Are Electronics Covered in Your Auto Policy?

It’s no secret. Americans have a love affair with electronics. MP3s, smart phones, TVs, DVD players and even satellite receivers are among the things we can’t seem to do without these days. They have become such a part of our lives that they’re not just in our homes or on our person. They’re also installed in our cars, which puts them at greater risk for theft or damage. Are they covered by your auto insurance policy? They may not be.

According to onlineautoinsurance.com the comprehensive and collision section of a standard auto policy typically contains exclusions for certain items. Those exclusions are:

“Electronics that are not permanently installed in a vehicle, such as radios, stereos, tape decks, compact disc players, DVD players, CB radios, telephones, personal computers, laptops, television monitors and mp3 players. Other electronic equipment may be excluded from policies.”

“Personal belongings such as compact discs, DVD's, cassette tapes, clothing, cameras, sporting goods, tools, jewelry, cellular phones, musical instruments and radar or laser detection equipment.”

As electronic gadgets become more a way a life for us, some insurance companies are developing special criteria about what should be covered under their standard auto polices. Many will cover the gadgets, but they charge an extra premium, which means your insurance costs more. Depending on the cost, it may be worth it to you.

If you have a gadget you can’t live without, how much would it cost to replace? You have to ask yourself that when deciding whether to add extra riders to your auto insurance policy. Just remember, you can’t get the data back on whatever your gadget is. If your laptop gets stolen, you hopefully have a back-up somewhere. If your phone gets stolen, you’ll lose all of those phone numbers if they are not stored somewhere else, like online.

Check to see what exactly your auto policy covers before an incident happens. And, don’t leave those valuables in plain view when you leave your vehicle. The truly best way to protect your uninstalled gadgets is to take them with you when you leave your vehicle. If that’s not possible, stash them in your glove box, your trunk or under a seat.

This is the time of year when car get broken into more frequently. Thieves are looking for money, and they are looking to cash in on whatever holiday gifts people leave in their vehicles. Those few extra minutes you take to protect your belongs could save you hundreds of dollars and hours of time down the road.