Camera gear insurance

[venchka]

Originally Posted by Casey G

is that $1.40 per $100 a year or month? i've never thought about this before, but ya'll have me thinking.

Sorry. That's per year. And I think the real number is closer to $1.30/$100/year. I would rather overstate and then y'all would be be happy when it came in cheaper.

I use the prices at B&H for anything still in production and the KEH EX prices for anything not in production.

[venchka]

Originally Posted by Wes

...

Wayne - I'd love to talk to your agent. My agent said that there's no way that they could write me a policy like the one you described. Seriously - can you PM me the office name and phone number?

Jane Bigony Ins. Agency in Longview
903-297-3483

Tammy takes care of my policies. The photo gear is included on a personal articles rider on top of my Homeowners Insurance Policy along with the oritental carpets & Lisa's stuff. We've had that rider since forever. I added my photo stuff to it after we moved to Texas.

[Wes]

Thanks for the info, Wayne! Does Tammy know that you use your stuff professionally?

[Casey G]

Thanks for a great thread!

I just got off the phone with my Allstate agent and they are adding all of my camera gear to an all risk no deductable policy off my homeowners policy. The price is $120 a year for about $8000 worth of equipment. All I have to do is give them a detailed list with serial and model numbers. A current value which I will get by printing a page for each piece off B&H’s website. They would also like a photograph of each piece of equipment.

[venchka]

Originally Posted by Wes

Thanks for the info, Wayne! Does Tammy know that you use your stuff professionally?

But I don't. Nope. Not me. The wedding that I was supposed to shoot next year was a non-paying family gig. The bride changed the date so many times that I won't be able to do that.

I Client From Hell turned me away from the Dark Side ages ago. My photography is strictly for my personal pleasure. Heck, Mrs. Wayne rarely lets me hang anything at home.

[venchka]

BTW, this is like the 3rd or 4th time this has come up here. Search for insurance and my user name or johnastovall.

[KenJulio]

From what I have been reading on threads on dpreview as well as here, is that if you have sold 1 photo, the insurance company considers you as a business/commercial account. You dont need to have a dba for this consideration. Also, coverage from what I can tell is slightly different from commercial to personal as if it's personal, there is no liability coverage along with less coverage of equipment.

The cost diff is significant, I've had quotes as high as 600 and change for a year to as low as 400/year. I havent pulled the trigger yet, as I'm still shopping around and reviewing any posted claims by photographers.

[KenJulio]

Originally Posted by venchka

BTW, this is like the 3rd or 4th time this has come up here. Search for insurance and my user name or johnastovall.

It's a lot less than, which lens or camera to buy?

[venchka]

Aye!

And another thing: State Farm puts a cap of $15,000 on the list at the low rate. You can insure more stuff, but the rate goes up.

The real bummer: I tried to add my bicycle to the personal property list. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!! Bicycles are specifically excluded. Jewels. Cameras. Persian carpets. Crystal. Silver. OK! Bicycles? Nyet!

[KenJulio]

I presume the bike is excluded due to it being used as transportation and the lack of bicycle racks to lock up to. And living in texas, the drivers not giving enough room on the road.

Anyways, back on topic. I know as a NAPP member, there is access to an insurance firm in Phoenix in which they contacted me this morning after an email inquiry i had sent last night.

[Carl Stone]

Originally Posted by ken74

I presume the bike is excluded due to it being used as transportation and the lack of bicycle racks to lock up to. And living in texas, the drivers not giving enough room on the road.

Anyways, back on topic. I know as a NAPP member, there is access to an insurance firm in Phoenix in which they contacted me this morning after an email inquiry i had sent last night.

Since I'm in the greater Phoenix area (Mesa), I'd like to have the contact info for that firm. I do have some coverage through an Allstate homeowners rider, but I'm not sure that better coverage isn't available elsewhere.

[venchka]

Originally Posted by Wes

Here are a few thoughts...

* If you cover your gear under your Home Owners, will it be covered if it gets damaged/stolen while you are on the road? I've read a bunch of threads that suggest that it might not.

When I was getting all of my ducks in a row, I asked about "all risk." It means just that. ALL RISK! Home. Away. Far away. WAY far away. Backpacking. Bicycle touring. IRONY: Cameras covered. Bicycle not covered. Canoe triping. Sitting at home. Sitting in the car on the side of the road on the backside of nowhere. Covered. I asked about Canada & Alaska and cruise ships. Covered. I didn't ask about Mexico.

[rwzeitgeist]

Originally Posted by venchka

When I was getting all of my ducks in a row, I asked about "all risk." It means just that. ALL RISK! Home. Away. Far away. WAY far away. ... I asked about Canada & Alaska and cruise ships. Covered. I didn't ask about Mexico.

The damage to one of my lenses happened in Antarctica. State Farm knew of that trip when I purchased the policy, and as part of the claim they paid I told them the site of the incident. Yup, a long, long way away.

Bob

[Wes]

Originally Posted by venchka

But I don't. Nope. Not me. The wedding that I was supposed to shoot next year was a non-paying family gig. The bride changed the date so many times that I won't be able to do that.

I Client From Hell turned me away from the Dark Side ages ago. My photography is strictly for my personal pleasure. Heck, Mrs. Wayne rarely lets me hang anything at home.

That explains the difference between what State Farm told you and what they told me. Since I DO make money with my photography I had to be straight up with them and let them know. Don't want to get nailed for insurance fraud. Heck, Mrs. Wes would never stand for me spending the kind of money that I do if it were not able to pay for itself.

[venchka]

There you go. And it's deductable. As I recall, the price nearly doubles. Dumb. I can and do take my stuff places I would never go if I were shooting for clients.