Sneaky mobile phone insurance exclusion?

adriandilly

Hi,
When I got my new phone on T-Mobile from buymobilephones.net, I was also signed up for 3 months free Mobile Phone Insurance with Citymain Administrators. I was perusing through the certificate and I found

"
EXCLUSIONS
This certificate does not cover:
...
Theft or Accidental Damage to the Telephone:
...
whilst in any form of public transport or public place other than when the Telephone is taken from the person where actual or threatened force or pickpocket is used.
...
"

This to me suggests that if I drop and damage my phone outside I will not be covered. This sounds more like a Theft condition but they've ordered this and other theft-like-conditions such as
"unless accompanied by a Crime Reference number"
all under the "Theft or Accidental Damage to the Telephone" heading

Does this sound to anyone like a genuine mistake or could it be a sneaky get out clause if you were to damage your phone outside in a public place?

Thanks

gjchester

adriandilly wrote: »

Does this sound to anyone like a genuine mistake or could it be a sneaky get out clause if you were to damage your phone outside in a public place?

Thanks

It's more so you take due care an attention ie to ensure you don't do anything silly like leave it on a pub table when you go to the loo than stop accidental damage claims.

grumbler

No, it's not a genuine mistake.
This is what their lawyers get paid for - to create hidden excuses and to use every excuse for not paying.
An example from the T&C of another notorious company (Fonesure):

themusicmonkey wrote: »

"Your claim has been denied under sections 2, 3 and 10 of your mobile phone insurance contract. ..."

These are sections 2, 3 and 10...

2. theft of the Gadget from any premises or mode of transport unless involving forcible and violent entry or exit

3. theft of the Gadget from the person of the user unless involving force or the threat thereof.

grumbler wrote: »

English is not my first language, but IMO "theft ...from the person ... involving force" is robbery, not theft *. Does this mean that in fact the policy covers a robbery only and doesn't cover any theft?

I think at least 90% of all insurance companies specialising on mobiles are thieves steeling money from their customers.

* I seem to be right: "Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force and/or by putting the victim in fear..."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbery

Demanding a crime reference number for a lost phone is yet another common dirty trick.

jbainbridge

I'm impressed you've read the T&Cs ... Now you can make an informed decision on whether to take out the policy!