Official Insurance Thread

Niksecure throws in the towel. This morning I got the following email:

Pursuant to the decision to stop the NikSecure Insurance service as of July 19, 2007, you are hereby informed of the details regarding the full refund for the unused term of your insurance policy with ID 221, which terminates your policy with NikSecure and the Nuernberger Insurance Group.

So now I have to start over again. Any suggestions for an insurance that covers world wide, flooding, theft, accepts Dutch nationals living in the Netherlands, value appr EUR17000 (USD23000)?

Yeah, same thing here...also got the letter. And I also have a claim in progress with them...been exchanging emails for like a month now...

So same situ here, looking for an insurance company in the EU...

just an update on this: nothing happend so far...except for carmelina not answering any emails any more

So now I have to start over again. Any suggestions for an insurance that covers world wide, flooding, theft, accepts Dutch nationals living in the Netherlands, value appr EUR17000 (USD23000)?

I currently have DEPP insurance, but have recently added some new lenses to my gear and am looking for a better insurance solution. My main complaint with DEPP is that I can't just say I want $5000 dollars worth of flood insurance. They want to insure by individual items. Seeing as I can't possibly flood more then one lens at a time, I don't feel it's right to have to pay for insurance against something that can't possibly happen. To me this is like a blackjack dealer asking you buy insurance after you have already busted.

Does any know of an option where I can insure for a lump sum (i.e. the max $$$ I take into the water on any given dive)? Also, it must be something that is worldwide and not tied to any other insurance policies.

Hi expatdiver, I dont quite understand your problem with DEPP. You want to insure say $15000 worth of gear, but want to pay for only $5000 because thats all you take into the water at one time? Hey..does that work for cars? If I have two cars, can I just insure one cause I only take 1 onto the road at one time?

You can easily flood more than 1 dive worth of equipment. Just flood twice I take a spare camera with me, so i could flood 2 cameras and 2 lenses. I can then loan my third useless lens to someone, who can flood that one as well. (not even sure thats covered).

Anyways, not taking out insurance on specific items opens the doors for fraud, and thus more expensive insurance.

Cor

Cor, not sure where you got the $15000 from (I wish I had that much gear), but what I am saying is I just want $5000 in flood coverage. Then if I have a flood I can only claim up to a maximum of $5000, regardless of what gear I flood.

I guess it is a bit of a stretch to think any insurance company will ever be reasonable.

Hi all, does any one know if DEPP covers residents in the EU, and that doe semi-professional work (ie have a few published books and sell some underwater pictures but is not my mane profession, since I professionly do land photography). Thinking of insuring my 5D, Aquatica Housing, 2 DS-125 Strobes, a Sigma 15mm, Canon 17-40 and 100mm, as well as the domes, and memory cards. And don´t have a lot of $

Thank´s

Hi all, does any one know if DEPP covers residents in the EU, and that doe semi-professional work (ie have a few published books and sell some underwater pictures but is not my mane profession, since I professionly do land photography). Thinking of insuring my 5D, Aquatica Housing, 2 DS-125 Strobes, a Sigma 15mm, Canon 17-40 and 100mm, as well as the domes, and memory cards. And don´t have a lot of $

 

Thank´s

Hi!

Has anyone the current lint to DEPP? I found something on the web with an email address, but when I sent an email there I got no reply. Did the same a few days ago and got "not deliverable" back on my email.

What is the current status of DEPP and Europe. I live in Norway.

Also, I was thinking to insure only the camera, lenses and strobe. The aquatica housing should survive a flooding (no TTL internally). Only the flooding alarm, but if the housing floods anyway, I can just as well toss the alarm into the garbage bin.

Thanks for your replies, I would also be interested in other links to insureance companies in Europe.

Cheers, Wolfgang

Hi!

I just insured all my gear (two bodies, one housing, two ports, two strobes, several lenses, two SB-800s, a MacBook Pro laptop, a tripod...) with an insurance company which works with the French diving federation (FFESSM). You need to get a year-long license first with the FFESSM (55€/y) in order to be able to insure your gear. Insuring 16000€ worth of gear cost me 450€/year.

