the cost of '_save money in 15 minutes or less with Geico_'  ), no deductible, full replacement, worldwide coverage for loss/damage/theft/etc.


Yep, same here, though my rate was slightly higher. I think it was more like $9-10/$1000 insured, but, still dirt cheap for coverage in general. Especially taking my gear in my kayak, I know if my Pelican case leaks or if I drop it, its covered.


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## cayenne (Aug 13, 2012)

neuroanatomist said:


> I have State Farm personal articles policy, $7.60 per year per $1000 coverage (apparently less than half the cost of '_save money in 15 minutes or less with Geico_'  ), no deductible, full replacement, worldwide coverage for loss/damage/theft/etc.
> 
> With any of these 'personal' options (which explicitly state that the gear is not used to make money, and the policies are much cheaper than business policies), you have to be careful submitting claims. Generally, these policies are linked to your homeowner's/renter's policy, and claims are reported to the CLUE database which tracks such things. That database is used to determine rates and eligibility for homeowner's coverage, i.e. too many claims and your home insurance rates go up or your policy may be dropped (yes, they can do that!).



Are there special insurance companies..that give out 'pro' insurance polices....
Or is this available from normal insurance companies like State Farm...Geico...etc.

This type of insurance will cover drops and the like of cameras and lenses?

TIA,
cayenne


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## Drizzt321 (Aug 13, 2012)

cayenne said:


> neuroanatomist said:
> 
> 
> > I have State Farm personal articles policy, $7.60 per year per $1000 coverage (apparently less than half the cost of '_save money in 15 minutes or less with Geico_'  ), no deductible, full replacement, worldwide coverage for loss/damage/theft/etc.
> ...



The other big thing the photo insurance will do is also give you liability coverage, not just overage for equipment. So if someone falls on your set or something, you're covered. Likewise, if something happens and you lose all the photos for someone's wedding, or something like that, you can be covered for that. Take a look at some of the photography professional organizations, they generally have some deals with various insurance companies for a discount if you're a member.


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## Jeffrey (Aug 13, 2012)

I have a policy written in the USA through Great American specifically for photographers; owned equipment, rental equipment, liability, and office equipment. The coverage is world-wide and includes travel insurance on equipment. I'm much more comfortable with this policy than with an endorsement on my homeowner's policy. I'm not a pro but have some gear that is expensive.


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## preppyak (Aug 13, 2012)

zedarean said:


> I've been wondering about this myself, is it possible to insure my gear if I'm not a homeowner?


I'm not a home-owner either, no problems getting the insurance. As another user mentioned, it might be why my rate was a little higher, but, it could also be that I'm in a big city and my gear is a higher risk of being stolen


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## cayenne (Aug 14, 2012)

Drizzt321 said:


> The other big thing the photo insurance will do is also give you liability coverage, not just overage for equipment. So if someone falls on your set or something, you're covered. Likewise, if something happens and you lose all the photos for someone's wedding, or something like that, you can be covered for that. Take a look at some of the photography professional organizations, they generally have some deals with various insurance companies for a discount if you're a member.



As a noob...what would be dome good photography organizations for me to join....as suggested above?

Thanks,
C


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## Aronek (Sep 3, 2012)

Would definitely read the fine print... it's not like you can start being careless just because you got the insurance. I don't know if it is really necessary, if you keep everything on you all the time... depends on where you are going to in Europe aswell....


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## RLPhoto (Sep 3, 2012)

I Use Hill & Usher. Good company.


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## canon816 (Sep 3, 2012)

neuroanatomist said:


> I have State Farm personal articles policy, $7.60 per year per $1000 coverage (apparently less than half the cost of '_save money in 15 minutes or less with Geico_'  ), no deductible, full replacement, worldwide coverage for loss/damage/theft/etc.
> 
> With any of these 'personal' options (which explicitly state that the gear is not used to make money, and the policies are much cheaper than business policies), you have to be careful submitting claims. Generally, these policies are linked to your homeowner's/renter's policy, and claims are reported to the CLUE database which tracks such things. That database is used to determine rates and eligibility for homeowner's coverage, i.e. too many claims and your home insurance rates go up or your policy may be dropped (yes, they can do that!).



