Third-party insurance/replacements

[Luke Redpath]

I've currently got my original iPhone covered under my home contents insurance - its much cheaper than O2's insurance and they claim they replace like for like.

The thing is, O2 no longer have original iPhones in stock, so would my insurance company have to get a 3G iPhone, or is insuring my original iPhone essentially pointless?

More importantly, when I do get round to upgrading to an iPhone 3G, and change my policy to reflect this, will my contents insurer even be able to get a brand new iPhone 3G as a replacement?

I've sent an email to O2 about this but I'm pretty sure a number of people on here have insured their iPhones through their home/contents insurer or other third-parties (such as their bank) and wonder if you've heard anything from O2 about this?

I understand a replacement would be the full unsubsidized retail price but here's little point in having a policy if O2 won't even sell a replacement to my insurer.

 

[Luke Redpath]

Is there really nobody here with third-party insurance who has thought about this?

I got a reply from O2 - it was the usual ******** response; they clearly didn't read my original question and fobbed me off with a "you'll have to ask your insurer" rubbish. How on earth would they know what O2 are charging for replacement iPhones?

Have sent back another email asking them to answer my question properly.

 

[Luke Redpath]

Interestingly enough, the only information I could find was on the carphone warehouse's website:

My iPhone has been lost or stolen. What do I do?

Call O2 on 0870 586 0860. They'll put a block on your account and stop your iPhone being used by anyone else
Contact the police to report the loss and get a Loss or a Crime Reference Number
If you have Lifeline insurance, skip to How do I make a claim?
If you don't have Lifeline insurance, you'll need to get a replacement phone and SIM card:
To replace your SIM, contact O2.
If you want to buy a replacement iPhone contact our Direct sales team on 0800 049 0049, option 2. (You must have a Crime or Lost Reference number to buy a replacement SIM free handset. The 16GB model costs £410, the 8Gb model £352)
If you've lost your 2G iPhone you may be able to upgrade to the iPhone 3G for free. Go to I already have an iPhone 2G but I want the new iPhone 3G for more info.
If you don't want to buy a replacement iPhone you'll need to use another handset instead. You can use an old mobile or buy yourself a new handset - check our online shop for some great deals.
Contact O2 to arrange for the SIM to be connected to your iPhone
Plug your iPhone into your computer, sync it with iTunes, and you're ready to go

Emphasis mine.

O2 don't seem to publish this information on their website anywhere.

 

[Love Juice]

here in the states i have mine insured through state farm under a "personal articles" policy.

it covers all damage, theft and "mysterious disappearances" (losing it). a little pricey though @ a lil over $50.00 for a year.

i assume your insurance company will either just give you a check for the amount you paid on the original iPhone, or replace it w/ a 1 gen iPhone if they have one in stock.

 

[Luke Redpath]

As far as I'm aware there are no original iPhones left. And paying me what I originally paid wouldn't be much use - if I pay £99 for a new iPhone 3G, £99 is not going to cover the cost of a replacement phone.

I'm less concerned about the cover for my original iPhone as I do plan on upgrading but I really would like to know how much it will cost me to replace a lost/stolen iPhone 3G, whether I pay for it myself or make a claim on my insurance.

 

[Luke Redpath]

Ah! Success! Here is the official word on replacement iPhones from O2 for those of you without insurance or third-party insurance:

* If you have an original iPhone and it is lost or stolen, O2 will replace it with a new 8GB iPhone 3G.

* If you have an iPhone 3G and it is lost or stolen, O2 will replace it with an equivalent iPhone 3G.

* The cost of a replacement 8GB iPhone 3G is £300. The e-mail did not make it clear whether this was with or without VAT however the Carphone Warehouse website claims the price of a new 8GB iPhone 3G is £352 which is incidentally £300 + VAT . I do not have a price for a 16GB iPhone but I would imagine that the price on the CPWH website is correct. This will need to be paid by credit/debit card and there are some forms to fill in.

So if your insurer wants to know the value of your phone, make sure you give them the above price. I would also imagine you would need to make sure you've reported the theft/loss to the police within 24 hours and you'll need a reference number when calling O2 although your insurers may have specific terms.

I can post the exact e-mail if thats allowed on here, but the above info comes courtesy of George from the Ecare team in Glasgow.