FAQ

Reservations
When does my rental period begin and end?
Can I extend my rental?
Equipment
Rental Insurance
Shipping
Other Questions
Local Pick Up
About LensRentals.com

Reservations

We will be happy to reserve a lens for rentals of 7 days or more. To reserve a lens, simply indicate this in the Handling section of the checkout page. We will confirm that we have the lens available and send you an email confirming your reservation within 24 hours. Your credit card will not be charged until your order is ready to ship. You’ll receive a second email telling you we have shipped your lens.

Please plan on getting the lens a day before you absolutely must have it to allow for shipping irregularities. FedEx 2nd day air service is exceptionally good; their on-time rate is over 95%. That also means one of every 20 packages will be a day late – especially in winter months when weather may play a role. Let’s plan for the worst and hope for the best. We promise to ship your lens scheduled to arrive a the day you tell us you need it. After that it’s out of our control.

Let us be very clear here: If you must have it by the 19th, absolutely must, then please ask for the rental to start on the 18th. We repeat: WE CANNOT CONTROL THE WEATHER, AIRPORT CLOSINGS, EVEN ACCIDENTS INVOLVING DELIVERY TRUCKS. THESE THINGS HAPPEN. Please folks, allow an extra day or two for possible problems.

When does my rental period begin and end?

Rental begins day of delivery (or attempted delivery) for immediate orders. For reservations, the rental period begins on the reservation day, even if the lens arrives early. The rental period ends at 5PM on the last day of rental, and it should be returned for shipping that evening.

Example: your lens arrives on Monday afternoon. For a 1 week rental, you return the lens to a staffed FedEx drop off location the next Monday by 5 pm (or before that night’s shipping cut-off, in some places its 6PM or 7PM). Please note: FedEx ships out in the evening. If you wait until the next morning to drop off the package, it will be a full day late.

Can I extend my rental?

As long as we have stock, we’re happy to extend your rental. One note though: You probably notice that the rate for a first week’s rental is slightly higher than subsequent weeks. That’s because much of our overhead (accounting, stock, ordering new and replacement lenses, bookkeeping, etc.) occurs when you first place the order. If you extend a rental all of that overhead recurs so an extension is charged at first week rates. If you think you may want to keep the lens for a longer period we recommend ordering it for that time frame so you can take advantage of the lower rate. If you return it early, we will refund you the unused time after the first week.

Rental Insurance

Do I need insurance?

You may have coverage through your homeowners, travel, or business insurance, especially if you have a separate rider for photography equipment. We suggest you check with your company. Even if you are covered, however, the deductible may be quite high, often $500 or $1,000 dollars. If you aren’t sure, or are uncomfortable with the cost of repairing a lens if you damage it, you might want to consider renters insurance.

What’s the best part?

Simplicity and peace of mind. If you aren’t insured and damage a lens, we have to charge you the cost of repair which may be expensive. You may be fighting your homeowner’s policy for reimbursement, etc. If you’re insured we bill you the deductible if your lens is damaged. You’ll never hear about it again. Everything else is between LensRentals and the insurance company. No paperwork, waiting for an insurance check, etc.

To be honest, it gives us some peace of mind too. We’re a customer oriented business and want every single customer to think we’re great. The last thing we want to do is haggle for two months over how much a repair cost, why the customer can’t pay for the lens for 3 weeks, etc. After your rental, we want you telling your friends “these guys were great” not “it will take me months to pay for the lens I dropped”.

How much does it cost?

The price varies according to the value of the lens, known cost of repairs (this is the reason Nikon and Sigma lenses are more expensive to insure than Canon lenses), and the length of rental. Rental rates with and without insurance are shown with each lens.

Why is insurance not offered on camera bodies and some other items?

We can’t get damage coverage on purely electronic items such as camera bodies and flashes.

What does the renter’s insurance cover?

