Mobile Phone Insurance - How To Compare It And Avoid The Rip Offs

Differing from most other types of insurance, the premiums for mobile phone cover are often unaffected by your personal circumstances or any other demographic factors. What's more, most policies don't even factor in whether you've made any previous claims. This means that the only real factor affecting premiums is the make and replacement cost of your phone.



When considering mobile phone insurance you need to assess the risks you face. While the cost of your phone plays a big role, a major factor is simply how careful or careless you are when it comes to belongings. If you have butter fingers or are scatterbrained, mobile phone insurance may be much better value than if you are a person who guards your phone with your life.



Could Your Mobile Be Covered By Your Home Contents Cover?



Many home contents policies can cover the loss or theft of, or damage to, a mobile phone. Depending on the policy, this can only cover incidents in your home, or may include incidents anywhere. It can be built in to your policy, or be available as an optional extra.



As with all insurance, if considering this option, you should examine the policy conditions carefully for restrictions such as whether you'll get a replacement phone or a cash payment, and what level of excess will apply.



What Else Will Be Covered Besides The Phone Itself?



Some policies, particularly those offered by a phone network, may cover the costs of any calls made after your phone is lost or stolen. Depending on your call package, this could be a significant amount.



If you lose a phone, or it is stolen or damaged, you may still be committed to paying a monthly service fee for the rest of a fixed-term contract. In many cases, these payments are effectively paying off the subsidy a phone network offers when supplying top-end phones at a reduced price. If, for example, you pay £99 for a new phone with a two-year contract, the actual costs you pay for the handset will be the full price: it's just that some of the cost is deferred and paid through the monthly fee.



If you have a contract mobile phone, you may want to look into cover which will pay some or all of the ongoing service costs for the remaining term of your contract. Of course, if you take out cover with your network, it may well provide a replacement phone for use throughout the rest of your contract period.



Another factor to consider is what happens to the information stored on your phone if it is lost or stolen? Some policies offer backup options although there may be cheaper dedicated options online for this.



Who Should I Buy From?



There may be some advantages to taking cover from your network provider, particularly on contract deals. For example, they are more likely to offer you cover which includes the cost of any calls made with your phone after it is stolen.



Even so, many network policies are underwritten and administered by third party providers so be sure to check the small print closely in addition to comparing cover from independent providers before you buy.



There are a growing number of specialist insurers and providers offering mobile phone cover as our love of gadgets creates an increased demand for dedicated insurance to protect them. Again, don't take any of these policies or providers, even the well known ones, for granted. A quick search online for customer reviews can reveal some providers who appear to be repeat offenders at poor customer service.





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Make your own mobile phone insurance comparison using the directory of providers at http://www.uk-insurance-index.co.uk. You can also view the feedback of real customers who have submitted their mobile phone insurance reviews to help you make an informed choice