Headphones & Audio Insurance Guide

If you're looking at getting headphones and/or audio insurance, then you obviously know your Beats from your Skullcandys and your iPods from your run of the mill MP3s. You probably know the difference between Bone Conduction (rest on your cheekbones outside your ears) and Biometric (measure your heartrate through your ears – oh yes, they do), and have paid a fair whack to own some beautifully crafted kit.

There's no 'one size fits all' when it comes to digital audio equipment or headphones either. They're specially designed for a range of activities - sports and fitness, home entertainment, DJ/live sound, gaming, travel, work, and fashion. Some of us have even invested in several different audio pods or headphones types to ensure we have music whatever we're doing. Because you'd look a bit weird doing a half marathon in your noise cancelling over the ear work headphones right?

If your music buddies get left on a train or you accidentally drop them running a 10k and turn around to see them being crushed under a size 10 Nike, the right insurance policy will ensure you get them replaced quickly without you having to pay out a sizeable sum of money you hadn't budgeted for.

If you are a bit accident prone and have a tendency to drop everything small and expensive, then getting decent gadget insurance might be the right option for you.

Things to consider before taking out headphones or audio insurance

• Are your headphones and audio equipment covered by your home contents insurance? Many home insurance policies cover gadgets, but we don't know that we have that extra cover.
• Would you also be protected if you lost your headphones or iPod away from home? If you have travel insurance - would that cover your audio equipment? If it will, is the full value covered or is there a set limit? What is the excess on that policy?
• You may also be covered with inclusive insurance with a packaged bank account or certain credit cards - again, check this out before taking out stand-alone camera insurance, as doubling up on insurance can lead to lots of complications should you need to make a claim. Doubling up on insurance doesn't mean double the pay-out, it can mean double the administrative headache.

What does headphones and audio insurance cover?

A standard Protect Your Gadget policy will insure your headphones for:

• Accidental damage
• Mechanical breakdown
• Overseas use

Need more cover? We have three different levels to choose from:

Protect: Accidental Damage, Mechanical Breakdown, £250 accessory cover, 60 days worldwide cover (per trip)

Protect Plus: Accidental Damage, Mechanical Breakdown, Theft, £250 Accessory cover, 90 days worldwide cover (per trip), Unauthorised usage (£2500), E-Wallet protection £500

Protect Premium: Accidental Damage, Mechanical Breakdown, Theft, Loss, £250 Accessory Cover, 120 Days worldwide cover (per trip), Unauthorised usage (£2500), E-Wallet Protection £500.

What doesn’t headphone and audio insurance cover?

• Loss or theft due to carelessness
• Manufacturer defects or product recalls

Things to consider when buying headphone or audio insurance

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 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.