Gene51 wrote:
Beware of non-scheduled rider policies on home insurance. All you need to do is make a couple of claims before you find yourself and your home and property uninsurable. The low cost plans are worthless. They require a receipt in order to make a claim, and they will depreciate the value. After some ridiculously short period of time 5 yrs or less, they will give you next to nothing when you claim a loss.
That being said, I joined NANPA (North American Nature Photographers Association) and used their insurance, offered by Rand Insurance and underwritten by CHUBB. You provide a schedule with serial numbers and replacement costs, and they will pay out whatever you've listed. Good insurance, reasonable in cost for what they cover, and if you make a claim you don't have to worry about being blacklisted by a homeowner's insurance company.
Trust me, I speak from experience on both types of insurance. I was rear-ended in my car while waiting for a traffic light to turn green, and there was a fire, lost nearly $12K in gear (see below), and it was covered 100% less the $250 deductible. They paid me within a few days of my claim, and then they fought it out with the other drivers' insurance policies.
You can get a similar policy as a member of PPA (Professional Photographers of America), but the cost of membership is high, making the cost of insurance that much higher. They offer two plans, one that is similar to the non-scheduled, depreciated plans that most homeowner policies offer, and one that is scheduled, and you get replacement cost, not a fraction of purchase price, when you experience a loss. Naturally, the better policy costs more, but all you need to do is use it once after dropping a camera and lens or having it stolen, and you will be glad you had it. Don't be seduced by the low cost of the homeowner's rider policies - this is a perfect example of that old saying "you get what you pay for" and my spin "you never get what you don't pay for". Happy hunting!
Beware of non-scheduled rider policies on home ins... (
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I’ve thought about PPA. I’ll have to look into NANPA.