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Frequently Asked Questions

GENERAL

Can I reserve a rental item?
Yes, we will take reservations, as long as the order is for 1 week or longer. For local San Francisco Bay Area pick-ups, we allow 3 day reservations. Simply place the order for the rental item(s) and in the Order/Reservation notes section indicate the date you would like your reservation to start.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When reserving an item for a particular date that is a hard deadline(say a wedding shoot, leaving for vacation, birthday celebration, etc.), please pay special attention to the shipping options. While FedEx almost always delivers packages on time, some packages do not arrive on time (just ask one of our customers in Southern Texas which waited for our package for 7 days). Unfortunately, when shipping things across the US, we cannot guarantee a delivery date with 100% certainty. Thus, if you do have a hard deadline for the arrival of the rental and it's critical that you receive it by that date, please give yourself a buffer by requesting the item to arrive 2-3 days before the day you actually need it.

Can I place an order for an item that is out of stock?
Yes, you are able to put in an order for an "out of stock" item, either for reservation or immediate shipment when the rental item becomes available. You should be able to tell when an item will be available by the "Expected xxx Date" message. When placing an order, please indicate the date you would like the rental item shipped to you.

What does "Expected xxx Date" message mean?
This means that all of our copies of the rental item are currently out to other customers, but granted they come back on time and undamaged, we can have them shipped out on or before the expected date.

What does "Contact Us for Availability" message mean?
This message indicates that this particular rental item is currently reserved, but the reservation has not started yet. Please contact us with the dates you need this item for and we'll see if we are able to squeeze you in before the next reservation starts.

When does my rental period begin?
The rental period starts the day the package carrier delivers or attempts to deliver your package for the first time. For example, if FedEx delivers your rental on Friday, your rental period begins on that Friday.

When does my rental period end?
The rental period ends 1 or 3 days, or 1, 2, 3 or 4 weeks after day one of your rental period, depending on your order. Using the above example, if your rental period begins on a Friday, your package must be post-marked by the following Friday. If the carrier delivers your rental on Saturday, please postmark it by next Saturday.

What comes with a lens rental?
We try to ship each lens with all the accessories it came with brand new. Each lens will arrive with front and rear caps. Many lenses will have an accompanying padded case. The lenses that come with lens hoods from the factory will have one as well. All lenses (except for fisheyes and most super telephoto) will come with protective UV filters. Everything you receive must be returned when your rental period expires.

What comes with a camera rental?
We will ship all camera bodies with a body cap, a camera strap, a charger and a battery. Extra batteries and CF cards are available for rent. Please note that cameras do not come with any lenses and you must rent a lens if you want to shoot with the SLR you rented.

Does all equipment come with manuals?
We have manuals for most of the equipment that we carry. However, we notice that when we send manuals out with every order, they only come back 50 % of the time. So if you need a manual, please explicitly request one in your order notes.

May I extend my rental?
The short answer is... maybe. Please contact us before your rental period expires if you wish to extend. If there are no other customers waiting in line for your item, we will be happy to extend your rental. However, if there's somebody else waiting for your rental item, you must return the lens by the end of your rental period.

Do you offer custom rental periods?
Yes. If the generic 1 or 3 day or 1, 2, or 3 week increments do not work for you, please contact us. We will work to accommodate your needs.

Can I take the rental outside the US?
As long as you take care of the equipment, we have no policy against taking it abroad.

What if I wish to rent something you do not currently offer?
We are constantly striving to provide you with the most complete and extensive inventory in the business. Please contact us and if we have had enough previous demands, we will buy an item just to rent it out to you.

Do you have any customers who can provide testimonials about your service?
Unlike most places, we don't put up hand-picked testimonials that make us look good, but instead encourage people to leave feedback on a third party forum letting us know what's wrong (and what's right) about our service. Using this system, we have gained a lot of good feedback. Please follow these links to read what people have to say about us:

ResellerRatings.com
Yelp.com

If you have rented from us before, please don't hesitate to leave your opinion on our service on these websites. Thanks!

BILLING

Do you charge a deposit?
No, we believe in the kindness of strangers. At this point, we do not see a need to charge a deposit for the items you rent. Please help us maintain this policy.

When is my credit card charged?
As soon as you place the order, an authorization hold in the amount of the order total is automatically placed on your credit card. This doesn't withdraw funds from your card, but merely holds them. We will actually charge the credit card the day your order ships.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This process works differently for debit cards - please see next question for details.

I thought you said you only charge the card when my order is shipped. Why do I see a charge immediately after placing the order?
You must be using a debit card. Debit cards work differently than credit cards. When an authorization hold is placed on a debit card, the system actually withdraws the money needed for the hold and places it in a special intermediate account, but it is not transferred to us. Once the order is shipped, we "capture" your debit card and only then are the funds transferred from the intermediate account into ours. Kind of makes you want to use a credit card, doesn't it?

Do you charge taxes?
Yes, if you order is shipped or picked up in the state of California.

