Insurance on hols

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Ross
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Sorry it's a bit of a mundane subject, but now I've got quite a bit of pricey gear I've realised it's impossible to get decent travel insurance in case it's damaged, lost or stolen, so I wondered what you all do, The personal possessions totals don't cover it, but they restrict it even more to pitiful valuables and single items limits that wouldn't cover oe body.
So I've upped by home contents as that seems the only thing, but my main concern was theft of the gear or perhaps if someone broke into your room or car they'd take even more by walking off with the bags/cases. The issue then was that it's not covered in a locked vehicle, or very little cover, and particularly in a hatchback/SUV/mid-size car for the family without a self-contained boot.
Sometimes you don't want every lens on you and tripod every time you leave the car, particularly if you're going to a shop/cafe/beach where sand or water may cause more damage if you never let go of it. If I go on a long walk, possibly overnight, I often don't want all that weight, certainly not every bit of gear, and if you're not based in the same room all holiday, say a fly-drive, there'll be days you move in with every possession in the car and you may stop off somewhere.

So any recommendations for a really good cover that doesn't cost hundreds as it's just for a few weeks holiday (even better if it includes pricey non-camera valuables like prescription glasses, GPS, expensive hiking boots etc). Thanks in advance
 
Eversure for me too, made a claim . They asked relevant questions obviously on how my camera got damaged. They then sent a case with courier to collect . Kept informed at all stages and camera returned even better than when I got it new. IE colour red corrected which i always struggled with. May not be the cheapest but I would recommend them
 
You have just made me check mine. Its very woolly on items over £500 home or abroad. Worrying.
 
I usually look for a policy which includes 'gadgets' and then select one with an adequate upper limit. Plus I normally take limited gear with me, no more than I can carry comfortably through the airport.
 
An unknown guru was heard to say that insurance is no substitute for a charmed life. He was right!

Insurance agents, control freaks, and sometimes common sense, suggest that insurance is the only sensible option - and indeed, as with your car, sometimes the law demands it.

But if it's not about your livelihood, maybe free up a bit, and lighten the worry load.
 
You’ll find that getting decent cover under your household insurance is the best value, dedicated camera insurance is rarely the best ‘deal’ unless you’re a pro.
Wise words for the real world Phil
 
... The issue then was that it's not covered in a locked vehicle, or very little cover, and particularly in a hatchback/SUV/mid-size car for the family without a self-contained boot....

I drive a Ford Galaxy, so don't have a separate boot - when I queried this with my household insurance they stated that it was not that gear had to be in a physical separate boot, but that it should not be in a place where someone looking in through the vehicle windows could see the gear - so in the 'boot' space, provided it was under the extendable 'cover', so was not visible, that was OK.
The impression was that on the back seat, with a coat thrown over it, for example, would NOT be OK, as it would still be obvious you had something there.

As usual with insurance, check the fine print!
 
Eversure. I made a claim, same as above. No problems.

I got a quote of them - it wasn't dreadful but the proof of ownership thing would be hard as I have so much second hand gear off here and grey imports where I cannot find the invoice.

I mainly shoot rural area's so I feel the risk of crime is less - but I always take some gear with me - and leave some behind so offset the risk of losing everything in one go.
 
You’ll find that getting decent cover under your household insurance is the best value, dedicated camera insurance is rarely the best ‘deal’ unless you’re a pro.
I found the opposite- Upping the valuables away from home to cover the camera gear worked out more expensive than Eversure.
 