Renter’s insurance covers repair of a lens should it be damaged while in your possession. If this happens, you will be responsible only for paying only a deductible (10% of the lens’ replacement value). Without renter’s insurance you are responsible for the cost of repairing or replacing a damaged lens.

Please note water damage is considered negligence by the insurer and is not covered as damage. If you plan on using the lens near water, please realize that if the lens falls in the water you are NOT covered.

How do I find out what the deductible is on a given lens?

The deductible (10% of the replacement value) is generally 8 or 9% of the price of a new lens. You can email us about a specific lens and we’ll let you know exactly what the deductible would be on that lens.

What isn’t covered?

This is a damage policy: the lens may be a total write off, but there must be enough remains left to identify it as our lens – the serial number, etc. Basically anything short of being run over by a train should leave enough remains to identify. Loss of the lens by misplacing it or theft is not covered under this policy. You may have coverage for theft or loss with your homeowners policy or by photographer’s insurance.

Is there coverage outside of the U. S.?

The insurance covers damage wherever it occurs – as long as we have been notified before the trip where the lens will be going and approved it.

Equipment

Do you charge a deposit?

Not at this time, except on very expensive items. We take some time to verify our customers are who they claim to be. Being photographers we trust photographers. That, and we’ve got relatives in the bounty hunter and repossession business that provide us a good fallback position.

Is the equipment in good condition?

We check each lens visually and take pictures with it before it is shipped out. We guarantee the glass is clear, the lens works normally, the pictures it takes are sharp. These lenses are used regularly so there will probably be some scuff marks on the barrels, etc. There may be a little internal dust in some lenses (the telescoping zooms are especially known to collect it). If there is any effect on image quality the lens goes off for servicing, otherwise it remains in service.

What if I think something is wrong with the equipment when I start using it?

Email us (that’s usually the fastest response) and let us help you check it out first. To be perfectly honest, about 60% of the infrequent “lens has a problem” complaints we get turns out to not be a problem with the lens.

That being said, while we inspect our equipment carefully and test it out before shipping, we can’t check every lens so closely that something like a bit of back-focusing or a slight out of calibration of the lens might not get by us. Very rarely (about 0.5% of items) the electronics on a lens becomes jarred or shaken during shipping and autofocus or image stabilization is dead on arrival. If this happens we will replace the lens immediately within the limitations of our stock. If time constraints prevent us getting a replacement to you (if you’re leaving for vacation for example) we will refund the rental price and shipping costs once we have verified that there is a problem.

If you ordered the wrong lens, don’t know how to use a certain type of lens, didn’t know the lens wouldn’t work with your camera, etc. we will work with you to get you something more suitable, but we will not be able to give you a complete refund. We will always, however, refund you for unused time with a lens.

What comes with the lens?

Each lens comes with front and rear caps and in a padded case. Most lenses will have a hood included (non-L Canon lenses do not include a hood). Medium sized telephoto lenses will come in a padded soft case. The largest telephoto lenses are shipped either in their hard case or in a padded soft case at your preference.

What comes with your order needs to come back: lens hoods, battery chargers, cases, and tripod rings are expensive and the next renter expects to receive them. If the order comes back without them we’ll have to charge you for a replacement. Lens hoods, for example are $40-$80, tripod rings $140.

What if I damage the lens?

Let us know immediately. Our contract states if the lens is broken you are responsible either for replacing it or paying for repairs. Minor damage is repaired at Canon NJ and we will charge you the actual repair cost, no more than that. If it is not repairable, we’ll charge you the cost of a used lens of comparable quality. We do not charge you a new lens price to replace a used lens like most camera store rentals. We also do not charge you rental while the lens is being repaired as long as you let us know about damage before you send the lens back.

What do you consider damage?

Any scratches or scuff marks on the glass, impact damage to the mechanicals (failure to autofocus, inability to zoom or focus), water or moisture damage. Minor scuff marks to the barrel or hood are considered normal use, not damage. If you tell us “it just stopped working” we’ll use the Canon repair center as arbitrators. If they say “water damage” or “impact damage”, you are responsible.

