Best Buy Accidental Policy and Canon Cameras

Here's an interesting dilemma that I'd like some folks to weigh in on. I'll try to condense this and give the Cliffs Notes version here as much as I can.

In 2008, a friend of mine bought a Canon 40D camera kit (body/28-135 lens/bag) from Best Buy. I think, but I am not sure, that the price was somewhere around $1500. Then he added a 4-year accidental protection plan, which, I'm guessing was another couple hundred dollars (?). The overview of the Best Buy accidental plan is that it covers accidental damages to the camera, up to and including it getting trashed in an accident (falls, drops, run over by a bus, etc.) According to the plan, if the camera can be fixed, they fix it, but if it is deemed not repairable, they replace it.

Okay, so my friend calls me a little while ago and tells me that he dropped his 40D camera and it went boom. This "drop" is a bit of an understatement -- it fell down the front face of Enchanted Rock in Central Texas where it tumbled at least a couple hundred feet, shedding parts as it tumbled. When it was done crashing and burning, he said it looked like it had been beaten with an ugly stick. The camera obviously didn't work, and doesn't, according to him, show any signs of being able to be repaired. (He was able to salvage the CF card, though, even though the door had broken off.) He lamented his camera loss (and the loss of a 50mm 1.8 II lens he had on the front of it, which broke apart and was never seen again), but told me he was going to take the parts (which included the S/N) to Best Buy later and go through the motions.

Out of curiosity, I called Best Buy and asked them about the accidental policy and how it worked. The lady I spoke with told me that the camera, like I mentioned above, is sent to a repair center and fixed, if it can be fixed. If it cannot be fixed, the store will replace the camera with another camera of equal or near equal specifications. Replacements are not given based on original purchase price. Her exact words were, "Replacement is spec for spec, not original cost of goods." Hmmm.

So my question is this: What if my friend is offered a replacement camera, and since the 40D is no longer made, he is offered a so-called "top of the line" 2010 Rebel as a replacement camera? How does my friend prove that the 40D is closer to the 50D in terms of specifications than a Rebel. Or is it? I don't think even the best Rebel, while a decent consumer grade camera, is on the same level as a 40D (which is a better consumer grade camera). In fact, I would argue that a 40D is perhaps closer to a 7D (which is quite improved, so they say) than a Rebel. How would my friend argue this?

What do you think?

This is why I never purchase the accidental policy from Best Buy. A number or years ago my wife purchased a computer from Best Buy and bought the policy. Her machine was in repair more than it was in use and it was a pain to work with them to replace it. I think it's more effective to purchase a real insurance policy on all your gear (search other threads on this) and be done with it. This has always been a foggy issue with me and it gets worse when you have to deal with the Best Buy manager.

he'll most likely get a 50d.

Racer997 wrote in post #10180970
Here's an interesting dilemma that I'd like some folks to weigh in on. I'll try to condense this and give the Cliffs Notes version here as much as I can.

In 2008, a friend of mine bought a Canon 40D camera kit (body/28-135 lens/bag) from Best Buy. I think, but I am not sure, that the price was somewhere around $1500. Then he added a 4-year accidental protection plan, which, I'm guessing was another couple hundred dollars (?). The overview of the Best Buy accidental plan is that it covers accidental damages to the camera, up to and including it getting trashed in an accident (falls, drops, run over by a bus, etc.) According to the plan, if the camera can be fixed, they fix it, but if it is deemed not repairable, they replace it.

Okay, so my friend calls me a little while ago and tells me that he dropped his 40D camera and it went boom. This "drop" is a bit of an understatement -- it fell down the front face of Enchanted Rock in Central Texas where it tumbled at least a couple hundred feet, shedding parts as it tumbled. When it was done crashing and burning, he said it looked like it had been beaten with an ugly stick. The camera obviously didn't work, and doesn't, according to him, show any signs of being able to be repaired. (He was able to salvage the CF card, though, even though the door had broken off.) He lamented his camera loss (and the loss of a 50mm 1.8 II lens he had on the front of it, which broke apart and was never seen again), but told me he was going to take the parts (which included the S/N) to Best Buy later and go through the motions.

Out of curiosity, I called Best Buy and asked them about the accidental policy and how it worked. The lady I spoke with told me that the camera, like I mentioned above, is sent to a repair center and fixed, if it can be fixed. If it cannot be fixed, the store will replace the camera with another camera of equal or near equal specifications. Replacements are not given based on original purchase price. Her exact words were, "Replacement is spec for spec, not original cost of goods." Hmmm.

So my question is this: What if my friend is offered a replacement camera, and since the 40D is no longer made, he is offered a so-called "top of the line" 2010 Rebel as a replacement camera? How does my friend prove that the 40D is closer to the 50D in terms of specifications than a Rebel. Or is it? I don't think even the best Rebel, while a decent consumer grade camera, is on the same level as a 40D (which is a better consumer grade camera). In fact, I would argue that a 40D is perhaps closer to a 7D (which is quite improved, so they say) than a Rebel. How would my friend argue this?

What do you think?

Racer997 wrote in post #10180970
Here's an interesting dilemma that I'd like some folks to weigh in on. I'll try to condense this and give the Cliffs Notes version here as much as I can.