+1 I use state farm as well with a personal articles policy. No deductable. no questions asked. Full replacement value coverage. (i.e. I have a 300mm f2.8 IS lens that I bought for $4500 several years ago. The replacement for this is now the Version II so I was able to increase my coverage to $7200 on this lens so that if anything happens to it I would get new replacement lens)


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## onedelorean (Apr 11, 2014)

I know you guys probably already know of this company, but I just just bought some new lenses and wanted to get proper insurance. I found Film Emporium online and they where most helpful. Might be worth looking into. They have lots of good information on their website. 

www.FilmEmporium.com


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## johninsanantonio (Apr 13, 2014)

Different Insurance companies may call it different names but it's a valuable personal property insurance. BTW State Farm sucks. If your a vet or a government employee or a military dependent then your best option is USAA. My wive is an insurance agent at USAA and no other company can come close to the services or prices they offer. If your going overseas then you will need a international policy which I hate to break it to you but State Farm doesn't offer that. USAA does. If you can't get a USAA membership then you will have to go to progressive, liberty mutual, or American colectors. They are alliance companies of USAA that do international policies. When it comes to Insurance questions my wife is one of the best in her field. Not to sound Biased.


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## sagittariansrock (Apr 13, 2014)

preppyak said:


> zedarean said:
> 
> 
> > I've been wondering about this myself, is it possible to insure my gear if I'm not a homeowner?
> ...



Would you mind sharing what insurance company you use?
I don't mind paying a bit higher, but I am not a home-owner and I have no reason to get renter's either.
However, neither State Farm not Geico offers personal items (or photography gear) insurance without either home-owner's or renter's insurance.
I know there is stand-alone insurance for photography gear in the UK, is there something similar in the US (for non-pros, that is)?


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## nonac (Apr 13, 2014)

Within the last 2 months I insured my gear here in the US through Hill and Usher. They can develop a policy specific to your needs. I basically started off with equipment coverage (no liability) as I do no work for hire so I don't have the need at this time for liability. I am covered worldwide for loss, damage, breakage. I scheduled approximately $15,000 in equipment including post processing equipment. I have a $500 deductible and my annual premium is $287. I am also covered for up to $10,000 in rented or borrowed(CPS) equipment.


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## scottkinfw (Apr 13, 2014)

Talk to your agent and add it on to your homeowner's and car insurance for best discount. They will have you list everything, including prices and serial numbers. Be sure to get a rider that provides for replacement not pro rata payout for loss/theft/damage, etc.

sek


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## nonac (Apr 13, 2014)

scottkinfw said:


> Talk to your agent and add it on to your homeowner's and car insurance for best discount. They will have you list everything, including prices and serial numbers. Be sure to get a rider that provides for replacement not pro rata payout for loss/theft/damage, etc.
> 
> sek



I checked with my agent for my car/housing insurance first. The cost of the policy was about the same; however, it did not cover accidental breakage which is important to me. Make sure you review the details of the policy carefully.


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## Northstar (Apr 13, 2014)

fyi....just paid State Farm bill for gear insurance two days ago...$187 annually, no deduct, $15k of gear. 

covers lost, stolen, damaged..etc.


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## miah (Apr 14, 2014)

You should be able to buy a State Farm Personal Articles Policy as a stand-alone, with no connection to homeowner's or renter's policies. Mine covers 17K with no deductible for $176 annually.


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## sagittariansrock (Apr 14, 2014)

miah said:


> You should be able to buy a State Farm Personal Articles Policy as a stand-alone, with no connection to homeowner's or renter's policies. Mine covers 17K with no deductible for $176 annually.



Unfortunately, none of the State farm agents in Houston agreed to a stand-alone policy. I think it differs by location and the agent involved.