Just my two bobs worth .. my wife and i had insurance through Churchill and we listed our camera gear down to the last nut and bolt and had it insured, photographed and serial numbered as part of our house contents insurance (not car insurance). It covered trips away on holidays (twice per year I think) and travel around the UK. We stopped up in the Black Mountains in Wales and hiked up the hill for a quick picnic. We weren't there long and we heard the car alarm. By the time we got back the car had been stripped via the smashed passenger window. They had climbed inside the car and opened the rear seat to get access to the boot. All our camera gear was stolen.). We called the cops of course and went about the process of both car insurance and house contents insurance for all that was damaged and stolen. The total camera gear replacement cost was £24000 ... I fought tooth and nail for it .. they tried to stop me every step of the way .. in the end they listened to a recording of me buying the insurance and for what cover I wanted (yes the bit when you call and they say "this may be recorded as part of quality and training purposes!!!) ... anyway ... they agreed to pay up .. (just make sure you are accurate in what you want, the places your equipment will be, how it will be stored and proof of purchase and serial numbers along with photos with you and the equipment). At first they wanted to replace the equipment .. I agreed as all I wanted was for the equipment that I had .. but then I started getting random bits of equipment that looked like they were used .. I got a Nikon D500 that had a photocopied booklet and no registration card and had fingerprints all over it. I kicked up a fuss and they investigated to find that the insurance company supplier was giving refurbished and grey imports !!!!!!!! I then said I had had enough and they could pay me out the total replacement costs .. £24000 later and all my gear is replaced ... the cost at the time was in the region of £120 extra per year on top of our house contents insurance. So I wouldn't hesitate to do the same again. But .. and here is the big BUT ... if I hadn't been specific on what i had, what I was doing, where I was going (eg. around the UK and holidays abroad etc), then I would have been screwed. Churchill tried every way possible to not pay or find reason to reduce payment. Make sure you say things like "new for old" as well and be clear about it ... I think I was very lucky indeed .. Just to give you an idea I lost a Nikon 600mm f4, Nikon 300mm f2.8, Nikon D7100, Nikon D500 and an assortment of other lenses, a Feisol tripod, Manfrotto tripod not to mention the carry bags and hard cases. So you can get insurance that covers you for all your gear quite cheaply on a contents insurance upgrade.
 
just a quick question, how does "new for old" when the old is no longer available.
 
in my case i had a D7100 that the insurance "providers" could not get new as they had been discontinued. In this instance the next model up was the one that they were getting for me ie. the D7200. As my D7100 had a Nikon battery grip attached along with the extra battery, this was also included for replacement. So the cost of a brand new D7200 and grip was given instead of the cost of the old D7100 ... Now the interesting thing was that I also had an old Nikon 600mm f5.6. which was fully listed in the insurance. They said that it wouldn't have mattered if it was the old 600mm or the new .. either one would be covered and replaced as long as I could prove ownership and type (serial number). But REMEMBER, I had stipulated new for old when I called for the insurance and it was agreed to ... I think this was a stumbling block for them, but it was all on tape for them to hear. Oh, FYI, the recordings that they make can be accessed as they are a recording of you .. so if you want to hear the initial sale or dispute what you were told then you can access these if needs be ... I was told this later by a Churchill employee .. so bare that in mind ..
Another thing came up when asking about my old 600mm new for old. I was told that I did not need proof of purchase for it as it was not reasonable to have a receipt after 10 years !!! But then I could show the insurance company serial numbers, photos of the lens along with photos of me and the lens together. So do your homework, keep records and copies of receipts, take photos of your kit and photos of your kit with you in the photo. Be clear and concise with what you want, where your going and how the kit is stored.
 
Talked to my insurance broker today. Our home contents insurance covers miscellaneous items for theft away from home up to £2000 *per item*, so a camera and lens would be treated as separate items.
 
