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Why Choose Carphone Warehouse?
Although I mainly use a company line, I also have a personal line and as such needed to have insurance on it too. I connected my line through the Carphone Warehouse so insuring it there seemed like the easiest option. I also thought that it would be a strong ... Read review
Although I mainly use a company line, I also have a personal line and as such needed to have insurance on it too. I connected my line through the Carphone Warehouse so insuring it there seemed like the easiest option. I also thought that it would be a strong benefit to be able to come into a store to deal with any potential claims, rather than having to phone a call centre and Carphone Warehouses ... ...
Insurance through the Carphone Warehouse is called Lifeline and is available in four variants - two for pre-pay customers and two for post-pay customers.
Lifeline Go
Is for Pre-Pay Customers
Costs £19.99 for three years
Covers against damage but NOT theft or loss
Has £10.00 excess
Lifeline Advance
Is for Pre-Pay Customers more
According to the Car Phone Warehouse:
A mobile phone is stolen every minute in the UK One in three people surveyed have lost their phone or had it stolen Around half of all street crime involves the theft of a mobile phone
I'm not convinced that it's quite the crime wave they are making it out to be but mobile phone insurance is absolutely essential. As handsets get smaller and are therefore more inclined to slip out of handbags and pockets, you need some insurance against the loss. That handset that was free at connection will cost an awful lot more to replace.
Why Choose Carphone Warehouse?
Although I mainly use a company line, I also have a personal line and as such needed to have insurance on it too. I connected my line through the Carphone Warehouse so insuring it there seemed like the easiest option. I also thought that it would be a strong benefit to be able to come into a store to deal with any potential claims, rather than having to phone a call centre and Carphone Warehouses are prolific - there are four or five in my city alone.
What policies are available?
Insurance through the Carphone Warehouse is called Lifeline and is available in four variants - two for pre-pay customers and two for post-pay customers.
Lifeline Go
Is for Pre-Pay Customers Costs £19.99 for three years Covers against damage but NOT theft or loss Has £10.00 excess
Lifeline Advance
Is for Pre-Pay Customers Costs 96p per week Covers against damage and theft but NOT loss Has £19.50 excess
Lifeline Lite
Is for Post-Pay Customers Costs £1.73 per week Covers against damage, loss, theft and unauthorised calls Does NOT cover against theft from a car Has £29.50 excess
Lifeline Complete
If for Post-Pay Customers Costs £2.12 per week Covers against damage, loss, theft and unauthorised calls Also covers against theft from a car You can claim to buy out a contract Has £29.50 excess
I chose Lifeline Complete because for the money, the cover is excellent and covers pretty much any eventuality I could think of.
Before You Make A Claim
Even if you suspect that you MAY Have lost your phone, have a bar placed on the phone immediately. It can always be removed if you find the phone at a later date. If you make a claim for loss, where you have failed to notify the service provider within 24 hours of suspecting / noting the loss, the claim may well be invalid. Similarly, you should always report the loss to your local police station, in case somebody hands it in. Retain the IME number (usually found underneath the battery) and provide this to the police. They will in turn give you a reference number that is essential when making a claim on the policy. The insurers will NOT pay out for loss when it is not reported to the police "within reasonable timescales." If your phone is forcibly removed from your person, or you have reason to believe that it has been stolen, then again you must always report this to the police. You should give a full statement and then again, you will be required to give the crime reference number when you make a claim.
Always ensure that you have taken every reasonable step to report your loss / theft and that you have done everything possible to prevent fraudulent use. Insurance companies are notorious for finding reasons not to pay out - don't give them any excuse! I am pleased to say, however, that CPW pay out on 90% of claims made on their policies.
Making a Claim
For my two claims, I went instore as I felt that this would speed up the process. As an inherently suspicious soul, I also like to be able to confirm names and descriptions of staff members spoken to. You can, however, also make a claim via the call centre.
The claims process is very simple. Provided you have fulfilled the criteria in the previous section, you shouldn't have any problems. You are asked a serious of questions after which the system will make a decision (the computer doesn't usually say no) and the shop is then normally authorised to replace the item there and then. The shop CAN request that the claim is referred to an underwrite for further consideration. They should tell you when they do this and why (I'm not sure if they are obliged to) and under these circumstances, you'll probably have to wait 48-72 hours for a decision. You will be required to sign a declaration that the claim is genuine and you will then have to cough up the excess before you can have your goods.
Much criticism is made of the excess on insurance policies and £29.50 is higher than others on the high street. For me, this still represents a great saving - my handset would cost over £300 to replace if I purchased a new one and if it will keep the cost of the policies down, I am satisfied with this as a measure to try and prevent fraudulent claims.
How is the Claim Fulfilled?
A number of options may occur if the handset is lost or stolen. If your handset is a current model, and the store has a new one in stock, you will be given a new handset there and then. If the model is current but no stock is available, you may decide to wait until stock becomes available. If the model is discontinued and no stock is available, you will then be given the nearest equivalent to what you had. This isn't normally open to negotiation - the store staff have clear guidelines, but do satisfy yourself that you aren't being fobbed off, and ask them to justify the comparison.
If the handset is damaged, it MAY be sent away for repairs, according to the extent of the damage - CPW reserves the right to make this decision. Some stores are NOT authorised to make the decision in store and the handset may therefore be sent away for appraisement. This can take a couple of days but under the terms of the policy, you will be provided with a spare handset to use in the mean time.
If you are claiming to settle an airtime contract, you must have held the contract for at least three months. The excess is still payable, your contract will then be cancelled and (normally) you will keep the handset you were given. This is a curious option for me and I can't see how it is in the insurer's interests to offer this condition. I wouldn't recommend this if you are planning to take out further contracts / insurance - I'm informed that it counts as a big black mark in your insurance history.
