Why you need insurance cover for your phone

About $7 million worth of smartphones are lost daily in the U.S. Though the numbers wouldn’t be as staggering in the Kenyan context were a survey to be conducted, the reality would this be appalling.

Besides the smartphones that fall under the dubious embrace of street urchins in Nairobi’s Central Business District, the rising number PSV carjacking means you will want to give mobile insurance a though if you own a pricey high-end phone.    

Chances are that you never leave the house without your phone, and if you do, you feel as if there is an integral part of you missing. Owing to the fact the phone is the one gadget you carry constantly, the likelihood of you losing or damaging the device is high.

“If you depend on your cell phone and you know you would need a prompt replacement in case of damage or theft, then Orient Mobile is an insurance cover definitely worth considering” says Muema Muindi from Kenya Orient Insurance.

Cracked smartphone screens and phones being yanked from windows of moving vehicles are a common sight. Mobile phone insurance is meant to step in when you are a victim of phone crisis through left or damage.  

But like any other form of insurance, it will cost you. Many consumers avoid the extra monthly premiums that insurance will add to their bills, and hope that they don't become a part of the statistics.

But if your phone does go missing you could be left with a much bigger headache than simply having to replace your handset. Not only are many smartphones worth thousands of shillings, but thieves can quickly rack up huge bills on stolen phones.

You may be liable for all charges run up on your phone before you have reported it lost or stolen to your provider. This is usually set out in the terms and conditions of your contract. Therefore, it's important you contact your provider as soon as possible to avoid facing high charges as a result of unauthorised use.

Your cell phone is lost or stolen, now what do you do? A stolen cell phone is more than just the absence of the device itself. It's the loss of important information and the potential for identity theft. “We cover accidental damage e.g. damage caused by dropping the phone/ tablet, malicious damage i.e. vandalism and liquid damage,” says Mr. Muindi.

It’s not as simple as the old days when phones were connected to walls. Even cordless phones were easier to find because it wasn’t likely that they would be taken out of range of the base. In the smartphone world, a phone can be misplaced anywhere we go because they accompany us everywhere we go.

He explains that unlike other insurance products, mobile phone cover doesn't depend on one’s gender, job, what you earn or other standard risks and registering a Claim online is easy and takes only a couple of minutes. “All you need is the ID that you used to register for your Kenya Orient  Policy. We however only insure selected models and only mobile phones that can access the internet”.