Vacations, summer camps, sports and other leisure activities can bring the inconvenience of smartphone damage or theft to parents of teenagers during the summer. And not only him. This is also shown by the statistics of the Expert Elektro chain, which show that the number of cases of damage to smart electronics increases by 60% in the summer compared to the rest of the year.
During the holiday season, Czechs therefore buy electronics insurance against accidental damage more often, up to 45 percent. This applies especially to mobile phones, tablets and cameras.
As Jan Říha, manager of financial services of the Expert Elektro chain, explains, a "risky" group is, for example, new devices that parents bought for their children in exchange for a certificate. These are not cheap, prices around 10 crowns are no exception.
"Everyone who buys a mobile phone for themselves or their children wants to be sure that they won't have to deal with repairing or replacing the mobile phone for at least two years. Insurance gives them that security, all the worries about replacement, repair and transport go to the insurance company," Jan Říha lists the benefits, according to which the number of cases where damage occurs increases significantly in the summer months. Compared to the rest of the year, there are around 60 percent more such accidents.
Biggest threats: falling and water
According to the insurance company AWP P&C, which offers these products under the Allianz Assistance brand, the most common causes of damage to wearable electronics and mobile devices include a fall followed by a broken display. According to their statistics, the culprit of 4 out of 5 damaged devices is a fall - from a trouser pocket, from a car, from a table.
"The repair, or rather the replacement of the mobile phone screen, can easily reach 6 thousand CZK. It depends on the type of phone and the extent of the damage," says Martin Lambora from Allianz Assistance. If your electronics are insured, the insurance company covers the cost of the repair, you will have a small deductible.
Another danger is the ingress of liquid, which will subsequently damage the electronics. That liquid is most often water, which cameras, cameras, and even tablets and laptops can't always deal with.
However, damage to electronics does not only occur due to careless handling. The online shipping service Zaslat.cz regularly records several cases of damaged shipments during the holidays, in which people send fragile electronics.
"Most often, these are headphones, laptops and larger electronics such as players or game consoles, which parents usually send their children abroad for study and work stays," says Miroslav Michalko, director of the internet shipping service Zaslat.cz.
According to him, although most customers choose additional package insurance, they often neglect the most important thing: to pack the package correctly.
"One in three damaged shipments is just due to insufficient internal padding, where the electronics inside the box move freely."
What to do if there is an accident
If your device is accidentally damaged, you should call the client line of the insurance company with which you have insurance as soon as possible. The operator will find and recommend the most suitable service for you. The Expert Elektro chain also offers repair or replacement of an accidentally damaged device. In short, even larger electronics for which you can arrange an extended warranty will not come. It is possible to buy this for 2 or 3 years, after which it protects the product similarly to the statutory warranty in the first two years.