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## Valvebounce (Apr 14, 2014)

Hi Folks.
State Farm seem a bit random with pricing, 15k cover for $187 vs 17k for $176.
I know that kind of difference could be down to risk, recent claims, local taxes? and perhaps other factors but it seems a large difference taking in to account 2k extra cover, and I now know insurance companies are thieves. 
Based on an online quote for the same cover with the same company as I was already using without any new customer discount the quote reduced by 40% or thereabouts on car insurance, just to clarify I was insured with company x, did an online quote for the same car with company x, using all the info from current policy, I could have saved 40%! 
Asked them why got a load of nonsense reply and MOVED insurer, saved 50% in all.
Keep on top of insurers people, they will fleece you!

Cheers Graham.


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## neuroanatomist (Apr 14, 2014)

sagittariansrock said:


> Unfortunately, none of the State farm agents in Houston agreed to a stand-alone policy. I think it differs by location and the agent involved.



Do you have a homeowners/renters policy with them? I'm pretty sure that's the only way they'll write a Personal Articles policy. It's the same policy that covers jewelry, fine art, etc., above the basic limits on the primary policy, so if you have home/rental coverage with them, and the agent still won't write a PA policy, I'd get a new agent or call State Farm directly.


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## Northstar (Apr 14, 2014)

neuroanatomist said:


> sagittariansrock said:
> 
> 
> > Unfortunately, none of the State farm agents in Houston agreed to a stand-alone policy. I think it differs by location and the agent involved.
> ...



+1

Also....I would add that a $180 annual policy for personal articles insurance isn't the type of business that a ST Farm rep would want to take. Too much risk, too little reward for the agent. IMO


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## sagittariansrock (Apr 14, 2014)

neuroanatomist said:


> sagittariansrock said:
> 
> 
> > Unfortunately, none of the State farm agents in Houston agreed to a stand-alone policy. I think it differs by location and the agent involved.
> ...



You are right, they will write a personal articles policy WITH a renter's/homeowners policy. However, they didn't agree to a stand-alone PA policy as miah mentioned in his post. I have heard State Farm agents do so elsewhere, but not in Houston.
I don't need a renter's since I live in a high-security apartment for doctors and scientists with police surveillance and close-circuit cameras, so I am trying to get an insurance just for the photography equipment against accidental damage and security away from home, as is available in the UK (for non-professionals). I guess I might end up getting a renter's after all, but I would like to see if there are any options.


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## sagittariansrock (Apr 14, 2014)

Northstar said:


> neuroanatomist said:
> 
> 
> > sagittariansrock said:
> ...



+1. I agree, especially in a high-crime city like Houston.


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## neuroanatomist (Apr 14, 2014)

Valvebounce said:


> State Farm seem a bit random with pricing, 15k cover for $187 vs 17k for $176



Clearly, because I'm paying $7.60 per $1K coverage, a much lower rate than either of the above.


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## Northstar (Apr 14, 2014)

neuroanatomist said:


> Valvebounce said:
> 
> 
> > State Farm seem a bit random with pricing, 15k cover for $187 vs 17k for $176
> ...



An agent might give a nice camera gear discount because he's also insuring a mansion and two Mercedes for the client :


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## neuroanatomist (Apr 14, 2014)

Northstar said:


> An agent might give a nice camera gear discount because he's also insuring a mansion and two Mercedes for the client :



Actually, I don't have an agent (nor a mansion or even one Mercedes). We have State Farm only because we 'brought it with us' when we moved from California. Because of the insurance regulations in MA, State Farm does not write policies for new customers in the state. So, there are no agents here, only a Policy Service Office (one for the whole state). 

Perhaps I'm getting the official rate, and some agents elsewhere are sticking it to their customers?


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## Northstar (Apr 14, 2014)

neuroanatomist said:


> Northstar said:
> 
> 
> > An agent might give a nice camera gear discount because he's also insuring a mansion and two Mercedes for the client :
> ...



I wonder if the difference between ours is partly attributed to the fact that no agent is receiving a commission? 

Either way, it's a bargain.


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## nonac (Apr 14, 2014)

sagittariansrock said:


> neuroanatomist said:
> 
> 
> > sagittariansrock said:
> ...



Theft is not the only reason to have renter's insurance. What if the place burns down, gas line explosion, water pipe breaks and floods your living area.......... All the security won't stop things like that from destroying your property. Renter's insurance is cheap, you need to get a policy.