In 2008, a friend of mine bought a Canon 40D camera kit (body/28-135 lens/bag) from Best Buy. I think, but I am not sure, that the price was somewhere around $1500. Then he added a 4-year accidental protection plan, which, I'm guessing was another couple hundred dollars (?). The overview of the Best Buy accidental plan is that it covers accidental damages to the camera, up to and including it getting trashed in an accident (falls, drops, run over by a bus, etc.) According to the plan, if the camera can be fixed, they fix it, but if it is deemed not repairable, they replace it.

Okay, so my friend calls me a little while ago and tells me that he dropped his 40D camera and it went boom. This "drop" is a bit of an understatement -- it fell down the front face of Enchanted Rock in Central Texas where it tumbled at least a couple hundred feet, shedding parts as it tumbled. When it was done crashing and burning, he said it looked like it had been beaten with an ugly stick. The camera obviously didn't work, and doesn't, according to him, show any signs of being able to be repaired. (He was able to salvage the CF card, though, even though the door had broken off.) He lamented his camera loss (and the loss of a 50mm 1.8 II lens he had on the front of it, which broke apart and was never seen again), but told me he was going to take the parts (which included the S/N) to Best Buy later and go through the motions.

Out of curiosity, I called Best Buy and asked them about the accidental policy and how it worked. The lady I spoke with told me that the camera, like I mentioned above, is sent to a repair center and fixed, if it can be fixed. If it cannot be fixed, the store will replace the camera with another camera of equal or near equal specifications. Replacements are not given based on original purchase price. Her exact words were, "Replacement is spec for spec, not original cost of goods." Hmmm.

So my question is this: What if my friend is offered a replacement camera, and since the 40D is no longer made, he is offered a so-called "top of the line" 2010 Rebel as a replacement camera? How does my friend prove that the 40D is closer to the 50D in terms of specifications than a Rebel. Or is it? I don't think even the best Rebel, while a decent consumer grade camera, is on the same level as a 40D (which is a better consumer grade camera). In fact, I would argue that a 40D is perhaps closer to a 7D (which is quite improved, so they say) than a Rebel. How would my friend argue this?

What do you think?

I think I would hold out for the 50D and dig up all of the specs of the related cameras to prove my point.

spiralspirit wrote in post #10181033
he'll most likely get a 50d.

Agreed. Try not to overthink this....

spiralspirit wrote in post #10181033
he'll most likely get a 50d.

I hope you're right, and I would concur that this would seem like a logical fit, but would he be offered a 50D because it's merely an improved 40D (and the model numbers are comprable), or because the specs on the 40D and 50D are quite a bit beyond a Rebel of some kind?

I don't think there are any Rebels with speck near the 40D anymore either.

he will get a 50D.

the rebel may be closer spec to spec, but he can argue one of the specs is a magnesium alloy body.

BB employees probably don't know anything about megapixels, FPS, two control wheels, autofocus points...They'll just see that 50D is like a 40D, but newer

egordon99 wrote in post #10181121
BB employees probably don't know anything about megapixels, FPS, two control wheels, autofocus points...They'll just see that 50D is like a 40D, but newer

Not all of them. I work at Best Buy because all the camera shops close to me shutdown too early for me to get hours. I've been a photo student for 3 years, and I know a thing or nine about photography and cameras. I have a ton of customers who come into my store just to get some advice or ask questions about their gear all the time. I actually tell customers to come in so I can help them get the most out of their camera that they have no idea how to use outside of the green box mode.

To the OP, sure it sucks your friend won't get dollar for dollar on his investment. Just the way it goes with technology unfortunately; it gets better and cheaper with every new product release. I'm not defending BB's policies, as I could care less. I'm probably the most honest employee BB has & have no problem telling a customer info that could potentially get me fired. That being said, in no way should your friend get a Rebel. They don't match the 40D specs. All he has to do is argue the FPS and 1/8000th shutter speed vs 1/4000th on the Rebels. Other obvious differences would be the thumb wheel and the top LCD screen. In no way would he get a 7D though. The specs on the 40D are nowhere near the 7D. But he could probably get store credit for the full price of a 50D towards a 7D kit. If it was me, I'd throw a fit (if necessary) until that was my result. Good luck!

If I worked for the insurer, I'd be nipping down to the nearest photo shop and getting a used 40D and lens. Thats the cheapest way of replacing it.

They'll probably give him 10% off a Coke.

Don;t be shocked if Canon Repair burps up a refurbished 40D......just saying....they have a stash of things far greater than you think.

GBRandy wrote in post #10181322
Don;t be shocked if Canon Repair burps up a refurbished 40D......just saying....they have a stash of things far greater than you think.

I don't think they send a broken Canon camera to Canon. I could be wrong, and maybe it ends up there anyway, but I was told it goes to some central Best Buy repair center. Then again, that probably means it's an authorized Canon repair center, or, for all I know, it means Canon.

In addition, though, I believe the policy does not allow for refurbished. It was bought new and has to be replaced with new. So if it comes with a new S/N, it means something is up. Or at least that's how I understand it, but I don't understand it all.

"New for Old" policies do exist, of course they do, but they tend to be more expensive and thus less common. Much more normal is the "Like for Like" policy where the insurer would put you back in the position you were in before the accident (or their interpretation of that !). So a refurbished 40D would be a result.