iPhone 3G Insurance on O2 - is it worth it?

jawad7 · Sep 18, 2008, 03:18 AM

Got my iphone last week on O2. Love it. Really happy with the purchase. When i got it at the O2 store i was offered insurance at £7.50 per month that covers me from loss, theft, accidental damage, etc. I initially declined but was told if i wanted i ti had to agree to it within 14 days otherwise i couldn't have it.

Was just wondering if anyone has got it and had to make a claim - was it easy, etc. Or if anyone has their iPhone covered through a different insurer - how much?

Any advice much appreciated.

ajo · Sep 18, 2008, 06:11 AM

I once had insurance from O2 and I would never get it again, its a complete con and waste of money.

I purchased the "Gold" level which covered pretty much everything.

When my phone stopped working, in the O2 shop I was called a lier and they refused to do anything for me even though my phone was still in my one years manufactures warranty as well as having the insurance.

I am not sure what it was as both workers in the shop were very rude and refused to do anything for me at all.

It looks good on paper, but when you go to make a claim nothing will happen.

thworple · Sep 18, 2008, 06:22 AM

I agree with ajo. I had insurance for my old phone on Vodafone, and when it got damaged accidently (which the policy supposedly covered) they sent me a letter saying they wouldn't pay out. Chased it up, but to no avail. £5 per month over 12 months at the time meant I'd spent £60 for nothing! 18 months of £7.50 works out at £135!

I added my phone to my house insurer, which will cover the cost of the phone, and added a grand total of £0 to my monthly premium.

monkeytennis · Sep 18, 2008, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajo

I once had insurance from O2 and I would never get it again, its a complete con and waste of money.

I purchased the "Gold" level which covered pretty much everything.

When my phone stopped working, in the O2 shop I was called a lier and they refused to do anything for me even though my phone was still in my one years manufactures warranty as well as having the insurance.

I am not sure what it was as both workers in the shop were very rude and refused to do anything for me at all.

It looks good on paper, but when you go to make a claim nothing will happen.

If you carry one bit of advice with you while making mobile phone purchasing decisions over the years, make sure it's this:

Never, ever, ever, ever get mobile phone insurance.

My sister was conned into it a couple of times and they tweak the rules and regulations to such a degree that if you are ever unlucky enough to need it, you end up paying just as much as if you'd never had insurance in the first place.

I have never bought insurance on any phone I've ever had and must have saved hundreds over the years.

I bought a 3G iPhone on the day it came out, and unfortunately the touchscreen failed after a month. I took it into Applestore Regent Street and after waiting for 1/2 hour (no appointment) they swapped it on the spot. Apple Support is the only insurance you'll ever need, and it's free!

a456 · Sep 18, 2008, 06:40 AM

Check with your home contents that you are not already covered. Usually unspecified items such as laptops, bikes, etc. are covered to a certain value - usually £1000 or £1500. No point double insuring yourself, and an extra £7.50 a month just ups the tariff even more.

cjbryce · Sep 18, 2008, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jawad7

Got my iphone last week on O2. Love it. Really happy with the purchase. When i got it at the O2 store i was offered insurance at £7.50 per month that covers me from loss, theft, accidental damage, etc. I initially declined but was told if i wanted i ti had to agree to it within 14 days otherwise i couldn't have it.

Was just wondering if anyone has got it and had to make a claim - was it easy, etc. Or if anyone has their iPhone covered through a different insurer - how much?

Any advice much appreciated.

See my bold in the quote.

In my experience/opinion almost everything sold this way is not worth buying.

In this particular case you can bet that at £7-50 a month O2 are making something close to, erm, £7-00 a month gross profit. Mobile phone insurance is so lucrative big insurers and loss adjusters (the "independents" who assess claims and find ways to turn them down) set up whole systems and even separate companies just to cater for it - I know this since I've worked on them.