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## miah (Apr 14, 2014)

Neuro's getting a bit better rate, I'm paying $10.35/1000, but I'm amazed that they write these policies at all. My gear is outside, in the weather and susceptible to spill, hanging on my motorcycle in unlocked panniers, in third-world nations, at night, often unattended. It's like a checklist of risk. Yet in many years of traveling I've only had to lodge one claim for a theft that occurred in Bolivia--so maybe the insurance companies are smarter than I think? State Farm replaced everything, Fed Ex'ed it to my home in the U.S., no deductible, no questions asked--in spite of not having what anyone might consider a serious police report. Amazing. And well worth $10.35/1000.


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## sagittariansrock (Apr 15, 2014)

nonac said:


> Theft is not the only reason to have renter's insurance. What if the place burns down, gas line explosion, water pipe breaks and floods your living area.......... All the security won't stop things like that from destroying your property. Renter's insurance is cheap, you need to get a policy.



That's sound advice. I am sitting on a quote, I guess I need to get off my ass and approve it.


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## dlleno (Apr 15, 2014)

neuroanatomist said:


> Valvebounce said:
> 
> 
> > State Farm seem a bit random with pricing, 15k cover for $187 vs 17k for $176
> ...



yea this is fantastic. state farm locally will schedule equipment for about $9/1000 per year with full replacement. And that includes mysterious disappearance. I'm paying about the same as you are through "auto owners" but they are ticking me off with their pro-rated (not full replacement) policy. They cover 75% of the current replacement value, which means you are always chasing a moving target in terms of how much insurance to buy. 

For business purpose the local state farm dude would write a standalone policy for $35/1000 per year, which includes $1M liability. 

for those of us who are semi-pro, and use equipment for both personal and business purposes, the only gotcha for the homeowners schedule route might depend on the policy -- if the loss occurred while conducting business there would be no coverage, to be sure, and some policies may not even allow mixed usage.


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## preppyak (Apr 15, 2014)

neuroanatomist said:


> Do you have a homeowners/renters policy with them? I'm pretty sure that's the only way they'll write a Personal Articles policy.


Nope, I have a personal articles policy with State Farm as a standalone thing in DC. My auto and renters insurance are through progressive.

Because Im in northern VA, the rate is like $12-13/$1k with a min premium of $25. But, it doesnt require me to attach it to other policies. Even nicer, I didnt have to have my items appraised, I sent them the retail value of them and they'll replace them at that price (with inflation calculated in each year).


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## 7enderbender (Apr 15, 2014)

As a Massachusetts resident I envy everyone here who has access to State Farm. I have not been able to find ANY reasonably priced camera insurance here. Insurance companies simply refuse to do business in this over-regulated state. 
And adding stuff to my home owners insurance is not really an option. I have very very few options for that as well here (close to the ocean on top of everything else) so risking my policy with a camera claim is not an option. 

What's weird is that at least I'm able to insure my musical instruments against pretty much anything you can imagine for dirt cheap. Company from New York does that. But haven't been able to find any camera gear insurance.


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## BenKing (Apr 16, 2014)

I have mine through USAA. I don't recall exactly how much I pay for it, but I know it's not a ton (actually it's cheap enough that I don't think about it). I also have our renter's & auto insurance through them as well, and we've been pleased with the service/pricing.


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## Richard8971 (Apr 16, 2014)

I live in Arizona and I have had SF insurance on my camera equipment for the past 3 years. I have had to use it a couple of times and they have always taken care of me. I think I pay about $130-140ish a year for me and my wife's equipment. (Approx 12-13K) I would recommend it to anyone.

