Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/04/08

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To: "joe b." <joe@azurite.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Insurance, photos of equipment?
From: Tom Hodge <thodge@charweb.org>
Date: Mon, 8 Apr 1996 05:23:08 -0400 (EDT)
Cc: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us

joe b,

I might have been the one posting this thread.  Jack Hamilton has posted
some excellent information concerning this - thanks, Jack! - and I'd add
that maybe this is too much of a perspective we have to take on "this side
of the pond" but.....in the heat of trying to fill out a report to law
enforcement officials, they live for details.  That's how they catch
crooks in many instances - but spotting little details. 

EVERYONE:  Your life isn't in order unless you have a rather accurate 
accounting and record of your household possessions.  Be it fire, theft 
or act of natural disaster such as a hurricane or something, getting your 
due amount is based on how accurately and how much detail you can provide 
your insurance company with what was lost.  In the case of fire or 
natural disaster, almost total loss; in the case of theft, what ever the 
bastard(s) can carry off in your pillow cases.  Yes, they don't bring 
THEIR own baggies - they use YOUR pillow cases in a majority of situations.

Receipts:  People, you must be packrats about receipts.  If it's something
you want to replace such as cameras, stereos and so on, having a receipt
for it makes things go a LOT smoother with the insurance companies! 

For these receipts and small articles of jewelry, a small fire-proof safe
isn't a bad idea.  Actually bolted to the floor of the house or hidden
where it can't readily be taken, it keeps papers safe until you can
retrieve them.  If you keep a safe-deposit box at your local bank, use it
for V.I.P.!....very important papers.  Wherever you keep your income tax
receipts?  Papers of your personal household goods should be right in
there with them.

Do all of you have a list of all of your credit card numbers written down? 
Probably not!  The computer you're using right now?????  Use it to list
your stuff.  Copy it to a floppy and be done with it!  There are 10 dollar
inventory programs out there that will set everything up for you
room-by-room!  Next time you're by the computer store, look for one!  
I've seen them as cheap as 6 bucks all the way up to close to 50 - that 
allow you to use a scanner to put photos and receipts into file.  

Pictures - of cameras, your home entertainment unit with everything pretty
clearly in view, a place setting of your fine china and silver service if
you have it, your golf club heads, your computer set-up, just general
"snap-shots" of your home in a rather neat condition (rare for me) - go
miles (or kilometers) to convince insurance companies and police you know
what you're talking about when you make a claim and are simply MORE proof
to an insurance company in lieu of a lot of paperwork that you actually
had the articles you say you do/did.

Sadly, making a claim nowdays is almost "your word" against "theirs". 
Every little detail you can remember - with a list, receipts and serial
numbers, pictures....might make it easier to catch the crook in a theft
case.  He (they're normally men - I'm not being chauvinistic!) wants to
sell off the hot stuff for money.  As he spreads the stuff around and it
floats to more people, the easier it is to back-track where it came from.

If something has a serial number, it's a great way to keep track - OR 
TRACE - a personal article.  You can use the information or ignore it - 
your choice!
  
Security "experts" keep warning "us", the general public, it's almost 
impossible to keep a thief out of your house.  Well then, you must do the 
next best thing and make sure you get back either the goods or insurance 
money for what was lost.

Hey------it's your stuff.  If you don't want to take care of replacing it,
it's your business but why have insurance in the first place if you aren't
going to make it pay off to your benefit whan you have to?  And folks,
let's not get STUPID, either, and make false insurance claims!  It's
called "fraud" and you'll be in jail faster and longer than Mr. Thief! 
Plus it drives up the rates for everyone else.  Just keep good records and
play it straight if you ever have to. 

Keeping an inventory, keeping records and receipts, and having pictures -
or a video tape - are real proof you know your stuff!  The few articles
you might overlook and claim after you've calmed down a day or two later 
and remember have much more credibility in the eyes of an adjuster
when he or she sees what an outstanding effort you put forth to keep 
track of the big items.

This isn't meant for everyone to panic and start snapping photos tomorrow
- but better to pay a little pro-active attention now than total panic
later. 

Call me paranoid - I call it protective and prepared. 

Regards,

Tom Hodge


 On Mon, 8 Apr 1996, joe b. wrote:

> In a recent thread about security and insurance and such, someone
> suggested taking pictures of one's own equipment. I'm just wondering
> now- why? If there's a good reason for doing this, I'll do it. (Hell,
> I've got macro lenses, I'll even do it well!). But what exactly is the
> reason? Might it be that in the event of a theft, the police will have
> no good idea what they're looking for from the specification, and need
> to know what it actually looks like as well?
> -- 
> joe b.
> 

Replies: Reply from Eric Welch <ewelch@gp.magick.net> (Re: Insurance, photos of equipment?)
In reply to: Message from "joe b." <joe@azurite.demon.co.uk> (Insurance, photos of equipment?)