Frequently Asked Questions
Browse our wide selection or use the search box to find the items you are interested in. There is a reservation calendar for each product on its page. The calendar shows when the item is available for rental. Select the start day and end day of the dates you’re interested in, and the system will calculate the number of rental days and applicable discount. There are only three scheduling restrictions:
a) Rentals cannot begin on a Sunday or Monday because your rental period starts the day *after* delivery. Since our shippers don’t deliver on
Saturday or Sunday, Sunday and Monday are not valid start days.
b) Rentals cannot end on a Saturday or Sunday because the equipment must be return-shipped on the last day of the rental period. Since our shippers do not ship on Saturday or Sunday, they are not valid end days.
c) The minimum rental period is 4 days.
Add the item to your cart and continue shopping or checkout. After you checkout, we ship the item to you (it arrives the day before your rental period starts). Return shipping is included with every rental, so on the last day of your reservation, just apply the included return shipping label to the outside of the case and get it to the applicable shipping company. Please see the topics below for more details.
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3-day standard shipping is FREE in both directions with every rental
to the continental USA. You also have the option to upgrade to 2nd day or overnight if you need the item sooner. Additionally, if you are in the Denver metro area, you have the option of picking up the item from our offices. If you select this option, you need to e-mail us and schedule an appointment for the pickup and return of the
equipment. With Pro Photo Rental, you never have to worry about return shipping preparations,
just use the included return label. If you do happen to lose the return label, then return shipping will be your responsibility, so treat the label like it’s cash. Please see the rental agreement for more details.
For shipments to Alaska and Hawaii, there unfortunately is no
"3 day" service, only 2nd day and Overnight.
Unfortunately, that means we cannot cover the cost of shipping in
both directions. So, we have decided to split the difference
with you. We will take care of the return shipping
arrangements, but the free shipping option will not be available to
you during checkout. So you still get free shipping in one
direction!
For our customers in Canada, there are a number of things that
change compared to domestic rentals. Please read the following
carefully!
1) Since UPS does not offer 3-day international service, we are forced to ask our Canadian clients to pay for expedited international shipping (either 2-day or overnight). Unfortunately, Ground service is no longer a viable option because UPS (and all shippers) are now charging a "broker" fee, which makes the Ground service pricing nearly equal to the express service.
2) Since we are a US-based company, UPS will not allow us to
create a return Ground shipment from Canada to the US. So, we do not
cover the return shipping cost or customs paperwork. However, you
are free to use either UPS, FedEx, or DHL, and can ship it back via
Ground service for a relatively inexpensive cost (generally less
than $25, unless your order is large). Unfortunately, the postal
service is not a viable option due to their lack of detailed
tracking information. Like all of our rentals, the item must enter
the shipper's system (and you provide us with a tracking number) on
the last day of the rental. Otherwise, late fees will apply. If we
need the item(s) back in a hurry, we'll pay for the upgraded
shipping, but the customs paperwork is your responsibility to fill
out. It's a little time consuming, but actually pretty
straightforward. Most shipping stores will help you if you need
assistance.
3) Since we don't know exactly what customs charges will be on a
case-by-case basis, you will be responsible for paying any duties,
taxes, or fees associated with customs. From what our customers have
told us, that generally amounts to ~10-12% of the rental fee.
However, we have heard that you can apply to have these fees
refunded after you return the equipment. This goes beyond our area
of expertise, but is definitely something you should look into to
recover those costs. Please note: some of our Canadian customers
report that they didn't have to pay any duties, so apparently it all
depends on which customs officer you happen to get that day.
4) As with any international shipment, there is a chance that the
equipment can get delayed in customs. This is beyond our control, as
well as UPS's control. If you must have the equipment by a
particular date, it would be prudent to add a day or two to the
start of the rental to ensure that the equipment arrives before a
big event. If there is a delay due to customs, we will refund 50% of
the rental fee for the time that the shipment is delayed (delays are
usually less than 24hrs), but that would be the limit of our
liability.
