can anyone give me their experience of helpucover gadget insurance pls?

easy

Need to sort out some insurance to cover mobile phones & tablets that we own as a family. I'm drawn to the product offered by Helpucover, but wanted to know if anyone had dealt with them and were they any more reasonable/unreasonable than other providers? Cheers.

dacouch

How many items do you have and what are their values?

easy

My Galaxy S2 (£300) and iPad - this is an original iPad and I might not bother insuring it, as I could live without it if owt happened and anyway it very rarely leaves the house.
Ds's HTC Wildfire S (£90), and his xmas pressie, Galaxy Tab 2 (£180) which is his pride and joy and would be disastrous if it got nicked/broken - he does take this out to friends houses & so forth.
DH may buy himself a smartphone too ...

dacouch

Have you read the summary of cover and policy wording to see what is covered and what's not covered.

Anything over three years is not covered, you can only make two claims over each year, claims must be over £50 and theft from an unattended building / vehicle must show signs of a forcible entry. (Children tend to leave their gadgets in an unlocked class room or changing room which won't show signs of a forcible entry).

Replacements are likely to be the same gadget but a reconditioned version.

They won't pay for mechanical breakdown if the item is within it's warranty period.

They will require proof of purchase for items you claim for, will you be able to provide proof of purchase for the items you want covered?

Their terms are about the same or possibly better than a lot of these types of policies.

Also think about the £120 a year you will pay for the cover against the chances of you making a claim (Remember you can only claim twice each year) and the value of the item you will be claiming for.

easy

dacouch wrote: »

Have you read the summary of cover and policy wording to see what is covered and what's not covered.

Anything over three years is not covered, you can only make two claims over each year, claims must be over £50 and theft from an unattended building / vehicle must show signs of a forcible entry. (Children tend to leave their gadgets in an unlocked class room or changing room which won't show signs of a forcible entry).

Replacements are likely to be the same gadget but a reconditioned version.

They won't pay for mechanical breakdown if the item is within it's warranty period.

They will require proof of purchase for items you claim for, will you be able to provide proof of purchase for the items you want covered?

Their terms are about the same or possibly better than a lot of these types of policies.

Also think about the £120 a year you will pay for the cover against the chances of you making a claim (Remember you can only claim twice each year) and the value of the item you will be claiming for.

you know, you are right. I have a building soc account which has about £100 in it. I think I might just look at paying £10 a month into that, on the basis that, if anything happens to one of the gadgets I would be able to replace it with a recon (or possibly better) from that.

dacouch

easy wrote: »

you know, you are right. I have a building soc account which has about £100 in it. I think I might just look at paying £10 a month into that, on the basis that, if anything happens to one of the gadgets I would be able to replace it with a recon (or possibly better) from that.

It's always best to read the cover you're looking at so you understand what you're covered for and more importantly what you're not covered for so you can evaluate the value of the policy especially when it's not a core policy you would normally buy eg Home, Car or Travel.

Some of the typical claims for mobile phones are not covered by these policies eg dropping the phone down the toilet / bath or leaving it in a pocket of your trousers which then go through the washing machine as the Insurers will say you're negligent (You can argue against this).

If you decide to self Insure and put the money away, if you can get the first year or two without claim you should be quids in. The key to it will to be to get your kids on board. Explain to them you have no cover for their gadgets and if they lose them etc they might not get another as you might not be able to afford one at the time. Perhaps also offer them say £20 each back for each year they go without losing or damaging their phone and / or tell them their old phone will be worth x amount (show them on a phone buying website the used value) and that they can keep the cost of their old phone when you inevitably upgrade them.

Explain to them how high risk it is to leave their phones in a class room or unlocked changing room etc.

Consider installing this which is free for the basic version.

http://preyproject.com/

easy

dacouch wrote: »

The key to it will to be to get your kids on board. Explain to them you have no cover for their gadgets and if they lose them etc they might not get another as you might not be able to afford one at the time.

Explain to them how high risk it is to leave their phones in a class room or unlocked changing room etc.

This stuff has already been explained to DS. Perhaps some parents just dole stuff out, our son has to understand the value of his belongings. He's a bright 13 year-old, and been told, if he loses / breaks his kit, he won't get bought new kit. He doesn't take his new tablet anywhere on public transport, cos I know he would get it out to play with it, and I don't want someone to 'remove it from him'.

dacouch wrote: »

Perhaps also offer them say £20 each back for each year they go without losing or damaging their phone and / or tell them their old phone will be worth x amount (show them on a phone buying website the used value) and that they can keep the cost of their old phone when you inevitably upgrade them.

Hmm, I'm not surer about the £20 for each year he goes without losing/breaking his phone. I pay his contract, he gets his phone, and if he doesn't lose/break it he still has his phone - just like a grown up. It is HIS tho' so if he chooses to sell it at the end of his contract to fund an upograde, then that is fine. I won't INEVITABLY upgrade for him. That way he learns the value of what he has.