Travel Insurance Claim After Trip.... (long)

Skippy

Hi there folks......... here is my own account of Travelling Overseas With Insurance, and how I needed to use it when I got back to Australia.

I will not travel overseas without Travel Insurance.....it's like this, if you can't afford insurance, you can't afford to be travelling.

I live in Australia, and I was about to travel to USA, so the insurance I took out was to cover me for 3 weeks duration.

I decided to stick to my Private Health Insurance Company which is HBA to take this Policy out with, as I get a discount because I already have Health Insurance with them.

This covered me for :-

Unlimited Medical for 12 months - if an injury incures while your overseas
Resumption of Overseas Journey - up to $3,000
Hire Car & Excess - up to $2,000
Cancellation - up to Whatever it cost
Luggage - up to $12,000
Accidental Death & Disablity - up to $25,000
Personal Liability - up to $2.5 Million

**Keeping in mind that these all have CONDITIONS attached to them

I have free travel insurance with the Bank, but for this trip I decided I wasn't happy with how the Bank tells you your covered, but you have no paper work to back you up....... try getting them to put it in writing :rofl they will NOT give you a policy in writing.

Knowing I had so much gear that could get lost stolen or damaged, I decided I would go in personally and ask about the insurance Policy and get them to tell me how they interpret the way it is written.

I saw the clause in the Policy that clearly stated Camera Gear to the Value of $4,000 so I asked them about that, said I want to know for sure that YES I am covered for that amount, so while I sat, they phoned the Insurance people and they confirmed that YES it would be covered up to that amount.

This insurance is not just about camera gear, you have to remember that if you need Medical help or end up in Hospital while you are overseas in another country you could be up for thousands upon thousands of dollars, if you don't have insurance.

.......... back to the camera gear :rofl

During the PostShoot out this year in USA, I accidently dropped my beloved Canon 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM Lens from a height of about 3-4 ft onto rocks GASP! SHOCK! HORROR! hey and ya know what? the thing bounces when you do that :rolleyes

I phoned the Insurance folks at HBA and I have to admit, much to my surprise these people could not have been more helpful if they had of tried.
I was like ....wow.... hmmmm maybe they heard me wrong and think I want to take a policy out ??? but nope they were amazingly helpful and courteous

Luckily I had the lens caps on both ends or things could have been worse, but all up the damage to the lens after getting the quote for HBA was over $1,000.00 :huh with a note to say it could be more :jawdrop

I submitted that upon HBA's request of a Registered Canon Repairer to give the quote.

Do you know that within 7 days of submitting the quote to HBA they rang me to say the claim had been accepted, gave me my Claim Number and they took over from there.......... I was really stunned with the service I got.

Last week I got a call from the Camera Store to tell me my lens was there to be picked up and that it was paid for in full, and there would be no costs to me at all...... I like those kind of phone calls :rolleyes

So down I went, got them to take it out of the bags and open it all in front of me in case something was not right, I wanted this all to be wittnessed in the store.

In the bag was all the parts they had removed and replace, they gave them back to me as well.

The lens was packed separately, and boy did they do a good job!
You would never know that lens had been dropped, there is not a mark on it, anything that had a dint on it has been replaced with new parts, including the front RIM of the Lens, and the Switch Panels where you find the Auto/Manual IS on/off and Distance Switches, plus the Lens mount ring.

I tried it out last night inside the house, and I will endevour to try it outside the house real soon as it is only under warrenty for 30 days.

So all up folks......... this $185 Policy was worth every cent, not only did I drop my lens in USA, but I also managed to get ill over there.

Make sure your gear and yourself are covered if you plan on travelling overseas...... get a few quotes, read the fine print, and if you are not sure that you are covered, go in there in person and get it in writing that YES that is what you are covered for.

The Insurance Company I used is actually a Private Health Fund that offers Travel Insurance as well here in Australia.

Shop around, but never assume nothing is going to happen when your away, nobody travels with the intention that something will happen but things do happen when you least expect it.

This is the first time I have ever put in a claim for Overseas Travel, and I'm so glad I had it.

Those of you who are PRO you need to be careful what kind of Policy you get, your gear is not covered if you are a PRO Photographer with the policy that I took out.

See its not all that bad being an Amateur after all :rofl

Skippy (Australia)

saurora

Excellent advice Skippy and good information I'm sure a lot of people never give a thought to. I'm sure glad it worked out well for you and I bet you think it's the best $185 you ever spent!

