Gadget Insurance Guide

Gadgets, gadgets everywhere - from smartphones to tablets, MP3 players to cameras - modern life is surrounded by gadgetary of all kinds - but what do you do when your trusty tech gets lost, damaged or stolen.

Which gadgets should I insure?

The answer is quite simple - the gadgets you can't live without, be it personally, financially or professionally. With a host of individual and multi-gadget insurance policies available across the market at a range of prices, protection for everyone and everything is available at a price that suits you.

Things to consider:

• Are your gadgets covered by your home contents insurance policy? You don't want to spend money unnecessarily if you already have your digital devices covered, so check out your home contents policy to find out if they are protected. The important point to note is that while they may indeed be covered, they may not be covered outside the home or in the hands of younger family members. They probably won't be covered for mechanical breakdowns and malfunctions, either. So if this is a concern you'll want to consider getting alternative protection.
• Are they protected away from home? What is the excess? How many are covered on the policy and how much for? These are all things to examine carefully before deciding to take out individual gadget insurance.
• If you are using your gadgets abroad, does your travel insurance protect them? Check the excess and how much they are insured for. Is there a limit to how many are protected on each policy? How about children travelling alone on school trips? They all take mobile phones and tablets these days - are they protected should they damage them while on their trip? Again, these are policy details you should check before deciding to take out gadget insurance.

If I'm offered insurance when I purchase the gadget, should I take it?

Buying insurance from the retailer isn't always the cheapest and best way to protect your gadgets. Remember, Protect Your Gadget insurance was designed specifically with gadgets in mind. We have a team of insurance experts ready to give you a policy that is right for you. We can give you a non -obligation quote so you can make the right decision.

When you buy Protect Your Gadget insurance, we will run through the policy with you so you know exactly what is and isn’t covered.

What types of insurance can I buy for my gadgets?

Yes. If you decide to buy insurance for your gadget, there are a range of options available to suit you.

Cover is available to safeguard your gadget as one item of significant value or you can opt for comprehensive household policies which cover a range of items.

Protect Your Gadget also offers a multi-gadget policy which provide cover for gadgets such as like Kindles, Nintendo Switch, XBox and iPads.

Things to look out for when buying gadget insurance

We think we have the perfect product for you when it comes to Protect Your Gadget insurance.

When you are thinking of buying gadget insurance with Protect Your Gadget, you should consider:

Excesses
An excess is the contribution you are asked to make towards a claim. You can have a choice of the amount of your excess - £150, £100 or £50 and there is an additional excess of £50 if a claim is made within the first 31 days of the policy starting. We always recommend you read the terms and conditions carefully, so you know what applies to you and your policy.

Is it preowned?
We insure gadgets that are purchased new or refurbished from a UK Vat registered company, or the tax equivalent if purchased overseas, and that are up to 7 months old for a single gadget or no more than 36 months old when purchased with our bundles.

We can also insure your gadgets if they were purchased second hand or gifted to you, provided that you have the original proof of purchase and a signed letter from the original owner confirming that you own the gadget(s).

The signed letter must include the following details of your gadget(s):

• either the IMEI or serial number (whichever is applicable);
• the make and model;
• the sale price of the gadget (if purchased second hand);
• confirmation that the gadget(s) were in good condition and full working order at the time of sale.

Wear and tear:
Policies won't pay out for normal wear and tear, or cosmetic damage like scratches.

Virus damage:
If your system gets wiped out by a virus, you won't be able to claim to get the damage repaired, or for any other loss relating to the virus.

It's not all about insurance...

For most people the most valuable thing about their device is not the physical device itself but the data that's on it.

Protecting this needn't cost you any money at all.

Ensure that you frequently back up your music, files, photos, videos, contacts and other data. Consider cloud storage options for your data as well as physical backups such as home computers or hard disk drives.