Consumers reminded to cover gadgets
UK comparison site Protect Your Gadget is trying to help customers to understand the differences between travel insurance and gadget cover in a bid to educate consumers on how best to cover their gadgets.
The company says that despite the numerous gadgets many now take on holiday as standard, most insurers only cover one product, and usually only up to £500 – around half the price of most gadgets, the company asserted.
Steve Jones, CEO at Protect Your Gadget, said: “Our research shows that coverage is generally limited to one gadget per trip by most travel insurers, even where specific gadget protection is requested during the sign-up process. At a time of year when thousands of us will be looking to embark on a host of seasonal sightseeing expeditions, it’s important to make sure the insurance you do have in place is comprehensive enough to cover every eventuality, and every device, therefore.”
Protect Your Gadget’s research found that ‘add on’ options to cover more than one gadget were available from most insurers, but were not always viable or only offered limited value financially, with specifics around each and every item required in order for the cover to be effective.
Policies available via travel insurers ranged from £6 to more than £40, with coverage for a single gadget offered in each case of no more than £750 as a general maximum. Laptops were also specified as not being covered in some cases – especially important for those travelling abroad with work.
The majority of specialist gadget policies, meanwhile, were found to provide for foreign cover as standard for 90 days or more in most cases, with some offering protection for multiple devices for as long as 120 days of being abroad.
Steve added: “With mobile phone usage abroad becoming ever more affordable, the majority of those looking to protect their digital gadgetry while they are abroad via travel insurance alone will have theoretically used up most of their allowance on their handheld device.”
Protect Your Cover is not the only company to have investigated the gadget cover on offer for consumers recently, and with the gadget market ever-increasing, the market is ready for more fitting gadget cover policies.