Just thought I could share the info with you guys.

Hi!

 

I just insured all my gear (two bodies, one housing, two ports, two strobes, several lenses, two SB-800s, a MacBook Pro laptop, a tripod...) with an insurance company which works with the French diving federation (FFESSM). You need to get a year-long license first with the FFESSM (55€/y) in order to be able to insure your gear. Insuring 16000€ worth of gear cost me 450€/year.

 

Just thought I could share the info with you guys.

Hi!

What is the name of the insurance company? And maybe you hace a link?

Wolfgang

It's the Cabinet Lafont (Group AXA). They are the official insurer of the FFESSM.

http://www.cabinet-lafont.com/trm/trm01_ac...herent=licencie

You'll need first to be a licensed member of the FFESSM. I've a FFESSM/CMAS certification, so it worked for me. I don't know if another CMAS certification will allow you to get a yearly license. You should first contact the FFESSM, if they say it's okay, get in touch with some FFESSM diving center, and only then, you'll be able to get insured.

Oh, and just so you know it, the average Frenchman doesn't speak English. Enjoy!

Cor, not sure where you got the $15000 from (I wish I had that much gear), but what I am saying is I just want $5000 in flood coverage. Then if I have a flood I can only claim up to a maximum of $5000, regardless of what gear I flood.

 

I guess it is a bit of a stretch to think any insurance company will ever be reasonable.

It is difficult to imagine someone selling you insurance for gear that you might not even have. For example, I have insurance on my wine collection through my homeowners. The insurance guy came and took an inventory of what is there so that when the big earthquake comes I can claim what I have, but not claim thousands of dollars of stuff that I never owned. Same with the flood insurance. If you have a little P&S and a $200 housing, you can't insure it for $5000 otherwise you take it down, open the back and go buy a new DSLR setup. With DAN, you tell them what gear you have and what serial numbers even. No big problem, at least to me. Of course you don't have to insure all the stuff you own, just insure one body, one lens and the housing.

Bill

Cor, not sure where you got the $15000 from (I wish I had that much gear), but what I am saying is I just want $5000 in flood coverage. Then if I have a flood I can only claim up to a maximum of $5000, regardless of what gear I flood.

 

I guess it is a bit of a stretch to think any insurance company will ever be reasonable.

It is difficult to imagine someone selling you insurance for gear that you might not even have. For example, I have insurance on my wine collection through my homeowners. The insurance guy came and took an inventory of what is there so that when the big earthquake comes I can claim what I have, but not claim thousands of dollars of stuff that I never owned. Same with the flood insurance. If you have a little P&S and a $200 housing, you can't insure it for $5000 otherwise you take it down, open the back and go buy a new DSLR setup. With DAN, you tell them what gear you have and what serial numbers even. No big problem, at least to me. Of course you don't have to insure all the stuff you own, just insure one body, one lens and the housing.

Bill

Hi!

Gave it a few more tries with DEPP, no success:

Hi. This is the qmail-send program at mail.gmx.net.

I'm afraid I wasn't able to deliver your message to the following addresses.

This is a permanent error; I've given up. Sorry it didn't work out.

<Info@IPGInsurance.com>:

Sorry,_I_wasn't_able_to_establish_an_SMTP_connection._(#4.4.1)/I'm_not_going_to_try_again;_this_message_has_been_in_the_queue_too_long./

<Sandy@EquipmentProtection.com>:

Sorry,_I_wasn't_able_to_establish_an_SMTP_connection._(#4.4.1)/I'm_not_going_to_try_again;_this_message_has_been_in_the_queue_too_long./

Damn ... my homeowners insurance will not insure against flooding, DAN does not insure outside the US (I live in Norway) ... the only insurance I could find charges 8% of the value.

I am a bit lost, any ideas?

