# Camera Lenses and Travel insurance



## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

Hi all,

As you can probably guess, I dropped my lens down a set of idyllic but steep Roman Steps. Oh, fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu, Boing, boing, crunch, tinkle thud, thud, Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. OMMFG!

Travel insurance with the bank account - sorted :thumb:

My question is, how do i go about getting a replacement out of my travel insurance? Obviously, i know how to go about it but i'm looking for advice regarding the nature of how i bought it. 

I bought it S/H from eBay and got a particularly good deal (£180 Nikkor AF-85mm F1.8D). Now, they are currently going at £260-£320 second hand on the bay-of-e. This lens is not available new anymore so the equivalent new lens is the AFS 85mm F1.8 at £470 ish.

Now, i don't want to claim for something that i don't have, i just want a replacement really. But, I'm not going to get it at £180 twice. However, if i am going to claim, i want to make the most of it. I've been paying for this service for 5 years and never made any type of claim.

Does anyone have any experience of claiming for S/H items bought on eBay?


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Replacement should hopefully be new (equivalent) for old, but be aware that the travel insurance may have an indemnity limit for camera equipment.


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## HalfordsShopper (Jul 8, 2008)

My wife claimed on the house insurance a year or so ago for a PDA that she dropped down the toilet.

When she rang up to claim all they wanted was the make and model details. They were not interested in where she bought it or how much she paid for it. They looked it up in their database and suggested the most suitable new replacement and ordered it for us from their own supplier. With a bit of luck your insurance company might have a similar process for camera equipment. The can save a few quid on the purchasing with their buying power and it saves you the stress of having to source a replacement.

The history of your own item is not really relevant - ie the fact you bought it from ely. All they know is that you owned it and its now broken.


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## npinks (Feb 25, 2008)

Travel claims will split the cost of the claim with your home insurance if your home cover, covers the item away from home, this will be listed as a claim on your home cover which you'll need to declare when swapping insurance , although your home cover provider won't penalise you for it, (yeah right!) 

I found this out when I claimed for some list items whilst snowboarding, I was also cover new for old, even for the stuff I had bought off eBay cheaply that was in the rucksack


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## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

The limit is £500. So the new one is covered. 

They do want to know my house insurance details but the rise in premium will be less than buying a new lens. 

Thanks everyone.


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## shaunwistow (May 13, 2011)

Gruffs said:


> The limit is £500. So the new one is covered.
> 
> They do want to know my house insurance details but the rise in premium will be less than buying a new lens.
> 
> Thanks everyone.


When I worked in Household claims for Aviva, they did not increase premiums on a travel claim contribution. You could go back to travel insurers & say "I don't have house insurance"


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## HalfordsShopper (Jul 8, 2008)

^^ yeppers thats what i'd do. if they ask for your home insurance details tell them to mind their own business.


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

If you want a *cough* interesting read, this will tell you all you'll even need to know about "contribution" where dual insurance is concerned. http://www.cila.co.uk/files/contribution.pdf

Don't blame me if you never get those moments of your life back again after reading it!

If Gruffs doesn't have any cover away from home (ie "personal possessions" or "all risks" insurance) under his household contents insurance, there won't be any dual insurance anyway so nothing to worry about. If he does though, the Travel Insurers will seek contribution as effectively both the Travel Insurers and the Household Contents Insurers have been covering the risk, so they should each share their proportion of the loss/claim.

I wouldn't encourage lying about your cover, or you could potentially find that both the Travel Insurers and your Household Insurers will kick out any claim in it's entirety, so you could end up with nothing. Oh and when you next apply for insurance, you will need to disclose that you have had a claim refused and will find it difficult to get either travel or household insurance again.


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## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

Cheers Shiny.

I'm not in the habit of lying or misleading people. I don't see it as the right thing to do. But, i am all for doing the what is best for me within the rules. Which is not always what the insurers would want to happen.

But, the thing is, the travel insurance is through my bank account which has a fixed charge. My household is the same as everyone else's is. i.e. if i make a claim, my premium goes up.


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