Firstly, a quick update to those who are interested re. my earlier 'pregnancy conundrums' posts… unfortunately the pregnancy ended up being non-viable and my partner miscarriaged last month. We'd worked through it all and had decided to make a go of it, but in the end it wasn't a goer 😥 It has however focused our thoughts on whether we do want a child or not, and we've decided to have another go, a proper 'planned' pregnancy this time, so wish us luck!

Now, to my latest problemo…

Lost my near new HTC Desire at Glastonbury on the weekend (along with my money pouch, sunglasses and… of all things… my shorts… I was in the front row for Muse and it all got a bit hectic in there!) Fairly sure the items were lost, though of course they may have been lifted from my pockets in the crush. All in I lost around £150 in cash, a £100 set of Oakleys and a £400+ phone… expensivo!

Wasn't tooooo concerned about the phone as I knew I had insurance, however started to sort it out yesterday and discovered a couple of unfortunate caveats in the policy… firstly, I have no cover for loss, only for theft or damage (so, the phone was stolen then!). Secondly, they state that I must report the phone as stolen (to the police) within 48hrs of the incident and must report it to my phone company within 24hrs… I reported it to Vodafone yesterday (was asleep all of Monday after been up for 48hrs+ and sick as a dog on Tuesday (ah the comedown, soooo much fun!), haven't reported the theft to the police as yet…

Now, I guess I have a couple of options. Be honest and lodge the claim correctly (almost), ie stating that the phone was stolen at some point on Saturday night/Sunday morning but couldn't do the reporting till yesterday and today due to various circumstances. If the insurer is black and white in their rules though, then the claim will most likely fail, right?

Or… do I lie through my teeth and hope to get away with it?! maybe not the best course of action, but I wonder what the odds are of getting busted?

I really don't want to be paying £40 a month for the next 10 months and not have the bloody phone! 🙁 👿

I can't offer any constructive advice on the second issue, but I am sorry to hear about the first, and wish you luck with both.

i'd tell the truth, and if they failed to pay up, i'd argue the terms and conditions were 'unreasonable' given the circumstances and hence serve no purpose other than allowing the insurance company to avoid paying out.

i'd tell the truth, and if they failed to pay up, i'd argue the terms and conditions were 'unreasonable' given the circumstances and hence serve no purpose other than allowing the insurance company to avoid paying out.

That's kind of what I'm thinking… there's no reason for the timeframes other than to make it harder to make a claim as far as I can see…

I am sorry to hear about the first, and wish you luck with both.

Cheers BigDummy…

Just lie it's a insurance company or alternatively buy a cheap phone.

Sorry to hear that on both points.

Did point 1 too this year which nearly broke us as we were nearly all the way through but we are working through it day by day.

Point 2 is your phone insurance with your bank or specific phone insurance?

Did point 1 too this year which nearly broke us as we were nearly all the way through but we are working through it day by day.

That must be hard… sorry to hear 🙁 'Fortunately' for us we were only 8-10 weeks in or so, but it's still tough 🙁

Point 2 is your phone insurance with your bank or specific phone insurance?

It's with Phone Care from the Carphone Warehouse, it came 'free' for the first month of the contract and then a rolling thing @ £7.99 per month unless I asked them to stop (which I didn't!).

Do you have annual travel insurance? My gf's iphone and purse were stolen from our tent at Glastonbury last year and she claimed on her travel insurance policy as we were away long enough for it to be considered a holiday.

Hmm must check my phone insurance I get with my bank account then incase theres a caveat… dont wanna lose my Desire!

Yeah we were 29weeks through.. but 'fortunately' got to spend some time with him etc.

What doesn't kill you n all that, though I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Btw I'd go with the lying bit I think.. couldn't hack paying for a contract and no phone 😀

Sorry to hear about point 1, but sounds like it helped resolve some issues for you both.

As to the phone, sorry, but you lost it. Why push up all our premiums because you didn't have the correct cover?

ANy other insurance you can claim on- household maybe, or travel?

