[Leica] camera insurance

[Thinkofcole at aol.com (Thinkofcole@aol.com)]

Karen, having written extensively about the insurance industry  for The New 
York Times years ago, I can tell you that the industry would think  twice 
even 
before selling fire insurance on a steel bridge permanently  under water. 
   You can, of course, insure camera equipment in the United  States under 
special policies that require that you hire an appraiser and value  each and 
every item you want covered and then pay for only that coverage, which,  by 
the 
way, is expensive.
   Otherwise, lost camera equipment and other valuable  possessions, like a 
gold watch, is probably covered under standard homeowner or  apartment-owner 
insurance up to a certain amount, say, $500 --if and only  if you have 
receipts 
for their purchase. 
   You may also buy coverage on her camera possessions while  abroad under a 
kind of special insurance known as, say, "excess lines.''   The few 
companies 
that offer this special stuff also insures reporters and  photographers 
against death, dismemberment, beheading and similar misfortunes  and also 
insures 
executives while abroad against kidnapping and other  calamities. Suffice it 
to 
say that the cost for any and all of this kind of  coverage is extremely 
high. 
[None of them likes to even admit that this kind of  coverage is available.]
  To sum up, just let your daughter enjoy her trip to Fiji and to take  all 
the photos she likes. 
But one of my daughters who made a similar trip elsewhere when she was a  
youngster told me that one of her friends lost even a pair of boots she left 
 
unguarded. If she wants to keep her Leica stuff, she should protect it the 
same  
way she protects her credit cards and cash. 
  I'm sorry to be so blunt, but insurance companies are  definitely not 
charitable institutions. The cost is based solely on risk  and they are 
outstanding 
in evaluating risk.
  Best wishes, bob cole