Consider how much stuff you have in your car right now. A bunch of CDs (old school, we know, but surprisingly common)? A spare jacket, just in case? Your plug-in sat nav? If you\u2019re an active type, maybe you\u2019ve got a gym bag, tennis racquet or golf clubs. Perhaps you even keep a spare tablet in there, to keep your kids (or your other half) entertained on long journeys. It all adds up, and so does its value. In this guide, we explore whether your personal belongings are covered with your car insurance policy, any restrictions and what the alternatives are.<\/p>
If your car insurance policy includes personal possessions cover, this means that the contents of your car (as opposed to the car itself) are protected, to a certain extent, against damage or theft. Let\u2019s say your car\u2019s contents are destroyed in a fire, or a thief smashes your window and helps themselves to the contents of your glove box. If you have personal belongings cover, you\u2019ll be able to claim on your car insurance.<\/p>
Not always. It largely depends on the level of cover you have.<\/p>
Personal possessions cover will reimburse you for the cost of the personal belongings in your car if they are:<\/p>
The personal belongings that are covered can include things like sports gear, clothing, tools, sunglasses, CDs or tech gadgets (such as smartphones or sat navs).<\/p>
Be aware that some car insurance policies place some quite restrictive limits on their personal possessions cover. This means the full value of your possessions may not be covered.<\/p>
This can vary dramatically by insurer and by policy.<\/p>
According to financial market analyst Defaqto<\/a>, personal possessions limits for car insurance range from a paltry \u00a3100 to a maximum of \u00a32,500. However, the limits on most policies (and all third party, fire and theft policies) fall between \u00a3100 and \u00a3500. Only a handful of premium comprehensive policies offer \u00a31,000 of cover or more.<\/p> If you permanently keep a set of expensive golf clubs in your car, for example, you might want to opt for one of these policies. Though, to be honest, we wouldn\u2019t recommend leaving high-value items in your car any longer than you need to.<\/p> Common exclusions to look out for are:<\/p> Plus, of course, you won\u2019t be able to claim for more than the maximum cover limit stated in your policy. As well as the fixed monetary limit, look out for something known as a \u201cpercentage value clause\u201d. Not every policy will have one, but if it does it could lower the maximum pay-out further. It\u2019s linked to the value of your car and might state, for example, that personal belongings are only covered up to 10% of the car\u2019s value. If your car is only worth \u00a35,000, you\u2019ll only be able to claim for \u00a3500 worth of personal possessions cover, even if the monetary limit is set at \u00a31,000.<\/p> Your car insurance policy documents should state clearly whether personal possessions are included in your cover, and any cover limits. If there\u2019s no mention of personal belongings being covered, it probably means they\u2019re not.<\/p> If you\u2019re not sure, or the wording isn\u2019t clear, contact your insurer to check.<\/p> Probably not. Unlike some types of cover that can be added as optional extras (such as breakdown cover or replacement key cover), your car insurance policy either will or won\u2019t cover your personal belongings. If it doesn\u2019t, you usually can\u2019t bolt it on. You may need to look for alternative ways to cover your possessions.<\/p> If you\u2019re thinking that the term \u201cpersonal possessions\u201d sounds familiar, it might be because you\u2019re in charge of buying the contents insurance for your home. With home insurance policies, personal possessions<\/a> describes an element of cover that protects your portable belongings outside of the house.<\/p> However, unlike with car insurance policies, personal possessions is usually an optional add-on to contents insurance<\/a> policies. Typically, contents insurance covers the belongings inside of your home as standard. You need to pay extra for cover while you\u2019re out and about.<\/p> If your car insurance policy doesn\u2019t include personal possessions cover and you want this protection, you have a couple of options:<\/p> You will certainly need to provide proof that you owned the items you\u2019re claiming for. Receipts are a good way to do this, so hang on to receipts for any high-value items you buy. They could be useful if you need to claim on home or gadget insurance too. Electronic receipts or emails confirming a purchase should do the job as well.<\/p> Failing this, insurers may be willing to accept photographic evidence. Take photos of items you regularly keep in the car, ideally either of the items in the car itself or showing you with them. A generic screen shot of an iPhone that could be in anyone\u2019s hand probably won\u2019t cut it.<\/p> Step 1:<\/strong> Contact the police. This improve your chances of being reunited with your belongings if they\u2019re recovered. Plus, you\u2019ll need the crime reference number to make a claim for stolen belongings. There\u2019s no need to call 999 unless the theft is in progress. If it isn\u2019t, call the non-emergency number 101.<\/p> Step 2:<\/strong> If your car\u2019s contents are insured, get in touch with your insurer as soon as possible. Some may require you to inform them within a certain period after the theft takes place.<\/p> It depends on a few factors, including the value of the items stolen, any cover limits and the level of excess you have to pay. Any claim you make is likely to affect any no-claims bonus you\u2019ve built up. It may also increase your premiums come renewal, so it\u2019s worth factoring this in \u2013 particularly if the value of the damaged or stolen items is low.<\/p> You\u2019ll also need to weigh up what you\u2019d get back if you claimed against the excess. If the excess you\u2019d have to pay exceeds the amount you\u2019d get back, there\u2019s little point in claiming. This might be enough to rule out some personal possessions claims entirely, as in some cases the excess might exceed the cover limit. That said, if your car is damaged as part of the theft, the combined claim value of car repairs plus personal possessions might make it worth it.<\/p>What does car insurance personal possessions cover not include?<\/h3>
How can I check if my car insurance policy includes cover for my personal belongings?<\/h3>
Can I add personal possessions cover to my car insurance policy?<\/h3>
Are there different types of personal possessions cover?<\/h3>
How else can I protect the personal belongings in my car?<\/h3>
Will I need to provide receipts when I\u2019m making a claim?<\/h3>
What should I do if my car\u2019s contents are stolen?<\/h3>
Is it always worth claiming for personal possessions on my car insurance?<\/h3>
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