Mobile phone insurance

Dr Lobster* · Sat 21 May, 2011 22.36

so, i got my galaxy s2 today. lovely little phone it is too, the screen is awesome.

went with 3 because of their all you can eat data which suits me, but 3's insurance was quite expensive at 9.99 a month.

does anybody know of any other good mobile phone insurance providers? i'm a bit of a clumsy clot and feel i should have it.

any suggesions?

woah · Sat 21 May, 2011 23.22

http://www.protectyourbubble.com/gi-mob ... rance.html

Theirs is about £3.99 a month for your phone. When I got my phone, the man at T-Mobile told me that T-Mobile were the only people who could provide the insurance at £5.99 a month and no-one else did it. Either he was an idiot or an arsehole.

Gavin Scott · Sun 22 May, 2011 15.27

I'm banking with HBOS using their Rewards current account, for which there is a £12 per month fee. Of this, they "gift" you £5 per month back, giving the annoying people in the "Halifax Radio" adverts something to chatter about. In reality therefore its a £7 per month charge. Included in this is phone insurance.

Registering your handset isn't easy. When I finally found a page on their website (all the obvious routes and links return you to a non-secure page extolling the benefits of the account you already have), it wouldn't validate my address - why it would need my address when I'm administering my account I don't know.

Calling phone banking has so far been time consuming and ultimately fruitless. They're pleasant, respond to your initial call very efficiently, but then you're sent off (to speak to the person who can key this important information in) down a Doctor Who style vortex of time, with Tom Bakers face periodically leering at you to tell you how important your call is, no jelly bean.

So, cultured as I am to thinking that even instant gratification takes too long, I hang up. I'm mildly consoled that I (A) have the facility of insurance even though I've not effected it, and (B) I'm the boy with 5 pristine "old" phones in a drawer. I take good care of my phones. I am often found polishing one with a yellow duster while I watch telly, until it shines like a gemstone.

BUT, this week I'm chatting with colleagues on the matter, and I'm told that not only does the insurance policy take WEEKS to be resolved, the provisions in the policy allow them to offer refurbished handsets, complete with scratched and scuffed casings. The common scenario of "its either lost or stolen" provides for some convoluted non-payment loopholes, so you have to be water-tight about crime references and such.

The bank also gives travel insurance as part of the bargain, which I used on holiday recently. Makes me wonder if I left myself similarly underwhelmed in terms of coverage and provision?

I should probably read the booklet. But I just canny be arsed.

bilky asko · Mon 23 May, 2011 10.24

Dr Lobster* wrote:so, i got my galaxy s2 today. lovely little phone it is too, the screen is awesome.

went with 3 because of their all you can eat data which suits me, but 3's insurance was quite expensive at 9.99 a month.

does anybody know of any other good mobile phone insurance providers? i'm a bit of a clumsy clot and feel i should have it.

any suggesions?

Remember to check whether you are covered under your contents insurance for your house. If you can get it, it is often cheaper than separate gadget insurance, and will cover everything.

However, if you can't, since you think you're quite clumsy it may be a good idea.

Nick Harvey · Mon 23 May, 2011 10.47

Most house insurance only covers gadgets while they're within the house. You have to specially ask (and probably pay a bit more) for cover out and about.

That might be okay for clumsiness claims, because you dropped it on the hard kitchen floor not the pavement outside your office, didn't you! However, if it gets nicked while you're out and about you might have a problem.

bilky asko · Mon 23 May, 2011 12.34

Nick Harvey wrote:Most house insurance only covers gadgets while they're within the house. You have to specially ask (and probably pay a bit more) for cover out and about.

That might be okay for clumsiness claims, because you dropped it on the hard kitchen floor not the pavement outside your office, didn't you! However, if it gets nicked while you're out and about you might have a problem.

That's why I still use tin cans and a string.

Alexia · Mon 23 May, 2011 19.59

bilky asko wrote:
Nick Harvey wrote:Most house insurance only covers gadgets while they're within the house. You have to specially ask (and probably pay a bit more) for cover out and about.

That might be okay for clumsiness claims, because you dropped it on the hard kitchen floor not the pavement outside your office, didn't you! However, if it gets nicked while you're out and about you might have a problem.
That's why I still use tin cans and a string.

Run out of pigeons and little bits of paper then? I'll send one of mine over.

bilky asko · Mon 23 May, 2011 20.18

Alexia wrote:
bilky asko wrote:
Nick Harvey wrote:Most house insurance only covers gadgets while they're within the house. You have to specially ask (and probably pay a bit more) for cover out and about.

That might be okay for clumsiness claims, because you dropped it on the hard kitchen floor not the pavement outside your office, didn't you! However, if it gets nicked while you're out and about you might have a problem.
That's why I still use tin cans and a string.
Run out of pigeons and little bits of paper then? I'll send one of mine over.

Cheers, I've been meaning to get some replacements.

Cache · Mon 23 May, 2011 21.26

ProtectYourBubble is very good, I have my iPad insured with them, although the excess is quite high. Very handy when I dropped it within about a week.

Jovis · Mon 23 May, 2011 21.27

Alexia wrote:
bilky asko wrote:
Nick Harvey wrote:Most house insurance only covers gadgets while they're within the house. You have to specially ask (and probably pay a bit more) for cover out and about.

That might be okay for clumsiness claims, because you dropped it on the hard kitchen floor not the pavement outside your office, didn't you! However, if it gets nicked while you're out and about you might have a problem.
That's why I still use tin cans and a string.
Run out of pigeons and little bits of paper then? I'll send one of mine over.

Is it... err... 'winging' its way over?

*I thank you*

Alexia · Mon 23 May, 2011 21.50

Jovis wrote:
Alexia wrote:
bilky asko wrote:That's why I still use tin cans and a string.
Run out of pigeons and little bits of paper then? I'll send one of mine over.
Is it... err... 'winging' its way over?

*I thank you*

It would do but under the trades description act it can only be a carrier pigeon if it's carrying a message. Therefore it cannot fly between jobs, so must travel by Megabus.