Travel Insurance Gadget Cover

ItchyFeet27

I took out an annual travel insurance policy and opted to include extra gadget cover.

Whilst away recently the camera on my phone broke. I have applied through my travel insurance for a repair and after lots of back and fore and proof of travel etc they have asked me to send my phone off for two weeks for assessment. I don't have a back up phone and I am not sure how I am supposed to manage without a phone. Anybody have any experience of this and how I can navigate this issue? Many thanks 

eskbanker

Unless the policy terms make any reference to providing temporary handsets in such circumstances, which seems very unlikely, you'll just have to make your own arrangements if you can't manage without one, e.g. by buying a cheap or second hand one to tide you over.

DullGreyGuy

ItchyFeet27 said:

I took out an annual travel insurance policy and opted to include extra gadget cover.

Whilst away recently the camera on my phone broke. I have applied through my travel insurance for a repair and after lots of back and fore and proof of travel etc they have asked me to send my phone off for two weeks for assessment. I don't have a back up phone and I am not sure how I am supposed to manage without a phone. Anybody have any experience of this and how I can navigate this issue? Many thanks 

Buy a burner phone and use it for the 2 weeks then put it in a draw so you can use it the next time there is a problem with your main phone.

flaneurs_lobster

DullGreyGuy said:

Buy a burner phone and use it for the 2 weeks then put it in a draw so you can use it the next time there is a problem with your main phone.

£12 at Argos. 

sheramber

How do you expect it to br repared without you being without the phone?

TheShape

sheramber said:

How do you expect it to br repared without you being without the phone?

To be fair, the OP refers to the phone being sent for 'assessment' rather than repair.  Not sure that a repair would necessarily follow from that.

TheShape

flaneurs_lobster said:

DullGreyGuy said:

Buy a burner phone and use it for the 2 weeks then put it in a draw so you can use it the next time there is a problem with your main phone.

£12 at Argos. 

I can't imagine that a £12 phone is going to fulfil the functions that most phones fulfil nowdays.  When phones we used primary for calls and texts perhaps, but that's not what phones are (mostly) used for now.

flaneurs_lobster

TheShape said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

DullGreyGuy said:

Buy a burner phone and use it for the 2 weeks then put it in a draw so you can use it the next time there is a problem with your main phone.

£12 at Argos. 

I can't imagine that a £12 phone is going to fulfil the functions that most phones fulfil nowdays.  When phones we used primary for calls and texts perhaps, but that's not what phones are (mostly) used for now.

Really! Who knew.

It's a temp phone, for calls and texts while the smartphone is elsewhere.

Maybe you (and probably I) couldn't manage a day without our smartphones, many people can and do.

Although I'm surprised that most people don't have an old spare phone knocking about or can't borrow same from pal.

twopenny

I had one of the first flip phones back in the day when they were 2g and it took excellent photos.
The one before that would do currency exchange very quickly.
A cheap SIM free would see you through and do most things you want. Use your own SIM. Do you save phone numbers to SIM? 

The insurance company need to check what you are saying is true and you aren't claiming for a problem that isn't there so they need to see it.
Interesting though, I've told people to insure gadgets for theft or breakage and not thought of this problem. It makes sense though.

IvanOpinion

Can you not ask around friends, family, neighbours, or local businesses to see if anyone has an old unused phone lying about that you could borrow for a few weeks? I have a dozen or so in a drawer, should really throw them out.

Just remember to take your SIM out of your phone before sending it away, and clear any personal data off it. Similarly when you hand any loan phone back to someone.

DullGreyGuy

TheShape said:

sheramber said:

How do you expect it to br repared without you being without the phone?

To be fair, the OP refers to the phone being sent for 'assessment' rather than repair.  Not sure that a repair would necessarily follow from that.

Depends if the claim is accepted and what their approach to claims is. Certainly some, if the claims accepted, will simply replace it with a refurbished item and then go on to refurbish this one for a later claimant.