Insurance For Gadgets

With personal electronic devices and other must-have gadgets not only becoming more expensive but more widespread among the population it is time to ask yourself if your contents insurance sufficiently protects these precious belongings when you are both in the house and out and about.

In this guide we intend to run you through the ins and outs of gadget insurance to help you decide whether or not you should be buying extra cover either in the form of an addition to your contents insurance or as separate gadget cover. We'll look at considerations such as theft and accidental damage, mobile phone insurance, speed of replacements, worldwide cover, data backup and recovery and the various services available to you to minimize the disruption caused when you lose or break your gadget.

Should I Get Separate Cover For My Gadgets?

Some contents insurance policies will include some protection for your small electronic items but this may be limited to certain amounts and certain circumstances while other insurers make coverage for personal possessions taken away from the property an optional extra that you have to pay more for and you will not always get the best deal by going down this route even if it is more convenient for you.

As an alternative to the traditional home insurers, there are now several companies setup to deal exclusively with insurance for gadgets and other personal possessions. They are often a bit more flexible when compared to the cover offered by your current insurer and, because they specialise, it is possible for them to offer a more tailored and yet cheaper policy. If you haven't already got cover for your gadgets under your existing contents insurance then we'd highly recommend one of these specialised services and ProtectYourBubble would be at the the top of our list with their policies starting at just £1.49 per month.

What If I Lose My Gadget By Accident?

It happens, your gadget is there one minute and then gone the next. You don't know where you left it or if it just fell out of your pocket as you were sitting on a bus or in the park. While most gadget insurance covers accidental damage (including liquid damage) and theft as standard, some will ask you to pay a little extra to give you peace of mind in case of loss. This extra cover can cost as little as £1 per month and is highly recommended.

Does Gadget Insurance Cover Worldwide Travel & Usage?

When you own gadgets whether they are laptops, e-readers, mobile phones or tablet PCs it is inevitable that you're going to take them with you wherever you go and this often includes when you are on holiday or some other trip abroad. This is why it is so important that you buy gadget insurance that covers your belongings in any worldwide location and another good reason why specialist insurers are the sensible choice over additional cover from your contents insurer. It is far more likely that gadget insurers will include worldwide cover as standard as opposed to the optional extra protection offered by home insurance companies more used to insuring people's homes and their contents.

So if you travel abroad, even if it is on rare occasions, the best gadget insurance you can purchase is that which comes from a company like ProtectYourBubble.

How Quickly Can I Get Replacements For My Lost, Stolen Or Broken Electronic Items?

Gadget insurance companies realise just how important it can be to get back up and running with a replacement as soon as possible when you are no longer able to use your gadget for any reason. Most of these insurers look at two possible time frames:

1. If there is a chance they can repair the item to it's full working order a turnaround time of 5 working days is not uncommon.
2. If they believe a brand new replacement is required then many aim to ship one or fund the purchase of one within 48 hours of a successful claim.

This time period will of course vary and is likely to be much longer if you are not in the country at the time of the incident.

Is It Better To Get iPhone/iPad Insurance From A Gadget Insurer Compared To A Mobile Network?

Many consumers are talked into buying expensive insurance policies for their iPhones or iPads when they purchase them or start a contract for one but in reality it is often cheaper for you to buy separate iPhone insurance or iPad insurance. Speaking as an iPhone 4 owner myself, a £12.99 a month insurance charge is my reality now but you can get equivalent cover from as little as £5.99 a month. It is always best to shop around and compare quotes from a few different gadget insurers. Be sure to keep an eye on the excess you will be liable to pay with any claim as some companies increase this to keep the headline price low which might be misleading for some.

What About All Of My Data?

So many gadgets these days from laptops to games consoles (handheld or otherwise) contain a great deal of personal data on them and many people value this just as much as the physical electronic item. Some insurance companies that specialise in gadget cover also provide a free backup of all your data which is often an on-demand service whereby you can use your 3g internet connection or wireless connection to automatically backup photos, music and other personal data.

This is a very nice extra available with some insurers but it is always advisable to make backups of your data every so often using your own computer.

Getting Your Lost Gadgets Back In One Piece

While a new replacement provides some comfort when your gadget gets damaged, stolen or lost, it is never quite the same as having your old one back but there are services out there designed for people who lose their gadgets. The service is called TagBak and it basically offers small rewards to members of the public who find expensive gadgets and return them to their rightful owner. Whether it is a mobile phone, camera or Kindle, Tagbak allows you to put an identification sticker on it notifying the finder of the reward they can claim by phoning a number.

What's even better is that ProtectYourBubble gives people who take out gadget insurance with them 3 free Tags to put on their most treasured personal items to provide comfort for the owner knowing there is a better chance of seeing their belongings again if they lose them.

Does Gadget Insurance Cover Breakdowns?

It's a sad fact of life that many electronic items give up the ghost when they are still very much in everyday use and if your manufacturers warranty period is over it can leave you facing a hefty repair or replacement bill. Gadget insurance will sometimes provide protection against this eventuality as it provides a basic extended warranty which often covers electrical or mechanical fault – note this probably doesn't defend against software malfunctions.

So What Sort Of Gadgets Can You Insure?

Gadget insurance policies will cover most if not all of the following items:

• mobile phones
• laptops
• iPods and other MP3 players
• iPhones
• iPads
• Cameras and camera lenses
• Camcorders
• In car electronics
• Games consoles
• PDAs
• Headsets, headphones and earphones
• Sat Navs