I would check your household insurance if you have it- may be covered. I have always refused carphone whorehouse insurance as it is a rip off, my home contents covers phones up to £350 for nowt.
Knowing CPW to be the sharks they are I'd have no worries about bending the truth, but, and it's a big but, you'd also have to lie to the cops to get a crime number, which I would worry about. Was once in the local knick having been pulled for speeding, producing documents, 2 young scrotes came in wanting to report a phone stolen- it was clear the pc at the desk didn't believe a word of it and made them sign to say if it was to fraudulently claim on insurance and they were found out they would be done for wasting police time.
Tough call.

again sorry to hear about point one, and sorry to hear your news as well maxray. 🙁

don't lie about the phone, just be reasonable and persistant

don't most insurers link to some kind of database to report fraudelent claims too?? might make it difficult getting car insurance etc in the future if you get found out.

Two lessons to learn:

Look after your belongings better
Insurance is generally a waste of money

You may be lucky to get a crime report from the police with those circumstances and if you make it up then you can be done for perverting the course! Plus you HAVE to have you IMEI number to report it!
Good luck how frustrating, **** insurance companies and their small print T&C's.

Munqe-chick… you're a police officer, right? Just how much investigation would go into a stolen mobile phone report?

EDIT: With the IMEI, I have this from my provider now, so no worries there…

Yup, on a sticker on the box it came in.

£400 phone and £100 oakleys at front row of headliners at Glasto? If you'd been killed too mate you'd have been up for a Darwin award 😆

indeed 😳 I wasn't particularily clear headed it has to be said… 😆

With the phone, well, I did think I had insurance… and it was the only camera I had on me for the weekend…

£400 phone and £100 oakleys

I think you should get a darwin award just for spending £400 on a phone and £100 on a set of sun glasses.

indeed I wasn't particularily clear headed it has to be said…

haha yeah I take your point! Not taking the p1ss either but when I go to festies I put my sim card in an old payg phone like an old Nokia brick. Not very stylish but doesn't matter what happens to it.

Or would it be on the box my phone came in?

Yes. It'll be on a sticker with a bar code usually. 15 or 16 digits, all numbers, might well be formatted like 35-209900-176148-1.

Plus you HAVE to have you IMEI number to report it!

Surely that is bollocks, like saying you have to have your bike frame number to report a stolen bike? Surely the police can't just refuse to take a report of a crime, that being one of their jobs?

You have to have the IMEI number to get it recorded on the system as blocked, so no one else can use it, that is definitely true, but just to be able to make a crime report?

In some situations your insurance company might request some proof that you owned the phone in the first place, such as the IMEI number (although in this situation, you bought the phone along with the insurance, so they know that already).

Also, I'm guessing you tried phoning it? Always worth doing that, and also leaving a voicemail and a text on the number, in case someone honest has picked it up. I've known people get phones back that way.

Joe

Also, I'm guessing you tried phoning it? Always worth doing that, and also leaving a voicemail and a text on the number, in case someone honest has picked it up. I've known people get phones back that way.

Unfortunately the phone was dead flat, which was why I'd put it back in my bag and wasn't waving it around madly taking shitty pictures and video 😆

Lying is wrong.. no matter if you think you can get caught or not.

The reason they have all these strict terms in insurance policies is because swindling scum are trying it all the time.

Swindling scum.. like you…? The choice is yours…

well… I'm happy to tell the truth, but it's gonna kill me if they come back and refuse the claim because of a couple of stupid time frame clauses… and the phone may well have been stolen, I don't honestly know!

Unfortunately the phone was dead flat, which was why I'd put it back in my bag and wasn't waving it around madly taking shitty pictures and video

Still worth doing – we had one back where someone had found it, taken the sim out, stuck it in their own phone, and checked the texts.

Joe

Read this before lying wasting police time charge for lying about lost mobile phone

Unfortunately you need to know the terms of your insurance up front… 🙁

Sounds like a pretty sh1t policy for £7.99/month.

My phone is covered (for loss/theft/etc) by my bank. I lost my Hero 3-4 weeks ago and have replaced it with an HD2. They've also coughed up for the accessories.

I'd sort out your current claim and then dump the CPW policy.

Honestly the police will probably spend no time investigating your report. You can't cant it has been stolen, could very easily have fallen out. Where do you start with gathering evidence? ANd i'm sure people would prefer that they put their resources else where?

unfortunately you may have to bite the bullet on this one and say you were a bit of a plum and should've taken a cheapy phone and hence move on.