Insurance for UW photo gear?

[diverrex]

I also use a rider on my Homeowners policy. It's with State Farm. I've never had to use it, but have friends that have with zero issues.

All my main dive gear is insured as well as about 15k in camera gear (topside as well as UW). I think my annual is about $150. IMO this is the BEST alternative with zero deductible, and zero exemptions. Not sure what reasons you would not consider it.

DAN and DEPP both have some drawbacks, but it's been a while since I looked. I know one does not cover gear that is lost. There is also a deductible, and I think it was more expensive vs. my homeowners rider.

I'm looking into the State Farm option right now. DAN has a high deductible ($250) for flooding, and DAN also does not pay for loss of gear "in your care and control", specifically gear dropped into the deep that you can't recover, or gear swept overboard. There have been times I've handed my gear to a boat hand, climbed aboard, got out my BC, then looked for where they put my camera. While I've always found it, I want to be protected for the one time they say "well it was right here, I don't know what happened to it", and I'm not expecting a charter, particularly in a foreign country, ever to be willing to reimburse for it.

 

[tarnis]

Just starting to look into this again after some issues with my wife's DEPP policy the last flood. They offered either a referbished replacement D100, or to let her upgrade to a D200 or D300for the difference in cost(D300 costed more then we insured) and I had no problems with that.

However they would only send the D100 housing back to Ikelite for service and wouldn't cover its replacement with the updated model.

How's DAN about that sort of thing?

 

[danclem]

Hi All:

If you compare costs and coverages, the least expensive and broadest coverage will be available from your "reputable" home owner carrier on a scheduled articles type of form. In the US DAN and DEPP were 20% to 30% higher last time I checked (two years ago).

State Farm is great to work with, and it looks like AllState and Farmers are also good. Covers drops, lost overboard, TSA agents who abuse equipment, etc. The down side is that claims are tracked and reported in an attempt to reduce fraud. My understanding is that this is not done with DAN or DEPP.

Hope this helps,

Dan

 

[alcina]

However they would only send the D100 housing back to Ikelite for service and wouldn't cover its replacement with the updated model.

This is clearly stated in DEPP's policy, so should not have been a surprise to you. The policy is to cover damage and loss, not to allow upgrades

I had the same thing with a video camera and decided to save my hard earned cash and just buy the older model video camera (DEPP covered) for the existing housing - after all, it was working just fine before the boo-boo

I agree it is another something to look at when looking at a policy as it may be an issue in some circumstances.

DEPP will cover both items together if both are damaged beyond reasonable repair...say you drop your housing after a flood and it breaks off some vital bit that can't be put back on etc or if the whole rig glugs to the bottom of a 400m trench. Then you would be able to simply replace the entire unit to your insured value (or add the extra to upgrade).

It's very important to insure your gear for the proper value - don't insure on a "deal" price as it might not be available when you need it and then you would be out of pocket.

 

[tarnis]

Yes, but the camera was damaged beyond repair...it was a new camera, it wasn't being repaired or replaced with a new camera as a new camera wasn't available so it was either take a chance on a refurbished camera which wasn't being refurbished by nikon or upgrading to a newer model of the same camera which seemed the better option.

We weren't trying to get new synch chords and strobes or anything...just replace the flooded parts which included the camera AND the housing. the fact that we had to supply the extra $200 is perfectly fair, the camera wasn't insured for the full amount of the D300 which is the replacement available for the D100. It's the fact that they wouldn't do anything about the flooded housing other then replace it when a new camera for it was unavailable.

 

[alcina]

I understand your frustration, but it's still clearly stated in the policy so you can't really get too upset at the company, imho. As it was an Ike housing, it's pretty hard to kill it so - as I understand your post - DEPP did repair (or offered to repair) the flood damage to the original housing because it was economical to do so and then that housing would have been good to go.

I just don't know of any insurance company that will let you replace an intact, undamaged (assuming it could be repaired) housing with a new one for the newer model camera. Insurance isn't meant to take into account obsolescence (which sounds like what happened when you couldn't find a "new" D100). When I flooded the video camera I talked about earlier, a new one of the same model wasn't available either...I found a used one and had them buy that so I didn't have to fork out for a new housing for some new replacement model that would have been covered by the policy. It sure would have been nice to have a brand new camera AND a new housing to go with it, but the housing was repairable and under the policy terms, that's what I had to go with.

You might want to check for the policies that offer cash value instead of item repair/replacement. I'm not sure that those companies would offer a cash value other than a repair, though? Be interesting to hear if someone has such a policy and has had to make a claim like yours - did they get paid out for a new housing, or just for the repair of the housing? Anyone?

Thanks for bringing this up as it's an important aspect to consider and probably gets overlooked quite often.

 

[ScubaSteve]

......Thanks for bringing this up as it's an important aspect to consider and probably gets overlooked quite often.

I can honestly say that I am very glad this was brought up. I am still looking at how I want to insure my camera equipment but I never would have thought about this. I would have gone into it thinking that if it got damaged, I would end up with a complete useable system at the end. This clearly shows that you can end up with a new camera with an old housing.

Thanks to all for bringing this to light. Now we know one more thing to ask.

 

[jcscuba]

They have charged my card for $309 dollars which I did not authorize, taking some time off diving, I've called and written 4 times with no response to get my cc card reversed. Any feedback? I leave a message at their answering service, the assure they will get back to me in 24 hrs. Well it's been two weeks and NADA

 

[ScubaSteve]

I cannot answer your question pertaining to DEPP being in business or not but I would suggest you contact your credit card company and have them reverse the charges or open a dispute at least.

 

[fisheyeview]

We have had our dive gear, and phot equipment insured on a Personal Articles Rider to our homeowners for years. We have State Farm. When ever we add new items, or get rid of old items, I just email the changes to our agent and they update our policy. The cost is very reasonable, and we have never had a problem.

I lost my 1st MMII. It was totally my fault, and they paid for a complete replacement within a week.