What is Trov?
Trov is an insurance company that allows you to cover your camera gear and electronic tech via its smartphone app. While Trov’s prices might seem a bit steep for annual cover, the ability to turn the insurance on and off with a smartphone app makes it perfect for use for holidays, trips and events.
In the UK Trov’s insurance is underwritten by Axa.
Getting Started
You can arrange cover with Trov via the website but the easiest, most flexible way to do so is to download the Trov app from the App Store or Google Play. Inevitably, after installing the app, the next step is to register a few details to create an account.
Once that’s done, just tap the search icon and enter the name of the device you want to insure. Trov will then show you a list of items that seem to fit the bill and you just need to tap on the right one to see what the insurance costs.
The premium varies depending on the value of the item you’re insuring and the excess that you are prepared to pay. Insuring a Canon 5D Mark IV with an excess of £450, for instance, costs £0.79/day, or £23.70 for 30 days. Reduce the excess to £300 and the premium rises to £0.88/day, while raising the excess to £599.99 drops the excess to £0.75/day. If you want the security of zero excess for the 5D Mark IV, the premium is £1.02/day.
Once you’ve registered your items, you can turn the insurance on or off at any time. You’re only charged for the days that the insurance is active. The slightly odd part is that Trov charges you from the point you take out the insurance until the end of the month. If you turn off the cover before the end of the month, you get a rebate.
Making a Claim
Trov Protection covers you against accidental damage, loss and theft anywhere in the world. Accidental damage is defined as physical damage that means that your item doesn’t work as it should.
The gear that I insured with Trov came home unscathed, so I haven’t actually tested the claims process but claims can be made from within the app or via the website. You may need to provide details of the report made to the police (I recommend that any loss or theft is reported to the police) along with proof of purchase.
In the US and UK, losses can be reported to the police via https://www.reportmyloss.com/
Verdict
Insurance isn’t the sort of thing that anyone tends to get excited about and it’s easy to ignore it, but when you take your gear on a trip or have a special event, it can pay to get some cover. The thought of ringing a broker, explaining what kit you’ve got and the type of cover you need doesn’t hold much appeal, but Trov’s smartphone app makes it a doddle to get a quote and arrange the cover.
Trov doesn’t offer indemnity insurance, it merely covers you for the loss or damage of your kit. If you need long-term cover, you may want to shop around, but if you want short-term insurance the Trov app makes it very easy.
Any items that you’ve had a quote for, or have insured, are listed in the My Trov section of the app, making it easy to activate the cover or turn it off.
Trov is a convenient option for peace of mind.