Loss & Damage

Stuff happens. This page explains exactly what you do, what the studio does, and when money moves — so there's no surprise.

If something happens during the rental

Email or text the studio immediately. Don't wait for return day to mention it. Tell us:

• What happened (one line is fine).
• Approximate date and time.
• One or two phone photos if it's visible damage.

Reporting an issue mid-rental doesn't cost extra. It just helps us figure out whether we should overnight a replacement, switch coverage techniques on your wedding day, or wait for return for a full assessment.

If something is missing from the return box

When you mail the kit back, scan through the pack list one last time before sealing the box. If something genuinely got left behind (your event venue, your car), let us know in the return checklist or by email — we'd rather have a delayed-but-complete return than a clean one missing a $400 battery.

Items missing from the return are charged at flat replacement rates listed in the Damage Waiver Terms. The waiver does not cover missing items.

If something arrived broken

Use the 24-hour test window we ask for in the Reservation Terms. If anything doesn't work on first power-on, email us with a phone video and we'll overnight a replacement at studio cost. There's no fee for a confirmed dead-on-arrival.

If the package was lost in transit (to you)

Studio responsibility. If UPS tracking shows the package never delivered, contact the studio — we file the carrier claim and either overnight a replacement at our cost or refund the order in full. Your choice.

If UPS shows "delivered" but the package wasn't there

Once UPS scans delivered to your correct address, the studio's shipping responsibility ends. If the package was stolen from your porch or otherwise diverted after delivery, file with your homeowner's or renter's insurance and (if the kit value is over $500) file a police report. The damage waiver does not cover post-delivery porch piracy.

We will of course help you reconstruct the timeline, pull UPS's GPS-tagged delivery photo, and figure out what really happened.

If the return package is lost in transit

Studio responsibility. We chose the return label. As long as UPS shows you scanned the kit into their system, you're off the hook for a return-leg loss.

How the studio handles a damage claim

1. Receipt & inspection. When the kit arrives at the studio, the check-in inspector photographs everything and reconciles against the pack list and your return checklist.
2. Assessment. If we find damage or missing items, we build a quote using real repair-center pricing or new-stock pricing from B&H / Adorama for the same SKU. Every line item cites its source.
3. Customer email within 5 business days of receipt. You get an itemized assessment with photos, source links, and (if you bought the waiver) the waiver math showing your share.
4. Dispute window. You have 5 business days to reply with corrections, your own photos, or a written explanation. We will reasonably reconsider.
5. Charge. After the dispute window closes (or sooner if you agree via email), we apply the charge to the payment method on file. Charges of $500 or more require a second admin approval inside our portal before the button is enabled.
6. Receipt. Final charge confirmation email with the same itemization.

If you have the waiver vs. if you don't

The waiver doesn't change what we do — we still assess every claim the same way. It changes what you owe at the end. See the Damage Waiver Terms for the math.

Disputes that go further

We'd much rather resolve a dispute by email. If a charge feels genuinely unfair, reply to the assessment email within five business days with your reasoning. In the rare case we can't agree, the Disputes clause of the Reservation Terms governs next steps.