VHI Multi-trip-Can I fight this?

aliocroc

Hi folks,
Was away in Austria last month and had my phone stolen. It was a HTC Desire smart phone (I know-ouch!), Sim Free value €425 (Carphone Warehouse), got it as a present at xmas (i know-double ouch!), so i got the police report etc,

VHI Multi-trip have a personal effects insurance for up to €400 but I rang them up to see how they were assessing the claim and they told me that there is a clause in the small print that only covers the cost of a mobile phone up to a €100, then theres a €85 excess and the phone value is subject to depreciation! From the sounds of things I could be lucky to get a tenner from them?:mad:

Is this right? Could I argue that it was a PDA or something? Could I say a smartphone and a mobile phone are two completely different devices?? Any advice or am I screwed and should I just move on and forget it-small print being small print and all that!

Im really starting to wonder what the point of insurance is lately!!

mikedragon32

The devil is in the detail, I guess.

Do you have separate phone insurance? (presumably not, if it was a gift)

aliocroc

Nah, thought about it but only had it a month really, thought the travel insurance would cover it for while I was away & I could sort it for everyday phone insurance when I got back! Doh!

Hindsight is 20/20 i guess! Raging though-seems like such a cop out by them-surely theres a higher percentage of people who have smartphones than anything else these days?!

killbillvol2

That's pretty common in travel insurance - it's difficult to find a policy that actually covers any high value item.

aliocroc

Ah well, suppose thats it!

Back to my stone age sony! :(