D


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## WPJ (Apr 16, 2014)

neuroanatomist said:


> I have State Farm personal articles policy, $7.60 per year per $1000 coverage (apparently less than half the cost of '_save money in 15 minutes or less with Geico_'  ), no deductible, full replacement, worldwide coverage for loss/damage/theft/etc.
> 
> With any of these 'personal' options (which explicitly state that the gear is not used to make money, and the policies are much cheaper than business policies), you have to be careful submitting claims. Generally, these policies are linked to your homeowner's/renter's policy, and claims are reported to the CLUE database which tracks such things. That database is used to determine rates and eligibility for homeowner's coverage, i.e. too many claims and your home insurance rates go up or your policy may be dropped (yes, they can do that!).



yes my sister lim law had there insurance company drop them because they had two claims in 5 years. Now for the next 5 years they are considered a high risk client and have to pay about 3-4 times in insurance so in the end after the two claims and now habit to go to a high risk insurance company they will not be coming out ahead it would have been cheaper to paid for the minor damage to there house which was in total under 6000$ now they will be be going from 800/year to 3000 a year so that's 15000 in 5 years instead of 4000 they normally paid add the damage 6000 and you can do the math they will be 5k in the whole. Additionally once the contractor knew it was insurance quote in sure the prices went up as well.


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## Greatland (Apr 17, 2014)

Since this thread was posted I have taken the time to look into some insurance, and some from the providers that some of you have mentioned on this thread, and have found that it is a major challenge to find something affordable that can cover more than, say, $10K in equipment. My homeowners policy rider, in the amount to cover my equipment, would be nearly $2,000 per year but would not cover more than $10K in losses or damage outside of my home, which is where I would need the insurance coverage the most....I checked with Hiscox and their insurance would only cover up to $10K...anyone out there got anything that would cover, say $50K worth of equipment at a cost say $1,000 per year instead of $2,000...???


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## mackguyver (Apr 17, 2014)

Greatland said:


> Since this thread was posted I have taken the time to look into some insurance, and some from the providers that some of you have mentioned on this thread, and have found that it is a major challenge to find something affordable that can cover more than, say, $10K in equipment. My homeowners policy rider, in the amount to cover my equipment, would be nearly $2,000 per year but would not cover more than $10K in losses or damage outside of my home, which is where I would need the insurance coverage the most....I checked with Hiscox and their insurance would only cover up to $10K...anyone out there got anything that would cover, say $50K worth of equipment at a cost say $1,000 per year instead of $2,000...???


I you join the North American Nature Photographers Association (NANPA), you can sign up for insurance through Rand/Chubb. My one claim experience was very positive and it is true commercial photography insurance so there's no need to worry about affecting your homeowner's policy or having a claim rejected due to "commercial use" or anything like that. It's $0.0245 per dollar of insurance (you determine the full replacement value) so $10k of insurance would be $245 a year + $100 annual NANPA membership fee - $345. I have well over $10k worth of gear insured and I'm sure George Lepp and others (who use their insurance) do as well. NANPA's pretty cool, too, so the $100 isn't a waste at all.


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## nonac (Apr 17, 2014)

mackguyver said:


> Greatland said:
> 
> 
> > Since this thread was posted I have taken the time to look into some insurance, and some from the providers that some of you have mentioned on this thread, and have found that it is a major challenge to find something affordable that can cover more than, say, $10K in equipment. My homeowners policy rider, in the amount to cover my equipment, would be nearly $2,000 per year but would not cover more than $10K in losses or damage outside of my home, which is where I would need the insurance coverage the most....I checked with Hiscox and their insurance would only cover up to $10K...anyone out there got anything that would cover, say $50K worth of equipment at a cost say $1,000 per year instead of $2,000...???
> ...



Get a quote from Hill and Usher.


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## mackguyver (Apr 18, 2014)

nonac said:


> mackguyver said:
> 
> 
> > Greatland said:
> ...


I did many years ago, but Rand has recently raised there rates a little. Are you saying H&U is cheaper?


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## Surfwooder (Apr 18, 2014)

I would look at Worth Ave Group, for insuring electronic, and camera gear. You don't buy the insurance by the gear, but by a value. I took out a policy for $20,000 worth of gear, and equipment. It not also includes all my cameras, lenses but also laptops, smart TV, cell phones. To make a claim you must prove ownership by receipt from where you purchased the equipment. The policy includes all types of losses, from dropping, water, thieft, (police report required) Keep in mind any insurance connected to your homeowners policy will count as a claim against your homeowners, and could raise your over all rate.


