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It seems you want to use a credit card that isn’t yours to cover your rental, and/or you won’t be coming in person to pick up your rentals. We deal with this on a daily basis, so we’ve created this guide to help you pick the simplest option for you. Note that because we deal with fraud attempts on a regular basis, there are extra hoops you will have to jump through - the simplest solution is always for the renter to come in person with their own card.
It is important to note that Visa Debit cards will not function as a credit card, so cannot be used for security on your rental, but can be used for payment on your rental. Acceptable ID is Canadian gov’t issued photo ID or if international, a passport.
Just for clarity, we require your credit card in case of any late fees, damage, theft, etc, which is why a debit card will not work. If all else fails, we of course will take a full value deposit.
And now, please select the option that best suits you!
OPTION 1a
I am the renter, I will be coming in in person to pick up the gear. I don’t have a credit card but I have a friend, colleague or relative who will put their card on the line for me:
The easiest way of doing this is to simply have them come in with you, with their card and photo ID in hand, and they will sign the contract and be the official renter. They will need to add their card to your account in advance though before we can complete your reservation, the link to do this will be in the quote email we sent you.
OPTION 1b
I am the renter, I will be coming in in person to pick up the gear. I don’t have a credit card but I have a friend, colleague or relative with one BUT they can’t come into the office with me to sign the rental contract.
If they can’t come in, they will need to submit their card online via our virtual terminal, then fill out our CC auth form authorizing you to use their card. We will need them to scan and send in a copy of their physical ID and credit card with the auth form we will provide. You can still pay by debit or cash on pick up. Please ask us for a personal CC auth form.
OPTION 2
I am the renter and I will be responsible for it. However, someone else such as my employer or client will be paying the bill.
As long as you still bring your gov’t photo ID and YOUR credit card with you on pickup for security, you can pay however you like, either by bringing your client’s card in with you, or we can send them a link to add their credit card to your account online so we can charge their card virtually. In this case, because you have your ID and CC for security, we don’t need scans of their ID and card, just the form. Please ask them to add their card to your account via the link in the quote email we sent you. Note that as you are the official renter, you are personally responsible for any loss/damage of equipment.
OPTION 3a
I am the renter and will be paying for the gear, but I need to have someone else pick up - but they are OK with putting down their credit card to cover any loss/damage and will have their CC/ID with them.
This is often the case in a production partnership and is fairly straightforward, you just need to add your credit card online via the link in the quote email we sent, we’ll keep the rental under your account, and the person coming in to pick up will sign the rental contract and will need their ID and CC. They can then choose to pay in person or let us know to charge your card on file.
OPTION 3b
I am the renter and have an established account with you, but I need to have someone else pick up and they won’t be taking responsibility for it. I still want to use my credit card to cover everything.
If you’ve rented from us before, we’ve already seen your ID so you just need to update your credit card in our system via the link in the quote email (unless you've done it recently). Then ask us for a corporate credit card auth form allowing them to sign your rental contract on your behalf.
OPTION 3c
I am a new client, but I need to have someone else pick up on my behalf, using my credit card to cover everything.
Same as above except you’ve never rented from us before. You’ll need to add your credit card to our system via the link in the quote email we sent and ask for a personal CC auth form. Then we’ll complete your booking and send you a credit card auth form and a copy of the rental contract to print, sign, scan and send back to us as well as a scan of your ID and credit card. If you are not comfortable sending that information via email, you’re welcome to bring it in in person in advance of your rental.
OPTION 4
I am booking the gear on behalf of a production or corporation. I don’t want to be responsible for it, I want the company I work for to cover everything. Optional, we want to send a courier or employee who is not me to pick it up or have you deliver it.
Note, if you’re going to ask us to send 5x Red cameras and lens kits to Nigeria, your prince already phoned this morning and sorry, we’re booked out!
