Gear Insurance

[LewisCanon]

Im in the UK and im looking at getting some insurance for my gear now that im spending alot more on lenses...

Who in the uk has gear insurance and who did you use?

Thanks!

[Dirt_Bike_Ryda]

Food for the brain...

Are you going to be making an income from your gear ? i got a quote to insure my gear, and because i told them i would be using it as a source of income it had to be classed as *tools for your trade* insurance, therefore pretty much quadrupling the cost. I didn't really get a quote for if i wasn't earning from it (mainly cause i actually would be, and if i needed to make a clain they may not award it anyway), so i can't compare it, but the lady said tools for your trade is often like 4 times the cost

[candidrachel]

My photography equipment is covered by our house insurance. We use Directline. If you do a quick google search on Photography Insurance and get some free quotes you should be able to find something decent. I've heard AXA is good and reasonable too.

[LewisCanon]

i earn a bit from it.... probably enough that the insurance company wouldnt pay out.... i found one company which seems decent and they cover me EU Uk, and 30days worldwide...
however all they want to know is the total value of my equipment? is that normal?

Photographer insurance from Photoguard - Photographer insurance from Photoguard is the site... looks fairly decent, covers me for public liability etc etc too....

even if its covered on house insurance its often a very limited type of cover for stuff like that isnt it? for example... if i accidently drop a lens, the photogs insurance would pay out, i dont think house insurance would.

[Dirt_Bike_Ryda]

Originally Posted by LewisCanon

however all they want to know is the total value of my equipment? is that normal

That'd be so they know how much to cover you for, therfore how much to charge you. like when you insure a car

Originally Posted by LewisCanon

even if its covered on house insurance its often a very limited type of cover for stuff like that isnt it? for example... if i accidently drop a lens, the photogs insurance would pay out, i dont think house insurance would.

I assume they would only pay out if you could *prove* it was stolen, from your house...

[jdepould]

Homeowners/renters should cover accidental damage (assuming non-commercial use).

FWIW, my USA commercial policy runs $650/yr for a little under $15k in gear. Deductible is $500 non-theft and $1,500 theft. They have $1,000 and $2,000 theft policies as well, but I just went with the middle one. Worldwide coverage, theft from unattended vehicle, plus up to $25k in rental gear.

[dionv]

Be careful and read the fine print. In some areas or with some companies, your homeowners/tenants insurance will only cover loss/damage if the equipment is in the residence that the insurance covers.

Something that is regularly removed from the residence might be better served if covered with a rider on the home insurance, or its own separate insurance.

For example, when our truck was stolen a number of years ago, several items in the truck were not covered by our auto insurance, but had to go through our homeowners insurance (thus messing up two policies instead of one).

Our laptops frequently travel from home to office and back again. If anything happened to them in transit, we would get nothing. So, they now have riders on them (an extension to our home policy) to protect them wherever they are.

As with any insurance, it is a bit of a gamble. Can you afford to replace the lost/damaged equipment out of pocket? Or, will the right coverage provide you with peace of mind?