From memory anything that was valued over a certain amount (eg. £2000), had to be listed individually and you HAD to be able to show proof of purchase, serial numbers and photos of the item (look in the very very small print in your contracts). Even so, I submitted every item in one list. That included things like the grips, extra batteries, filters and even the clip on level bubbles on my Manfrotto tripod. Also do a check of the total value yourself and you might be very surprised. The cost of a pair of carbon tripods and a pair of Wimberley mkII gimbals and your heading upwards of £2000 easily .. now throw in a couple of DSLR's and a couple of decent lenses (yeah a 600mm !!!)and you start to wonder ... what if this was all stolen? can I afford to replace everything?
But that is what "insurance" is for ... YOU just need to make sure that you can argue with the insurance company when they try and say no (which they will). I actually got asked by a Churchill employee as to why I would have a number of lenses and cameras with me and surely one would do ??? Does that give you an indication as to what they know or understand? We pay our money in good faith and expect that we a re covered .. but I think I was VERY lucky to fight and win my case .. I just dont want to see other people get the rough end of a pineapple when they have the insurance company say no when they should be saying yes.
 
oh, and proof of ownership does not count out grey imports either (well not in my case). Both my D500 and D7100 were not UK stock and were bought via Panamoz. The receipts of which I showed them. It's all quite meaningless (the grey imports) as I have equipment from Australia so what are they going to do? Say it's not a recognised UK serial number? The camera they tried to give me was from mainland Europe as well so I don't think it was ever an issue with Churchill. What if you bought a bit of kit in France and you live in the UK ??? they cant question the serial number I mean duty free alone will make it meaningless. As long as you can show physical proof and a serial number I think you are 9/10th's the way there .. of course a receipt is still the best thing to keep. Another thing, storage in the car. As ours was a hatchback it didn't have a proper boot, but it did have a hard lid that couldn't be opened if you just smashed the rear window. Everything was hidden from view so that was fine, but the insurers only wanted to know if the car was locked and if we had the two keys .. nothing about if the gear was on view.
 
Talked to my insurance broker today. Our home contents insurance covers miscellaneous items for theft away from home up to £2000 *per item*, so a camera and lens would be treated as separate items.
Possibly 2 excesses though.
 
Not in my case .. the stipulation on the number of items claimed had nothing to do with the number of "claims" made .. ie. all of the items made up one claim .. no excess on individual items just aone for the single claim
 
But make sure that there is not a limit to number of items that can be claimed in a single event .. read the very very fine print and/or make sure it is a key question when buying the insurance so that there is a record of you asking about it and the brokers response ...
 
just a quick question, how does "new for old" when the old is no longer available.
Usually the replacement is the current equivalent in the range, hence you need to make sure you have insured for the correct amount if any of your gear is no longer available
 
But make sure that there is not a limit to number of items that can be claimed in a single event .. read the very very fine print and/or make sure it is a key question when buying the insurance so that there is a record of you asking about it and the brokers response ...
best to check but highly unlikely. The claims limit is usually a monetary amount not a number of items.
 
There was specifically a limit to the number of "high value" items on claims made when travelling or on holidays. These items included phones, ipads (or equivalent), cameras and accessories and also included passports (their replacement and or consulate aid) and wallets/purses/handbags. Now these limitations were certainly applicable when going to the European mainland. But I cannot say if it applied to travelling in the UK. Hence making sure that the entire number of items and what items you need covered should be stated at the time of getting insurance cover along with the place you want the insurance for. There was also a degree of difference between lost, stolen and damaged as well and each has it's own sub clause.
 
Be interested to know which insurance company you are talking about. I have a standard Aviva policy and there are no “item” limits, purely a monetary limit as there is with the vast majority of policies.
Same with travel it’s always been monetary limits never item limits.
As I say it would be useful to know which insurance company so I can avoid.
 
