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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

The Best Insurance I can Find (1 Viewer)

Nigel G

Well-known member
Back in mid-Dec I asked for recommendations for insurance companies and out of 300+ views I only got one response. I assume therefore that you're not that impressed with the people you use and so I opted to do my own reaseach both on the net, in the High St and through a broker.

My conclussion was that the High St is relatively expensive but both the broker and the Net came up with the same name - Hiscox. I'll state clearly now that I have absolutely no connection with this firm.

There are 2 policies that I would recommend you look at. The 505 - which can be arranged on line in a matter of minutes and the 506 - which is essentially the same baseline but can be tailored for specific requirements and must be negotiated through a broker.

These are both home and contents (or contents only) policies and some of the significant adavatages for your birding gear/cameras are as follows.

1. Worldwide cover as standard.
2. Accidental loss or damage as standard.
3. No requirement to list individual items over £1500.
4. Theft from an unattended motor vehicle up to £2500. This is £1500 higher than any other standard quote I could find and the conditions only state it must be locked out of sight. On a 506 policy via a broker they were prepared to cover £6.5K in these circumstances albeit with a £500 excess and a higher premium.
5. Choice of excess at £100, £250, £500.
6. Monthly payments at no extra cost.

If you're interested in doing a quick comparison with your current policy click here.

And just to cap it all not only is my cover now better than it was with the High St but I'm also saving over £200 a year. :D
 
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just as an aside to the adding items to your household policy this may not apply to most people but it is worth remembering---I foolishly asked my household policy provider if it made any difference if the camera equipment was for professional use (professional use mean in their terms that you have received payment for, even one, photo from any organisation at any time)--needless to say I was told that it would cost me more for insuring cameras for professional use which I expected but I was being too honest--anyway shortly after I was informed that they could not in fact insure photographic equipment on a home insurance policy if it was being used for professional purposes---I then tried several more companies and had the same response from them all---as I say how the insurance company would know if you had made £12;50 out of Birding World I do not know but they are damned devious when it comes to paying out so it is a point worth remembering if you have to fill in any questionaires!
 
graham catley said:
as I say how the insurance company would know if you had made £12;50 out of Birding World I do not know but they are damned devious when it comes to paying out so it is a point worth remembering if you have to fill in any questionaires!

A very valid point - but it highlights yet another thing I hadn't thought of with the 505 on-line policy above - there are no questionaires so you don't have to be economical with the truth.

Incidentally if anyone follows up this recommendation I would be interested to know either in this thread or by PM if you prefer. Again I promise I don't work for them but it did occur to me that if, over time, we could demonstrate a number of people had switched to Hiscox to get better cover on their bins/scope/cameras we might be able to tap them up to sponsor a monthly photo comp.
 
Nigel G said:
A very valid point - but it highlights yet another thing I hadn't
Incidentally if anyone follows up this recommendation I would be interested to know either in this thread or by PM if you prefer. Again I promise I don't work for them but it did occur to me that if, over time, we could demonstrate a number of people had switched to Hiscox to get better cover on their bins/scope/cameras we might be able to tap them up to sponsor a monthly photo comp.

Interesting suggestion - especially as they are one of the main sponsors of the Game Conservancy Council, "providing members with a tailored high value home and contents insurance policy. This includes specialist cover for guns and fishing rods, as well as extended employers liability cover to include gamekeepers, stalkers and ghillies."

A monthly snipe and mallard photo competition, then? :-O

I found that out when I got frustrated trying to use their website to calculate a quote - it's not very Firefox friendly. Joking aside, I might follow through though: I currently have a separate Photoguard policy for my bins (Zeiss FLs) which expires in a month or two, and have just bought a Swarvski scope and loads of accessories so need to upgrade. The photoguard policy is crap, as it requires bins to be in a flight case ... If I do get a good deal with them I'll let you know, as requested.
 
I wonder if the professional aspect takes into account loss of income. I was without my 300mm for 2 months before I got a sensible answer to if the parts were still available for my old model of lens.
 
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