Mobile Phone Insurance 2026 Complete Guide: Damage, Theft, Price and Claims

What Is Mobile Phone Insurance? Start With the Contract, Not the Checkout Badge

Mobile phone insurance is a financial arrangement that responds when a specifically identified handset suffers a covered event during the protection period. That sentence sounds simple. The market is not. A customer can buy something labelled “mobile protection”, “screen protection”, “complete care”, “accidental damage cover”, “extended warranty” or “theft and loss”. These labels do not describe the same contract, and sometimes the product is not an insurance policy at all. It may be a manufacturer service plan, a retailer programme administered by a third party, or a group insurance certificate issued under a master policy.

The practical test is the risk carrier. If an IRDAI-regulated insurer accepts the risk, the certificate should identify the insurer, policy or group-policy reference, insured device and benefit terms. A service plan may instead promise repair through an authorised network without transferring risk under a conventional general-insurance policy. Both can be useful. They simply create different rights, cancellation rules and grievance routes.

Four parties can sit behind one purchase. The insurer carries insured risk. The retailer or manufacturer sells the phone and may bundle protection. A plan administrator handles activation, logistics and claims. An authorised service centre diagnoses and repairs the device. When a claim stalls, customers often complain only to the retailer even though the certificate directs them to another entity. Save the names and contact details of all four.

Mobile insurance is an indemnity-style product in most forms: it is designed to put the customer back near the financial position held before the covered incident, not create a profit. A ₹60,000 insured phone does not guarantee a ₹60,000 cash payment after every crack. If the screen can be repaired for ₹12,000, the provider may authorise that repair and collect the applicable service fee. If the handset is uneconomical to repair, the settlement clause decides whether the customer receives a replacement, voucher, reimbursement or depreciated value.

Why Phone Protection Exists—and Why Not Every Phone Needs It

A smartphone now combines a camera, bank-authentication device, work terminal, navigation tool and personal archive. Its economic value is not limited to the invoice. A field salesperson without a working phone can lose appointments. A creator can lose a week of production. A student may lose access to classes and authentication apps. Yet device insurance does not compensate every consequence. It usually addresses the physical handset and listed repair or replacement costs.

The strongest case for protection appears when three conditions meet: the phone is expensive relative to the owner’s emergency savings, authorised repair costs are concentrated in a few costly components, and the user’s lifestyle creates a meaningful probability of accidental damage or theft. A flagship foldable carried daily on crowded public transport presents a different risk from a ₹12,000 backup phone used mainly at home.

Insurance is not a substitute for prevention. A high-quality case, tempered glass, cloud backup, Find My or equivalent tracking, a strong screen lock and a recorded IMEI reduce risk whether or not a claim is available. The person who buys protection and then handles the phone carelessly can still face exclusions for deliberate damage, gross negligence or failure to safeguard the device.

Mobile Insurance vs Warranty vs Protection Plan: Five Products People Confuse

The most expensive misunderstanding happens after a claim: the customer thought the plan covered an accident, while the document covered only manufacturing defects. Product names encourage this confusion because “complete care” and “total protection” sound broader than the contract beneath them.

A comprehensive manufacturer plan can combine extended warranty and accidental damage, but it is still necessary to separate the components. Mechanical failure may be repaired without an accident service fee while a cracked display may require one. Theft can sit in a separate subscription. Coverage can also begin on different dates: warranty extension after the original warranty, accidental cover immediately or after a waiting period.

Credit-card purchase protection is another limited alternative. It may cover accidental damage or theft for a short period after purchase, often subject to card-payment and reporting conditions. It rarely replaces a one- or two-year phone plan. Travel insurance can include baggage electronics, but sub-limits and depreciation may leave a large gap. A home policy’s portable-equipment section can be powerful for families with several gadgets, yet a claim can affect the broader home-policy record and use a larger deductible.

How a Mobile Protection Plan Works From Purchase to Settlement

Activation is not administrative trivia. A protection plan bought in the same cart as a phone may activate automatically, while a separately purchased plan can require a confirmation step. If the IMEI is missing, wrong or registered after the permitted window, the customer can pay for a plan that never validly attaches to the handset. Open the certificate immediately and compare the IMEI digit by digit.