Hi!

 

Gave it a few more tries with DEPP, no success:

 

Hi. This is the qmail-send program at mail.gmx.net.

I'm afraid I wasn't able to deliver your message to the following addresses.

This is a permanent error; I've given up. Sorry it didn't work out.

 

<Info@IPGInsurance.com>:

Sorry,_I_wasn't_able_to_establish_an_SMTP_connection._(#4.4.1)/I'm_not_going_to_try_again;_this_message_has_been_in_the_queue_too_long./

 

<Sandy@EquipmentProtection.com>:

Sorry,_I_wasn't_able_to_establish_an_SMTP_connection._(#4.4.1)/I'm_not_going_to_try_again;_this_message_has_been_in_the_queue_too_long./

Damn ... my homeowners insurance will not insure against flooding, DAN does not insure outside the US (I live in Norway) ... the only insurance I could find charges 8% of the value.

 

I am a bit lost, any ideas?

They are indeed still answering their phones and I sent them an email a few minutes ago suggesting that they look at this thread. I'll let you know if i get a response

BVA

You need to insure whatever lenses you shoot with, even though you will only flood one at a time. The other thing you are insuring against is theft, in which case you may lose everything you have with you. I bought my insurance yesterday through DAN, and took my housing underwater for the first time today. I would not have been able to "get wet" if I did not have the insurance. Course, now that I lost my virginity, I may not be so inclined to renew next year. Just kidding, I think. I want a ton of money if I screw up and flood the housing. (Dan insurance is not primary, so if your homeowners covers you, Dan won't kick in. However, my homeowner's excludes any property that is separately insured, so looks like I'm covered by DAN, which is what I wanted.

I just heard from DEPP

Bill:

I have received your e-mail, and I am looking at the link you referred.

It looks like this may be due to a security setting on our e-mail

server. I am looking at this issue and should have it resolved soon.

Thank-you for your input.

Sincerely,

Jay Snider

----- Original Message -----

From: "Sandy Hall" <Sandy@AWRYInc.com>

To: "Jay Snider" <Jay@OandPSoftware.com>

Sent: Monday, June 30, 2008 10:00 AM

Subject: Fw: DEPP in Europe

----- Original Message -----

From: "Bill Van Antwerp" <billv2001@ca.rr.com>

To: <Sandy@EquipmentProtection.com>

Sent: Sunday, June 29, 2008 2:13 PM

Subject: DEPP in Europe

There are a bunch of folks from Europe trying to get insurance and

they can't get through to you. If you get a chance follow the

wetpixel thread

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showt...1012&st=100

where everything is apparently bouncing.

People are getting frustrated is there some problem at DEPP?

thanks

Bill

I checked with State Farm, with whom I have home-owners and car insurance. They will write me an "all-peril" policy, zero deductible and covers ANYTHING from flooding to theft to forgetting it at the airport, and for $5K photo gear and $2K dive gear, it's about $110/year. The price per $ of gear covered is actually slightly higher for the dive gear than the photo gear, which surprised me. In other words, to cover $5K dive gear and $2K photo gear would cost a bit MORE than what I was quoted. Weird.

It's another case of a fixed cost per year, whether you take one or ten dive trips. And that leads to a clear conclusion: take more dive trips!

I'm becoming increasingly agitated with DEPP.

I submitted an enrollment form 2 weeks ago and after several emails, and several voicemails and who knows how many phone calls they appear to be non-existent.

If a charge shows up on my card and I haven't heard from them I'm going to have it removed as a fraudulent charge.

DEPP was the only affordable option for me, but if this is how DEPP works, as far as speed and customer service, the 60 dollar difference may be worth it to get H20 insurance. The deductables on H20 are just ludicrous though =/.

My camera was 429.00. Insurance is 100.00 with a 250.00 water deduct. Thats 350 for a camera that cost 420. Kinda ridiculous.

Eric, how long did it take them to finally get back to you after your enrollment letter was submitted?