Do you charge late fees?
Unfortunately, yes. We determine if you owe a late fee based on the time stamp of the return shipment. The late fee is 1/4 of one week's rental fee per day late. The fee is easily avoided by extending your rental period.

What is the cancellation procedure?
If you must cancel the order, please contact us. Note that a cancellation fee may apply.

Do you charge a cancellation fee?
If your rental is for 1 week or longer and you cancel prior to the 7 day mark for shipping or picking up an item, there's no cancellation fee. However, if you cancel within the 7 day pick-up/ship window, there is a charge of a 3 Day Rental for the same rental item(s). For example, say you requested to have an item delivered on April 15th. In order to get the item out to you on time, we will have to ship on April 13th. Thus, you have until April 6th to cancel your reservation and not incur any cancellation charges. There is also a $25 charge if you cancel an order for a 3 day rental. Unfortunately we must have this policy to recoup some of the lost revenue of keeping the items on hold for you.

LOCAL PICK-UP

Can I pick up the rental items in person?
Yes, if you are in the San Francisco Bay Area. This is a good option to save yourself shipping costs and be able to get your items more quickly. For local pick-ups you have two options: San Mateo (no surcharge) and San Jose ($15 surcharge to cover fuel/delivery/personnel costs). Please read below for details.

How do I place an order for local pick-up?
Please place the order through our website like you normally would. In the "Shipping Option" section, please select "Local Pick-up in San Mateo" or "Local Pick-up in San Jose" depending on what's more convenient for you. Please note that you can't pick-up in one place and drop off at another since your paperwork will be either in San Mateo or San Jose.

What will I need on the day of my pick-up?
The person who places the order needs to be the one who picks it up and we cannot release rentals to friends, family members, etc., unless there are extenuating circumstances. Additionally, you will need to provide a state-issued picture id and the credit card used during the ordering process to pick up the rental.

Where can I pick up my rental?
Please see below for the options available.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Before coming to pick up your rentals at any of these locations, please place an order through BorrowLenses.com first and we'll e-mail or call you as soon as the items are available for pick-up.

Option #1: San Mateo, CA. No surcharge. Rentals are available same day.

BorrowLenses.com Office

424 Peninsula Ave.
San Mateo, CA 94401

Hours:
Monday to Friday: 10am - 6pm
Saturday: 10am - 4pm
Sunday: Closed

Google Maps link:
Map to BorrowLenses.com Office

Option #2: San Jose, CA. $15 surcharge. Rentals will be available next business day.

Kamera Korner

Phone: 408-292-7468

545 Meridian Ave.
Suite E
San Jose, CA 95126

Hours:
Monday to Friday: 10am - 6pm
Saturday: 10am - 5pm
Sunday: Closed

Google Maps link:
Map to Kamera Korner

SHIPPING

Which shipping carrier do you use?
We ship exclusively using FedEx 2nd Day or FedEx overnight. The only exception to that rule are San Francisco Bay Area customers, who will receive their packages via FedEx Home/Ground (packages get delivered overnight in the Bay Area).

Where do you ship to?
We are proud to offer shipping within the whole Unites States (all 50 of them). While we do want to help our Canadian neighbors to the north, we have heard enough horror stories about shipments being stuck in customs for weeks at a time to not offer that option for now. However, our friends at LensLenders.com do service the country up north exclusively.

Do you ship to PO Boxes?
We've had so much trouble with the United States Postal Service that we no longer ship to PO Boxes or any other address that requires USPS only.

What are your shipping rates?
Please note that our rentals do not include the shipping rates. The shipping amount for each order will be displayed upon check-out. Our rates do include both the cost for shipping the package to you and you shipping it back to us. If you are ordering two small items, we may be able to combine shipping. In such a case, your credit card will not be charged for the additional shipping charges, and you will receive a new invoice by email.

How fast do you process the orders?
We make every effort to ship orders within 24 hours. If you require a same day rush order and you place the order after 10am, please make sure to indicate that you want it shipped out same day and we will try to accommodate appropriately.

How soon should I expect the delivery?
All orders will be scheduled to be delivered 1 or 2 days after the ship date based on your shipping selection.

Do you offer overnight shipping?
When you absolutely, positively need to get a rental item as soon as humanly possible, you shouldn't worry. If you order overnight shipping, we will make every possible effort to have FedEx deliver the package by the next business day. Placing your order before 10 am PST will help us get your order out on time.

RETURNS

How do I return the rental items to you?
You will receive detailed instructions with your package. A copy of the instructions can also be found here. If you still have questions, please feel free to contact us.

 

INSURANCE

What is insurance?
Insurance purchased through BorrowLenses.com gives you peace of mind and protects you from liability for unintentional damage to the rental item after paying a deductible. If no insurance is purchased, you will be responsible for the full cost to repair damage to the Equipment. If you do purchase insurance and an item is damaged, you only pay a deductible of 12% of the item's replacement value and the rest is paid by us.

