The
widespread use of smartphones and tablets has now become quite commonplace.
Many individuals own a tablet with more and more using their tablets and
smartphones to buy books, music and airline tickets or for online banking.
Smart
technology has many benefits including being user-friendly for older users.
Insurance companies have however seen a marked increase in claims for these
devices and the claims are mostly for theft and occasional damage.
Here to insure your
device
A
standard household policy normally covers your tablet against theft. The
drawback is that these devices are portable so they are not covered when taken
out of the home. If you are looking to cover for both inside and away from your
home you have to insure your device under the all-risk category of your policy.
You
will need to check if your device is covered under your unspecified all-risk
insurance and even though you think your device is covered insurers usually
require these items to be specified otherwise they won’t pay you out.
Specified Cover
If
you specify the device it should be insured at the replacement value as the
insurer will replace it with a new one or pay you out the full replacement
value when you claim.
Send
your broker or your insurance company all serial numbers and proof of purchase
or valuations as proof of the price of the item and remember to keep copies. Inform
your insurer if the device was bought overseas as some of these devices might
not be available locally. In most instances the product will be replaced with
either the same or similar product.
Take
note that cellphone claims are often rejected if the phone is blacklisted or if
you cannot provide an international mobile equipment number.