If your phone is stolen while traveling it may have a lot more stored in it than just a bunch of numbers to call.
These days, the theft of your phone could mean a significant breach of your personal security. If you do mobile banking, access email, or anything else with your personal phone, a smart thief may be able to access that personal information.
Many travel insurance plans specifically exclude phones from their coverage. For those plans that do cover phones, it’s important to understand that phones are covered up to a maximum limit and often subject to a deductible.
The limits vary from plan to plan and you will find the coverage for phones – including the plan limits – listed in the baggage coverage section of your travel insurance plan documentation.
In cases of theft, loss, or damage to your phone, you’ll need to report the incident to the airline, airport, local police or other such authorities and get a copy of the written report of the loss to include with your travel insurance claim.
The travel insurance coverage for cell phones and smartphones isn’t isolated solely to the theft of the device. If your identity has been compromised, many travel insurance plans offer the added peace of mind that comes with identity theft services.
Damian Tysdal is the founder of CoverTrip, and is a licensed agent for travel insurance (MA 1883287). He believes travel insurance should be easier to understand, and started the first travel insurance blog in 2006.