| Laptop Insurance - The Vital Elements | | | | with a Hydrological Consultant (who might be |
| | | | planning river system controls). The latter |
| Imagine if, for whatever reason, you were | | | | would obviously seem more at risk of water |
| without your laptop. You need to do some work | | | | damage than theft. |
| on it, or maybe some planning - you know why | | | | |
| you need it. | | | | Let's look at each in turn ... |
| | | | |
| But you cannot. It is incredibly frustrating. | | | | Extended Warranty: |
| Many people have been in this situation. | | | | |
| | | | Bizarrely, very few companies offer Extended |
| Your laptop might be lost, stolen, damaged or | | | | Warranties as part of Laptop Insurance. The |
| just plain not working. How soon would it be | | | | only main provider that does is . If you |
| before you are back with a functioning | | | | want to be covered for your laptop simply |
| laptop, and how much is it going to cost you | | | | going wrong or breaking down, you need to be |
| to get there? | | | | covered for this. |
| | | | |
| Laptop Insurance is recognised as the | | | | Loss Cover: |
| necessary tool to help you through this, but | | | | |
| how do you know if you are getting good cover | | | | It would appear that almost no provider |
| at a price that represents good value to you? | | | | offers loss cover. It is most likely deemed |
| | | | to be too risky to insure. |
| To answer that, first you need to define | | | | |
| exactly what is important to you. What are | | | | International Cover: |
| your likely risks? | | | | |
| | | | Many providers will protect you for up to 60 |
| For example, if you never travel with your | | | | days per year outside of the UK. |
| laptop - maybe you just use it at home, | | | | |
| sometimes in the lounge, sometimes in the | | | | Water Damage: |
| study - then you are probably not going to | | | | |
| need international cover as part of your | | | | This is not a common element of cover in many |
| laptop insurance. In this instance you are | | | | laptop insurance company's policies, but it |
| probably not going to need loss cover either | | | | IS a common killer of laptops! How many times |
| (a laptop is not something you are likely to | | | | has that cup of tea or class of orange juice |
| lose down the back of the sofa). | | | | been dangerously close to spilling over your |
| | | | laptop keyboard? |
| What if you just drop your laptop? You need | | | | |
| your laptop insurance to be able to protect | | | | Accidental Damage Cover: |
| you for this. You do NOT want to have to | | | | |
| commit insurance fraud (and thereby break the | | | | Again, this is a common need for laptop |
| law) by lying in your claims process, you | | | | insurance. You are walking along, maybe in a |
| would want to make sure that you are covered | | | | crown, and your laptop bag gets knocked out |
| for accidental damage. | | | | of you hand ... and smacks down on the |
| | | | concrete. This is a relatively common element |
| So outline what elements of cover you think | | | | of laptop insurance. |
| you will need. For example ... | | | | |
| | | | Theft Cover: |
| * Will you need Extended Warranty in case it | | | | |
| just breaks down? | | | | This is the most obvious risk for your |
| | | | laptop. You laptop is a very portable, high |
| * Will you need loss cover? | | | | value item. Anything that is worth a lot and |
| | | | can be carried while running away is a prime |
| * Will you need international cover? | | | | target for thieves. Consequently, this is the |
| | | | most common element of most laptop insurance |
| * Will you need water damage cover? | | | | policies. |
| | | | |
| * Will you need accidental damage cover? | | | | On analysis of the market, if you need all of |
| | | | the different elements of cover, then the 2U |
| * Will you need theft cover? | | | | Laptop Insurance is, to the knowledge of this |
| | | | author, the only laptop insurance policy |
| It may seem obvious to you that you need | | | | available on the market that will meet all of |
| certain elements of cover, and maybe not | | | | your wants and needs. |
| others, but just consider the list above. | | | | |
| Some people might feel more at risk of theft | | | | If you do not need to protect yourself for |
| than water damage, while others might be the | | | | all of these eventualities, you can find |
| other way around. | | | | slimmed down levels of protection for your |
| | | | laptop with your local insurance broker, or |
| For example, compare a travelling businessman | | | | in your search engine. |