The incident description should be factual and chronological. “Phone damaged” is weak. “At 7:40 pm, the phone slipped from my right hand while exiting the car, landed screen-first on a concrete parking surface and immediately displayed vertical green lines” gives the assessor a testable account. Do not invent detail, but do not hide it either.

Once a claim is registered, the device may be collected and tested. The technician determines whether the stated event could have caused the observed damage, whether liquid indicators were triggered, whether non-genuine parts are present and whether repair is economical. This is why an unauthorised repair before intimation can be fatal: it changes the evidence and sometimes the device identity.

What Mobile Phone Insurance Can Cover

Coverage should be read as a set of triggers, not as a list of broken components. The same damaged motherboard can be covered when a sudden spill is included, covered under warranty when it fails without external cause, or excluded when corrosion developed gradually. Cause comes first.

“Accidental damage” is usually sudden and unforeseen. A phone bending over months in a tight pocket, battery capacity declining with cycles, coating wearing off or a charging port loosening through repeated use can be classified as wear and tear. A one-time fall is easier to date and verify.

Natural perils are not universal. A home-policy portable-equipment section may cover a phone damaged in a fire or flood, while a narrow screen plan does not. Theft from a locked house can meet a burglary definition; a phone missing from an open café table may fail an unattended-property condition. Never extrapolate from one claim story to another plan.

What Mobile Phone Insurance Usually Does Not Cover

Exclusions are where the economics of a plan become visible. A low price often means a narrow trigger, a high customer contribution or strict repair routing. The exclusion list deserves more attention than the benefits banner.

Consequential loss is another major gap. A creator may lose footage, a business may lose customer access and an individual may face unauthorised transactions. The handset plan usually does not pay lost income, data value, emotional value or financial fraud. Separate backups and cyber controls are mandatory.

Damage caused by software, jailbreaking, rooting, malware or unsupported operating-system modification may fall outside physical cover. Battery service can be covered only when health falls below a defined threshold under a manufacturer programme; ordinary capacity decline is not an accidental event. Chargers and cables may be included under one brand plan and excluded under another.

War, confiscation, nuclear events and commercial use can appear in formal policy exclusions even though they are not everyday concerns. Territory also matters. A plan can cover an incident abroad but require repair in India, leaving the customer to carry the damaged device home. Read the operational clause, not only the territorial label.

Types of Mobile Phone Protection Available in India in 2026

The best structure is not the one with the longest name. A careful user with a flagship phone and strong theft controls may need screen plus liquid damage. A field executive may prioritise full accidental and theft cover. A family insuring three devices can compare a home portable-equipment section against three separate plans.

What Current Protection Programmes Show About the Market

Current official programmes illustrate why generic statements about “mobile insurance” are unsafe. The examples below are not rankings and should not be read as endorsements. They show different design choices in the Indian market as checked on 1 August 2026.

Data basis: current official Apple India, Samsung India, ACKO and general-insurer product information checked on 1 August 2026. Product terms, pricing and model eligibility can change; the current certificate and terms prevail.

Apple’s addition of theft-and-loss coverage in India from November 2025 materially changed the high-end iPhone protection decision. It also demonstrates the operational nature of cover: Find My must be enabled when the phone is lost or stolen and throughout the process. Removing the device from the Apple account too early can break a claim condition even when theft genuinely occurred.

Samsung’s current programme separates screen, accidental-and-liquid, comprehensive and extended-warranty packs. That separation is useful because a user can pay for the risk that matters, but it creates naming risk. Two customers both saying “I have Samsung Care+” may hold different benefits, claim counts and service fees.

ACKO’s current electronics help centre shows a partner-distribution model in which protection is often bought alongside a device. It also reveals why users should save the specific certificate rather than rely on a general help article. A benefit section can describe liquid-damage protection while another generic exclusion line creates ambiguity. The contract attached to the customer’s IMEI must settle the issue.

Eligibility: New, Old, Refurbished, Gifted and Imported Phones

Eligibility is a claim issue disguised as a purchase issue. A plan can accept payment at checkout yet fail to attach correctly if the phone falls outside the permitted model, price band, purchase channel or activation window. The safest purchase is a new device and protection plan in the same order, followed by immediate confirmation that the correct IMEI appears on the certificate.

The phone must generally be fully functional when protection starts. Remote diagnostics can test touch response, display, cameras, microphones, speakers, battery and sensors. A successful diagnostic does not erase a visible crack. Providers may also ask for a video showing the device body and a code displayed on screen to prove recency.

