Glossary of Mobile Phone Insurance Terms and Phrases

If you're confused about some of the terminology you may have come across when looking for or comparing mobile phone insurance policies, then help is at hand with the following jargon-busting glossary of terms.

Accessories

Any additional mobile phone products to be used with the mobile phone covered under the insurance policy.

Certificate

The certificate that shows details such as the insured person's name, the premium paid and the mobile phone covered. It forms part of the insurance policy, and they two documents must be read in conjunction with each other.

Damage

A term that is used to describe the situation where the phone breaks or fails to work properly - due to accidental damage (such as spilling a drink on it) rather than due to a fault in the phone itself.

Electrical Breakdown

The actual breaking or burning out of any part of the phone caused by, or arising from:

• internal electronic or electrical defects
• defective or faulty materials
• defective or faulty workmanship

This breakdown must cause stoppage of normal operation and requires immediate replacement or repair before normal operation can be resumed.

Excess

The first portion of a successful claim that must be paid by the policyholder, For example, if a claim is submitted for £100, and the excess is £20, then the insurance company will pay out £80 (the claim minus the excess).

Family Member

An individual who lives at the same permanent address as the policyholder and that has one of the following relationships to them:

• spouse or partner
• child
• father or mother
• brother or sister
• uncle or aunt
• grandfather or grandmother
• nephew or niece

IMEI Number

An abbreviation for: International Manufacturers Electronic Identity Number.

The IMEI is the unique serial number that is used to identify a mobile phone, and can be reported to the police if the phone is ever lost or stolen. The number can normally be found under the battery or by entering *#06# into the phone and pressing Send.

Incident

Any event that may lead to a claim being made for replacement or repair of the phone. Any incident involving a crime must be reported to the police, who will issue the policyholder with an incident reference number.

Loss

The term that is used to describe when the policyholder (or someone they have given permission to use their phone) accidentally loses your phone during the period of cover.

Mechanical Breakdown

The actual breaking or burning out of any part of the phone caused by, or arising from:

• internal mechanical defects
• defective or faulty materials
• defective or faulty workmanship

This breakdown must cause stoppage of normal operation and requires immediate replacement or repair before normal operation can be resumed.

Mobile Phone

A term that is used to describe the mobile phone described in the insurance certificate, including the standard accessories the manufacturer supplied with the phone. The phone is identified by the IMEI Number and mobile phone number. The handset must be the responsibility or property of the person stated on the certificate.

Monthly Line Rental

The charges that the policyholder must pay each month to their network provider under their airtime contract for connecting your phone. The line rental does not include any charges for calls, texts and so on.

Network Provider

A term that is used to describe the network company the phone is connected to so the user can make calls and send messages.

Period of Cover

Any period for which the insurance company has accepted the policyholder's premium as shown on the certificate. This can be as little as 1 month, or as long as 1 year.

Policy

The insurance policy agreement between the policyholder and the insurance company.

Premium

The money set out in the certificate that the policyholder agrees to pay the insurance company in return for specific benefits stated under the policy.

Proof of Purchase

The till receipt provided at the point of sale that details the phone, or similar documentation that provides proof that the policyholder owns the phone.

SIM Card

An acronym for: Subscriber Identity Module Card.

The card that carries the phone's subscriber identity, the use of which, in conjunction with the phone, enables services to be charged to the user's account.

Theft

The term used when someone takes the phone from the policyholder without permission (or from any other person the policyholder HAS given permission to use or look after it).

We/Us/Our

The administrator.

You, Your

The person whose name appears on the insurance certificate. If the policy has been taken out on behalf of a company, this term includes all the employees of that company.