Skippy

saurora wrote:

Excellent advice Skippy and good information I'm sure a lot of people never give a thought to. I'm sure glad it worked out well for you and I bet you think it's the best $185 you ever spent!

Yup it's not worth finding out the hard way ...... $185 for 3 weeks peace of mind is definitely worth it Skippy (Australia)

gluwater

Great info Skippy, thanks! Those of us that have never traveled internationally would never have thought of this. I'm glad it all worked out for the best for you.

JSImages

it is odd though, that the first time you call the insurance company, and ask specifically about Camera Insurance coverage, is the time you need it..

Here is to hoping the lens didn't get damaged before you learned about the insurance..

Skippy

JSImages wrote:

it is odd though, that the first time you call the insurance company, and ask specifically about Camera Insurance coverage, is the time you need it..

Here is to hoping the lens didn't get damaged before you learned about the insurance..

I dropped it in front of several Dgrin folks on the Post ShootOut, so it wasn't like I was making a false claim.....

I take out insurance every time I travel, but never really looked into the camera gear side of it.

Most insurances DO NOT cover you for use outside the country you live in.
I had to take out Travel Insurance anyways, but you need to see exactly what your covered for, because all Insurance Companies are different.

Skippy (Australia)

ziggy53

JSImages wrote:

it is odd though, that the first time you call the insurance company, and ask specifically about Camera Insurance coverage, is the time you need it..

Here is to hoping the lens didn't get damaged before you learned about the insurance..

John,

That was awfully rude!

If the insurance company didn't find cause to question the validity of the claim, what gives you the right?

I certainly hope you apologize, because Skippy is worth it, and because it is the right thing to do.

ziggy53

Mitchell

Skippy, I'm glad this all worked out well for you.

Personally, I hate insurance. As a physician here in the States, I pay over $60,000/year just for malpractice insurance! Thankfully, I have never used it, but it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth every year. Between homeowners policies, life, auto and business, I pay well over $100,000 every year to insurance companies.

The last thing I want to do is give more money to insurance companies. This policy worked out well for your because you had a claim. I would rather take my chances that I might break my $1,800 lens once every ten trips and then use my premium dollars to buy a new one.

JSImages

When Your Right

ziggy53 wrote:

John,

That was awfully rude!

If the insurance company didn't find cause to question the validity of the claim, what gives you the right?

I certainly hope you apologize, because Skippy is worth it, and because it is the right thing to do.

ziggy53

Skippy,

My appologies. It was rude and uncalled for. I had no right to question your integrity, and came off like a Jackass.

Sorry.

John

bham

Mitchell wrote:

Skippy, I'm glad this all worked out well for you.

Personally, I hate insurance. As a physician here in the States, I pay over $60,000/year just for malpractice insurance! Thankfully, I have never used it, but it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth every year. Between homeowners policies, life, auto and business, I pay well over $100,000 every year to insurance companies.

The last thing I want to do is give more money to insurance companies. This policy worked out well for your because you had a claim. I would rather take my chances that I might break my $1,800 lens once every ten trips and then use my premium dollars to buy a new one.

Yep, most people who never make a claim or never have to say "thank god I have that" usually feel they get the short end on insurance. Those who have had a claim usually feel it is worth it.

With you camera equipment you choose to self insure. My father bitches about insurance all the time, but those who have a lot and a lot to possibly lose usually have more insurance.

I don't hate insurance but I do have a negative attitude towards frivalous lawsuits at anybody and everybody by financially challenged people who think they deserves tons of money for nothing.

But in case of medical malpractice I think that it might actually be a good thing that if doctor had insurance. I would think a jury would be less likely to award enormous amounts of money from a doctor that they saw was a person with a family. I think jury tend to thinks insurance companies have money sitting around waiting to give to plantiffs. Well they can get money only one place and that is their paying customers.

I had many insurance classes in school and we spent a decent amount of time discussing current topics and trends in one class. Much of it was about court cases and how judgements were affecting the overall industry. And all in all I think insurance is a good thing but it does get abused in court payouts and this drives everyones cost up.

Sorry we hijacked your thread and turned it into a insurance discussion.

Anyway glad your lense is back to normal. I think I would have cried right there if I would have dropped that lense. Think, no, I know I would have.

erich6

Mitchell wrote:

Skippy, I'm glad this all worked out well for you.