Usually in this case, you may be a production manager for a film or the media person for a larger company sent to rent gear and want them to assume all risk and pay for it, and also very likely want to send a courier to pick it up. As the card holder/responsible person will not be coming in, there are a few more steps as this is one of our more risk heavy scenarios. If you are a producer on a smaller project, it does make it much easier if you can come in person, take responsibility and just use their card for payment, such as option 2a.
First… if you are working for a local production or corporation, please let us know which as we may have an account for you already and would just need an updated corporate CC auth form. Or if anyone on your team has rented from us before, if you can make them the point person, it will greatly expedite the process.
Otherwise, to go this route, first we need to make sure that the account we’ve started is under your company or production name. Next, the card holder will have to add their card to our card verification system. We’ll then complete the booking and send the card holder both the rental contract and the CC auth form, which we’ll need printed, signed, scanned and sent back. We then require scans of both sides of the card holder’s gov’t photo ID and credit card for address verification. Did we mention we deal with attempted fraud on a regular basis? Many people are uncomfortable sending scans of their info. We get it, as we’re equally uncomfortable sending tens of thousands of dollars of gear out by courier based only on a few emails and some numbers written on a piece of paper. Hence, we suggest having a key employee be the one to come pick up the rental and bring personal ID/CC with them to be the official renter on behalf of the production or company. Most legit productions and corporations do it this way for simplicity.
OPTION 5
I have no credit card and can’t get anyone with one to let me use theirs.
Unfortunately, without some form of equal security, we cannot rent equipment to you. The only option here is to leave a full value deposit with us for the replacement cost of the gear. We know this is difficult of course given the cost of gear, but we simply cannot take the risk otherwise.
Thanks for reading!
The terms on the rental contract are final above and beyond the terms listed below.
Agreement between Gearbase Camera Inc. (herein “Gearbase”) and the renter (herein “Renter”)
- The Renter has inspected all equipment from Gearbase and determined it to be compatible and in good mechanical and physical condition. If the Renter does not inspect the equipment, the Renter waives inspection rights and accepts all equipment as prepared by Gearbase with no dispute. The Renter has 12 hours to notify Gearbase of any issue with the equipment otherwise it will be deemed to be in good working condition and without defect. Gearbase will not acknowledge, refund or compensate any issues reported upon completion of production or return of equipment.
- The Renter agrees to return all equipment in equally good mechanical, physical and cosmetic condition. A full day rental will be charged as a cleaning fee except in cases where the equipment must be cleaned by a 3rd party, in which case all costs will be covered by the renter including transportation and rental charges until the equipment is returned to Gearbase.
- The Renter acknowledges that it has not relied on Gearbase for selecting the equipment and has used their own judgment in choosing it and operating it. The Renter is solely responsible for installation, set up, testing and operation of all Equipment and the final results and shall not find fault with Gearbase for issues with use or the content produced.
- The renter accepts that they are solely responsible for learning to use the equipment rented and that Gearbase is in no way responsible for preparation, providing manuals, instruction or education in the use of the gear or in video and audio production skills.
- The Renter acknowledges that the rented equipment remains the property of Gearbase and agrees to keep it in their possession and keep it free of all claims at all times. Gearbase retains the right to end the rental at any point and take possession of the equipment if it is not returned on request, without remuneration or damages.
- The renter agrees to pay the rental fee for the entire period the equipment is away from Gearbase and return it before the end of the rental period. The Renter will pay a full day rate per day that the equipment is not returned with a minimum charge of an additional full day.
- All cancellations will be made 48 hours in advance of the beginning of the rental period. Cancellations within 48 hours of the rental period are subject to the greater of a 1 day rental charge or 50% of the total rental rate.
- Acceptance of the returned equipment by Gearbase does not constitute closure of the rental contract nor a waiver of a claim against the Renter. All equipment is subject to inspection by Gearbase during a reasonable period before the contract may be deemed closed.
- The renter may not extend the rental period without direct permission from Gearbase.
