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Mobile phone insurance will cover the cost of repairing or replacing your mobile phone if it gets lost or damaged. The range of scenarios you’ll be covered for will differ depending on your choice of insurance company. We’ve explained the range of situations that you can get cover for and those where you’ll have to foot the bill.
You can expect insurance for mobile phones to cover the costs of repairing or replacing your device in the following circumstances.
Some insurance policies will cover you for all of these situations in any foreign country. You may also be covered if any of these situations occur while your device is in the possession of your immediate family members.
In some cases, you may have to pay for additional cover to be protected in all of these scenarios. It’s always worth checking the small print of the policy to see what’s covered.
Few insurers will cover smartphones that are bought second-hand or from overseas. Most insurers won’t agree to cover devices that you’ve already owned for a certain amount of time (usually up to 12 months, but in some cases, up to 36 months).
You also won’t be covered for damages sustained before the policy began.
On top of that, here are some scenarios where you’re unlikely to be covered by mobile phone insurance;
Modern smartphones are incredibly expensive to repair or replace. The most expensive devices cost over £1,000 to buy brand new.
In spite of that, most of us take these tiny gadgets outside every time we leave the house. We’re constantly carrying them in our hands, passing them to our friends, taking photographs or packing them in our handbags.
Yet these items are far from indestructible; one slip and you’ve got a cracked screen. To most of us, our phone is essential and would need to be replaced immediately, yet few people are happy to dip into their savings and splash out on a brand new replacement. Which is why mobile phone insurance is popular, especially for the accident-prone.
With that said, you should check that you don’t already have cover from an existing insurance policy, such as contents insurance or travel insurance.
Most mobile phone warranties will cover your device for mechanical breakdowns. If you want to be covered for other scenarios on top of that, you’ll need to buy mobile phone insurance.
The process for replacing a damaged or stolen phone can be somewhat lengthy with some insurance companies. Many insurers will inspect a damaged phone to see if its team can repair it, before agreeing to replace it. Some companies suggest this process could take up to seven days.
However, other insurance companies are able to guarantee a replacement phone within 24 hours after a claim has been accepted.
The cost of mobile phone insurance in the UK depends on a few factors.
The claims process will differ depending on your insurance company. Some allow you to make a claim online; with others, you need to call the claims team.
In all cases, you’ll need to provide details of the device and the incident that led to the claim being made.
With loss/theft incidents, you’ll need to inform the police and your network provider before making a claim. With all damage claims, you’ll need to send your device to the insurer to see if it can be repaired.
Based on these details and the state of your device, the insurer will then make a decision about whether to repair or replace it.
If you’re not ready for the financial sting of repairing or replacing your smartphone, mobile phone insurance is worth considering – especially if you’re prone to accidents. But check to see if your home insurance already covers you. If it doesn’t, it’s worth comparing the price of adding the phone to the policy vs buying standalone cover.
You can compare cover and prices in our table of mobile phone insurance providers.
Compare mobile phone insurance providers
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