Apple AIG Phone Theft Insurance Ordeal

hdn

This is a complaint for the attention of Apple and AIG Insurance, and to see if others have had the same negative experience.

3 weeks ago my phone was stolen. Whilst I'm fine (even though the AIG call centre operators did not think to check) the subsequent saga of trying to claim through the insurance has been shocking!

Whilst in the Apple Store the morning after this happened I got an email to say the iPhone has been found. I could go on to 'Find My iPhone' and forward the details to the police.

In the end, it was in a block of flats so the police could not search there. Well, at least I've been paying my insurance monthly, I thought!

So imagine my surprise when, after agreeing to pay the excess, my claim was declined. The response was that when my phone was stolen my 'Find My iPhone' was turned off!

Luckily, I had all the evidence - the email notifications, the print screens of the live locations from 'Find My iPhone' timed and dated. The police case number where I supplied this information to. So I asked to 'appeal' the decision and send this information.

Again, the claim was declined. Now it was the Apple technicians who had claimed it was turned off when my phone was stolen (apparently!)

So I thought, OK - let me write out the timeline - so they could see when the phone was stolen and when I got the notifications of location, so there was no disputing this was turned on. Makes sense right?

After this, they appeared to have accepted that - yes, indeed it was turned on when my phone got stolen. But apparently, the people who stole it subsequently disabled this. Great, I thought, finally my claim will be processed!

Oh no, wait, that's not right. Because now I've legitimately been emailed to ask if I have ANY idea HOW the individuals who stole the device may have disabled Find My iPhone!

You know what, you're right, I should be able to answer that. Let me just give them a call?!

So I phoned AIG and the advice was to reply on the email, essentially saying 'I did not know'. As I gather technology used by criminals is getting more sophisticated? Because my phone was put on lost-mode by myself (via Find My iPhone, ironically) so according to my understanding they should not have been able to use it.

But the latest response today was that my claim is still declined.

Apple/AIG, on behalf of your loyal customers who may have to go through a similar experience after a phone theft ordeal. Do better.

Has anyone else had a similar experience? And what do you suggest I do next?

MeteredOut

Did you validate the email you got saying your phone was found was from Apple, and the link it took you to was a valid Apple website?

I (unfortunately) think it most likely was not (I'm not even sure Apple send such emails, and I doubt they'd recommend going to the police), and once you had given the thief your Apple credentials via that phishing site, that allowed them to easily disable Find My Phone.

I'd recommend checking your Apple Account, to see if any information could have been stolen.

If this was the case, you could (if you choose) now tell AIG how the thief disabled Find My Phone, but I suspect they'll already be aware of this once it gets to the appropriate claim assessor if you told them about this email you received.

I'm not sure this 100% means you wouldn't be covered - it will depend on the wording in your policy and to what extent AIG and you want to fight it. Your argument should continue to be that Find My Phone was active when the phone was stolen.

EDIT: If you still have the email, take a look at the address of the website it sent you too - you could post it here with some bits removed.

oldernonethewiser

If "Find My" is turned on you'll be able to see the location.

Have you done that or are you relying on the "email from Apple"?

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6680074/apple-aig-phone-theft-insurance-ordeal

When wifes phone was stolen she received both emails and texts claiming to be from Apple Find My but was actually a link to a fake website designed to harvest your Apple log in details. Are you sure it was actually a genuine message from Apple?

hdn

Thanks everyone for the comments

Hopefully this will add some explanation

As I had put the phone on lost mode when I checked my emails I got this sent to me:

Just to note however I had not clicked through on this link. I logged onto my 'Find My iPhone' on a different apple device which was showing the phone at a live location. Print screens of this from the app was given to the police and subsequently AIG.

The address it was 'last scene' at (which still shows in my 'Find My iPhone' app where the phone is still listed as on lost mode) was - according to police - a block of flats.

AIG seem to claim the 'Find My iPhone' was deactivated later that same day. However as mentioned it is still on the app and still listed as in lost mode there.

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82106482#Comment_82106482

The image doesnt help, its the two links that you need to see where they lead to which cant be seen in a static image. The texts, for me, was easier because the text shows the true link not display text and potentially a different actual link.

I got emails too but those were similar to yours showing a icloud.com/find but if you put your mouse over it then it also went to the same apple.live-uk.us website address (the suffix changed on every message, we got a lot of these before the sob story started and then the death threats)

Was wondering if our phones had ended up in the same place but no, ours went to a block of flats in north east london rather than Wembley.

hdn

So I have just revisited the email - if I hover over the link it comes up with this:

But as mentioned - after getting this I went on through my actual 'Find My' app rather than via the email

The phone was stolen in Wembley and was tracked live in Wembley on that day

The latest was when I spoke to Apple was that he can log a discrepancy and asked me to send print screens from the App showing my phone, that it is on lost mode and the last address mentioned on there