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Gadget insurance doesn’t guarantee you’re covered

Joanna Faith
Written By:
Joanna Faith
Posted:
Updated:
13/08/2018

People with gadget insurance are being urged to check the details of their cover as many policies leave tech users with limited protection, research has found.

Financial information company Defaqto found that just half of policies – 81 out of 159 – cover for multiple devices despite the average UK household owning more than seven separate gadgets and phones.

It also found that 35 out of 89 joint mobile and gadget policies don’t cover for the accidental loss of a mobile phone or gadget, such as a tablet or camera, and 31 joint policies offer no cover for malicious damage if your device is intentionally tampered with or damaged.

When it comes to theft, one in five polices (33 out of 159) won’t provide cover for a phone or gadget stolen from an unattended vehicle or premises, such as your workplace or home.

And should your phone be lost, stolen or damaged, only 1% of policies offer a loan mobile while another phone is being sourced or the insured one is being fixed.

When claiming for repairs or a replacement, 16% of polices offer no cover should your phone or device have an electronic fault and one in five offers no cover if your phone has a mechanical fault.

Worryingly, less than half of gadget polices provide cover for a smartphone that’s two years or older when the policy starts, despite the average lifespan for a smartphone today being 4.7 years.

Brian Brown, head of insight – banking & general insurance at Defaqto, said: “Policies and features vary considerably so it is essential that tech users check their insurance cover to ensure they have peace of mind should they unfortunately find themselves without their devices due to theft, loss or damage.”

Related: Is it worth buying gadget insurance?