209 replies to this topic

[Marjo]

Canada is not covered; I wish that it was.

I wish my area was covered by DAN/H2O as well. I talked to them last week and I was really impressed by their fast response (they answered the phone on the first ring), their friendly and knowledgeable customer service representative and their very clear information. It is quite apparent that there is a market outside the 50 US states for a company that offers this type of good service. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw that void being filled in the not so distant future.

[Marjo]

In one week it will be exactly 3 months since I filed a claim with my insurance broker. I still don't have a resolution, despite numerous calls and emails and every effort to provice the insurance broker with any and all information they might want and need.

If you are about to insure your u/w photo gear or renew your insurance, ask yourself if in the case of a loss you can live without your gear for several months while waiting for the insurance company to process you claim and if this service is worth paying for.

[Steve Williams]

Sorry to hear your having a bad time Marjo. Really hope it all works out.

As an aside I thought I'd test the system with my State Farm policy. I managed to drop and break a 70-200 f4 that was listed on my personal all perils policy. I cracked the case so I called last week and the check arrived to replace it today. It's nice to know the system works if I need it.

Good luck,
Steve

[Marjo]

I cracked the case so I called last week and the check arrived to replace it today. It's nice to know the system works if I need it.

One week turnaround to resolution: Pretty strong argument for the State Farm option.

In my case "self insuring" would have probably been less costly than renewal of my dedicated equipment (possibly protection) insurance.

[SOX404]

Hey guys, I'm a newbie here.

I've just relocated to Indonesia. Do you guys know any insurance company in Indonesia that will take care of my camera equipment?

Thanks,

[Marjo]

This weekend it will be 4 months since I filed my claim, no resolution, they just say they are still investigating.

Edited by Marjo, 16 February 2011 - 03:22 PM.

[JackConnick]

Hmm, looking at getting flood insurance, thinking about what really needs to be covered. I guess I'll go with the DAN policy as it make the most sense; I do fall under the professional rating, not that I sell many shots, but I sell the gear.

Usually all my gear rolls on with me on the plane. I'm really more worried about accidental floods, so I'm thinking about only insurance the camera and lenses. The housing isn't really going to be hurt. Even strobes are sort of a low payoff idea.

Any thoughts?

Jack

[Marjo]

Jack,

I am not with DAN, but from my painful expereince I would say this: Be very sure to have something in writing about how long the insurance broker/agent can sit on your claim. Also, make sure that you get the information on who is actually the underwriter and contact information for then so you can contact the adjuster. Also seek some guarantees on communication turnaround and methods. Also find out about how a long-term relationship with the insurance broker/agent will affect you, i.e. is there any point in renewing and paying for the policy after you have had claims. I know DAN does answer their telephones and they are open about who is their underwriter and how to contact them, but apart from that I really can't say much about them, except that I have hear good things about them. Personally, I will henceforward selfinsure and have advised the company I have been with since 2004 to not renew my insurance.

[Steve Williams]

Usually all my gear rolls on with me on the plane. I'm really more worried about accidental floods, so I'm thinking about only insurance the camera and lenses. The housing isn't really going to be hurt. Even strobes are sort of a low payoff idea.

Any thoughts?

I was thinking of doing the same thing Jack but finally decided that the biggest risk to the housing was getting stolen or lost in luggage. If you can always carry it on I can see maybe not insuring it. Might ask them to bid your coverage both ways and see if it's worth the risk.

Cheers,
Steve

[Marjo]

Anyone else has noticed this:

Reading the DEPP insurance policy, there is no mention in the policy of a company name. There is no mention of the broker (Innovative Programs Group) nor of the actual underwriter of the policy. At least my policy only contains the words "we" and "you", no other references.

Perhaps I am the only one who was sent a "policy" like this, who knows. Anyone who happens to have a DEPP policy with Innovative Programs Group, can you check your policy and see if this is the case with what they sent you as well?

[Marjo]

5 months since I filed my claim, still nothing...

