Missing receipt

Bella_Myles · Jul 9, 2013

I am currently mid insurance claim after a nasty robbery last week.

It appears one receipt, for a body that was stolen from me is missing.

Insurance are unlikely to pay out, despite having images taken by the camera, photos of me using the camera, and so forth.

Horrible situation made far worse... would appreciate any help and/or advice.

SCraig · Jul 9, 2013

If it's a Nikon body the serial number of the camera body is embedded in the EXIF data of every photograph taken with it. Other manufacturers probably do the same thing. Providing several dozen photographs all showing the same serial number should be viewed as proof of ownership in my opinion.

DanielLewis76 · Jul 9, 2013

I doubt that. Otherwise you could send me 100 photos you took and I could claim I owned your camera on my insurance.

JBrown · Jul 9, 2013

Its called a lawyer. Insurance is like everything else, they don't want to pay. Having receipts helps your case, but not having them doesnt negate your claim.

Bella_Myles · Jul 9, 2013

Thank you, JBrown

Just waiting on a response from them, if they're not amenable, perhaps time to consult with my solicitor.

JBrown · Jul 9, 2013

Bella_Myles said:
Thank you, JBrown

Just waiting on a response from them, if they're not amenable, perhaps time to consult with my solicitor.

No problem. It should be a open/shut case especially if you have proof of owning lots of other photography equipment.

As long as you arent making outrageous claims on highend gear the claim should go smooth.

cgipson1 · Jul 9, 2013

Where did you buy it? They should have records.. assuming you bought it new? Also.. did you register it with the Manufacturer for Warranty? If so, that may be adequate...

SCraig · Jul 9, 2013

DanielLewis76 said:
I doubt that. Otherwise you could send me 100 photos you took and I could claim I owned your camera on my insurance.

But I'm not going to send you a hundred photos taken with my camera, so assuming I don't have a web site where you can download them how are you going to get them? Odds are that anyone who can produce a hundred photographs all showing the same serial number owns the camera they were taken with. Especially if family members, pets, or their house is in the photograph somewhere.

stevensondrive · Jul 9, 2013

that is a real bummer!! I can't imagine having my gear stolen! hopefully it all works out with the insurance

Welcome to the Forum by the way. Take a look around there is a lot of great info on here

macintoshsauce · Jul 9, 2013

I'd try to contact the place where you bought the camera body. Ask them for a copy of the receipt.

Gavjenks · Jul 9, 2013

I don't know about the UK, but in the US we also have a place called the "Better Business Bureau" where you can file complaints about shoddy business practices. Most large businesses, especially ones that operate on trust like insurance companies, are fairly well aware of such complaints and will often make things happen to resolve them.

jwbryson1 · Jul 9, 2013

Pay with a credit card? Do you have a credit card statement? Also ask the seller for a copy of the receipt...

EDL · Jul 9, 2013

It'll really depend on your insurance company. In the midst of moving the family from Texas to Pennsylvania after I retired from the Air Force we had a lot of stuff in one of those paid storage facilities. Ours and two others were broken into on Halloween (this was 4-5 years ago). They took a lot of our stuff, almost zero receipts for anything. A lot of tools that were handed down to me from my father, all of our Christmas decorations and most of the kids' toys (my son had a rather nice collection of HO trains, cars, equipment, track, etc). Insurance never asked for a receipt for anything, I just had provide best guess estimate for value and an itemized list of what was stolen. They paid up no issues at all. Of course, pretty much all of the items can't be replaced.

bratkinson · Jul 10, 2013

I'm no insurance specialist, and as I am not a resident of the UK, insurance handling there may differ significantly from what companies in the US may do.

The first place to start would be the 'fine print' of your homeowners insurance policy. Add to that the 'limits of coverage' you may have on that policy, such as $5000 for furnishings and personal property. Once that limit is reached, they don't pay a penny more. Subtract, too, any applicable deductables, too.

A couple of years ago, I had a snowblower stolen that was 4 years old and cost $1300 new. I replaced it with a similar unit for $1100. Since I had $1000 deductable on my homeowners policy, it really wasn't worth the hassle of filing a claim, etc for $100. They'd likely come back and say it's value at the time of its being stolen was more like $700 on the used market, so they would end up paying nothing...unless I had 'replacement cost' as a specific rider/endorsement on my homeowners policy.

Remember, their goal is to take your money but provide as little as possible in return. Hopefully the insurance companies in the UK are more 'customer oriented' than they are on this side of the Atlantic.