So you’re shopping for a new mobile phone, your search takes you everywhere from high street stores to the providers websites.
After much thought and comparison of offers on mobile phones, you’ve selected the model and tariff that best suits your needs and are set to hand over your hard-earned cash.
At the point of sale you will no doubt be asked, before the transaction is complete, if you would like to purchase insurance along with the deal.
Now, considering handsets nowadays can cost rather a lot, and with some having more features than a Swiss army knife, mobile phones can be a favourite target for thieves, so the thought of insuring your new mobile against these factors can seem like a good idea.
Or so you may think…
Over the years there have been an increasing number of complaints regarding claims being rejected by mobile companies – both for contract and pay as you go mobile phones.
Most policies can have confusing small print, which doesn’t cover certain scenarios – such as theft – unless such incidents are reported within a certain timescale.
So whilst you may very well be covered against factors such as loss, theft, elemental damage and fraudulent calls, unless you contact your provider within 48 hours after the incident took place (which is unlikely as you’d have no working phone on you at the time) then you’re unlikely to get any sort of compensation.
If your phone is stolen you’d need to contact your provider in order for a SIM card lock to be put in place – barring any calls being made to and from the phone – and also the police in order to obtain a crime reference number, which will help with the claim process.
After that it’s a case of the mobile phone companies deciding if the claim is valid – theft could be seen as negligence by the customer themselves, particularly if it has taken place in a public place. Thefts from unattended buildings and vehicles are also not valid on some policies, so it’s best to check the small print before committing to such services.
Most home insurance policies will allow you the opportunity to list your mobile phones (as well as cameras, mp3 players and other electronic goods) on your home contents insurance.
This, however, would only cover your phone when it is in and around your property. In order to extend the insurance outside your property you would have to shell out for additional personal belongings cover as part of your home insurance package.
By taking some time to study the small print before committing to such a deal, you can save yourself a lot of hassle should anything happen to your phone, be it stolen or hit by a freak wave whilst on holiday.
Be safe, make sure you’re covered – and don’t forget to back up your contact numbers (as well as photos) on a regular basis in order to save yourself hassle and money should something happen.
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