- The rental cost is based on the time that the equipment leaves the premises of Gearbase, not by time used or in possession of the Renter. End of the rental term by the Renter is determined at the point that all items on the contract are returned in full working condition, free from damage or defect and are verified by Gearbase, not by date or physical return to Gearbase. No refunds shall be given for rentals returned before the scheduled end of the rental period.
- The renter agrees to pay Gearbase for any charges incurred to recover equipment or outstanding debts, including but not limited to court costs and legal fees.
- The renter agrees to authorize Gearbase to charge their credit card for any additional costs, including but not limited to equipment repair, late charges or replacement costs.
- The Renter agrees that they will assume all risks and liabilities for the rented equipment, such as but not limited to loss, theft, disappearance, dust, physical, water or electrical damage. The Renter agrees to protect the equipment from all elements, including but not limited to heat, cold, rain, water or dust. In the event that the equipment is returned with any failures, issues or damages, cosmetic or otherwise, the Renter agrees to pay for any repairs, cleaning, losses or replacements, cosmetic or otherwise, to or of the rented equipment, as well as listed rental rate per day during repair or replacement, as well as any shipping or transport fees.
- In the event that any part of the rented equipment is not returned, regardless of cause, the renter will within 48 hours of the end of the rental period, pay the equivalent to the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of the missing equipment to Gearbase, all shipping costs as well as the rental cost of the greater of 7 days or actual time to replace the equipment.
- The Renter shall for the duration of the rental contract, insure the gear against all forms of loss, such as, but not limited to theft, fire, flood, accidental damage, liability due to failure or misuse of equipment and pay any deductible required. The Renter shall not use or leave unattended the equipment in any way that would cause cancellation or impairment of the insurance policy.
- The Renter will use the equipment at their own risk. In no case will Gearbase be held liable for any loss, damages, liability, failure of media, stoppage of work, issues or incompatibility of equipment through the rented gear, nor will Gearbase be held liable for any damage to the Renter’s equipment based on but not limited to incompatibility.
- The limit of any damages held against Gearbase shall be limited to the value of all monies paid by the Renter to Gearbase. The Renter shall indemnify Gearbase against any and all claims, losses, expenses, damages or costs including legal fees related to the rental.
- All rentals require payment in full by the Renter before equipment pick up. In the case of a credit account the Renter will pay the amount due within 30 days. Interest will be charged at a rate of 2% monthly.
- In the case of transportation, shipping or delivery of the equipment, the Renter agrees to accept all risks, costs, insurance and liability for the equipment during transport regardless of which party has arranged or is carrying the equipment. Transport time counts as rental time during the rental period and the Renter agrees to pay for all days the equipment is away.
- The renter agrees to not use the equipment outside of the city area without prior consent by Gearbase and accepts all risks for equipment that fails or malfunctions outside the city area including by not limited to replacement costs, additional rental costs, time lost and transportation or courier costs in case of but not limited to exchange or replacement.
- All rights are cumulative and may be exercised in any order.
- This document shall be the entire agreement between both parties, with any supplemental rental conditions being set forth only by Gearbase.
- All disputes shall be governed and settled by the laws of British Columbia.
Our main phone for information, bookings and general questions is 604-558-0105.
We have a super secret after hours EMERGENCY cell phone. Do NOT phone this number unless you're on set and your camera just died and you need another. Calling the emergency cell line to see if we have something in stock or to ask if we got your email, or anything that you could just google or find out for yourself will result in us cancelling our subscription to your fan club. So, LITERAL emergencies only! Six oh four, seven six seven, five three three seven.
OFFICE HOURS: 10am-5pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 1pm Saturday… Sundays for emergencies and advanced appointments booked ahead (there is an additional charge for Sunday pick ups.)
LOCATION: 409 Granville St. Unit 1210 (that means 12th floor) we are at the corner of Hastings & Granville, one block from the Waterfront skytrain station, but directly outside the Canada Line exit. The building lobby is locked on weekends, buzz 1210 to get in.