How do you know the lens wasn’t damaged in shipping?

You should see how we pack those things. Simple rule: box not damaged, lens is damaged: it’s not the shipping. That being said, once in a great while a lens arrives with electronic problems, usually affecting autofocus or image stabilization. This appears to be from shock damage that occurred when a package was thrown around during shipping. Its rare, but does happen.

When is my credit card charged?

We place a hold on your card two business days prior to shipping, and complete the billing process (causing money to move) once the equipment is packed in the box on its way out.

Can I take the lens out of the US?

The terms of the rental are that the equipment not leave the US. However, we will make exceptions if you notify us in advance and the location is reasonably safe. The lens must be delivered to and returned from a US address. Remember, though, lenses are targets for theft and you are responsible for loss. Our insurance policy will insure the lens against breakage, BUT NOT THEFT, outside of the US.

Shipping

All packages will require a signature on delivery!!

Because FedEx Ground and USPS Priority Mail service have occasionally missed on-time deliveries, which is totally unacceptable to us, we use FedEx Express 2nd day air as our primary shipping option. There are a few exceptions:

Large (>15 pound) packages may ship FedEx Ground (or Home Delivery).
Shipments to Alaska, Hawaii, some parts of the West Coast and some smaller items shipping within a few hundred miles of Memphis, TN will ship Priority Mail, simply because its faster.
Shipments to PO Boxes and a few outlying rural areas will ship Priority Mail because that is the only option.

Remember: a signature is required on all deliveries.

What if I don’t want FedEx shipping?

If you live in an area where FedEx is not convenient, please let us know by leaving a note in the special instructions box and we’ll use Priority Mail. Similarly if you don’t want to use FedEx for return, we can let you send the lens back Priority Mail. We are happy to ship using your FedEx account number, but odds are very high we get a better rate.

What are shipping costs?

They’re listed on the individual item pages. We have four box sizes, and correspondingly four shipping rates. In many situations, it’s possible to pack multiple smaller items into a single larger box, in which case your total shipping price is reduced. This is determined automatically when you add items to your cart. With few exceptions (notably large lenses), it’s possible to save on shipping by ordering several items together.

Very large items require special shipping arrangements, simply because the price varies so much depending on your circumstances. The checkout system doesn’t even try to guess a price for those. Call us for a quote.

How long until you ship my lens?

We ship within 24 hours for repeat customers. New customers’ orders will take 24 to 48 hours to process and ship. New customer orders shipping to an address other than the credit card billing address may take 72 hours to verify. You can speed the process if you state the name and a listed phone number of the shipping address in the special instructions box, i.e.“I’m shipping to my office, ABC corp, whose phone number is 123-456-7890”.

How long does shipping take?

Standard shipping usually takes 2 days— if your order is placed by 2 PM CST Monday you should receive it Wednesday. Remember no shipping takes place Saturday or Sunday so an order placed on Thursday will arrive Monday. Heavy items traveling by ground to the west coast, western mountain states, and upper New England may take 4 days. Someone will need to sign for the lens when it arrives, so you might want to ship to your office if no one is home during the day.

Is faster shipping available?

We will ship by FedEx overnight, but you’ll have to make arrangements with us in advance. In general overnight charges are affordable for a smaller lens, but get ugly for large items (unless somebody else is paying the bill). Call us to talk about it and get pricing, then check the “Rush processing” box during checkout so it gets priority treatment.

Can you ship to my hotel or resort?

Only if you’re willing to place a deposit for the value of the lens. Hotels have contract language that states anything missing from their baggage room, etc. is not their responsibility. And things do come up missing from the baggage room. If you know the hotel staff well enough that you’re willing to take the risk (and place the deposit) we’ll do it. Alternatively, we can often arrange for you to pick up the lens at the nearest FedEx facility without requiring a deposit.