Edited by Marjo, 20 March 2011 - 05:15 PM.

[Marjo]

I have tried to send email to ipginsurance.net (Dwl@ipginsurance.net and info@ipginsurance.net) today and the emails bounce back with a 550 #5.1.0 "address rejected" message for both email addresses. Email to awryinc.com still appears to go through but I haven't received replies to those. Anyone knows what's going on?

[Marjo]

After much effort I managed to get a reply saying that @ipginsurance.net is no longer valid but to send communication to @ipginsurance.com instead. So update your files. Still not feeling any better about this.

[Marjo]

Today marks 6 months, half a year, since I submitted my claim. Still don't have a replacement or check.

[johnt]

Hi All
On October 4 I posted an inquiry about new insurance options for my gear. I was a DEPP customer at the time and concerned about their communication about limiting aggregate losses to $1000 (including airline loss/damage). I want to thank those that responded with ideas and options.

I'm still working on finding a new carrier. What I wanted to report was the experience I had with DEPP that convinced me to drop their coverage (and be happy that I did...).

In August (prior to my post) I took a spill in the surf and put a big gouge in the middle of my Zen mini dome port. I submitted the claim to DEPP and heard nothing from them. In mid -September I reminded them that I had submitted the claim, and was told at that time that it would take 30-60 days to process the claim. The amount of my claim was $350 to replace the port glass. When I asked them why it would take so long, I was told about decline in revenues and increasing claim costs. I replied that I thought that this amount of time was excessive, and that I was concerned (as were many) about the upcoming changes to the DEPP policy. My message was forwarded to the president of the company (Deanne) and I began what I thought was a productive dialog with Deanne about insuring underwater equipment. I referred Deanne to Wetpixel and he gave me his email and said he was amenable to feedback from members of this group. I posted his email address in my October 4 message.

What followed was simply a disaster. There was no movement on my claim at all and my emails went unanswered. As I was leaving on a trip in October, I had the dome repaired at my expense and I elected to not renew my policy with DEPP (my renewal date was November 1), figuring that if they were unable to follow up on a $350 claim, they would certainly be no better with a more expensive one. When I returned in late November, I still had no communication from them. In early December I sent Deanne a message asking if he intended to take care of my claim from August. He replied a few days later that my message had made its way into his "spam" folder and that he would check into it. And then nothing. In late December I had had enough and sent an email saying that if I didn't hear from them within 10 business days I was submitting a complaint to the department of insurance. That got a (nasty) response, but a response nonetheless. But then nothing again. I resorted to sending an email every week asking for an update, and I either got no answer or vague answers [1/25: "Mr. Trone: Your claim is now authorized and in the queue for payment."; 2/11: "You are first on the list of non-current customers to be paid."]. I sent another email on Sunday, February 12 giving them 10 business days to make a payment or I would file a complaint with the department of insurance. On Monday February 14 I received an email stating my check was going to be mailed that day. My check arrived February 28.

My experience with DEPP was truly appalling. I am sorry that others seem to be having the same problem I did (Marjo...). The only suggestion I can make with regards to DEPP is to not give up, and if there continues to be no movement on your claim, file a complaint with the department of insurance. I may still do this, even though my claim is settled, because there was no reason at all why it should have taken them over 6 months to settle a $350 claim (or any claim, for that matter).

[errbrr]

I'm insured with DEPP, and all of these stories are making me very nervous - my insurance is not up until October, and I have a trip to Borneo between now and then. I imagine when I find a new insurer that there is no point trying to get a refund on the unused portion of the premium? Do I wait for my renewal, or get additional insurance now?

Most importantly - who else will do flood insurance in Australia?

[Marjo]

I imagine when I find a new insurer that there is no point trying to get a refund on the unused portion of the premium? Do I wait for my renewal, or get additional insurance now?

