Hi guys

I'm thinking of getting a smartphone soon and was wondering if there's any insurance which would cover specifically damages to the phone.

I realise theoretically I could cover it over my household insurance but I'd prefere to keep the deduction high there so that it wouldn't be worth the effort

I have found some insurances like one from Orange but it pretty much covers any damage, apart from the damages, which could happen if you know what I mean.....

My daughter just got an iPhone from Orange which includes theft insurance (for an extra 10.-chf. per mo.).

Thanks I saw the one from Orange but I feel their conditions for cover of damages a bit of a joke and and seeing as theft through carelessness is also theoretically excluded, the only way my phone will get stolen is by pickpockets and for that I find 120 Fr a year too much. I'd much rather pay my 300 Fr deductable in the unlikely event that happening.

I'm looking for an insurance which would cover any cracks on the screen or damages which occur due to the phone getting wet or dropped/falling out of pocket.

I'm guessing this insurance isn't offered by anybody due to it not being lucrative as these damages actually happen...

Most policies that I know of specifically exclude water damage. It is very easy to tell those phones that have been dropped in water (or so I have heard from colleagues). People still try and claim that they didn't drop it in water

There's a sensor inside the device that will show a repairer if it's been made wet.

I do not know the price for it, but last time I went to a phone shop - the mobilezone one in Letzipark - they had a poster at the counter advertising insurances for phones. It included basically the stuff you expect from a car insurance including a "rental phone" for the time yours might be in a repair shop... I remember because I found the concept for an insurance for a relatively cheap item a bit on the weird side.

You think an iPhone is relatively cheap?

Compared to the things I typically insure, yes it is. Few people actually save a lot through insuring things...
If you break one, you can typically get it repaired for a fraction of the new costs. In the odd chance that it is beyonf repair: you usually get an offer from the network operater way below the "without contract price" - after all he would otherwise lose revenues if you do not use the existing subscription and only pay back the monthly fee. Threaten the operator to swith to another one: If you are an iPhone user, you are typically an above average spender and they might consider keeping you
So we are talking "significantly less than 1k CHF" maximum damage here, most of which are already covered in an average liability insurance. I would take the risks that are not covered by my "normal" liability insurance as I would bet that you pay too much for those deals sold at a phone shop...

Indeed there are, and there's also one on the near-outside (think by the 3.5mm jack) that is mistakenly saying the phone is water damaged when the internal ones are white. Apple centres have been using it as an excuse to refuse warranty repairs, despite customers stressing it hasn't been dropped in water etc. There have been a fair few articles about it lately.

True I get what your saying. Generally I tend to go for less insured rather than overinsured but in my last phone I needed to replace my screen and in present phone I've successfully made a scratch right in the middle of the screen and have to cracks roughly 4 and 2 cms long through walking in to a table corner with the phone in my pocket so I thought I'd check out how an insurance would be. After seeing how much the phone companies are willing to keep me I'm not sure I would get a discounted phone.

Most repairs on the phone will probably cost up to 300 Fr. As my household insurance has a deductable of 200 Fr it wouldn't be worth taking it over that and it wouldn't be worth reducing the deductable either. I was hoping there is something that I could get for a small fee to cover the phone only

The thing you saw in Mobilezone would be what I'm looking for but it's true 142 Fr a year plus 30 Fr deduction does seem on the steepside so I think I'll just be more careful when I'm walking.

Generally speaking, mobile phone insurance is a rip-off. Think back - how many times have you really needed it? Paying CHF 142/year could buy you a LOT of new phones after 10 years...

It depends how expensive your phone is to replace and how careless/unlucky you are.

My insurance costs CHF10 a month but a replacement iPhone would be CHF899.

Is it not covered under your home contents insurance though?

Currently winging it without contents insurance . . .

tut tut. You're breaking the terms of your rental agreement most likely.

I don't think so. I have to have insurance against damage to the property, but that's not the same as insurance against my stuff, e.g. the contents. Why would a landlord care about the contents?

Normally on the same policy, no? It is for us I'm sure.

Exactly, what sort of a new phone can you get for Chf 142.-- ?

A brand new, latest model one, if you have insurance.....