insurance replacement - used gear in unknown condition

How do you guys feel about this:

Scenario: Your camera floods, you have paid insurance premiums on the full amount of the purchase value of the camera (As required by your insurance company) and then the insurance company wants to give you a used piece of equipment as a replacement. You suggest that you would rather take a factory refurbished unit and even point the company to the source where they can purchase one from the manufacturer at approximately half the price of the purchase price you initially paid for it. The insurance company makes no indication that they will go for this, but keep telling you they are still looking and have the right to give you a used unit.

My problem with this is that in the case of a camera body, unless you have it checked by the manufacturer, you can not tell what condition a used unit is in. For all you know, it might have just flooded as well, have a horribly corroded main board, and while still working, it might not work in a few days, a week or a month down the road. So I ask the insurance company what they would consider a working replacement. This is what they say:

"A working replacement is one that is completely functional at the time of purchase by us. As the policy permits replacement with used, reconditioned or remanufactured items, we cannot guarantee there are no inherent defects in the product, just as we cannot be assured there were no inherent defects in the item you damaged. All functions on the item in question must be working at the time we order the replacement. As you know, even if we replaced the item with a new camera, we would not be responsible if the item malfunctioned two months following delivery. Product malfunction is not covered by insurance contracts."

So in effect, basically they say they could give you any unit as long as it appears to work when they purchase it. There is no guarantee that it has been checked for preexisting conditions (such as a refurbished unit would have been).

So... basically you think you will get a unit equivalent to the value of what you paid the premium on, but I fear I might actually get a cheapo questionable used piece off of **** off of ebay.

Now I don't still know what they will give me, if anything. Just that they have told me that it is their right to give me a used unit which does not have to even be refurbished. But in the light of what they tell me I feel I might as well have saved paying those insurance premiums and in case of flood purchased piece of used **** off ebay myself for the money. At least it wouldn't have taken 6 months.

OK this is getting REALLY ridiculous now, hear this, 7 months later:

Not only do the insist that they are going to give me a USED camera body (of unknown origin and condition to me) but now they want me to send my credit card into to them so than they can charge a deductible on the amount of the value of that.

So: They told me that I had to insure the camera at its original purchase value ($1300), not its depreciated value. I have been paying the premium on this original value, and been lead to believe that in case catastrophy strikes, I will be reimbursed with something equivalent to this value (not necessarily expecting money but at least thinking I will get a camera which is worth the amount I have been insuring it for). But NO, they say they will not even agree to give me a refurbished camera body. They are going to send me some used body worth only a fraction of the amount I have been paying the premium on AND they want to charge my credit card a further deductible on top of that.

So, basically for all I know I get to "buy" a used piece of crap that might come off ebay or off their shelf of previously flooded gear, from them. Right.

Marjo,

My sympathies. For the folks who haven't seen your earlier posts, who are these yahoos that are doing this?

Steve

I agree, which insurance company is this?

I think if it were me that I would strongly insist that at the least they give me the money rather than purchase a highly questionable camera. That way you could buy a refurbed model or new one at your choice. And I would NEVER give them my credit card info.

Good luck I hope it works out for you.

Since I plan to buy a housing for my 5DII soon I will also have to insure my camera against flooding.

Who is the recommended insurer?

I agree, which insurance company is this?

I think if it were me that I would strongly insist that at the least they give me the money rather than purchase a highly questionable camera. That way you could buy a refurbed model or new one at your choice. And I would NEVER give them my credit card info.

Good luck I hope it works out for you.

Who is the recommended insurer?

Ditto to Steve and above. Please inform us of the insurer.

Bob

It goes absolutely without saying that I am not sending them my credit card info. They will probably use this as an excuse to never get me a replacement camera body, but in my mind a used camera body of unknown origin and condiion is not worth giving out my credit card info to them. In fact, I just cancelled my credit card and am having new one sent to me just in case, because I had asked them not to renew my coverage and even after having sent several messages to that effect and having received replies that they had taken note of this, I received a "renewal notice" from them. When I contacted them about it they told me the renewal notice was an automated message and that the renewal would not actually happen. I called my credit card company to see how I could ensure that they would not "forget" or "mistakenly automatically" recharge me and the credit card company recommended I cancel the card and get a new one, just to be on the safe side.

They have not told me anything about this replacmenet camera body except that it will be a used body that is not refurbished or checked by any authorized service center. They have not given me any indication of where it was (or will be) purchased or obtained and at what cost. Now they just want me to send my credit card so they can deduct some amount of money from it. They have not told me what amount this is or on what amount it would be calculated. I assume they are referring to a 20% flood deductible of the purchase value of that used camera body. What that translates into in $ I dont know because they have not told me the purchased price of this used camera. I am not quite willing to just send a credit card so they can deduct some money based on what info they have(n't) sent me.

I pointed them to the website where the manufacturer sells refurbished gear and to the lowest comparable model. There was a refurbished body there for $705. I was hoping they woud at least go for this, but no, they would not.

I don't want a used camera in unknown condition. I certainly don't want to pay out even more money for a used camera of unknown origin and in unknown condition. I feel I was lead to believe that I would at least get a camera that would somehow be certified to be in good condition by an authorized service facility. It might not say that in the policy, but I feel that this is such a basic expectation that anyone would have. They made me pay premium on a $1300 purchase value, so I certainly did not expect them to give me a uncertified used camera body replacement AND want to further deduct (have me pay) money in addition.

Is it within their right to do this? I dont know. What I DO know is that it I feel mislead and that I will personally never sign up for the "DEPP" insurance program offered by Innovative Program Group Inc. again.