by Cellphones, especially smartphones, certainly do not come cheap these days. They are also considered a vital feature in most people’s day-to-day lives. In a snap survey at a 2016 Customer Experience Summit, the question was posed whether the audience would go home to get their wallet or cellphone, if either was left at home. 15% of the audience indicated that they would go home for their wallet. While an overwhelming 75% raised their hands for the mobile phone.
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What You Need To Know About Cellphone Insurance
The mobile phone is now the primary means of communication, a wallet, and holds vital personal information. What are your options, therefore, in the case of the phone getting stolen, being damaged, or lost. We take a look at these below.
Insuring Through An Insurance Company
You can easily insure your mobile through any insurance company. Most companies cover the following:
- Theft
- Smash and grab
- Accidental loss
- Accidental damage
Some even cover for water damage. So, make sure to check with your insurance whether they do. Should your phone be stolen, in order to claim, you will need to report the theft immediately. You will have 24 to 48 hours to do so, depending on the company. In most cases, you will have 60 days to claim, should something go wrong with your phone.
What is vital to remember is that you cannot get stand-alone insurance on your mobile phone through an insurance company. You will have to add it to your current insurance policy or sign for household insurance with a company. A mobile phone will fall into the portable insurance category, which essentially are possessions that you can take out of your home.
CLICK BELOW to read about how combining insurance policies can save you big bucks!
Adding Insurance To Your Monthly Service Provider Bill
Should you be looking for standalone insurance for your phone, you could consider signing with your network provider. Vodacom, MTN, and Cell C provide for insuring your mobile phone and simply add it on to your monthly bills. Your mobile can be covered against:
- Loss
- Theft
- Damage
Only MTN and Vodacom cover for liquid damage, so keep this in mind should you try claiming from Cell C. In the case of theft, you will also need to report the loss to the South African Police Service, within 48 hours. You will also need to contact the service provider to blacklist your SIM card. In all cases, you will need a functioning SIM card to claim from the network’s insurance. Should your SIM card have been cancelled, your handset will no longer be covered. If you were using a SIM from another service provider at the time of the theft or loss, your claim will not be paid.
For R30 extra, Cell C also provides cover if your cellphone was used after the theft. This will cover airtime, data, and SMS usage before the phone was blacklisted. This will, however, only come into effect if it was used up to 24 hours after the theft was reported.
Cell C Vs. Vodacom Insurance Premiums
| Cell C | Vodacom | ||
| VALUE OF CELLPHONE | MONTHLY PREMIUM | VALUE OF CELLPHONE | MONTHLY PREMIUM |
| Up to R1 000 | R35 | R750 | R19 |
| R1 001 – R2 500 | R45 | R1 500 | R29 |
| R2 501 – R5 000 | R69 | R2500 | R39 |
| R5 001 – R7 500 | R119 | R3 500 | R59 |
| R7 501 – R9 000 | R149 | R5 000 | R79 |
| R9 001 – R12 000 | R189 | R7 500 | R109 |
| R12 000 – R15 000 | R239 | R10000 | R139 |
| R15 001 – R20 000 | R299 | R15 000 | R189 |
| R20 001 – R25 000 | R375 | R20 000 | R239 |
| R25 000 | R289 | ||
| R30 000 | R339 | ||
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Opting To Insure Through The Manufacturer
iPhone provides a service to all of its customers that you can access through any iStore. It includes one year of hardware repair coverage through a limited warranty. You will receive 90 days of complimentary support and, thereafter, extended coverage up to two years after the initial purchase. Within this package, you will be covered for two incidents of accidental damage, screen damage, and all other damage. In order to qualify for this insurance, you will need to purchase your device from the iStore. You will, at the time of purchase, need to buy the Warranty of R1299. In the case of the Accidental Damage claim, you will need to pay a fee of R1000.
In the case of Samsung, the company offers various warranty options for you to choose from. The Accidental Damage from Handling Service Option is a service that you can access should your phone be damaged in any way. In order to make use of the service, you will need to hang on to your proof of purchase and register your phone here. Each service comes with different levels of options as well as what can be repaired for free. The company does, however, include a pickup service, as well as a swap option in its Premium Service.
Why don’t you combine your home, car and cellphone insurance and save money every month.
