What Is The Best Laptop Insurance?
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We've become a gadget nation. We depend on our laptop to do our jobs, our shopping, and our homework - or just to have fun.
But that makes losing your laptop a major disaster.
Have you thought how much a could cost?
If it's a three-figure sum, you're definitely going to want gadget insurance that will protect you against having your laptop damaged or stolen. Let's find out how laptop insurance works and how to get the best value protection for your stuff.
What is laptop insurance?
Laptop insurance as the name suggests, protects your laptop against accidental damage, theft, loss, liquid or fire damage or mechanical failure depending on the level of cover chosen.
What are the best laptop insurances?
We selected a few providers that propose the best laptop insurance, here are their must-have features:
Do I need laptop insurance?
Repairing your laptop is much more expensive than just insure it for a few pounds per month. Here is a quick summary of main repair types and cost for your laptop:
| Repair Type | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Cracked screen | £300 |
| Battery replacement | £256 |
| Water damage | £212 |
| Fire | £515 |
| Short circuit | £456 |
| Unexplained breakage | £478 |
Laptop Insurance per model
| laptop | Average device price | Repair prices | Battery | Insurance prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macbook pro | £1200 | £400 | £99 | £12.49 /month |
| Hp pavilion laptop | £900 | £212 | £129 | £5.49 /month |
| Lenovo Ideapad 320 | £401 | £154 | £141 | £3.99 /month |
| Asus rog laptop | £712 | £231 | £139 | £4.99 /month |
| toshiba satellite c40-c laptop | £367 | £102 | £113 | £3.49 /month |
Laptop are really expensive items, and most important, they're usually very fragile. Most commmon laptop risk are water damages, theft, and even unexplained computer breakage. Every 50 seconds, a laptop is stolen. Buying a laptop every year is really not a priority, that is why taking out a laptop insurance can be a really good idea. Ask yourself: could you afford to pay to replace your laptop if it was damaged or stolen? If not, laptop insurance is worth considering. You should also think about:
- whether you need your laptop to do your job,
- whether you take your laptop out and about with you a lot.
How does laptop insurance work?
You'll pay an annual or monthly premium, in return for which you're covered in accordance with your policy details. If anything happens to your laptop, you can claim on the insurance by contacting the insurer.
Watch out!
If you want to claim for theft, and you re covered for it, you will have to go to the police to declare it.
What is covered by laptop insurance?
You will be covered as standard for:
- Accidental damage: your laptop will be protected in case of any accidental damage, but it must not be negligence.
- Water damages: often included in laptop policies.
- Mechanical breakdown: this is also often covered in policies.
It may also include:
- Loss and theft, though this is often an add-on and you'll have to pay extra for it. (You probably know if you're a 'loser' - if you are, this cover can be well worth taking. The same goes for accident-prone gadget owners.)
With a more comprehensive cover you could even be insured for:
Short-circuit damage
Unauthorised usage if someone stole your laptop
Laptop travel insurance - worldwide travel for a limited period
What is not covered by laptop insurance?
Here are a few exclusions to your laptop insurance:
- Some insurers won't insure your laptop over a certain age, eg 6 months or 2 years.
- Most insurers won't cover a bought outside the UK.
- You won't be able to insure a you bought second hand, or which has been refurbished.
- And you'll need proof of purchase to insure your laptop
- You won't be covered if you don't take reasonable care.
- Some policies won't cover your laptop if you use it for work. Make sure you check before you take out insurance.
Your laptop won't be covered if it was damaged by a virus or a malware.
If you've left your laptop on a table in a restaurant or left your laptop on the bus, no insurer will pay out on a claim. Some policies will cover you if you leave your laptop in your car, but only if it's out of sight (in the glove box or the boot). If you leave it on the passenger seat, you're not covered.
How much it cost to repair your laptop?
Just repairing a cracked screen can cost over £100.
With over one in ten UK gadget owners saying they've cracked a screen recently, and almost as many saying they've had water damage to one of their gadgets, there are a lot of people heading to the repair shop or to buy a new gadget. And many of those people will be out of pocket. A few pounds a month isn't much to pay to ensure you're protected.
How much laptop insurance cost?
Laptop insurance is around £10, depending on the level of coverage you choose, and on your laptop value. It also depends if you took out accidental damage, theft and loss.
Adding loss and theft will be a little bit expensive, for exemple Protect Your Bubble proposes a laptop insurance without loss from £2,99, when loss is included it is usually around £4, depending on the value of your laptop.
How to cancel my laptop insurance?
There are two different ways to cancel your laptop insurance, depending on whether you want to cancel in the first 14 days, or later.
- The first 14 days after you buy a policy are known as the 'cooling off period' and you have the right to change your mind. You'll usually need to send written notice and include the documents - but phone or email first to give yourself peace of mind and find out if there are any particular requirements.
- After that, things depend on whether you have signed up to a full year or to a monthly rolling policy. You'll need to check your policy documents. If it's a longer term policy you may need to pay a fee to cancel early, and if you've made a claim, you will have to pay till the end of the contract period.
How to make a claim on my laptop insurance?
The first thing to know about claiming on your laptop insurance is that you need to strike while the iron is hot - notify your claim within 24 hours. Some insurers give you even less time, just 12 hours to make a claim.
Your insurer will have a preferred way for you to claim, whether that's by phone, or via an online portal. You'll need to be able to provide the original receipt for your laptop
If your gadget was stolen, you will need to contact the police and get a crime reference number (CRN) to give to the police.
Good to know
Some insurers will send you cash. Others will arrange for a repair or for a replacement gadget to be sent to you - which is why they need to know exactly what gadget you're insuring. If this makes a difference to you, make sure you check the policy carefully before clicking the 'buy' button.
Can I take out a multiple laptop insurance?
Yes, you can have a multiple laptop insurance, here are two examples of multi laptop insurances and their discounts:
- Switched On insurance offers a 10% when insuring more than two gadgets
- i-Digitals proposes 10% off if you insure 2 gadgets and 40% if you insure more than two gadgets
Some insurers offer bigger discounts the more gadgets you add.