Invoice, IMEI and Device Identity: The Three Records That Must Agree

The invoice proves purchase and value. The IMEI identifies the handset. The certificate links that handset to the protection. A claim file becomes fragile when any two disagree.

Dual-SIM phones can display two IMEIs. Record both where the form permits. The box label, settings screen and invoice may show different formatting, but the digits should match. A motherboard replacement by an authorised centre can change the IMEI; obtain the service job sheet and update the plan provider immediately. An unofficial board replacement can make the insured device unrecognisable.

The Government’s Sanchar Saathi/CEIR system can check handset genuineness and block lost or stolen devices. A buyer of a used phone should verify the IMEI before paying. A blacklisted, duplicate or already-in-use status is not a small technical issue; it can indicate an invalid or compromised handset that may be impossible to insure properly.

Mobile Insurance Price: Calculate the Total Protected Cost

The plan price alone is a poor comparison. The customer’s real cost is:

Pricing depends on device invoice band, model repair cost, frequency of screen claims, theft exposure, plan term, covered events, claim count, service network and deductible. Foldable displays and premium camera assemblies create different loss costs from budget slab phones. A theft-and-loss subscription is not comparable with a one-time screen plan.

Three illustrative buyer calculations

Illustrations are not market quotations. Actual device plans and authorised repair prices vary by model, city, seller, service fee and tax treatment.

The break-even calculation is not a prediction that a claim will happen. It shows the value if it does. Expected value also includes probability: a careful desk user may have a low chance of damage, while a delivery manager using maps outdoors all day has a higher exposure. Personal risk is not an excuse to misstate how damage occurred; it is a reason to select suitable cover.

General/gadget insurance or protection pricing can include GST at the applicable rate. The 2025 zero-GST reform applies to qualifying individual life and health insurance, not automatically to gadget protection. Check whether the displayed price is tax-inclusive and whether the invoice identifies an insurance premium, service plan or both.

Deductible, Depreciation, Claim Limits and Salvage

A deductible is paid on each approved claim. Depreciation reduces the value recognised as the phone ages. A claim limit caps the number or total amount of settlements. Salvage gives the provider rights over a damaged or recovered device after replacement. These four clauses decide the customer’s final outcome.

A “100% invoice-value cover” claim can still involve a deductible, claim-frequency limit and service process. No depreciation may apply to the insured value, but the user can still pay a service fee. Conversely, a plan with depreciation can remain valuable for repairs if parts and labour are paid cashlessly.

Salvage creates a privacy task. Before handing over an unrepairable phone, erase data only after the provider authorises it and after the account status needed for theft tracking is preserved. If the device cannot power on, request written confirmation of data-handling and destruction procedures. A replacement claim should not transfer your unlocked digital identity with the broken hardware.

How to Buy Mobile Phone Insurance Without Buying the Wrong Plan

Retail checkout encourages speed. Device protection requires friction. Pause long enough to open the terms. If the seller cannot identify the insurer or administrator, does not provide a specimen certificate, or says “everything is covered” without explaining the deductible, the plan is not ready for purchase.

Ten questions to ask the seller

1. Is this regulated insurance, a service contract, or a combination?
2. Who carries the risk and who handles claims?
3. Does it cover screen only, accidental damage, liquid damage, theft or loss?
4. What is the deductible for each claim type?
5. How many claims are allowed and what is the aggregate limit?
6. Is replacement new, refurbished, equivalent or cash?
7. What repair network is used in my PIN code?
8. What is the purchase/activation deadline?
9. Are imported, corporate, gifted or refurbished phones eligible?
10. What cancellation and grievance process applies?

Do not choose solely because a marketplace pre-selects the plan. Bundling can improve activation, but it can also hide the fact that protection is unavailable after delivery or that theft is excluded. Save a screenshot of the benefit summary and the full certificate; promotional pages change.

How to Read a Mobile Insurance Policy or Protection Certificate

Start with the schedule. It should identify the phone, insured or customer, price, period and selected plan. Then read definitions. A “theft”, “accidental damage”, “liquid damage”, “beyond economical repair”, “authorised service centre” and “unattended property” definition can change the practical meaning of the cover.

A group policy adds another layer. The retailer, bank or platform can be the master policyholder, while the customer receives a certificate of insurance. Find the master policy number and the insurer’s name. The administrator’s customer service may manage repairs, but the insurer remains relevant for a regulated insurance grievance.