So I Just Get a Brand New Handset?
Almost, yes. But it's not QUITE as simple as that.
The policy operates on a new for old basis but the cover only extends to the ACTUAL items lost or stolen. So, if you, for example, have purchased a leather case for your phone, this is unlikely to be replaced under the policy. Furthermore, when you lose / have your handset stolen, the insurance works on the premise that it is only the handset that is affected, so they don't give you the box, charger or other accessories. This means that if you wanted to trade your handset in at the end of the contract you would have to put the handset in the old box - not a problem for the shops, but something to be aware of.
Where can I Find the Details?
You will be sent a policy document in the post but you can also view the terms and conditions online. Fortunately, the policy is worded in a fairly "plain English" format and there are no nasty hidden clauses. Provided that you are fully paid up on the policy you do not need to provide any documentation when making a claim - everything is system-based.
Summary
I can - and do - positively recommend Lifeline insurance. The cover is extensive and well-priced. The policy is easy to set up and supported by a massive network of retail outlets. Furthermore, the claims process is simple and genuinely convenient, such that you are without a phone for the absolute minimum period of time.
Advantages: None. Use another provider. Disadvantages: Very slow to make a claim, incompetent staff, more expensive than network insurance.
...with LifeLine insurance from the Carphone Warehouse has been very poor and has in fact consumed so much time out of my life that it would have been much easier to buy a replacement handset myself than make a claim with them.
So far my insurance claim has taken 30 days, 17 phone calls and 5 in-store visits and still no replacement phone. Every step has been excruciatingly slow whilst their incompetent staff fail to communicate to each other or to ... ...have been requesting from me was provided on the very first visit but was handed back to me by the store employee. I then had to wait 7 days for a letter to arrive which requested more details. This was sent and I received no reply. I spoke to someone who confirmed they had lost the details and told me to send them again. Only after 3 weeks had passed did someone tell me they needed the police report. I faxed this in and when I had no reply called ...
prl100 30.04.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Carphone Warehouse Insurance
Advantages: Fast, easy service, they don't try to find a way out of the claim, understanding staff Disadvantages: There is an excess to pay but this is reasonable and in line with other retailers
...purchased a phone at the carphone warehouse, and normally I would refuse insurance, but the sales staff were so thourough in their explanation of the products, and explaining the cost of the handset and contract, I took it there and then.
The policy I took was the Complete package which is only for pay monthly phones- this ranges in price from about £20 to £35 quarterly depending on the value of your phone, it offers full cover against, accidental ... ...subjext to availability).
the Carphone Warehouse claim to pay out over 94% of their claims, in fact the only ones they state they don't pay on are fraudulent claims (naturally).
2 weeks after purchasing my new phone (the nokia N70) i had an accident involving a set of keys, my pocket, and a wall!! I basically fell against a wall with my phone and a set of keys in my pocket (quite hard) and the keys went straight through the outside screen through ...
tergwin 03.05.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Carphone Warehouse Insurance
Advantages: Covers everything and easy to claim Disadvantages: Pricey
...always bought my phones from Carphone because they provide the widest amount of phones to choose from and generally their customer service is quite good. Guaranteed, come to the end of out lengthy conversation on choosing the phone, network and tariff will be the big speech on how I would benefit from their insurance. I was quite impressed with the amount they cover, such as theft, theft from a car, lost in due care of someone other than the owner ... ...on the policy, water-liquid damage, loan phone for free if I need to get my phone repaired and more. I was starting to consider taking one of these out when they quoted me the price. £26.95 every three months until I decide I don't want it anymore, and considering I got the mobile for £9.99, would I be too bothered if it got nicked? The employee then told me that should I lose that phone, it would not just cost me £10 to get it again, I was only ...
Cici_Ying 18.05.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Carphone Warehouse Insurance
Advantages: Piece of mind, usefull service Disadvantages: a litte expensive
...Orange Everday50, I was offered Carphone Warehouse LifeLine cover. I suppose that I was talked into it a bit by the salesman, but I am now glad he talked me around.
The option I bought was LifeLine Complete. It not only covers phone defects and breakdowns but theft / water damage / loss and accidental damage.
Whilst on the way home from a night out I lost my handset. Next day (a sunday) I went to the local branch, who with a police report replaced ...
andrew_newton 31.10.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Carphone Warehouse Insurance
Advantages: Pay out genuine claims (which they should) Disadvantages: Process was not as straight forward as you would expect
I signed a new line with CPW and they recommend that I take up their insurance policy. Normally I do not do that as I never believe I will lose my phone. They managed to convince me and true in enough, something you never expect will happen happened. I actually lost my phone within two weeks of getting it (I know this sound rather silly).
I reported the lost and was told normally it will take up to 72 hours to receive a decision from CPW insurance ... ...told there was a list of questions I need to answer before they are able to assess my claim. Which I did immediately and fax it across. I called to confirm my reply was received. The next day I called again for a decision and they told me they did not receive my reply. Not very please (obviously) but I still fax my reply in again and called to confirm (no much of a choice anyway - you need them to supply you a new phone). I was also told that because ...
sau_T18 19.01.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Carphone Warehouse Insurance
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The best mobile insurance I have ever seen on the masrket today is lifeline complete with the CarphoneWarehouse> For £26.50 per quater they will cover for faulty phones, damaged phones by anyhting, including water damage, loss, stolen generally everything so for a few pounds more you can put your mind at rest and know that if you had to make a claim then you would be covered for everything.
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