Do I Need Specialist Insurance?

Dem55

Dem55

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Lorraine
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Yes
Just what it says really.
I spoke to the company I have my house contents insured with a while ago, explained about photography, told them what my kit was worth and asked if I was covered. They said yes, the only time I wouldn't be insured would be if I left stuff in the car, unless it was hidden away in the boot. My policy is new for old & covers accidental damage.
But.... I've seen a few posts about insurance and the reples all seem to suggest a specialist company and it's got me wondering - is there a particular reason for buying specialist insurance, given that I'm not a pro?
Cheers
 
I guess it depends on the value of your gear, as I think home isurance only covers you up to a certain amount. If you've got a bagful of Nikon D4's and selection of 500mm lenses, then you'd probably want to go specialist. For the rest of us, it's probably not really worth it, but I'm not speaking from experience here.
 
As said people tend to have specialist insurance if they have particularly expensive gear that would not be covered on your standard policy..also most household policies will not cover your kit if it is used for professional purposes so this is probably the main two reasons that people will specifically insure on a dedicated policy...
 
Thanks for the answers - I don't have the most expensive kit in the world, and I'm not anything like professional. I explained to my insurer what I had and what the replacement value was and they told me it would be covered, but I thought I'd ask just in case
 
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I'd be inclined to get the Insurance company to confirm it in writing stating the value and items covered, you can bet they'd wriggle if it comes to a claim!
 
Normally with house insurance to have to name individual expensive items, mine are items over £1800, then your fully covered.

I did claim on a cheap lens I knocked off a table a few years ago and they paid out no problem at all.

Exemption would be using them for business .
 
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Also some people cover their gear for when they are out and about with it,i don't think your home insurance cover for out and about.

:)
 
simonblue said:
Also some people cover their gear for when they are out and about with it,i don't think your home insurance cover for out and about.

:)
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Household contents covers you for losses that occur while the goods are in the house. Most insurers have an All Risks extension to cover 'stuff' that is routinely taken out of the home (watches, jewellery, sports gear, photographic equipment, binoculars, clothing etc). Details vary, but insurers normally require you to declare individual items over a stipulated value, and you may have to notify them if you're taking insured items abroad. Just check the policy's terms and conditions, and ask if anything's not clear.
 
we are with the royal bank of scotland on a all risks cover ,that covers individual items either in or out of the home up to £1500 per item ,we had to notify and pay extra for the lads 300mm f2.8 mkii .
we did research our contents cover with the camera gear in mind
 
simonblue said:
Also some people cover their gear for when they are out and about with it,i don't think your home insurance cover for out and about.

:)
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I asked mine if I was covered taking my £3700 1D mkIV on holiday to berlin and they replied, yes of course you are sir, no problem at all.

I'm covered for everything everywhere, with More Than home and contents insurance. Mind you my insurance is not cheap at £380 a year for a 2 up 2 down mid terrace . :(
 
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Thanks again guys

artyman said:
I'd be inclined to get the Insurance company to confirm it in writing stating the value and items covered, you can bet they'd wriggle if it comes to a claim!
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- good advice - I have spoken to my insurers but not asked for confirmation in writing from them, but I think I will.

Sorry - can't work out how to do more than one quote...

MartynK & Black box- I do have all risks, none of the kit is worth more than the upper limit per item - I'm not good enough at taking photos to justify the expensive stuff :lol:

I was a bit worried in case they would count a camera with lens attached as one item (that may just have taken me over the limit), but apparently they don't.

Thanks again!
 
Dem55 said:
I was a bit worried in case they would count a camera with lens attached as one item (that may just have taken me over the limit), but apparently they don't.

Thanks again!
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According to my insurance if the were bought as separate items then that's what they are, just as a DVD player is connected to a tv, both are separate items.
 
acetone said:
According to my insurance if the were bought as separate items then that's what they are, just as a DVD player is connected to a tv, both are separate items.
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Then I should be ok, my camera was bought with the kit lens, but that wouldn't take it over the limit. I have, though, invested in a couple of other lenses over time, which would cost a lot more to replace......on the other hand, the price of the camera body has dropped like a stone :lol:
 
As mentioned the main reason why some of us use specialist insurance is the home contents only covers it for leisure use. If you use it to gain an income from then business insurance is needed

Simon
 
Hi Simon, and thanks.

My camera's just used as a hobby - I take the photos for pleasure and whiile I'm always trying to improve, I can't see myself ever being good enough to earn money from it :-)
 
It's OK thinking you have cover for outside of your residence BUT check your policy for those items left "unattended in a motor vehicle", the amount that can be claimed is limited on the policies I have seen. Out of sight or in sight made no difference.

Also the highest single item on a normal household policy I have seen is £2500 with SAGA.:cool:
 
kestral said:
Also the highest single item on a normal household policy I have seen is £2500 with SAGA.:cool:
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Just checked mine and the exception for belongings outside the home are a maximum of £7500 for jewellery, £5000 for bicycles and £1500 goods left in an unattended motor vehicle . No other maximums as far as I can see.

What did surprise me was that all maximum payout limits are raised by 10% 30 days before Christmas and 60 days either side of wedding day.
 
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I'm insured with Directline for home contents and their standard possessions away from home cover is £2500. I got that upped to £5000 to cover all of my gear *if* I decided to take all of it with me or to make sure I had other valuable items covered too. It only put my premium up by £10 per month which was cheaper than a dedicated insurance policy.

When I started doing a few paid jobs here and there I got "proper" insurance through Policy Bee (underwritten by Hiscox) which gives me Equipment (£5K I think), Indemnity (£50K) and Public Liability (£1M) insurance for £25 per month. I figured it was worth it for the peace of mind that my gear would be covered whether I was using it professionally or not.
 
thanks again for all the help and information :-)

I'll do a double check, but I'm pretty sure the max value is above the most expensive lens I have, s I should be fine.

As far as eaving the kit in the car's concerned, if I have my camera with me when I'm out then I'm using it - the only thing that sometimes gets left in the car - always in the boot - is my tripod.

To be honest, I'm more worried about falling and/or dropping it than it being stolen
 
I pay £80 a year extra to insure items over £1,000. That covers it anywhere in the world and includes accidental damage though. As other people have pointed out, that wouldn't cover you for business use though.
 
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