Service plans can use different dispute routes. They may fall under contract and consumer law rather than IRDAI’s insurance grievance system. Some products combine insurance and assistance services, so one complaint can have two parts. State exactly whether the dispute concerns an insured claim or service quality.

Accidental Damage Claim Process: From Drop to Repaired Phone

A cracked screen does not always mean only glass damage. Impact can damage the display panel, frame, battery or camera stabilisation. Ask for the job sheet and repaired-parts list. If the phone returns with a new fault, report it immediately under the repair warranty rather than opening it elsewhere.

Back up data before pickup where the phone is safe and functional. Remove SIM and memory card unless the provider instructs otherwise. Disable screen lock only through a documented service mode if available; do not share banking PINs or passwords. After repair, change any temporary password and review device-account access.

Liquid Damage: The Claim That Gets Worse While You Wait

Liquid damage has two timelines: the incident and the corrosion. A phone can appear functional after a spill and fail days later as residue travels across connectors and boards. Delayed reporting can therefore create both technical and claim problems.

Switch the phone off. Remove the cable. Do not repeatedly press buttons, use a hair dryer, place the phone on a heater or bury it in rice. Rice does not remove conductive residue and can introduce dust. Do not charge “just to check”. If the battery is removable—which is rare—follow manufacturer safety guidance rather than forcing the case open.

The plan must expressly cover liquid damage. An extended warranty normally excludes external liquid ingress because it is not a manufacturing defect. A screen-only plan can cover a crack but not the board failure caused by water entering through it. An ADLD plan can cover both when the incident is sudden, accidental and within conditions.

Water-resistance ratings decline with wear, prior repair and impact. Insurers and service plans do not treat an IP rating as a promise that all liquid incidents are covered. The policy trigger and exclusion still control.

Theft and Loss Cover: A Different Contract With a Different Claim File

Theft cover is not accidental-damage cover with an extra checkbox. The phone is unavailable for inspection, so the claim depends on ownership evidence, circumstances, police records, tracking and security actions. The provider must distinguish theft from fraud, sale, gifting, voluntary parting and ordinary misplacement.

A theft definition may require visible forcible entry, snatching, pickpocketing or another identifiable unlawful taking. Some plans cover accidental loss; others do not. “I cannot find it” is not proof of either. Record where, when and how the phone disappeared, who last had possession, and what steps were taken to recover it.

The customer should also secure money and identity. A stolen phone can expose OTPs, email, password managers and payment apps. Device insurance may replace hardware, but it normally does not reimburse UPI fraud. Contact the telecom operator, banks and wallet providers. Report online financial fraud immediately through the national cybercrime helpline 1930 and portal.

If the phone is recovered, notify the provider. After settlement, the device may be insurer salvage. Concealing recovery can become fraud. Report recovery to police and unblock the IMEI through CEIR only after the handset is physically in your possession and the claim handler confirms the next step.

Lost or Stolen Phone: The 60-Minute Security and Insurance Checklist

CEIR is the Government of India’s central equipment identity system. After a successful block request, the handset is blocked from Indian mobile networks, even if the SIM is changed. CEIR states that blocking is completed within 24 hours and does not prevent police tracking. The portal requires a police report, re-issued SIM for OTP, identity proof and allows the purchase invoice to be provided.

Government process checked on Sanchar Saathi/CEIR on 1 August 2026. Portal fields and state police processes can change.

Blocking the IMEI does not erase data and does not itself settle an insurance claim. It is a security and evidence step. The provider can still ask whether the device was unattended, whether tracking was enabled and whether the disappearance meets the policy definition.

Mobile Phone Insurance Claim Documents

Document quality matters. The invoice should show seller, date, model and value. The IMEI should match the device and certificate. Photos should be clear and unedited. The incident statement should remain consistent across the claim form, police report and call-centre recording.

Do not manufacture a theft narrative for a lost phone. A false police statement is more serious than a rejected gadget claim. If the policy excludes accidental loss, ask whether any other cover—home portable equipment, card purchase protection or travel policy—responds to the facts as they actually occurred.

Keep a submission index. Name files “01 Invoice”, “02 Policy Certificate”, “03 IMEI”, “04 Damage Photos” and so on. Ask the provider to confirm the file is complete. Repeated generic requests for “documents” should be answered by asking which exact item remains missing.

