lost a mic from a rented lav set

B

blackdogs377

Well-known member
I rented a sennheiser evolution set on saturday for a week...and i was filming something today in the park and guess what...i forgot to pack up the lav mic. I have both the transmitter and the receiver but the mic with the cable got left on the park bench. that was at 2pm. when i realized that it was missing at 5pm, when i went back it was gone. I got like extra insurance on the rental (extra $4). Do you think that'll cover the lost mic? I'll go out and buy a replacement if i have to (how much does one cost?).
 
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Replacement mic is about $100. Not sure how much the insurance covers, but I'm guessing it should have covered replacement of anything you broke/damaged during use....?
 
Hey, it could be worse....you could have lost it while you were shooting, or somebody could have crushed/ripped/torn the thing while shooting.
 
I would check with the rental company to see if there is a deductable or something. If not then i wouldn't really worry
 
I doubt if you will have to purchase a replacement personally. In order to rent you would have had to a)provide proof of your own insurance, b)leave a deposit or a credit card info or c)buy into their insurance policy (which apparently you had). In all cases they'll simply purchase a new piece of gear and bill it to their insurance policy or yours. The question is how extensive the insurance coverage is. It might just cover you for the majority of the replacement cost and you have to pay a deductible or it can cover you for the whole thing.
 
ok i called them
I told them that it got stolen at school when i was filming.
i have a few options

1. pay the $75 deductible and i'm covered but i have to file a police report with it (but i lost it, and its not stolen so thats not an option)
2. pay $83 for the mic

I'm just gunna pay for the mic i guess.
 
i've got the original mic from my kit that i don't use anymore. i don't have a mic clip for it tho. i'd let it go for very cheap. i think the mic clip is like $25 from b&h. pm me if you're interested
 
I actually have the clip. i found it on the ground when i went looking for the mic.

but I need to give this stuff back by tomorrow.
 
Honesty is the best policy... why lie to the rental house... who might even surf this forum!!!

If you have insurance, then pay the deductible and the rental house will get a replacement. When I rent my sound kit, I require the renter to show proof of insurance for theft, damage and liability... that way I'm covered for all perils. I also invested in extra mics, clips, etc. since those pesky caps, clips and wind covers are very easy to lose outdoors.

I'd also go back to the park, get down on your knees and check the area in about 30' radius... it might still be there and got tossed by someone's shoe. You found the clip, so I'd bet the mic is still there.

Good luck, whatever you decide...
 
I once thought I had lost a large transmitter device for a wireless headphone system I rented here in NYC. The complete system included about 50 headsets, and cost about $200 to rent IIRC. When I told the company the truth, which was that I had left the transmitter in the location inadvertently, they told me that since I had paid for their insurance (I forget how much it cost but it wasn't much), I was covered and there'd be no additional charge. I don't recall there being any deductible in this case. Fortunately, someone at the location had taken it and secured it unbeknownst to me, and it was returned intact. But it was reassuring to find out that the insurance would have handled it.

When you think about it, that's what insurance is supposed to do, as long as "loss" is included in the terms. Hypothetically, if the company's aggregate loss/theft rate for all renters in a given year is let's say about 2%, and the insurance fee is 4%, the company can replace the gear and still make a profit at the end of the day.

The deductible thing seems a little fishy to me (although I haven't rented much gear lately for location work - maybe it's a newer trend). Again, given a presumably low incidence of loss, and an insurance fee of maybe 5% tops, it should make them money on the 98% of cases where there is no loss, neatly cover the ones where there is, and then some. Money in the bank... Unless the fee is very low, a deductible starts to sound like one of those "extended warranty" cash-cows that are so rampant nowadays where the profit is probably about 95%. Don't get me started on that subject : )
 
I of course haven't read the rental contract that the OP signed, but since they're requiring a police report to handle it under their insurance, I would have to guess that "loss" isn't covered under their insurance, only theft.

FWIW, the rental company I work for doesn't do any insurance--if it doesn't come back, regardless of the reason, you just bought us a new one. :)
 
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