You could try, but don't hold your breath. DEPP would not give me e refund for all the months they have not been responding to my claim during which time my equipment has been out of commission and of course could hence not be flooded. But when there was just a few weeks left on my insurance, which I had told them (in no unclear terms) that I would not be renewing, they offered to cancel my plan and refund me for the premiums for those few weeks that were left. It would have shook out to a few dollars so the whole idea was preposterous at that point. Anyway, you could try but good luck getting any response from them, and arm yourself with plenty of patience. My experience has been to have to write hundreds of emails to them plus a whole lot of grief and misery and I still don't have a complete resolution to my claim. Once upon a time they were OK, that is NOT the case anymore, judging from the communications I have received from numerous people in the past half year. Waiting for 7+ months for a resolution, dealing lots of very unpleasant communication, and in the end being offered a piddly sum to be used to bid on a used camera of unknown condition on eBay was NOT worth it. Outside the US I would recommend either finding a regular insurance company to insure your belongings or weigh the risk vs. cost of new refurbished equipment. In my case I have opted to "self-insure", setting the equivalent amount of money aside each year in case of a problem.

[aussie]

I'm trying to get some money out of DEPP at the moment for some stollen gear. It's been over 3 months already and I've had very few replies to my many emails. In fact, the only time they've really ever replied is when I found the CEO's email address online (PM me if you want it) and emailed him threatening to get a lawyer onto the case if I didn't hear from them.

I emailed them this week to say some of the items have been recovered but some I still need to claim on, and didn't even get a response to that.  Can anyone in the states give me someone I can direct a complaint to, like a dept of insurance or something?

This is my third camera system I've had insured with DEPP, but my first claim. I will not be using them again.

[Marjo]

I'm trying to get some money out of DEPP at the moment for some stollen gear. It's been over 3 months already and I've had very few replies to my many emails. In fact, the only time they've really ever replied is when I found the CEO's email address online (PM me if you want it) and emailed him threatening to get a lawyer onto the case if I didn't hear from them.

I emailed them this week to say some of the items have been recovered but some I still need to claim on, and didn't even get a response to that. Can anyone in the states give me someone I can direct a complaint to, like a dept of insurance or something?

This is my third camera system I've had insured with DEPP, but my first claim. I will not be using them again.

I'd like to point out that the company name is NOT DEPP. That is just the name of the "plan". This is important if you are ever to deal with the Kentucky Department of Insurance or Better Business Bureau, as they will not find the company registered as "DEPP". The name of the company is Innovative Programs Group, Inc. There is really only 3 people to IPG and the other company "Awry" which appears to do their administrative work such as issuing the checks. Deane Lehrmitt (dwl@ipginsurance.com), Dixie Lehrmitt (Dixie@AWRYInc.com) and Sandy Hall (sandy@AWRYInc.com). Deane is the one who acts as the adjustor (and a President) at Innovatibe Programs Group, Inc and the one you will probably end up communicating with. The current email that works is dwl@ipginsurance.com (the similar address with a .net ending no longer works). If you need clarity in what you can find the detail for the companies in the public records here. Just plug in the word "lehrmitt" in the search and you will get a listing of all their companies. I have been unable to find out who actually underwrites their policy. I have asked right out and they have told me they don't need to tell me that.

Calling them at any of the numbers they have listed has at least for me not produced any results, they have never called me back, and insist that email is the only way they will communicate.

Good luck with your claim, hope this info helps with getting in contact with them.

[gadgs311]

This topic has been revisited many times here (use search!).

Two programs that a lot of people around here use:

D.E.P.P. (with two Ps):
http://www.equipment...grams/depp.html

DAN Equipment Insurance (what I use):
https://www.h2oinsurance.com/

Both are reputable, and have given money back to people I know who have lost equipment. DAN gives you cash for replacement, which is great because you aren't locked into buying the same camera again (it may be obsolete by the time it floods). I believe DEPP works by replacement, on their terms (meaning that they can get you the equipment themselves instead of providing cash for you to do your own shopping). Someone correct me if I'm wrong...

I'll be looking to get DAN as well, but DAN seems a bit more expensive than some of the other ones.