Mobile phones, glasses, and laptops are the items New Zealanders are most likely to misplace, damage, or have stolen, State Insurance revealed.
Based on the insurer’s claims data, an average of 33 mobile phones are lost daily, earning it the top spot on the list of New Zealand’s most common contents insurance claims. Over the past 2.5 years, State received 36,000 claims for phones, totalling $42 million in value.
Glasses are the second most frequently claimed item, with almost 29,000 claims (worth $26 million) over the same period, closely followed by laptops, with almost 20,000 claims with a value of $34 million.
Rounding out the list were jewellery, appliances, furniture, hearing aids, bikes, carpets, and dentures.
State noted that while jewellery ranked only fourth in number of claims, it is the costliest due to the items’ high value, making it an attractive target for thieves.
“At State, we see all kinds of situations that have led to people lodging a claim, including peacocks rampaging through living rooms, or large quantities of expensive house plants going missing from someone’s property,” said Wayne Tippet, executive general manager, claims, State Insurance. “Mistakes, theft, and accidents happen to us all, and the costs can quickly add up. Once you calculate the value of everything you own, it can be quite surprising how much it’s collectively worth. Many people think about the things that are easy to lose or damage, but they often forget about the everyday items like kitchen appliances, bedding, or furniture. All of these could need to be replaced if there was a serious fire or flood.”
Tippet said that State’s online calculator, Tally, can help customers estimate the value of their home contents. It allows users to add items from a list of 25 popular categories, adjust average values and add custom items.
“When the worst happens, whether it’s dropping your phone or a devastating house fire, you want to make sure you have the appropriate insurance in place to absorb the financial hit and get back on your feet as quickly as possible,” Tippet said.
