How insurance can send you broke, and a question...
 

Ok, I have been paying insurance premiums for 4 years with this particular insurance company without one claim.

This week I smashed my camera and had reason to claim for the first time in my 20 year experience as a cameraman.

My wife contacted the insurance company and got the ball rolling. The rep said I had to get a quote to see if the cam is fixable or not and the result has to be emailed to them. Same with lens that is snapped in half.

I went to Sydney today to organise a rental camera to cover me. It took nearly all day for the insurer to get back to me with the protocol. At 3pm they told me I had to get the rental company to fax an invoice for a week's worth of rental to them so they could pay it and I could take the camera. This I organised.

The problem? A rental camera and lens was going to be four times the amount they would cover me for. I could not afford the balance (around $3000 per week) when my work is not guaranteed. So, while I am waiting for quotes to be made up, I am camera-less.

This also means that, if the insurance company decides to fix the camera and not replace it, it could be up to six weeks for parts to become available and in that time I will have no camera.

When it comes to renewing my insurance, I will make sure that whoever I go with allow plenty to cover rental gear, not just a token amount.

But I also need to ask a question:

Can you refuse if an insurance company chooses to repair the camera rather than replace it? I know from what happened to the camera, that I would not trust it again.

Could I pay the difference between the repair costs t the insurance company and a new camera?

It mightn't be possible with your distances etc., but it's usually best only to rent the gear when you have the bookings rather than for a set period of time, otherwise it would be an expensive business.

Thank Brian, because I am on call with one network, a 100km drive to hire a camera (let alone the time it takes standing in the office waiting for the gear to be organised for you) and another 100km drive back, is not feasible.

One issue is a rarely know when I am working, so you could understand the dilemma.

Yes, not easy if you're working as say a news stringer, who get called out at very short notice. Even programme work can called in the previous evening by TV networks, especially for current affairs.

Even a day's notice for a job would be more manageable over a short period, but TV networks don't always work that way.