YES! There is a loading back in the back of our building with 15 minutes parking. It’s the last loading bay in our back alley by Granville street. Enter the alley off Howe (turn left) and it’s the last bay on the left. Grey with a green stripe. Please Google map it before coming to pick up gear, as it’s difficult to give directions into the alley over the phone.
Submit a quote request via the website or simply call or email and tell us what gear you want and how long you need it. We confirm that it’s booked off and make an appointment with you on the pickup day. You come pick it up, bring ID and money, take the gear and use it, and then return it, hopefully in one piece. If you need something within 2 hours, PHONE, don’t email!
A “rental day” means you pick up your gear anytime after noon on day 1 (earlier on Saturdays). You use the gear all day 2, and you return it BEFORE NOON on day 3. You can return stuff as early as you like, even the same day if your shoot ends early and you arrange it ahead of time.
We can be flexible… BUT ONLY IF YOU CALL AHEAD OF TIME. Just phone well in advance (not 15 minutes after you’re already late). If you miss a pickup time and blow it off WITHOUT a courtesy call, you get charged a half day late fee for the rest of that day, and then a full day fee at full rate (no discounts) for every day after that.
You can cancel any time you want, up until 24 hours before the scheduled PICK UP time. This means, if you are booked for pick up any time after 1pm on Friday, even if you plan on picking up Saturday and shooting Sunday, you have to cancel BEFORE 1pm on Thursday. If you don't, a 1/2 day rate will be charged to your card. If you NO-SHOW a pickup, we charge a full day rate on your card.
Yes, but we have to pay senior staff a half day at overtime to come in and open the office for you so we have to charge a pick up fee on top of the rental for evening or Sunday pick ups/returns. Depending on timing, this can be $120-$150. Also, it has to be booked more than 24 hours in advance to be confirmed, otherwise no one may be available.
AFTER HOUR EMERGENCIES, you can call the cell phone from 7am to 11pm… and by emergency we mean… “holy shit, the camera just died and we have 40 people standing around waiting while we only have this set for 4 more hours, and the producer/client is about to walk in… where can we get a camera?” If no one answers the cell, please send a text message. The number is 604-767-5337. Again, only call this number for emergencies, not to check to see if we have something in stock or a question about your quote. Thanks.
You need to bring a US/Canadian driver’s license or passport and for security, your Visa (not Visa Debit!) MasterCard or AmEx, as well as sign our rental contract. We take payment on pick up, via CC, debit or cash. If you’re coming from outside Canada, you’ll need your passport.
You will have to find someone locally who will rent it for you and assume responsibility for the gear.
Sorry, all rentals must be paid for up front.
Cash or Visa/MC/AmEx or by online payment (must be arranged in advance). Interact money transfer is available as well. Yes, we can take Bitcoin or other crypto. Note you cannot use Visa Debit in place of a Visa for security, but you can use it for payment.
It would be weird if we didn’t.
I’m Dylan, the owner of the business, I like walks on the beach and writing quirky FAQ lists. I’ve been working in the video/indie film industry since ’98 as a director/cinematographer/writer. I’ve shot a dozen or so soulless feature length corporate videos, 5 TV pilots, 3 feature sports videos, about 15 short films, 1 feature, and dozens if not hundreds of other event/industrial/instructional/commercial/music/web/etc videos. In 2009 I became a dad and decided to take a year off so I rented out some of my gear to other indie shooters and word spread. All of a sudden I found myself running a rental business. I don’t shoot corporate/commercial/event video anymore… it’s all yours!
As for the rest of our crew, we're a mixed bag with various backgrounds in corporate and commercial video as well as pro-photography. Check out our ABOUT US page (link at the bottom) if you want more of my witty prose.
On set... where all useful things are learned.
No we won’t shoot your wedding.
No instruction is included in the rental rate. We're lousy teachers anyway, Youtube is the go-to for all things learning these days though, right? If you’re completely new to something, we’ll usually let you pick it up earlier so you can get some practice time in with it, just ask.
