More often than not, car insurance is quite straightforward. Everybody knows it is mandatory to have third-party coverage for your vehicle, and the fact that a comprehensive cover provides the compulsory coverage as well as own-damage cover. But here is where it gets tricky – while it will cover the costs of damage to the car, does a simple car insurance cover the loss of personal belongings kept in the car when it was damaged or stolen? Is there a cover offered if your laptop or expensive smartphone or tablet was kept in the car?
The answer is both yes and no. By themselves, the third-party or comprehensive car insurance policies do not cover the loss of personal belongings. But with a comprehensive policy, you can avail extra coverage with a personal belongings add-on cover when you buy car insurance online or offline.
Personal Belongings Cover Add-on
This is an add-on feature in the comprehensive car insurance policy which you can purchase by paying extra premium. When you have this cover, the insurance company will cover the losses that you face due to damage or theft of your expensive personal belongings in the car.
There are some insurance companies that also offer specific, special coverage for your personal belongings such as
–
- Personal Belongings Add-on Damage Specific
- Personal Belongings Add-on Theft Specific
- Personal Belongings Add-on Including Electronic Equipment
You can check with your insurance company and they will most probably offer a mix and match of these specific coverages. On the other hand, some insurance providers may not offer any such specifics at all, and in few other insurance companies might provide an add-on but have a long list of exclusions which you must carefully read through. If you have any questions or queries about what kind of coverage your insurance company is offering, ask them right away and clarify before you select the add-on for your policy during purchase or online policy renewal.
Exclusions
While insurance companies might not offer some specific coverage, most insurance providers have a general list of exclusions that you must note before you purchase the add-on feature for your personal belongings. Here is the list of general exclusions in this add-on cover –
- Loss caused by your own negligence
- If you inform the insurance company after 30 days of the incident
- Loss because the windows and doors of the car were not locked
- Loss of belongings related to trade or business
- Any loss of data stored in an electronic device such as laptop, phone, hard drive
- If the damaged or lost belongings were left in the car overnight
- Lack of adequate documentation related to invoices and FIR (First Information Report)
- Any other exclusions mentioned in the policy wordings.
If your personal belongings have undergone a loss, then you can follow the claim procedure by first contacting the insurance company and informing them about the situation and sharing the details for verification. Then you need to follow the process that the insurance provider states, including going to the police station and filing an FIR for theft. Then submit any documents if required and receive the claim amount on basis of eligibility. Please note that the claim amount will factor in the depreciation cost of the lost or damaged belongings.
So, this is all you need to know about the Personal Belongings Add-on cover in your car insurance policy. Thefts or accidents can happen anytime, but it is equally important to safeguard your belongings as it is to protect your car from damages. Get your car insurance online and avail this necessary add-on to it today. If you are doubtful about your premium with this add-on cover, then you can check it with a car insurance calculator. If you are due for renewal, make sure you select this add-on during your online policy renewal process.