You may also find on some policies (as I did on my Vodafone policy when I had it) that there's an excess of £100 on claims. The one time I claimed (cracked screen on an SE P910i) the repair bill was, erm, £100. Funny that.

jawad7 · Sep 18, 2008, 07:52 AM

i'm just thinking if i ever lost it or got it stolen i would have to fork out £399 out of my pocket for a replacement 16gb on pay & go. i guess it's a gamble. they said it's £25 excess if you need to make a claim.

ultima · Sep 18, 2008, 07:53 AM

I purchased the insurance from o2. They sent me a replacement of my lost iphone 3G the next day after I claimed to them. Pretty good since I had never ever used insurance before

monkeytennis · Sep 18, 2008, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jawad7

i'm just thinking if i ever lost it or got it stolen i would have to fork out £399 out of my pocket for a replacement 16gb on pay & go. i guess it's a gamble. they said it's £25 excess if you need to make a claim.

Well, PayG could be different, but I have a strong suspicion Apple would still swap a fault phone on the spot.

monkeytennis · Sep 18, 2008, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ultima

I purchased the insurance from o2. They sent me a replacement of my lost iphone 3G the next day after I claimed to them. Pretty good since I had never ever used insurance before

But Apple would do the same thing for free! And it wouldn't take a day, either.

NATO · Sep 18, 2008, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkeytennis

But Apple would do the same thing for free! And it wouldn't take a day, either.

So if you lost your iPhone, you could just contact Apple and they'd send you a brand new one? I doubt that very much...

ditzy · Sep 18, 2008, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkeytennis

But Apple would do the same thing for free! And it wouldn't take a day, either.

For a broken phone but not a lost one.

sibruk · Sep 18, 2008, 08:47 AM

Save the £7.50 a month and spend it on something else like, erm, I don't know... cigarettes?! Or some other addiction?

Seriously though, as has already been said, most home contents insurance covers you already for PDAs/Smartphones etc. I checked with my insurer and I'm fine with my existing contents cover, including out of the house and accidental damage. Don't listen to the staff in-store when they frighten you with "your home insurance won't cover it". Check first before you waste money on this swizz. Like extended warranties, phone insurance makes big money for the sales consultant. It's in their best interest for you to take out out, not necessarily yours.

Phil A. · Sep 18, 2008, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkeytennis

I bought a 3G iPhone on the day it came out, and unfortunately the touchscreen failed after a month. I took it into Applestore Regent Street and after waiting for 1/2 hour (no appointment) they swapped it on the spot. Apple Support is the only insurance you'll ever need, and it's free!

Warranty and insurance are two completely different things: Insurance will cover you for new phone if you drop your phone and smash it into pieces, drop it in water and drown it, or simply lose it. None of these are covered by the Apple Warranty and if it happens you'll be out of pocket to the tune of hundreds of pounds. Also, it isn't always cost-effective to add it to home insurance: A lot don't cover for water damage and, if like me, you have a no-claims bonus on your home insurance it's cheaper to take out separate insurance on the phone.
If you are sure you will never drop, drown or lose the phone then I'd agree it's not worth taking insurance out. However, for the rest of us it's a case of deciding if it's worth spending £130 or so to potentially save £300+
Some people will think it's worth it and some won't but it's not as easy as saying "you'll never need it" - it's a decision that should be made by weighing the facts

ultima · Sep 19, 2008, 06:01 AM

Quote:

But Apple would do the same thing for free! And it wouldn't take a day, either.

I was talking about lost iphone, not broken

Nicholas.C · Sep 19, 2008, 06:05 AM

I walked into the o2 store, just about to pay for my iphone on pay and go, he offered me all the insureence needs for £90 i said nah it's OK, i get teh same from apple.

Phil A. · Sep 20, 2008, 02:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicholas.C

I walked into the o2 store, just about to pay for my iphone on pay and go, he offered me all the insureence needs for £90 i said nah it's OK, i get teh same from apple.

Except you don't - Apple don't cover you if you lose, drop or drown the phone...

ACDeag · Sep 20, 2008, 05:16 AM

I added mine to my Lloyds TSB current account mobile phone insurance. They have no problem covering iPhones.

gnasher729 · Sep 20, 2008, 05:58 AM

That insurance is absolutely worth it. But only for O2, not for you.

Over four years, it would cost you £360. So if you lose the iPhone every four years, you just get your money back. That is if they don't find any loopholes in your insurance to avoid paying, and since they are writing the contract, I am sure there will be some loopholes in it.

Ask your bank about opening a savings account and putting in £7.50 from your main account automatically every month.