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## nonac (Apr 18, 2014)

[/quote]
I did many years ago, but Rand has recently raised there rates a little. Are you saying H&U is cheaper?
[/quote]

It may be cheaper. I just scheduled about $14k with them and also added $10k for rental/loaner gear and my premium is $287. Replacement value and worldwide coverage. It sure doesn't hurt to shop around every couple of years because some companies will try to sneak the rates up on you hoping you won't notice.


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## Vivid Color (Apr 18, 2014)

Thank you for providing such helpful information. Currently my gear is insured through my homeowners policy, but I want to get a separate policy and one that will still cover me if I wish to sell any of my photos. Your information has saved me a lot of research time.


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## RGF (Apr 18, 2014)

Helpful to get link 

Thanks


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## mackguyver (Apr 18, 2014)

nonac said:


> It may be cheaper. I just scheduled about $14k with them and also added $10k for rental/loaner gear and my premium is $287. Replacement value and worldwide coverage. It sure doesn't hurt to shop around every couple of years because some companies will try to sneak the rates up on you hoping you won't notice.


That does sound a little cheaper assuming they charge the same rate for rental gear coverage as they do for owned gear. The NANPA/Rand rates were the same for something like 10+ years and they just raised them slightly a year or two ago via a nice, formal letter explaining the increase. I wish my auto/homeowners would have that courtesy. As a Floridian, the insurance here (despite no hurricanes in a decade) goes up 10-50% every year, but that's another subject entirely


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## johninsanantonio (Apr 21, 2014)

I see a lot of discussion about different options. Something to consider is if your insurance company charges any type of deductible. USAA doesn't charge a deductible. The reason why State Farm insurance is not consistent is because their agents work on commission where as USAA does not. Any agency that works on commission is likely to throw in additional charges based on the individual who is writing that policy. The same VPP that I have for my camera equipment and camcorder also covers my firearms and my grandmother's fine china.


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## tpatana (Jun 24, 2014)

Strange, just contacted a State Farm agent here (WA), and she said I'm not eligible for their insurance unless 80% of my photo work is at a (my) studio.

She gave me info for another insurance company which might be able to help.


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## ScubaX (Jun 24, 2014)

tpatana said:


> Strange, just contacted a State Farm agent here (WA), and she said I'm not eligible for their insurance unless 80% of my photo work is at a (my) studio.
> 
> She gave me info for another insurance company which might be able to help.



Maybe try a new agent? I use to have a personal articles policy with State Farm for my underwater housing and video camera. Only eligible if 80% of my use was underwater ;D


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## tpatana (Jun 25, 2014)

ScubaX said:


> tpatana said:
> 
> 
> > Strange, just contacted a State Farm agent here (WA), and she said I'm not eligible for their insurance unless 80% of my photo work is at a (my) studio.
> ...



Found out what the problem was, if you make any money with your gear, it's whole new level.


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## ScubaX (Jun 25, 2014)

tpatana said:


> ScubaX said:
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> 
> > tpatana said:
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Greedy B****rds! I wonder what would happen if I was insured with them and then sold that underwater video? I did sell them to my fellow divers but not at a profit, just cost. What if you took an amazing photo, that someone wanted and you sold it to them and at the same time lost your gear? I do get to sell them, so that makes me wonder if they would actually pay on a loss?


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## neuroanatomist (Jun 25, 2014)

ScubaX said:


> tpatana said:
> 
> 
> > ScubaX said:
> ...



You may find the answers to those questions and others in the policy from State Farm. It's always a good idea to read over your policy, if for no other reason than to make sure you understood everything your agent said, and if they said everything you need to know. The time to do that is NOW...before you find your claim being denied because of some clause in a policy which you didn't read.


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## mackguyver (Jun 25, 2014)

neuroanatomist said:


> ScubaX said:
> 
> 
> > tpatana said:
> ...


A good idea for every insurance policy  I have _commercial _ photography insurance through NANPA / Rand (I think I posted that earlier in this thread) and the only somewhat unusual exclusion in the policy is that they don't cover gear that's attached to a motorized device (i.e. drones, remote control vehicles). No big deal for me, but I would never have expected that to be in there had I not read it.


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