Personally, I hate insurance. As a physician here in the States, I pay over $60,000/year just for malpractice insurance! Thankfully, I have never used it, but it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth every year. Between homeowners policies, life, auto and business, I pay well over $100,000 every year to insurance companies.

The last thing I want to do is give more money to insurance companies. This policy worked out well for your because you had a claim. I would rather take my chances that I might break my $1,800 lens once every ten trips and then use my premium dollars to buy a new one.

Good argument...but it only works in the long run and only if you do a lot of trips. If you don't travel a lot then the insurance may make sense. You are going to strange places and new situations and it is more likely that Murphy will show up and take claim of your stuff.

Glad things worked out for you Skippy...and thanks for the rundown.

Erich

Mitchell

bham wrote:

But in case of medical malpractice I think that it might actually be a good thing that if doctor had insurance. I would think a jury would be less likely to award enormous amounts of money from a doctor that they saw was a person with a family. I think jury tend to thinks insurance companies have money sitting around waiting to give to plantiffs. Well they can get money only one place and that is their paying customers.

I don't want to get too far off topic here, but I have to reply to this statement. Thinking like this is part of what is fueling the malpractice crisis in this country. Jury awards should not be dependent on who is footing the bill. Unfortunately, you are correct. Most people/juries seem to feel that it's no big deal for the insurance company to pay out a large award. Unfortunately, we ALL pay for this in the end with increased premiums and costs.

Mitchell

erich6 wrote:

Good argument...but it only works in the long run and only if you do a lot of trips. If you don't travel a lot then the insurance may make sense. You are going to strange places and new situations and it is more likely that Murphy will show up and take claim of your stuff.

Glad things worked out for you Skippy...and thanks for the rundown.

Erich

Erich, I don't really follow your logic. It seems to me that the frequency of trips really has no bearing on whether or not you will make a claim on any one particular travel insurance policy.

Your comments about the dangers of particular travel locations may have some merit. If you are traveling to a high crime area or are participating in a potentially camera hazardous trip (whale watching, skydiving, etc...) the insurance may be prudent.

cmason

Great advice...I always take out travel insurance when I have a good amount of $$ invested, such as on a cruise. I recommend http://www.insuremytrip.com/ by the way. No endorsement, just had good service thru them, though I have never had to make a claim.

I think though that if you want to insure your camera gear, you likely need to specify Business travel policy, vs a Leisure travel policy.

JeffBowser

I had an Inland Marine policy for my camera gear through my HO provider Nationwide. A couple months ago I purchased a 5D and sold my 10D. I called them to make the policy changes, and they refused, saying they were no longer accepting IM policies, and no, I could not add a rider to my standard HO anymore either. Well, I am stuck, stupid S. Fl. insurance market. Does anyone here know where a non-pro can obtain decent camera insurance anymore ?
Thanks!

cmason wrote:

Great advice...I always take out travel insurance when I have a good amount of $$ invested, such as on a cruise. I recommend http://www.insuremytrip.com/ by the way. No endorsement, just had good service thru them, though I have never had to make a claim.

I think though that if you want to insure your camera gear, you likely need to specify Business travel policy, vs a Leisure travel policy.

bham

Mitchell wrote:

I don't want to get too far off topic here, but I have to reply to this statement. Thinking like this is part of what is fueling the malpractice crisis in this country. Jury awards should not be dependent on who is footing the bill. Unfortunately, you are correct. Most people/juries seem to feel that it's no big deal for the insurance company to pay out a large award. Unfortunately, we ALL pay for this in the end with increased premiums and costs.

That was my point exactly!!! I just didn't elaborate, was trying to keep response somewhat short.

TakeFlight

Thats a good tip man! I have a personal articles floater on my Renters Policy that covers all my camera equipment in the event of theft, damage, or general destruction. It is about $60 a year for over $6000 in coverage. Definitly worth it!

luckyrwe

I was reading that story and looking for the bad part, maybe you thought you were covered and really were not.

Yup, it IS worth it. I have a party once a year at my house and about 25 people show up. For that weekend I have my insurance agent change my insurance from $300K with $1,000 deductible to $1M with $0 ded. It scares the life out of them when I do that, but the change costs about $50/year. It is so worth it.

On a topic related thread, right now ALL my gear is on loan to a buddy for 18 months whiole I am deployed. I required him to have an insurance rider for the stuff, which he gladly did. Years back I loaned a lens to a buddy, asked him to get a rider, he did, it broke, and we ae still friends.