No, they have to come back with the camera as we need to rent them back out. If you don't return them, it's counted as an ongoing rental or we charge you for the card outright. Otherwise people forget to return them and we spend days or weeks trying to get our cards back.
Honestly, rental houses are boring when it comes to gear. You will not find a row of demo cameras like Best Buy to play freely with. It's all just shelves of Pelican cases and we're not pulling them out one at a time for you to go through and play with, unless you've strolled in with a bottle of single malt Scotch for us to play with at the same time.
We make reservations within 14 days without deposit. If you want to reserve it outside of a 14 day window, a deposit may be required depending on the size of the rental. The deposit is fully refundable up to 72 hours before your rental, non-refundable inside of 72 hours from rental.
Think R. Lee Ermey in Full Metal Jacket. But simply, if you lose it/break it... you bought it. If you don’t bring it back at all, we phone the Vancouver Police Department and give them all your info and let them deal with you. If you return it broken, we transfer ownership of it to you for full retail value (ie, you pay for it in full)… or allow you to pay for it to be repaired – again, our choice. We outsource debt collection. We don’t want any of these things to happen, so take good care of our gear and bring it back on time, OK?
Once our gear leaves our door, it’s 100% on you and our insurance offers you no coverage at all!! We do not provide you insurance in any way, however we can point you to some great local companies with whom you can get a policy done quickly and easily online. Email us for details.
I’ve never been paid back on any deferral in my whole history of filmmaking, so… no. But email us anyway and we’ll see how we can help you out, we are VERY indie/low-no budget friendly.
If you are running a film festival, video production meet up group or other similar pro-film/video/photography non-profit event, then yes we're interested in sponsoring you. Please contact us. Note, we don't sponsor films/web projects/personal projects etc... See below.
We know everyone is working for free and it's out of pocket and we appreciate the offer of credit at the end (does anyone watch end credits?) but unfortunately we limit our sponsorship to film festivals and video/film/photo related events, as just like you we have rent to pay and our landlords don't accept IMDB credits. :)
Generally, you pay full price for the first day and then a half day for every extra day. Once you get to a week we do a 3x day rate. Once you get to a month, you’re between an 8-10 day rate depending on the gear.
However… we often give better rates on gear packages, so email for a better price.
If it’s in and our of our office within 4 hours, we do a .66 day rate. Subject to full day requests though.
Sometimes, yes, though if we have something for sale, it’s usually already up on Craigslist.
You're usually better off getting a courier to do it if it is outside downtown Vancouver, but we can deliver. Rates vary depending on distance and the amount of gear. Estimate $50-$100.
We have shipped from Victoria to Halifax. However due to the theft risk we usually only ship to businesses and production companies, full insurance is required from the day of pick up to return and some additional forms are needed, but yes we do.
Your best bet is to show up around 5pm with a bottle of Hendricks and ice... we'll talk your ears off. Maybe even about cameras!
- Please be on time when you pick up and drop off gear… Often other clients are waiting on it for their own shoots. We understand shoots run late, but give us as much warning as possible so we can make other arrangements for clients. For pick ups, if you book something and no-show your pickup without calling, we simply cancel the rental and put your name on a “do not rent to” list.
- Please treat our gear as if it was your baby. If people keep it in perfect condition, we can keep renting it out at budget rates. If you chew it up, you’ll ruin it for everyone else. If you break, damage, ding it, surprise, you will have to pay for it. If you bring it back on time, clean, and in good condition, you may find that you get a bigger and bigger discount every time you rent from us.
- And finally…. Like Match.com and OK Cupid, we’re all about long term relationships! If there’s anything we didn’t do well, or could have done better, email Dylan directly at gearbaseoffice@gmail.com. Our ultimate goal is to have as many people making as many films and videos in town as possible as the better the industry does, the better we all do. Also, you get bonus points for reading all the way to the end of this FAQ, ask for access to our chocolate bar bowl when you come in!
