Is DEPP insurance out of business?

[Banon]

To give another recent experience:

Per DEPP instructions I sent my camera to Sub Aquatic for repair on March 29th. Tracking showed that Sub Aquatic received it April 2.

I've checked status 3 times now. The first 2 times it took me a couple of emails followed by phone calls, over a period of 2-3 days, until I finally caught Dixie at her desk. (Don't believe the 24 hour response commitment from the voicemail message.) Dixie told me after the second status check that she had info from Sub Aquatic that the camera was repairable, and that she had authorized (or would authorize?) them to repair it.

I emailed Dixie again earlier this week asking for status. She replied that she was out of the office, but that she had forwarded my email to someone else who should get back to me. I haven't heard anything back yet. For those tracking dates, it's been over a month and I haven't received any information other than "we plan to fix it."

I had one previous claim with DEPP a few years back which went much more smoothly. One of the staff at a resort in Costa Rica moved my camera from the middle to the edge of a table while we were eating breakfast, then accidentally knocked it off the edge. (My fault for not being more anal and immediately moving it back to the middle of the table.) The camera was fine, but the strobe fired once more and never again. I sent it in to DEPP and had a new one within a couple of weeks. Great service.

My impression is that Sandy does a great job, but that she's the sole reason for DEPP success. If DEPP is solely reliant on one person to provide reasonable service, I may have to look elsewhere at my next renewal. Your mileage may vary.

 

[robint]

well, I am glad some people get good service but it just proves my point that they are unreliable. My personal experience was horrible - from not being able to get thru to them by phone or e-mail, to rude responses, and then excuses like "oh, I am sure I sent you a check, I'll have to research it and get back to you" and "uh, looks like the paperwork got lost, can you send me all the information again so I can start a new claim?". I contacted them in Nov regarding the problem and need for repair. I didn't get a check until Feb and that was after dozens of phone calls and e-mails all generated by me. They made no effort to satisfy me on their own, I had to keep pushing and pushing and it wasn't even a big claim. I had to get it sent in to Olympus for repair (who were wonderful and had it back to me in 2 weeks). But I had to pay for the repair upfront as they wouldn't wait for payment from DEPP (sounds like they didn't trust them either).

robint

 

[Chinasea]

It's May 24th, 2007 and for the last two weeks I've tried to reach DEPP to renew and change insured equipment list. I left a message on their answering machine, emailed 6 times, couldn't log on (even though I've had insurance with them but my username and email address wasn't in their website) and still no luck.

I live overseas........... who else offers underwater photography equipment insurance?

 

[longipalmus]

I would like to warn anybody against DEPP.
I paid a 405 usd insurance premium and now I lost 5000 usd worth of video gear.
2006
As a professionnal I took their insurance for my video gear via internet while beeing in Egypt.
Unfortunetly my gear got flooded. I sent the gear for an expertise to the shop I bought it from in France ( gear is german). they give me an invoice: Hd cam and housing not to be repaired but repaced.
Since then their chairman miss Sandy Hall told me it would take time to handle but the claim was beeing processed. Then no news. I sent a letter which I got back, called miss Hall, she hanged up on me....
I can send to anyone interested their e-mails.
Look at their web site, does it look professionnal to you?
I should have been more carrefull doing this kind of business through the web.
People advising this insurance must be their friends. (or may be they do carry their job if you live near them...)
That's the beauty with internet, you can make any scam possible.
Now this affair is in the hands of the justice but distance don't make things easy.
More than a year after I still miss my gear and money.
Is that professionnal?
PS: While filming for the 2006 AIda free diving world championnship, we had a Gates housing with a Sony ZH 1 inside that got flooded. it was insured with DAN . NO PROBLEM

 

[IPG]

The DEPP website registration form errors when you attempt to submit. I have not received a reply to email and calls go to voicemail and I have not received a reply. I am wondering if they are still in business.

DEPP is in business and will celebrating 10 years in 2008. Visit the website at Innovative Programs Group, Inc. or e-mail memberservices@awryinc.com

 

[legal advisor]

Acting as a legal advisor on behalf of Mr. Cyril Gicquel known as ‘Longipalmus’ on this forum.
My client is a professional in the dive industry and was we thought we could deal with professionals.
At the contrary. This is the reason of this post.
After more than a year without news from Depp and miss Hall (a single person company?), the only thing that made this company react was a post on this forum.
Within the same week my client finally got a reply from miss Hall.
Then on Mr Gicquel behalf, he handled me the case.
I have never seen an insurance company like DEPP !

You send the right papers they asked for, but letters are sending back. You try to call them, but they never pick up their phone, or they hang up. You send e-mails, but don't get any answer.

More than a year to close a claim ! Even when they have all they were asking for!

When we are so lucky so we can have a mail from Sandy Hall, she just pretends the documents she received were in french, so she had to translate them. Ok, I can understand that.
But... It was more than a month ago and since... No news, no answer, no contact!
And no way to know the following of the claim.
Now, we don't have any other choice : we have to start a legal procedure against DEPP.

What a waste of time and money!
If the case is not solved soon as we are contacting collegues in your country, we will post again to state what this insurance is…., unless they do their job.
The least we can do is to warn other people against unprofessional behavior in the dive industry.

 

[drbill]

Gulp... I have a claim I'm submitting to DEPP this week. Hope my experience is more positive.

 

[fisheyeview]

Gulp... I have a claim I'm submitting to DEPP this week. Hope my experience is more positive.

More than likely your claim will be coherent, so their should not be a problem.

 

[DocVikingo]

As "fisheyeview" implies, coherency is quite important in settling insurance claims and obtaining proper customer service. Our Gallic friend's posting seems to fall rather short on readability and understandability.

There also appears to be confusion about DEPP and its policies, which could be contributing to the alleged difficulties.

For example, the OP states, " He [the insured] sent the gear for an expertise to the shop he bought it from in France (gear is german). they give him an invoice: Hd cam and housing not to be repaired but replaced. (sic)"

If one reads the basics of the DEPP policy, they will see that it is DEPP's option whether to repair or replace covered damaged equipment; the shop from which it was purchased does not make this determination.

Any items to be enrolled for flood coverage must be listed on DEPP's "Flood Schedule Form" in a somewhat detailed fashion. It is unclear if this done at the time of application.

The post goes on to state, "After more than a year without news from Depp (sic) and Miss Hall (a single person company?),...." Of course DEPP is not a single person company. It has a Board of Directors and number of employees; it also has underwriters and independent agents.

The poster comment, "When we are so lucky so we can have a mail from Sandy Hall, she just pretends the documents she received were in french (sic), so she had to translate them. Ok, I can understand that."

This is quite unclear. Is Ms. Hall "pretending" or were the documents forwarded to DEPP actually written in French? If they in fact were in a foreign language, this puts DEPP at a disadvantage and the company should be granted extra time for translation/interpretation services.

Finally, the post repeatedly references delays and excessive times in the handling this claim. Yet, it provides not a single specific date or actual time span. Such information is important. On what date did the flooding occur?; on what date was the claim filed?; what were the dates of the actions/replies from Ms. Hall;, etc.

In any event, I offer them best wishes in amicably settling this claim.

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[Damselfish]

Acting as a legal advisor on behalf of Mr. ...

It's not usually a good idea privacy-wise to give someones real name on a forum, if they don't choose to do so themselves.