insurance

[Wayne]

How do you insure your equipement when travelling. I'm heading out on a month long trip now and another couple month trip later. I'll be bringing not only 3-4 K (replacement value) of photo gear but another couple G in computers and musical instruments. My agent offered me only that I could drop the deductible on my house policy to $500 and then I would be covered. This would cost a considerable amount, nearly doubling my premium, but it appears to be my only option. I have yet to ask him if I can do this only during periods I am travelling, which would make it more reasonable. Right now I would eat the whole thing if anything happened because I have a $5000 deductible and it only covers depreciated value of personal belongings. Any other ideas to cover $5-6000 worth of stuff for its replacement value? I'm going to be camping most of the time.

[jwaddison]

Don't know, but I'm also interested in any replies. My insurance agent told me the same as yours told you.

[vinny]

I have a separate zero deductible photo equip. policy that's based on the amount of $ you have your gear insured for. I pay a percentage based on using the gear as a "amatuer" only. It's a higher % for pro use. My agent keeps a list of gear and serial numbers. The policy is cheap and covers loss/and or damage of any kind.

[Wayne]

What company do you use Vinny? Maybe I need to farm this out to a different agent

[Wayne]

Found out Allstate offers a personal belongings floater to a home policy that is just what I'm looking for. Unfortunately my policy is with Farmers, and they dont offer one. Might be time to shop around for a new home policy, because this is ridiculous. My Farmers agent said I could pay just for the time its being used, but it would still end up being 3x as expensive as the floater if I use it more than 4-6 weeks.

[eddie]

i have renters insurance....maybe home owners is the same. anyway i am covered up to 15K. costs me 125/year. i checked on my camera gear and climbing gear. both are covered without a rider. keep your receipts or be able to show the replacement value.

i had to make a claim several years ago for an overseas loss....no problem. i provided the receipts they paid....and very fast. it was a wonderful experience (to replace my stuff that is).

good luck.

eddie

[Don Boyd]

Last October I lost all of my brand new digital SLR equipment and 4 lenses when the raft they were on flipped on the Colorado river and were damaged beyond repair (the only flip we had among 4 boats in 24 days). My policy with Allstate reimbursed me for 100% of everything I lost (over $5K). The policy requires that I list all equipment individually with serial numbers and that new items get on the list within 15 or 30 days of purchase. Allstate was great to work with and once I turned in the paper work I had a check within a week. (Footnote: the camera gear was in a "waterproof camera bag" by a well-known manufacturer, but the bag failed.)

[eddie]

good to hear you got your money don.

when i travel in a small boat i use a 5 gallon pal type enclosure for my cameras....it floats too.....

[Turner Reich]

I've got some old stuff that I don't need, can you tell me what the number of that raft was?

[claudiocambon]

I've got some old stuff that I don't need, can you tell me what the number of that raft was?

VS Naipaul in 'The Mystic Masseur' uses the word for that process in Trinidad for housing:insurandburn." So here it should be 'insurandunk' or something!

It is not unheard of for photographers to gang up the losses below the deductible, the light meter lost here, and the stand left there, and then declare them as lost the next time something goes missing that puts them over the deductible.