Vast majority ... ?? Umm no that is not correct .. and all the info you are asking about is written above .. you've got to remember that this insurance was taken out primarily for travel on holidays. My stipulation was to cover my camera equipment in all eventualities both in the UK and abroad. Nearly all the insurance companies are the same .. Direct Line owns Churchill for instance so the policies are written in the exact same format but with different letterheads and Direct Line is more expensive for the same deal. If you read the small print you will have a bit of a surprise/shock as to what is covered and in what circumstances. It's up to YOU to make sure that you are covered in whatever situation you find yourself in .. I was with Direct Line for many years and each year the premiums would rise. I got a quote from Churchill and the quote was written word for word the same as Direct Line .. I asked them how this could happen and they explained that yes Churchill was owned by Direct Line .. So two of the largest companies have exactly the same caveats in their clauses .. between the two they make up a large chunk of that "vast majority" that your talking about .. other insurance companies are just brokers that underwrite with other companies .. Thames Insurance for instance has at least five companies that it uses for insurance purposes for different items. As far as Aviva is concerned, I might suggest you get out a magnifying glass and check what you have got and what you are covered for .. then have a look at your equipment and see any shortfall .. I know with what I own, there is no way that I could afford to go out and drop £20/30K on replacing equipment. If you want to take that gamble then that's up to you! I have only passed on this info in an effort to warn/help others in looking at what their insurance covers and my experience .. if it doesn't concern or help you then just skip the post ..
 
I know all about insurance companies ....thanks. I worked in the industry for over 30 years. I think further up this thread I mentioned that I wouldn’t use home contents insurance for travel due to restrictions and limits(monetary). I take out separate travel insurance and separate camera insurance (which worked out cheaper than increasing my valuables insurance on my home contents. Gives me an element of double (or even triple cover) but better safe than sorry.
I stand by my statement that the majority of insurers have an overall claim limit and not an item limit. Direct Line and Churchill are just two. Aviva (and yes I have read the small print) are one of the biggest and others I can name off the top of my head (who aren’t brokers) include LV, AXA, NFU, Hiscox, Royal Sun Alliance.
 
You might want to check the facts on AXA there :) but that's another issue not related to this.
You are still not taking my comments as they were intended .. If you take out insurance for travelling to EU mainland with Churchill or Direct line there IS an item limit on high value items so that counts out Direct Line and Churchill that you mention above .. I'm the one that made the claim here and can tell you first hand what the settlement was .. I don't understand you saying you wouldn't use contents insurance as it has limits ??? £24000 later and where is the limit on that? I had all items replaced that were stolen down to the last nut and bolt (so again - no limits there).
All I am suggesting (to aid people make informed decisions), is what my experience was and how to avoid making a mistake with their insurance .. and at £120 per year I wouldn't hesitate to do it again .. your reasoning doesn't make sense to me .. I just can't see your problem .. there are set limits "FACT" .. make sure you fall within those limits and are sure what you are insuring and for where you travel .. simple .. and like i said, if you don't appreciate me trying to help then skip the page
 
Maybe I need to explain it better. The majority of standard home contents insurance policies have a limit for valuables that are taken out of the home (worldwide not just EU). This is usually between £5k and £10k. You can ask to have this increased for which you pay more (as you seem to have done). You also generally need to specify items worth more than £2k. In my case and that of many the cost of increasing this level of cover was more than taking out a separate specialist insurance. Once you have increase the level of cover there is generally no limit on the number of items, just their overall value. In addition the terms and conditions of some home policies can be quite restrictive and many also don’t cover accidental damage unless you pay more.

...as for AXA - not sure what you mean?? https://www.axa.co.uk/home-insurance/contents-insurance/
 
Thats just it .. tell me .. how much do you pay extra per year to insure your equipment? As I have pointed out I pay £120 per year on top of my contents to keep me covered for all events when travelling with all my equipment. My total value of equipment is just over £35,000 in total. I am covered for the whole lot for £120 per year both in the UK and abroad ... I think that is brilliant myself. So what is a "separate specialist" going to charge for that? Also, as I have already stated on more than one occasion, there was no limit to the value as all the items were covered for their full value (new for old). Your trying to explain insurance policies without knowing what the policy is and I am trying to tell you what I had covered, for how much and the circumstances surrounding it. If you don't want to listen then that's not my problem. I've spent enough time trying to get the message through .. good luck everybody and please read carefully what I have written and apply it for yourselves.
 
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