I recall reading that you have to be careful when using UPS Stores to ship, as most are individual franchisees. UPS won't really help you until they take receipt of the item you ship. They are careful to make the the distinction that it's not insurance, but you can buy coverage for "declared value." I'm not sure this is directly from UPS or not. Fortunately the photographer in the YT video had equipment insurance on his own. For a few years now, if I ship via UPS, I'll go directly to one of their centers & buy their coverage, because you never know if theft like this may happen to you.
Yes, UPS does not offer true insurance. And if something is lost, it can be a lengthy process to get compensation. I use UPS all the time and, fortunately, I can trust my local UPS store.
If security is a concern, USPS is the best alternative since they do offer true insurance. Just make sure you take pictures and document serial numbers for any claim.
You are correct about UPS, they off insurance or coverage for declared value but to get coverage with actually UPS the package must be given to. UPS employee, like at a UPS center or a driver, they have to sign the form you print out and you have to show that for coverage. Any dropoff at an ups store will not qualify even if you pay for the insurance. Although ups stores also sell insurance but it’s much more expensive, I think that’s a separate coverage, it’s not quite the same. Once I found this out UPS insured was difficult for me because I am far from an ups depot and they are very specific hours of operation. USPS has been good for me but they limit at 5k coverage
I watched his video about this issue when it came out a few weeks ago. Lesson learned from it: maybe don't buy a > $10K camera in the first place - in his case, he is a professional and covered through professional insurance. But for an amateur....I don't know. Other option is to directly drive to Leica repair facility in NJ and drop it off directly there. I know this doesn't work for many - for me at least it's a 6 hour drive and manageable.
Learned from his video that UPS store is not really UPS but a franchised thing. This explains a lot and something to be aware of for sure.
retrofocus wrote:
I watched his video about this issue when it came out a few weeks ago. Lesson learned from it: maybe don't buy a > $10K camera in the first place - in his case, he is a professional and covered through professional insurance. But for an amateur....I don't know. Other option is to directly drive to Leica repair facility in NJ and drop it off directly there. I know this doesn't work for many - for me at least it's a 6 hour drive and manageable.
Learned from his video that UPS store is not really UPS but a franchised thing. This explains a lot and something to be aware of for sure. ...Show more →
You don't have to be a pro to have your expensive gear covered by insurance.
If you have gear that would be painful to replace at MSRP, you should have insurance, even as a hobbiest.
RoamingScott wrote:
You don't have to be a pro to have your expensive gear covered by insurance.
If you have gear that would be painful to replace at MSRP, you should have insurance, even as a hobbiest.
Yep, I have a valuables policy that covers things homeowners doesn't by default. It's pricey, but I have it at replacement value. Worth the peace of mind for me. The dilemma is in shipping because those policies don't cover carrier loss in most cases. Pro camera policies might - don't know.
RoamingScott wrote:
You don't have to be a pro to have your expensive gear covered by insurance.
If you have gear that would be painful to replace at MSRP, you should have insurance, even as a hobbiest.
I disagree - of course it is a good-to-have, but this kind of insurance is so expensive that it is very hard to justify for an amateur. I didn't have one now for almost 20 years: from all the money saved, I could buy nice new gear . I stay away from this kind of insurance and just handle my gear carefully or don't bring more valuable Leica gear to places where it is less safe (like some areas in Europe now unfortunately).
retrofocus wrote:
I disagree - of course it is a good-to-have, but this kind of insurance is so expensive that it is very hard to justify for an amateur. I didn't have one now for almost 20 years: from all the money saved, I could buy nice new gear . I stay away from this kind of insurance and just handle my gear carefully or don't bring more valuable Leica gear to places where it is less safe (like some areas in Europe now unfortunately).
My $10,000 policy that covers any reason, anywhere in the world for full replacement value runs me like $250/year. My piece of mind is worth that, and sometimes I'll take a chance to get a shot that I wouldn't otherwise. Different value prop for different people and use cases, for sure.
RoamingScott wrote:
Dave makes a living off of clickbaity YT videos, so I'm sure this will fit right in.
edit: yep, he's already made 2 videos with 100k views on the matter
I came across him while browsing youtube, and honestly, I found it hard to take what he was saying seriously. I am sorry for what happened to his camera, but at least he is getting lots of views now!
retrofocus wrote:
I watched his video about this issue when it came out a few weeks ago. Lesson learned from it: maybe don't buy a > $10K camera in the first place - in his case, he is a professional and covered through professional insurance. But for an amateur....I don't know. Other option is to directly drive to Leica repair facility in NJ and drop it off directly there. I know this doesn't work for many - for me at least it's a 6 hour drive and manageable.
Learned from his video that UPS store is not really UPS but a franchised thing. This explains a lot and something to be aware of for sure. ...Show more →
Don't restrict your enjoyment of photography because of fear. Even as an amature you can get all risk World wide coverage very inexpensively. Then just enjoy without worry.
The UPS stores vary greatly in how much they mark up shipping prices as well. I stopped using the ones in my area because of this. Some are just ripping people off.
Maybe when shipping domestically don't tell the staff at the independent UPS store what exactly is in the package, leave that between yourself & the insurance provider, whoever that may be. I know I don't, and I always insist on getting a scan-in receipt.
. I stay away from this kind of insurance and just handle my gear carefully or don't bring more valuable Leica gear to places where it is less safe (like some areas in Europe now unfortunately).