Contents Insurance

Choosing The Right Contents Insurance

Flash brochures. Well designed websites that look friendly and inviting. Well trained staff members who sound like they know what they're on about. These are the tools used by insurance companies to draw you in to buying contents insurance. But if you think everything will go as smoothly when you need to make a claim, think again.

In fact, if you talk to ten people at random who've had to make a claim for contents insurance, you'll get ten different stories. Some good, some bad. That's why when it comes to contents insurance, probably the best safeguard out there to ensure you're getting a good deal is to talk to people you know and trust who've had to make a claim.

But not all of us have lots of friends who've been robbed. So to ensure you're getting a good deal and value for money on your contents insurance and that you won't be screwed when it comes time to making a claim, here's what you need to look out for.

What Does Your Policy Cover?

It's never a good to idea to simply assume you're covered for everything. You need to ask your insurance company if you're covered if you go away on holiday. Also, read the fine print concerning inflation and wear and tear. Some companies carefully word their clauses to basically screw you, claiming your goods – after wear and tear and inflation – aren't worth anything.

Don't Lie

If there's one mistake most people make over and over again with buying contents insurance, it's exaggerating or lying. Our advice – don't. Lying on an insurance application or contract is fraud and can void your policy and can even land you in jail. Don't be tempted to add items you don't own or to inflate the value of items you do own.

Never Buy The Cheapest Policy

With so many companies out there competing for your business, it can be tempting to go with the cheapest quote. Times are tight and contents insurance is probably not something you really have the money for anyway. Unfortunately, as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for, and cheaper policies usually cover less and come with headaches. So do yourself a favour and save your money rather than go with a cheap policy.

Read The Fine Print

Insurance companies are notorious for screwing the little guy with the fine print. We simply cannot stress this point enough. So before you buy contents insurance, read the fine print carefully and hire a lawyer to go through the terms and conditions if you have to. A few hundred dollars for a lawyers' time could save you thousands.