MSE Article discussion: Mobile Phone Insurance

Tillee · 20 March 2012 at 1:01PM

My son broke the screen on his iPhone4. We emailed the required documents and were then told they needed the exact receipt with proof of IMEI number from the Apple shop. The phone had been replaced as faulty at 4 months old so had a different IMEI number to the purchase receipt. I had sent them an email confirming this from the Apple shop - of course this was not good enough for them. They kept asking for different details on about 4 occasions, it was like an obstacle race. Eventually the phone was repaired and sent back - this took about a month.

We had only had the phone back 2 weeks when he lost it. We pay the extra premium for loss and did have it blocked with O2 within a few hours and reported to the police within 24 hours and also blocked on "find my iphone". Eventually they sent a letter by post saying because the phone was replaced by Apple we would not be requiring their services! The phone was replaced at 4 months old as faulty and that wasn't a problem when the screen was repaired.

I have now appealed and have been told that takes 10 working days, which are up tomorrow and it has been 3 weeks since I first contacted them. I have also told them that if the iPhone was not covered as it had been exchanged as faulty (I saw online that was the excuse given to someone else) I would require the premium to be repaid on 2 policies as they had both been replaced by Apple.

I agree that upon reading the small print the phone is not covered for loss anywhere which I am sure cannot be legal or the policy should not state that you can pay extra for loss but "you can pay extra for loss of phone by violence"!

So watch this space. I am thinking of trying Barclays Bank cover now - any good or bad experience with them please?

Tillee · 20 March 2012 at 1:12PM

One other piece of information - the email on the Protectyourbubble appeal is from Supercover Insurance, therefore they are one and the same insurance.

ellieellieellie · 21 March 2012 at 12:43PM

I have a handset that I own outright, but I have a SIM only contract. I'm happy and able to self-insure on the handset (it's really not worth that much!), but I'm worried about calls, texts and data charges if my phone was stolen, which I'm not insured for. Does anybody know of an insurance policy that ONLY protects against unauthorised usage, not the handset?

MoggieMoo19 · 21 March 2012 at 5:11PM

Has anyone had any experience with Geek Squad insurance through the Car Phone Warehouse? I took out their policy with my 4S upgrade last week?!

Thanks

halon · 22 March 2012 at 9:44PM

I'm looking at Insure & Go as well. Apparently even if you get the Platinum option which covers loss, you're still not covered for "theft or loss whilst in any form of public transport or public place other than when the Product is taken from You by actual or threatened force".

So basically it only covers loss if you're in a private residence? This makes no sense.

shepden · 27 March 2012 at 11:10AM

I renewed my 15 yr old sons mobile phone in Nov 2011. Because it was the cheapest deal around, I used Buymobilephones.net to take out a 24 month contract with a new Blackberry phone. I explained that it was for my son and they advised the best options and package. We also took out thier insurance policy - it may have been a free insurance for 2 months and then you cancel it, but, we decided to keep it as my 15 yr old son is....a 15 yr old boy (!) and who knows what could happen. We have had cause to claim on the insurance and we are now told that because he is under 18yrs of age they cannot cover the claim. They actually advised that I should have told the insurance company that it was mine and that he wasn't the main user...i.e lie to them. Am I the only parent to take out a contract phone for their children and take the insurance only to find out its useless?
Beware, an 18 yr old cannot legally take out the contract, so, the insurance is invalid. The advice from the phone supplier? Lie.

assscat · 2 April 2012 at 1:51PM

halon wrote: »

I'm looking at Insure & Go as well. Apparently even if you get the Platinum option which covers loss, you're still not covered for "theft or loss whilst in any form of public transport or public place other than when the Product is taken from You by actual or threatened force".

So basically it only covers loss if you're in a private residence? This makes no sense.

Hmmm. I'm also thinking of getting some insurance, and this puts me right off.

I've had a look over the T&Cs and I reckon in the case of a brand new iPhone, one would practically be covered only for robbery and burglary.

If the phone breaks, as it's within the manufacturer's one-year warranty, it seems the the insurer won't cover it.

As far as loss goes, it looks like it has to be within a very narrow set of circumstances. For example this might work: "I left the phone at Steve's house on Tuesday evening at 7.00 P.M. I can't find it now, maybe he threw it out by accident. Here's the associated Crime or Lost Property Reference number (I don't know how one would obtain either of those numbers in this circumstance)." What won't appear to work is: I left it on the bus; I was pickpocketed on the street; I don't remember where I last had it.

There appear to be too many exceptions for my liking.

gregg1 · 3 April 2012 at 10:11AM

escapeman67 wrote: »

You recommend Insure & Go in your mobile phone insurance guide but then later in the guide mention this horror story "One shocking example we've heard is an insurer refusing to pay out for theft as a phone was taken out of someone's pocket while at a busy gig - saying that this didn't count as robbery as no force was used..."

However under the Insure & Go terms and conditions, as has been mentioned previously, it states " Please note that theft from any property, place or premises is not covered unless there is evidence of forced and violent entry or exit. Theft from the person is not covered unless force or threat of violence is used. Theft whilst in any form of public transport or public place is not covered unless force or threatened force is used. You are required to take all reasonable precautions to protect the product against theft, loss or damage."

How can any sort of pickpocketing claim (surely the most common form of theft) ever not be excluded by the insurers if they are requiring "force or threatened force" to be part of the theft?

This is exclusion seems to me to make the insurnance policy worthless.

They are pretty much saying a phone stolen from anywhere at all can only be stolen if there was violence involved - how often does this really happen?

Glad I read your post. I am looking for Iphone insurance for my daughter's phone and have looked at a couple of policies, one of which was the above and Proectyourbubble's terms and conditions. both contain the above clause about force/threatened force. I phoned them to check and they reckon the phone will be covered if it is stolen from her handbag if the bag is on her person.

However, from what you say this is may not actually be the case if a claim were to be made. I suspect at that time, whatever they say on the phone now, they will apply the force rule.

I think I may just go with my home insurance unless anyone has any other suggestions.

react · 3 April 2012 at 2:52PM

Has anyone used 'covermygadget'? seems a fairly decent deal, for several gadgets for up to £500 of cover, for £90 ish (including loss cover).
there is a similar thing in their T&C's about public places but seems to only relate to 'unattended items'.
be interesting if anyone has had a similar experience to some other companies mentioned above!

roschar100 · 29 April 2012 at 8:08PM

Hi
I used insurance2go for my iphone 3GS. I had to claim for a broken screen and damage to the case. I had no problems with my claim and they fixed my phone and didn't argue about it at all.

Rose

MSE Article discussion: Mobile Phone Insurance

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