Repair, Replacement, Reimbursement or Cash: How Mobile Claims Are Settled

Authorised repair protects parts quality and future warranty, but turnaround time matters. Ask for the estimated completion date and a written update if parts are delayed. A replacement can be faster but may reset storage, colour or model expectations. The policy rarely guarantees the next-generation phone.

Test the device before closing the service request. Check touch across the entire screen, front and rear cameras, microphone, speakers, charging, wireless charging, SIM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, biometrics and battery behaviour. Record any new fault immediately. Closing the job and visiting another shop later creates a causation dispute.

Why Mobile Insurance Claims Get Rejected—and How to Prevent It

Claim rejection is often described as insurer unwillingness. Sometimes it is. Frequently, the event simply falls outside the plan the customer bought. Prevention begins before the accident.

A repudiation letter should identify the reason and clause. “Not covered” without a contractual explanation is not a useful response. Ask for the inspection report, photographs, job sheet and policy provision relied upon. If the dispute is about pre-existing damage, compare enrolment photographs and activation diagnostics. If it concerns an unauthorised repair, show any prior written approval.

Technical reports deserve scrutiny. “Liquid detected” does not automatically prove the customer’s stated drop did not occur; it may reveal a different cause or prior exposure. “Physical damage” does not automatically mean deliberate damage. Request the causal analysis and challenge factual mistakes, but do not demand payment for an excluded event.

Claim Dispute and Grievance Escalation

First identify whether the dispute is an insurance claim or a service-plan complaint. The certificate should name the insurer, administrator and grievance officer. Send the complaint in writing. Include the claim number, device and IMEI, incident date, chronology, rejection or repair problem, relevant clause, evidence and the exact remedy sought.

IRDAI’s Bima Bharosa guidance states that the insurer should resolve a grievance within 15 days. The portal allows registration and tracking, and IRDAI warns that it does not ask complainants to pay or scan a QR code to receive a claim. Fraudsters target customers already waiting for money; never pay a “release fee”.

Grievance process checked on IRDAI Bima Bharosa on 1 August 2026.

A complaint should distinguish dissatisfaction from entitlement. “Repair took too long” is a service issue. “Theft is excluded” is a coverage issue. “The inspector recorded the wrong IMEI” is a factual issue. Clear classification helps the grievance officer address the right failure.

Data Privacy and Cyber Safety Before Sending a Phone for Repair

A repair claim can require handing an unlocked, data-rich device to strangers. The technical need to test a phone does not justify sharing banking credentials. Prepare the device deliberately.

If the phone is dead and cannot be erased, ask the service centre how failed boards and storage components are handled. A replaced motherboard can contain inaccessible data; the old part should be destroyed or controlled under the provider’s process. Do not trade privacy for claim speed.

A stolen phone requires a different sequence. Tracking and account attachment may be claim conditions. Use Lost Mode or equivalent, secure accounts and follow the insurer’s instructions before remote erasure or account removal. A remote wipe protects data but can reduce tracking; make the decision quickly with the relevant plan condition in front of you.

Special Cases: Foldables, Imported Phones, Business Use and Multiple Devices

Foldable phones

Foldables concentrate risk in inner displays, hinges and protective films. Screen-only definitions can distinguish the outer screen, inner screen and back glass. Manufacturer programmes may use model-specific deductibles and claim counts. Removing a factory screen protector or using an unauthorised film can affect service eligibility. Read the exact model row, not the generic smartphone FAQ.

Imported and grey-market phones

A genuine phone can still lack Indian warranty or local parts support. The IMEI may be valid but the model code unsupported. Imported invoices, customs value, foreign currency and seller status complicate insured value. Obtain written eligibility before purchase; an online form accepting the model name is not enough.

Phones used for work

Individual plans can exclude commercial fleets or devices owned by an employer. A creator or consultant using a personally owned phone for business should check whether business use changes eligibility. The handset plan generally does not cover lost income, missed shoots or client claims. Separate business-continuity planning is required.

Families with several devices

Separate plans offer model-specific service and low deductibles. A home-policy portable-equipment section can cover several listed gadgets and may include broader territory. Compare total premium, deductible per event, claim effect on the home policy and whether accidental loss is included.

