Good Grief! Once again the average Joe is being targeted by unscrupulous cell phone companies! Sometimes I feel that we have to put ourselves under lock and key, just to be able to draw a breath in peace and quiet!
Take care out there - they are all after our hard earned cash!
Cellphone users should study their policy
September 28 2006 at 12:16PM
By Consumer Editor
Cellphone insurance usually gives only very limited protection, so be sure to study your policy carefully to avoid unwelcome surprises when you try to make a claim. The website for the Office of the Ombudsman for Short-term Insurance says many cellphones bought on credit, or in terms of a rental contract, include a monthly insurance premium, although it is not always clear when the insurance is a voluntary addition or has to be taken out in terms of the contract. Advice from the ombudsman is to insist on being given a complete copy of the insurance policy, to which you are legally entitled.
Also get the full name and address of the insurance company underwriting the policy, as well as the contact details of any intermediary authorised to deal with you, issue the policy and receive your premiums. Exclusions usually include
If the cellphone is stolen from your car, there will be no cover unless it was kept in a locked cubbyhole or in a locked boot.
There will be no cover unless at the time of the loss the cellphone was being carried on your person.
There will be no cover if the circumstances of the loss show that you "failed to take proper care of the instrument".
There will be no cover unless the theft is immediately reported to the police. After studying the policy, if you have any choice, it could be worth your while to contact your own broker or insurer to try to find a better deal, or to possibly include the cellphone as a specified item on your house-contents policy.
This article was originally published on page 26 of Cape Argus on September 28, 2006
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