Hi everyone, I have Renters Insurance through USAA and was wondering if it would actually cover my book collection if something happened? I’ve got over a thousand books, and I’d like to be sure they’re protected. Anyone have experience with this?
Yes, usually your personal stuff is covered, so it should include your books.
But if you have anything rare or really valuable, you should probably let USAA know. The stuff has to be “normal” items for it to be covered without needing extra steps.
You might want to ask about a personal items floater. They may ask you to have an itemized inventory. At least try to take some pictures of the spines.
Finley said:
You might want to ask about a personal items floater. They may ask you to have an itemized inventory. At least try to take some pictures of the spines.
I’ve got a Google Docs list with the price I paid for each one.
@Gale
Photos could be helpful too.
Terry said:
@Gale
Photos could be helpful too.
In case of a fire, pictures prove you owned them, and the Excel sheet shows what you paid.
But definitely check with USAA on how best to cover the collection. High-value collections might need separate coverage. It usually costs about the same as basic renters insurance.
Finley said:
You might want to ask about a personal items floater. They may ask you to have an itemized inventory. At least try to take some pictures of the spines.
Good idea!
They’ve got a line item for ‘book’ and will cut you a check based on the number of books you lost. If you have replacement cost coverage and you buy them all again, you can submit receipts, and they’ll give you an extra payment to cover the difference.
Most books lose value quickly once they’re ‘used.’ If you had a covered loss, you’d get paid based on the value of the used books at that time. If you replace them, then you’d get replacement cost for the items you actually replaced.
Books don’t usually hold high value. Have you cataloged them?
Darby said:
Books don’t usually hold high value. Have you cataloged them?
Yes, I’ve got them listed by Title, Author, type (Hardback/Paperback), and purchase price. Current estimate for all of them is about 16k.
Most people would just call USAA directly since they’re the insurer.
Misha said:
Most people would just call USAA directly since they’re the insurer.
I tried, but the app said chat and call weren’t available.
Misha said:
Most people would just call USAA directly since they’re the insurer.
I tried, but the app said chat and call weren’t available.
Sounds like you might’ve tried outside business hours.
If they’re rare or valuable, a special policy would be better. Otherwise, yeah, keep an inventory and receipts to prove the purchase price.
Not sure about Renters, but I had a Homeowners claim with USAA a few years ago, and the adjuster tried to say my books were worth garage sale prices (like 50 cents each). I don’t have rare first editions or anything, but my collection’s built up over years, and a lot are out of print. Some are quality hardcovers or on niche topics, so they’re hard to replace. There’s a big difference between these and some paperback bestsellers you can find for cheap. I had to push back to get them to recognize the true value, and even then it wasn’t close to replacement cost. USAA even recommends special Collections coverage for valuable collections, but when I asked, they couldn’t tell me how to set a value for something like a toy collection. Definitely call and ask them directly. And for property coverage, try to do a yearly video of your books and keep it stored online. You could also give USAA a copy of your list so they have it on file. Hope this helps!