Phones bought on EMI

The loan continues after theft or total damage unless lender protection says otherwise. Replacement settlement may go to the owner while EMI remains payable. Do not confuse device insurance with loan cancellation. If the phone is employer-leased, the lease agreement can allocate claim proceeds and residual liability differently.

Alternatives to a Standalone Mobile Insurance Plan

Standalone cover is one tool. The strongest alternative depends on the number of devices, protection period and risk.

These tools can overlap. A manufacturer plan can handle accidental repair while a home policy covers theft. Overlap is not automatically wasteful, but double recovery above actual loss is not permitted. Each insurer must be informed of other insurance where required, and contribution or settlement coordination can apply.

Who Should Buy Mobile Phone Insurance? Profile-by-Profile Analysis

No profile creates an automatic recommendation. A careful user can still be robbed; a field worker can use a rugged case and cheap phone. The decision is strongest when exposure, financial impact and contract quality point in the same direction.

Common Mobile Insurance Buying and Claim Mistakes

1. Assuming every plan includes theft: damage and theft are separate benefits.
2. Calling a warranty insurance: defect cover does not pay for a drop.
3. Ignoring the service fee: the cheapest plan can have the highest claim contribution.
4. Buying after damage: post-loss enrolment is not valid protection.
5. Registering the wrong IMEI: one digit can disconnect the policy from the phone.
6. Missing activation: payment does not always equal cover commencement.
7. Using an unauthorised repair shop: evidence and eligibility can be lost.
8. Reporting cosmetic wear as accidental damage: functional loss and appearance are different.
9. Giving inconsistent incident versions: credibility becomes the claim issue.
10. Removing a stolen phone from the account: some theft plans require tracking to remain enabled.
11. Forgetting cyber security: replacing hardware does not reverse UPI fraud.
12. Discarding the box and invoice: IMEI and ownership evidence become harder to prove.
13. Expecting a new latest-model replacement: equivalent/refurbished settlement may be permitted.
14. Ignoring claim count: a minor screen repair can consume a one-claim plan.
15. Not testing the repaired phone: new faults should be reported before job closure.

25-Point Mobile Phone Insurance Buying Checklist

1. Record the exact device model, storage variant and invoice value.
2. Save both IMEIs for dual-SIM devices.
3. Check handset genuineness before buying used.
4. Identify whether the product is insurance or a service plan.
5. Find the insurer, master policy and administrator where applicable.
6. Choose the actual risk: screen, ADLD, theft, loss or breakdown.
7. Confirm liquid damage explicitly.
8. Read the theft and unattended-property definitions.
9. Check the purchase and activation window.
10. Confirm imported, corporate, gifted or refurbished eligibility.
11. Complete diagnostics and save proof.
12. Verify policy start date and waiting period.
13. Compare plan price plus tax.
14. Compare deductible/service fee for each event.
15. Check depreciation and insured-value schedule.
16. Check number of claims and aggregate cap.
17. Understand repair, reimbursement and replacement rules.
18. Confirm whether replacement can be refurbished or equivalent.
19. Check authorised service availability in your PIN code.
20. Read accessory and data exclusions.
21. Review worldwide territory and travel claims.
22. Understand cancellation and renewal.
23. Save invoice, certificate and IMEI outside the phone.
24. Enable tracking, backup and strong account security.
25. Brief family or employee on theft and claim steps.

Final Evaluation: What a Good Mobile Insurance Decision Looks Like

A good plan does not promise everything. It covers the event that would create the largest realistic financial shock, uses a repair network the customer can access, and leaves an out-of-pocket amount the customer understands. The certificate matches the IMEI. The invoice is stored outside the phone. Theft steps are known before theft.

The best customer is not the one who never reads the policy because the repair was easy. It is the one who can explain, before paying, what happens after a cracked screen, a coffee spill and a stolen handset—and knows that each event can have a different answer.

For an expensive flagship used daily outside the home, accidental and liquid protection can be economically defensible. Theft cover becomes meaningful when its definition, tracking condition and deductible are acceptable. For a budget phone, self-insurance and physical protection can be stronger. For several devices, compare a portable-equipment policy. For business fleets, use a commercial arrangement.

Do one final exercise. Add the plan price, tax, service fee and likely exclusions. Compare that amount with authorised repair and current replacement value. Then read the claim conditions aloud. Buy only when the protection remains useful after the marketing words disappear.