When you spend a lot of time in your car (as many of us do) it often becomes a storage place for several of your valuable items. That is why it’s important to know whether your car insurance policy covers the contents of your vehicle – or not.
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Generally speaking, it depends on what type of insurance policy you have. Third-party, fire, and theft insurance will not cover personal belongings, but some comprehensive car insurance policies do. In this short guide, brought to you by Budget Insurance, we cover all there is you need to know about contents cover for personal belongings stored in your car.
Why is contents insurance important?
When you take out car insurance, making sure that the vehicle’s contents are covered may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But, if you add up the value of the things you carry with you every day, we bet you’d be surprised by the total.
Most people carry a lot of portable and wearable technology, including laptops, expensive smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and in-car entertainment.
Other popular accessories such as jewellery, sunglasses, handbags, purses, wallets, and shopping are also worth covering. For parents of young children, car seats and prams are just some of the necessities that they store in their vehicles.
Professionals may carry a range of things from tools to equipment, to musical instruments and even sports gear. For hobbyists, golf bags, bicycles, and surfboards will also most likely be transported in, or on top of, your car.
All these personal possessions add up to thousands of rands and would be difficult to replace if lost or stolen – unless you have insurance in place.
When considering that theft of personal belongings is a daily occurrence, it becomes clear that getting portable possessions insurance is an important protection against what could be a severe financial loss.
What is portable possessions insurance?
Imagine if you dropped your engagement ring without realising it while washing your hands in a public bathroom, or while on your way to a presentation, your laptop was taken in a smash-and-grab?
These are belongings that are not only worth a lot of money, but may also hold sentimental value. With portable belongings insurance, the possessions you take out of the home are covered from theft, accidental loss, or damage, thus allowing you to replace your valuable items if they are lost.
If your car is stolen, comprehensive car insurance will cover the parts that are permanently affixed to your car – like built-in radios – but it will not cover portable belongings that you take with you.
Additional portable possessions insurance is essential if you are always on the move with valuable items. You can cover the loss of valuables anywhere outside the home with portable possessions insurance.
Does portable possessions insurance cover everything?
With Budget Insurance, portable possessions insurance will give you general cover against the loss or damage of your valuables up to a certain limit.
Clothing and the personal items belonging to you and your family members are all covered by this insurance, which is offered to you when you take out a home contents insurance policy. To clarify, if you want to take out portable possessions insurance, you need to have either home contents insurance, car or motorcycle cover.
Aside from general contents cover, more specific protection for expensive items is offered if they are worth more than the amount stated on your policy.
This extra cover includes protection for:
Laptops: Portable computers have become a necessary component of our working lives, particularly since COVID-19 changed the working landscape into hybrid models where we divide our time between working at the office and home. Losing a laptop can set us back considerably – and that is why personal possessions insurance can protect us from a range of risks.
Smartphones: Not only do we store a lot of personal information on our smartphones, but they are costly to buy in the first place. The loss of a smartphone can cause severe disruption and financial hardship in our lives. Personal possessions insurance can provide specific cover for the loss of a smartphone.
Jewellery and watches: Why own beautiful pieces of jewellery and watches if you are too scared to wear them in public for fear of having them stolen? Get insurance and wear them with confidence.
Cameras: Specialised camera insurance cover will repair or replace your camera if it is damaged, stolen or lost.
What’s not covered?
While many personal items are secured by Budget Insurance‘s portable insurance policies, there are some situations that will not be covered.
For instance, if there is a loss of or damage to any precious metal, stone, jewellery, or watches that are valued higher than the amount stated in your policy, a valuation certificate needs to be provided for them. When not being worn, these items also need to be stored in a SABS-approved wall or floor-mounted safe.
Items that are damaged due to general wear and tear will also not be covered. Neither will belongings that are solely used for business, trade, or professional purposes. So, if your laptop is used solely for business, it will not be covered by personal possessions insurance.
If valuables are stolen from the boot or load bay of your car, there must be clear signs of a break-in, such as damage from forced entry in order to claim.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal, or medical advice.
Get a quote now
If you want to learn more about car insurance or review your car insurance requirements with the help of experts, Budget Insurance‘s team is always ready to assist. Contact them on 086 1600 120 or leave your details and they’ll call you back at no expense to you! You can also request an online quote.