Sep 18, 2008, 03:18 AM	#1
jawad7 macrumors member Join Date: Nov 2003	iPhone 3G Insurance on O2 - is it worth it? Got my iphone last week on O2. Love it. Really happy with the purchase. When i got it at the O2 store i was offered insurance at £7.50 per month that covers me from loss, theft, accidental damage, etc. I initially declined but was told if i wanted i ti had to agree to it within 14 days otherwise i couldn't have it. Was just wondering if anyone has got it and had to make a claim - was it easy, etc. Or if anyone has their iPhone covered through a different insurer - how much? Any advice much appreciated.

Sep 18, 2008, 06:22 AM	#3
thworple macrumors 6502 Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Sussex, England	I agree with ajo. I had insurance for my old phone on Vodafone, and when it got damaged accidently (which the policy supposedly covered) they sent me a letter saying they wouldn't pay out. Chased it up, but to no avail. £5 per month over 12 months at the time meant I'd spent £60 for nothing! 18 months of £7.50 works out at £135! I added my phone to my house insurer, which will cover the cost of the phone, and added a grand total of £0 to my monthly premium. __________________ I've got better things to do tonight than die.....

Sep 19, 2008, 06:05 AM	#16
Nicholas.C macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jun 2008	I walked into the o2 store, just about to pay for my iphone on pay and go, he offered me all the insureence needs for £90 i said nah it's OK, i get teh same from apple. __________________ My Apple Tools! iPhone 1st Gen, 4GB iPhone 3G, 8GB Pay and Go iPhone 3GS 16gb, contract Mac Mini, G4.

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Sep 18, 2008, 06:11 AM	#2
ajo macrumors regular Join Date: Jan 2006	I once had insurance from O2 and I would never get it again, its a complete con and waste of money. I purchased the "Gold" level which covered pretty much everything. When my phone stopped working, in the O2 shop I was called a lier and they refused to do anything for me even though my phone was still in my one years manufactures warranty as well as having the insurance. I am not sure what it was as both workers in the shop were very rude and refused to do anything for me at all. It looks good on paper, but when you go to make a claim nothing will happen.

Sep 18, 2008, 06:40 AM	#5
a456 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Oct 2005	Check with your home contents that you are not already covered. Usually unspecified items such as laptops, bikes, etc. are covered to a certain value - usually £1000 or £1500. No point double insuring yourself, and an extra £7.50 a month just ups the tariff even more.

Sep 18, 2008, 07:52 AM	#7
jawad7 Thread Starter macrumors member Join Date: Nov 2003	i'm just thinking if i ever lost it or got it stolen i would have to fork out £399 out of my pocket for a replacement 16gb on pay & go. i guess it's a gamble. they said it's £25 excess if you need to make a claim.

Sep 18, 2008, 07:53 AM	#8
ultima macrumors newbie Join Date: Sep 2008	I purchased the insurance from o2. They sent me a replacement of my lost iphone 3G the next day after I claimed to them. Pretty good since I had never ever used insurance before

Sep 18, 2008, 08:47 AM	#13
sibruk macrumors 6502 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: UK	Save the £7.50 a month and spend it on something else like, erm, I don't know... cigarettes?! Or some other addiction? Seriously though, as has already been said, most home contents insurance covers you already for PDAs/Smartphones etc. I checked with my insurer and I'm fine with my existing contents cover, including out of the house and accidental damage. Don't listen to the staff in-store when they frighten you with "your home insurance won't cover it". Check first before you waste money on this swizz. Like extended warranties, phone insurance makes big money for the sales consultant. It's in their best interest for you to take out out, not necessarily yours.

Sep 20, 2008, 05:16 AM	#18
ACDeag macrumors member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Edinburgh	I added mine to my Lloyds TSB current account mobile phone insurance. They have no problem covering iPhones.

Sep 20, 2008, 05:58 AM	#19
gnasher729 macrumors 68040 Join Date: Nov 2005	That insurance is absolutely worth it. But only for O2, not for you. Over four years, it would cost you £360. So if you lose the iPhone every four years, you just get your money back. That is if they don't find any loopholes in your insurance to avoid paying, and since they are writing the contract, I am sure there will be some loopholes in it. Ask your bank about opening a savings account and putting in £7.50 from your main account automatically every month.