iPhone Insurance – General Information in the UK
If you’re looking at iPhone insurance you might be thinking about what type you should opt for, and wondering if you even need it in the first place.
If you are worried about losing your phone, or damaging it, then you might want to consider insuring your phone. An iPhone’s delicate glass face is enough to make you think twice about not getting insurance! Losing or damaging your phone can be a nightmare, so buying insurance is like buying peace of mind.
If you rely on your phone, like most of us do, and you’ve lost or damaged it you’re going to need to get it fixed or replaced as fast as possible. And an expensive phone without insurance can mean expensive repairs or replacements.
Purchasing mobile insurance at it’s most basic level means that you have cover in case your phone is broken, lost or even stolen. Different insurance types and providers offer you different cover through varying policies. Some polices can offer you cover for: loss, unauthorised calls, accidental damage, phone accessories, protection whilst abroad as well as in the UK, apps, games, music and any other valuable content you may want protected. It’s also prudent to note what you will not be covered for too.
Policies vary widely for what you are and are not covered for dependant on the type of cover on offer and the providers themselves.
Types of iPhone Insurance and providers
In order to make a decision on the type of insurance you want you need to look at what you require first. Then if you decide to invest in mobile phone insurance you’ve picked a policy that is right for you.
Firstly decide the level of protection you require and what you need covering:
The market value of your phone will affect the price of your insurance
> Many policies cover accidental damage, liquid damage and theft, few cover loss and some won’t cover theft at all
> Some packages offer add-ons such as worldwide cover, unauthorised calls, texts or downloads if someone else has your phone
> E-wallet cover is something to think about if you have Apple Pay, which allows contactless transactions and could easily be taken advantage of if the phone is stolen
> Each policy provider will have a different excess fee so be sure to check what it is you may be required to pay
> Always check the terms and conditions before taking a policy out
Home Contents Insurance
If your phone is covered by your home contents insurance it will be covered if it is stolen during a house break-in. Some insurance companies will offer you the chance to add accidental damage cover in the home, or cover for your belongings, which will include your phone, outside of the home.
Check your cover as it may be limited and your excess fee may be much higher than if you were to purchase standard mobile phone insurance. Make sure to check that if you make a claim on your phone that it won’t affect your home insurance as a result.
Bank Account Insurance
Some package bank accounts also offer mobile phone insurance for a monthly fee. You will need to register your hone with your bank account in order to start your insurance cover. You may also be able to cover two phones, for no extra cost, if you have a joint account with someone.
Make sure you check the terms and conditions with you bank before going ahead as some packages only offer very basic cover, and there may be exclusions like water damage or cracked screens.
Mobile Provider Insurance
Sometimes your mobile provider has an insurance plan of it’s own. Apple does, but it’s not full coverage like you might expect. Instead you might want to look at different iPhone insurance types and their providers because the alternatives can offer better cover at a lower price.
Apple has a plan called AppleCare+, an insurance product that provides iPhone users with technical support and hardware coverage, including two incidences of accidental damage, subject to excess fees.
Other
There are plenty of iPhone insurance providers out there; you just need to take a look at the reviews and compare cover and prices.
Here’s a list of some popular UK mobile insurance providers:
> Insurance2Go
> Protectyourbubble
> Gadgetcover
> Endsleigh
> Simplesurance
Am I really covered for this?
Most mobile phone insurers claim to cover you for loss, theft and accidental damage, but once you look closely at the policies you might realise that this isn’t actually the case at all. You need to make sure you are aware of all the terms and conditions, and that you are comfortable with them before buying insurance.
Loss
Loss is not always included in your insurance policy, but it can be added at an additional and often higher price.
As a result individuals have been known to claim on their insurance stating that their phone has been stolen, when in fact it was lost. This is actually very serious insurance fraud and can result in an individual who has wrongly claimed on their insurance ending up with a criminal record once caught. By reporting the loss of your phone as theft to the Police in order to obtain a crime reference number, needed for the insurance claim, is fraud. Having a criminal record can affect an individual’s life significantly, resulting in difficulties in finding employment, and when looking for credit or insurance in the future.
Theft
Theft isn’t always covered on mobile phone insurance policies, but can be added on for an additional fee. If it is included in the policy it may have some strict terms and conditions attached to it so you really need to make sure what they are.
Theft without force or unattended theft is usually not covered.
For example if you leave your phone unattended in the seat of your car, visible through the window, and it has been stolen once you return you probably will not be covered for this.
It has been known that if your phone is stolen at a gig for example, insurance providers may refuse to accept a claim from you and they have some small print somewhere that allows them to do this.
Accidental Damage
Accidental damage can be included in your policy, or can be added on for an additional fee, and it covers the repair or replacement cost if your phone is accidentally damaged. It can include drops, cracks, liquid spills, liquid submersion, and any other damaged caused by accident.
Water or Liquid Damage
Sometimes water or liquid damage can be covered under accidental damage, sometimes it is included in your policy, or it can be added on for an additional fee. However sometimes it isn’t covered in your policy at all.
It is a very common occurrence, you drop your phone in the toilet, you spill your drink all over your screen, or you leave your phone in a trouser pocket and it gets sent to the washing machine.
It might only take a few drops of liquid to kill your phone, or a full clothes wash!
It could be a puddle, the toilet, sink, rainwater, or the sea. Water damage is one of the most common killers of mobile phones, much like phone loss.
So looking for a policy that covers liquid damage, as well as loss, is probably a good idea. You may not be covered for water damage if it falls under carelessness, which is often not covered.
Are Under 18’s Covered?
There could be age restrictions on certain policies; meaning young people are not covered.
If you’re looking to insure your teenagers’ phone you may well struggle to find cover for them if they’re under 16, or 18 in some cases.
Electronic Breakdown
If your phone has stopped working take a look at your purchase documents to check if it is still under warranty. If it is then you are covered for any repairs.
If you aren’t covered there you might look to your mobile phone insurance.
This isn’t always covered in standard policies, so if you phone malfunctions after your warranty period has expired you might have some difficulties in claiming. Make sure to look out for policies that are happy to pay out for repairs or replacements if electronic or mechanical breakdowns occur following the expiry of a manufactures warranty or guarantee.
E-wallet Protection
With it becoming increasingly popular to use contactless payments via your phone insurance providers have decided to include e-wallet protection in their policies. So it might be worth investing in insurance that covers e-wallet protection due to its potential susceptibility to theft or cyber attacks, enabling you to be covered should anyway use your phones payment system without your consent.
Unauthorised Use
Some policies cover the cost of the unauthorised use of calls, texts and downloads should your mobile phone be lost or stolen. However, not all insurers do include cover for unauthorised use, so you should compare policies if this is something you wish to have covered. It is worth noting that you can cancel your SIM after you have reported your phone missing to your network provider, this may then mean that you don’t really need unauthorised use included in your insurance policy.
Do I really need mobile phone insurance?
Mobile phone insurance can provide you with the peace of mind you need should you think your phone may suffer from loss, accidental damage or theft. However, if you are unlikely to claim you could be wasting your money.
You might need mobile phone insurance if:
> You are likely to damage or lose your phone
> You are on a monthly contract that ties you in for a long period of time meaning you’ll still have to pay for you phone even if it is lost or damaged
> You need a fast phone replacement service because you heavily rely on your phone
> You would be unable to afford the cost of replacing your phone
If you decided that taking out mobile phone insurance is a good idea for you, then you should always consider:
> Checking the policies small print, terms and conditions
> Getting a policy that offers the right cover for you and your phone
> Look out for any exclusions
> Find a policy with a low excess