petelush

If you were buying a $10k camera (Fujifilm's new 100 mp) would you buy the $1k "pro" 4 years protection plan? (And no, I've never seen snark on this site that was clever enough to be worth reading.)

NMGal Loc: NE NM

I imagine if you can afford 10K for a camera, you can afford another 1K for peace of mind. Doubt if it would withstand a collision with a hard object any better than a 1K camera.

petelush

You convinced me. Better to pay for camera insurance than anxiety relief from a shrink. You are spot on.

Bill P

I couldn't answer that without the camera being on sale for a year or two so we can make a decision based on other's experiences.

But, I will say something that you may have already heard. I worked in the photo lab of a large commercial aircraft manufacturer. Most of the employees I knew said without reservation, never buy something the first year it is on the market. That is a good amount of time for all the potential problems to be sorted out.

If you are intent on getting that camera, then the "insurance" might me a good idea, but inspect the relevant paperwork and see haw many ways they can not pay for something. Since it is called a "protection plan" we don't know what it really is.
That said, I understand. I got one of the first Nikon D3's in the US sold retail. In their defense, I still have it, it still takes remarkable photos,and have never given me a moments problems.

petelush

I agree with you completely on waiting a year or two with a new product, but you might see things differently when you're 78, and you were man enough to admit you didn't follow your own advice. As for the possible flaws with the insurance, it is marketed through B&H, and I've been dealing with B&H going back to the 70s, was it? and I would trust them on this. I did invoke a policy on a multi-thousand dollar TV set that was a few years old. They rightly asked for a picture of the flawed pixels; pic was easy to take and they honored the Square Trade policy. And on this post, if Fujifilm released a flawed camera B&H accepts return, at least in the first 30 days. Only condition seems to be no warranty, etc., cards, touched, and box must be "unaltered" with the UPC code intact. I do not mean to imply I would be able to detect subtle problems with the camera body.

Bill P

Well, I'm 73 and I would still wait a year. And againk, I do understand yourposition, as when I bought the D3 I was working professionally, and that was the camera that I used to make the conversion from film annd Hasselblad to Nikon and digital.

And now we have the rest of the story. I too have been a B&H customer since the 70's as well, but you say it is a Square Trade warranty. I would google that a lot. I've heard some good things about them, but the bad things I've heard were very, very bad. And do you know if there is a problem, can it be sent under the warranty to Fuji or do you have to use their own tame repairman?

As far as the return policy goes, thirty days isn't enough for all flaws to surface.

repleo Loc: Boston

Yes.
I wouldn't spend 10K on camera without a good protection plan, but I would read the small print to make sure everything is covered.

BebuLamar

What is the policy on this protection plan? Is there a link to what the policy is?

petelush

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/jsp/warranty-square-trade.jsp?origSearch=square+trade+protection

The reviews look like the spectrum I've seen on every product I ever checked reviews on. Mostly happy (unless the product was a dog), some bitterly disappointed. So can I buy insurance for this insurance? (bad joke)

BebuLamar

How do they determine if it's intentional or unintentional damage?

petelush

If the insurer is going to claim intentional damage on an item like this -- or any other product -- there's no hope for us. Deep down I still believe that B&H would act as a back-up insurer if Square Trade didn't meet its obligations. That's just my hope and opinion. My secret weapon is I'm a half hour subway ride from Small Claims Court in Manhattan. Of course nobody wants to go through that process, but it isn't so bad.

Note this: B&H was offering only the "pro" Square Trade plan:
SquareTrade Pro Plan provides free express shipping to and from their repair center, and repair your item within 2 days of receiving it. With the Pro Plan, If SquareTrade can't repair your item, they'll determine whether to send you a replacement or refund the full replacement cost (up to the purchase price).

I believe if the company screwed around with its "pro plan" after saying that there'd be a riot on Ninth Avenue.

LWW Loc: Banana Republic of America

Insufficient data.

1 - What does it actually cover?

2 - Who is the entity backing it up?

3 - What is the deductible, if any?

Now, assuming you have satisfactory answers to those:

4 - How risk averse are you by nature, because all insurance eventually is risk management. If your potential use is inhibited because something might happen that would have been covered ... you are risk averse.

5 - What happens if you have an issue? Would you mutter some curse words and the replace to? Would you be unable to replace it without loading up a change card?

As an analogy, I have fire insurance with the full knowledge that roughly 1 in 800 houses burn down per year. I don't have coverage if a kid throws a rock through a window ... for that I mutter some curse words and have it replaced.

I hope this helps.

BebuLamar

Besides from accidental damage like dropping the camera then a camera has the high rate of failure the 1st year which is covered by the manufacturer warranty. The rate of failure would go up again at about 5 years.
So the coverage is for the period which the camera least likely to fail.

petelush

LWW: Your questions are answered below (or above). Anyway, my track record with insurance is not great: in 1993 I bought a "luxury" policy for a house we had just acquired. This kind of policy gives full replacement, or full repair; standard policies I think use apportioning having to do with stuff I can longer remember, but I think the idea was most house fires hurt only one or two rooms, so the companies don't like to pay for full repair unless you have large coverage -- otherwise you'd buy a low coverage cheap policy on the theory your entire house is unlikely to be destroyed. Anyway, I bought the full enchilada. Then around the renewal year for 2012 I had the brainstorm to cut the premium in half, I think it was, by raising the deductible -- which still seemed rational but I can't recall why. Within a few months a worker accidentally set the house on fire. Fortunately my wife is an incredible negotiator and got the insurer to waive the large deductible in return for some kind of unusual relationship between them and the restoration. Two interesting facts: you must get to fire damage within about 48 hours or the smell might never go away. Also, an insurance adjuster was on the scene even before the firemen had left --those adjusters are wired into fire houses or something. We never called him and we didn't need him.

petelush

1) What Does SquareTrade Cover?
With SquareTrade, you're covered for mechanical and electrical failures from normal use. Accident protection also covers you for life's accidents, including drops and spills. (Plan doesn't cover intentional damage, loss or theft.)

Drops & Spills
Drop it? Spill on it? No worries, you're covered for accidents caused by you and people you know.

Broken Zoom Engine
SquareTrade covers your camera's zoom engine, which allows your lens to zoom in and out.

Mechanical & Electrical Failures
SquareTrade covers you beyond the manufacturer's warranty, or if the manufacturer denies coverage for common failures.

Screen Failure
SquareTrade covers dead pixels, lines on your screen, discoloration, or dim screens that can make your camera unusable.

SD Card Reader Failure
SquareTrade covers SD card reader failure, which could prevent you from being able to store or access files on your camera.

2) https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=129565

3) 100% Parts and Labor, No Deductibles
They've got you covered. You pay nothing.

2-Day Service Guarantee (for Small Items) with Pro Plan
They'll repair or replace your item in two business days or less after they've received it, or they'll refund the cost of your plan (upon request).
24/7 Customer Support
They're here, no matter when you need them. Visit SquareTrade.com/help for instant answers to common questions, or to schedule a callback from a Specialist.

Worldwide Coverage
SquareTrade Pro Plan offers coverage no matter which part of the world you are in. If you need a repair while abroad, send them a valid repair receipt for your item and they will quickly reimburse you.
Free Express Shipping for Pro Plans
SquareTrade gives you a pre-paid express shipping label and packing material to send your item to them. After they fix it, they send it back to you, FREE.

Easy Online Plan Management
You can view, print, cancel and transfer your plan, file a claim, and track its progress, 24/7 at SquareTrade.com.

4) I don't know if I'm risk adverse. I am prone to worry unnecessarily

5) If I have an issue as a retired lawyer I will bust chops endlessly and merrily.