How do I purchase insurance?
Most items we rent have an insurance purchase selection option next to the rental period radio buttons. The "Yes" option indicates how much insurance will cost for a particular item. If you forget to add insurance to your order during checkout, please contact us and we can add it to your order if it has not yet shipped.

What is covered by the insurance?
Most unintentional damage to the item is covered under this optional insurance policy. Lost or stolen items are not covered, however your renter's, homeowner's or photographer's insurance policies might cover this situation - please check with your insurance agent.

DAMAGE

Is the equipment in good working order when it arrives?
Prior to shipping your order, we verify functionality of each rental item. We will not send you a malfunctioning piece of gear! We perform visual inspection, and will take sample pictures of our cat to verify image quality. If we notice any functional defects, the equipment will be sent to the repair shop instead of you. We will do our best to notify you of any issues in a timely manner and provide you with the opportunity to modify your order in case we get inoperable equipment back from a previous shipment.

What if the rental item becomes damaged in transit?
There is very little chance of this happening. We pack the equipment in special packaging material to guarantee its safety and have very rarely had problems with service from FedEx or USPS. However, if you notice that your package arrives in really bad shape, you must notify us within 3 hours of receiving it and provide pictures of the condition of the box.

We know that receiving broken equipment is a huge inconvenience and we will work with you on sending you replacement gear and working within your schedule. Please note that if we send you replacement equipment and the original equipment turns out to be functioning as expected, we will charge you rental fees for both rentals (we have, unfortunately, had to learn from experience on this one). Don't hesitate to contact us if you think something is amiss!

What if I damage the equipment and don't buy the insurance?
We understand that accidents happen. Please contact us immediately, then relax and take a deep breath. Return the rental to us as soon as possible and we will evaluate the damage. In case the damage really exists and it's not operator error, we will estimate the repair charges (based on our previous repairs), place a temporary authorization hold on your credit card for that amount and send the rental off to the original manufacturer for repairs. We will charge you exactly what the repair shop charges us, and can provide you with a copy of the receipt at your request. You will also be responsible for the lost revenue during the time the rental item is being repaired.

What if I damage the equipment and buy the insurance?
Again, please contact us immediately and return the equipment ASAP. We will make sure the equipment is damaged and if so, will charge you the deductible for each damaged item. We will e-mail you regarding the charges and the matter will be closed.

What do you consider damage?
Minor scratches to the lens barrel and hood are considered the results of ordinary wear and tear and will not result in damage assessments. Scratches to the glass, damage to the coupling or any other part that affects the lens' performance will be considered damage.

CONSIGNMENT PROGRAM

Am I a good candidate for the consignment program?
If you have some camera bodies, lenses or accessories that you are not using much or are looking to purchase some and want to help us offset the cost, you would benefit from the consignment program. Also, if you live in the San Francisco Bay Area and like the idea of your gear making you money and then using them when not rented out, you are a good candidate as well.

How does the consignment program work?
Let us know which bodies, lenses or accessories you have. If they match our demand for rentals, we then work out the logistics and both sign our Consignment Agreement. You then ship or deliver the items to us, we put them up on our site and rent them out to our customers.

We handle all the logistics, including packaging, shipping, receiving, cleaning of the lenses, billing, insurance, customer inquiries, etc, etc. We even periodically calibrate and clean them for you using Canon's official service center.

Finally, we keep a running total of your commission and pay you out at the end of each month.

What are the risks of the consignment program?
Every time there is a reward, there is also a risk (albeit a small one in this case). Your consignment gear could of course be damaged or lost. To curb your fears though, we pre-screen and check out all our customers and have many methods of recouping any losses (we wouldn't be in this business for long if we didn't). Furthermore, we treat your equipment as it were our own and use our standard procedure on it as dictated by the Equipment Lease Agreement.

How do I get started?
Please shoot us an e-mail with the list of items that you want to start making money on.

 

BUYING AND SELLING CAMERA GEAR

Do you ever buy used equipment?
Yes. We are always looking for new equipment to rent out, so please don't hesitate to contact us if you are selling some gently used camera equipment.

Do you ever sell your equipment?
We do occasionally sell off some of our camera gear. If something is for sale, it will be announced on the front page and will have a "buy" option next to it on the product page.

 

INVESTORS / FUTURE EMPLOYEES

I love what you guys are doing! Is there any way I can help?
Absolutely. We are always looking for new people who share our passion in providing low cost and convenient camera equipment rentals. Whether you are a potential investor or a future employee, please contact us and let us know how you can help.

 

RECYCLING

Do you recycle?
Absolutely. As many of our customers have probably noticed, we reuse our materials extensively. From the boxes to the foam to the bubble wrap, we believe in recycling and reusing all the materials for multiple orders. We are very committed to leaving as small of a footprint as possible on Mother Nature. We have even been known to take oddly shaped pieces of foam and glue them together to form a usable piece and reduce waste. Be on the lookout for our recycling efforts in your next order :)

 

The Equipment Lease Agreement can be found here.

 

Last updated 01-07-2008