This week I learnt a valuable lesson – insurance is not only worth having, but its vital for professionals.
I have insurance, in fact I have very expensive insurance. I often begrudged that money leaving my bank account every month, it was afterall, more expensive than my car insurance, my home insurance, my professional and public liability, in fact it was pretty much the same as those all combined.
However, after a mishap involving my beloved Nikon 80-200 1:2.8 lens, gannets and a cliff, I am so grateful for it.
My policy is for replacment, which means that you get a direct new for old replacement on items that cannot be repaired (in the case of damage) or are lost/stolen etc. This means that as the 80-200 1:2.8 has been discontinued, I am expecting to receive (later today) a new Nikon 70-200 1:2.8 AF-S ED-IF VR lens.
I get my insurance through Photoguard and found them to be most helpful, quick to respond, and very efficient.
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Flexible cover options mean you get the camera insurance cover you need and don’t pay for unnecessary extras. For amateur, semi and professional photographers.
Their award winning site makes it quick to get a quote and easy to understand what is covered.
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Importantly, I learnt some valuable pieces of advice and I feel it only fair to share that info:
- Always keep the original boxes and packaging if you have it
- Always keep the original receipts for your equipment
- Photograph your equipment, on your premises, in your studio, or in use in the field (preferably at least two of these)
The reason for these? Even though you quoted the serial number of the item (and you have to for any item over a certain value), you will need to prove you actually own that item and were in possession of it. This is where the photos come in especially handy, particularly if you can’t find the original receipts because you’ve owned the equipment for some time.
I am now setting up a seperate file on my computer with images of every single item of equipment I own. I am going to have a back up copy of those images at my remote storage location as well. This would be vital if my studio were to be broken into and my computers/hard drives taken.
Photographing your equipment is not something that springs to mind. I keep receipts and packaging until warrantees run out, sometimes longer, but often they will be disguarded after several years or if I move location for any reason. This is when they become vitally important.
It is also worth having a photo of all your equipment that you take on a trip. If you regularly travel or not, you should carry a copy of your original receipt, and a photo of the items. Why? Well, not only does it work for the insurance company, it also prevents you being charged import duty on your return into the country.
You see, if you can’t prove you owned the lense (or whatever) and paid its relevant taxes in the UK when you come back through customs, they can charge you import duty. If you do buy your good abroad while you’re on holiday then you will need to pay the duty in the same way as if you ordered by mail order. Of course, you may have saved a bundle on the initial cost of the products in question which compensates a bit, and you won’t have to pay the extortionate ‘handling fee’ levied by the post office.
So, next time its a rainy horrible day, spend some time photographing your equipment – you never know when you might need it!