You can locate the nearest FedEx pickup facility here.

And get more information about FedEx “Hold at location” services here.

How do I return the lens?

We will have a prepaid return-shipping label in the box with your lens. Repack the lens in the box and padding it came in, seal it, put the return label on it, and take it to the post office or nearest FedEx shipping location as the label states.

Can I pick up lenses in person?

We can arrange pick up by appointment between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays if you are in the Memphis, TN area at our office, 894 N. Germantown Parkway, 38018. Click here for a map.

Local renters please note: We are an internet based shipping/warehousing operation, and do not have a walk-in store. If we did, we’d have to start charging walk-in store prices, which are more than double our prices. You have to place your order online (making sure to select the local pickup option) ; you can’t just drop by and get something.

Pick up hours are listed above. We don’t have pick up hours at 7 pm, midnight, Saturday at dawn, or Sunday after church. We can’t meet you at Starbucks, drop it at the front desk of your office on our way home, toss it in the window of your car as you drive by, or ask the pizza delivery guy to pick it up on his way to your house. When you place an order for local pick up, you need to be able to pick it up during office hours. Thank you.

What if I want to rent an item for a day?

We do not offer 1-day or overnight rentals. That means we don’t do it. It means if you ask, we’ll tell you no.

Please?

No.

But I really only need it for a day!

Okay, I give up. We are happy to now offer 1-day rentals on all items. The price is exactly the same as our 7-day rentals.

Who are you and why are you doing this?

We’re a family run business of semi-pro photographers. Over the years we found we often wanted a lens for a specific shoot, a vacation, or just to try out before we invested major money. Being located in a mid-sized city far from the major camera stores there was nowhere we could rent a top quality lens (actually we couldn’t even see one in person) so we either bought it and later sold it at a loss, bought it and felt guilty that we rarely used it, or did without. Okay, we rarely used the third option. Mostly we spent the money and felt guilty. We couldn’t find a rental house that met our simple needs: get us the equipment we want, when we want it, in great condition and at a fair price. We figured if no one else was doing that, maybe we should.

We started LensRentals as a “Photographers Co-op” in June of 2006 with about 30 lenses. Since then we’ve stayed true to our word: all of LensRentals income goes into buying more lenses. Actually a lot of our outside income goes into buying lenses too, and we’ve increased our inventory to over 800 lenses, 40 camera bodies, and lots of other items. Along the way we’ve been the first mail order rental house to offer renter’s insurance, the first to accept reservations for future rentals, the first to rent supertelephoto lenses, the first to rent camera bodies, the first to allow lenses to be taken out of the U. S, the first to offer studio lighting, and now the first to use Fed Ex for primary shipping. We’re still the only rental house that will guarantee to get a lens for you if you give us two weeks notice and order two weeks in advance.

We spent most of 2007 hiring additional employees and developing the infrastructure needed for further expansion – basically moving from a home-based business to office and warehouse space, and getting the computers, people, and infrastructure to automate our shipping and receiving (Granny was getting tired). We added Nikon, studio lighting equipment, and more Canon equipment to our lineup. We also bought our own servers and improved our computer systems to improve the reliability and speed of our online services. In October 2007 LensRentals was incorporated.

In May of 2008 we made a huge upgrade to our infrastructure a bit of which (a better web page) is obvious. The biggest changes are internal as we become the first online rental house to (attempt) to become completely automated. We found when we reached a certain size humans just weren’t able to accurately determine the reservation process, and as we became too busy errors (which we find completely unacceptable, although sometimes unavoidable) started to occur. Now various programs track our inventory and shipping in real time, determine what can and cannot be rented when, automate all billing, shipping and receiving, etc. No one, to our knowledge has done this before and the programs had to be written from scratch. We’re still having glitches and a few problems as we work the bugs out, but its obvious already the new system will reduce our error rate and make us more efficient and accurate. Once that’s worked through, we can resume our growth.

FAQ

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