That all sounds like a bit of bad news, but the truth is
this: You still get free shipping one way via Ground
service. We've only had a couple orders delayed in customs,
and have figured out some tricks to reduce the likelihood of a
delay.
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The rental period starts the first day after your item(s) are delivered. That means if you schedule your start date for Wednesday, your items will be delivered on Tuesday. You will not be charged for Tuesday.
Your rental period ends on the last day of your reservation. You must return the item that day. For example, if your reservation ends on a Friday, you need to get the item(s) to the shipper during their business hours that day.
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At Pro Photo Rental, you aren’t locked into set rental periods. You can choose any length of time you wish (4 day minimum). Pricing is based on a “day rate” multiplied by the number of days of your rental. We offer discounts of up to 30% for longer rentals. Please see each product’s page for the applicable pricing.
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We will usually include this information on each product’s page, but as a general rule, here is what is included with each type of item:
Lenses: Both lens caps, tripod adapter (if applicable)
Bodies: Battery, charger, neck strap, memory card
Lights: Batteries, charger, factory-included accessories (if applicable)
Please note that we do not include the owner’s manual or any software. However, if an online owner’s manual is available, we will include a link to it on that product’s page on our website.
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At this time, we are investigating a rent-to-own possibility. If we decide to make it happen, we will announce it via our newsletter.
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Due to our reservation system, we can’t guarantee that you can extend a rental. However, if you need to add time to your rental, please
contact us and we’ll do our best to help you out. If no one else has that item reserved, we can probably extend it for you.
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Please read this section of the rental agreement carefully. You are responsible for everything you receive from us. Please do your best to protect and take care of the item(s). Repair or replacement are your responsibility. If an item does get damaged or lost, we will work with you and our authorized repair center(s) to find the best solution for everyone
involved. Alternatively, you can purchase rental insurance
(below) and protect yourself from a large financial loss.
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Your homeowner’s insurance may cover the equipment up to a certain dollar value, but you should read your insurance policy to verify whether or not this applies.
We are excited to announce that we are now offering insurance on our
items. The roll-out will be over the month of September, and
we plan to have insurance available for all products by the end of
the month.
Our insurance works just like a damage liability waiver. It
is a premium and deductible system. After paying the premium
for the coverage, you don't have to worry about paying the full
replacement value of the equipment. We only charge you what it
takes to repair it, or 12% of it's value, whichever is LESS.
Plus, you get to apply the premium you paid toward the repairs!
It's just more peace of mind for those "just in case"
moments. Complete details can be found in our rental agreement,
clause 13. If you have any questions, please feel free to
send us an e-mail (service@prophotorental.com)
or use our
contact us form.
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We will send you an e-mail on the last day of your rental to remind you to return the item(s). Since there may be people waiting for the item(s), we must charge a fee for late returns. The fee is three times the non-discounted day rate at the time of rental per day.
Items are deemed to be “lost” or “unreturned” after seven (7) days from the end of your rental period. In that case, we will charge you the full retail price of the item in addition to the late fees. If you return the equipment within 30 days from the end your rental period, we will refund the retail price, but cannot refund any late fees. After 30 days, all sales are final. We don’t want to charge late fees any more than you want to pay them so please let us know if there’s going to be a problem. We’ll work with you to reach an agreement that is amenable to you and to us.
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Here is the link to the full text of our privacy policy. Basically, we want to assure you that we value privacy as much as you do. We will never sell, rent, or make your information available in any way to anyone unless required to do so by law. You always have the option of editing your information or unsubscribing from our newsletter. Just let us know
(service@prophotorental.com), and we will promptly take care of it.
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Here is the link to our complete rental agreement. The most important points are covered in this FAQ, but please read the complete document for a comprehensive understanding of our policies. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask us. We’ll be happy to help clarify.
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