FAQ
Do I really get the camera for two weeks?
Our rentals start with two-week time periods. But this includes shipping times, which means you won't get your camera until several days into your rental period, and you'll have to send your camera back a bit before it ends, too. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, where local rentals can take advantage of coordinating local pickup and drop-off to potentially get the full two weeks in Chicago or Los Angeles.
Why does shipping cut into rental times?
There are a few ways we could have done this, but we're somewhat limited by the systems we have. We've found the best way is to simply price well and make it worthwhile. Our two-week rentals were really set up so if you're really in a pinch and just need it for a few days, you can save a bit by going that route. To add shipping times, we'd have to offer daily scheduling, which we just can't do yet. For now, this also simplifies the process on our end, which saves you money.
My trip is only two weeks long, but right between two periods. Can I just rent for one period?
Let’s say you leave for a trip on the 25th of the month, but return by the 8th of the next month. While this is less than two weeks, there are a number of reasons we can’t offer and don’t recommend a single rental period. The most important reason is availability for other renters. If we rent a kit during these two periods, we simply can’t rent it on either end because of the shipping blocks. Also, these dates are actually much closer to actual shipping dates for a two-period (one-month) rental. If we ship the camera on the 15th, it could take up to the 21st (or more, but hopefully not) to get to you. And you would likely have to return the kit anyway as soon as you return from your trip on the 8th depending on where weekends fall, etc., to ensure we get the gear back by the 15th. So what we’re really talking about is one of our standard two-period rentals; but at least you get the long-term rental discount, then.
In some cases, if your dates are just a day or two off, it may make more sense to simply pay the late fees or to pay for a similar early shipping fee (although we cannot guarantee availability for a non-reserved period before your rental start date, we can accommodate this within two weeks of your rental start date if your kit is not rented for that period). Please contact us within two weeks of your rental start date to see if this is available.
Do you offer refunds if I want to cancel my rental?
We generally do not offer refunds once you have reserved your rental, as the kit will have been reserved for your rental period and unavailable to other renters during this time. Under certain circumstances, such as within 24 hours of your order and if your order has not yet shipped, we allow for cancellations. So if you are up in the middle of the night planning and want to secure your date, but still need to ask a few questions, you can book confidently and ask us in the morning while still having the flexibility to cancel if our answer doesn’t work for you. But after 24 hours pass, we will not be able to accommodate a cancellation.
How is it so cheap?
If you count out the number of days you get the camera (especially for the longer-term rentals), you might realize it's no more than a few dollars a day for most cameras. And yes, that's a bit insane! But we realized we could do it, and maybe in doing so could also open up film photography to a whole other group of people! Of course, the secret is in doing long-term rentals. But we've found that by the time you get to know your camera, it's hard to part with it after just a day or two anyway. Realistically, having a camera with you for several weeks is a much better way to get to know it and to use it to its full advantage.
When will my rental arrive?
We send tracking information once every item ships. Our goal is to have the rental to you by the sixth day into your rental period at the latest. The usual time period is about 1-4 days, however. So if your rental begins on the 1st, you could hope to get it by the 2nd through 4th, but it would almost surely arrive by the 6th. Keep in mind you may have to plan up to six days in advance in order to ship your rental back to us on-time with standard ground shipping. Of course, you can always expedite the shipping on your return as well.
Will my order will arrive by the 6th day of my rental period?
We cannot guarantee delivery times. But if your rental does arrive later than we like it to, we will pro-rate the lost day(s) upon request.
I missed my package but wanted to shoot today. What can I do?
We require signatures at the time of delivery for a variety of reasons. Because many can't (and don't want to) be waiting around all day for a shipment to come at some point, we highly recommend requesting having the package delivered to the nearest FedEx shipping facility to your address (this is our default with no additional charge upon checkout). This way, although you will have to pick up the package, it will be nearby, and you can pick it up any hour that day (or the next, etc.) at your convenience. If you miss a package delivery going directly to your home, in most cases, the carrier will simply try the next day, and the next... It will take at least one business day to change this after-the-fact, which is another reason why we highly recommend simply choosing this option to begin with.
Can I take the camera out of the country?
We require insurance or a deposit on most rentals because you're responsible for the gear until it gets back to us. What you do with it in the meantime is up to you! Our renters have taken our cameras to nearly every continent (almost there!). Wherever you take your gear during your rental period...that's up to you! Maybe even tell us about it and share some pics!
Can you ship rentals internationally?
Unfortunately, we cannot currently accommodate international rentals. There are three issues with international shipments we must overcome before we can ever offer this (taxes, shipping costs, and time), and we’re realistically a very long way from solving them.
1.) Sadly, most other countries want to charge VAT/sales tax on the entire value of our kits, not just on the rental value (we’ve had many conversations with various agencies, including Canada’s incredibly kind, yet incredibly unhelpful, Canada Border Service Agency, and there does not seem to be a way around this). If you are in literally any other country and have connections or want to help us figure this out, feel free!
2.) Shipping is also more expensive internationally, but in many cases, this is something we actually might be able to overcome. But below is the real killer:
3.) Apart from shipping to urban Canadian or Western European locations, shipping would take quite a long time (unless exorbitant expediting fees were paid), which would turn our month-long rentals into week-long rentals at best. In many cases, kits may be held up in customs longer than expected and may then incur late charges before customers even receive the gear. These logistics are hard to overcome for any rental business.
4.) We said three, but there’s a fourth reason this is all difficult: security. We have little recourse in other countries should there be a payment dispute or theft. Thankfully, credit card merchants in most European and North American countries have similar policies, but many international merchants’ subsidiaries have different rules that make it difficult to plan this well from a business standpoint. And we need to make sure we make smart moves so we stay here for those that can benefit for years to come!
In a handful of rare instances, VIPs (like, serious VIPs) have had their own customs brokers and assistants who have handled some select international rentals. In all such cases, however, they were able to check out with a United States address that we actually shipped to, after which they managed the rest of the process. If this is you, feel free to reach out. We’re happy to accommodate if these other issues are solved by an agency you work with.
What happens if I return my gear late?
We charge a late daily late fee for late shipments and reserve the right to also charge an extra rental period or more to compensate a following renter for his or her lost time. Please read our Late Shipments page for more information on returning your gear late.
What happens if I break a camera, but you don't notice and already refunded my deposit?
We do our best to refund deposits as quickly as possible after a cursory inspection. While most complete inspections are done shortly thereafter, these additional, full inspections may take up to four weeks from the date we receive the camera, during which time we may still require you to pay for any damage we find due to misuse/abuse, etc.