<p>Not for health, for computers and things!</p>
<p>Has anyone got any recommendations for me? What are your kids using? I'm an international grad student, need to insure $10k worth. </p>
<p>Renters</a> Insurance Quotes, College Student Rates & Low-Cost University Coverage - SIG has a premium of $137, CSI</a> College Student Insurance Home was mentioned by my uni (Duke) and costs $214.</p>
<p>What do you want to insure it against? </p>
<p>If your primary concern is theft, be aware that insurances will only give you money if you can prove that and how your items were stolen. Insurances explicitly exclude "unexplained loss or disappearance".</p>
<p>Surely if your stuff was stolen you just file a police report and the insurance company accepts that?</p>
<p>Wouldn't that make insurance fraud really easy, though?</p>
<p>Maybe a friend of mine was just really unlucky with her insurance, but after her laptop was stolen out of a public library her insurance refused to pay because she could not prove that it had been stolen. (And yes, she did file a police report.)</p>
<p>Buying insurance can be complicated. Most people schedule a particular item to be covered in the event of theft: computer, musical instrument, pricey jewelry[watch]. One must assess the cost of scheduling items versus the cost over time of replacing the item out of pocket. </p>
<p>Replacement cost insurance is another consideration. This means you buy it again and are reimbursed w/o depreciated value coming into the equation. </p>
<p>Just my two cents.</p>
<p>I suppose it depends on the circumstances. If your home/apartment/car is broken into and the police file a report that includes clear evidence that the place was broken into (broken locks, etc.) then I don't seem them throwing a fuss. Although yeah, if you're out in public and an object just disappears without any evidence of foul play (e.g. CCTV) then perhaps they would challenge you're claim so more evidence is always better. </p>
<p>Although it's always a fine line for the insurance companies... if they keep turning down legit claims then that's not likely to retain many customers or gain new ones.</p>
<p>We bought the CSI policy. They paid for damages to a laptop that wouldn't have been covered under our homeowners or extended warranty (the laptop was damaged when it was checked in luggage), and they paid for a camera that was stolen. My d simply had to fill out a notarized statement detailing the circumstances of the theft. And she didn't have a police report, since the police told her not to bother given the circumstances.</p>
<p>No question that I will renew the policy; it paid for itself with the laptop repair anyway!</p>
<p>Laptop</a>, Desktop, Tablet PC and PDA/Smartphone insurance from Safeware Insurance Agency, Inc. is another one to look at.</p>
<p>Like Chevda, we bought a CSI policy and made a claim for a broken camera. My D received a check to replace it promptly and with very little paperwork. We will also be renewing the policy for next year.</p>
<p>We have State Farm Homeowners insurance, and our Ss belongings will be covered while living at college through that policy.</p>
<p>
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our Ss belongings will be covered while living at college through that policy.
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They'll be covered for things like theft, but not for someone spilling coffee on their laptop. That's why I got the supplemental insurance - it covers accidental damage as well. And the deductible is much lower than on my homeowner's insurance.</p>
<p>gladmom, You might also want to consider the potential impact of filing a claim against your homeowners' insurance policy. </p>
<p>The odds of a theft or other loss occurring are certainly higher for your son at college, and the cost of these separate student policies are pretty low (especially if you take a slightly higher deductible). My State Farm agent (a family friend) actually advised me to take out the separate policy, since if a loss occurred, we would be far better off not filing a claim against our own policy.</p>
<p>I agree with Chevda. My daughter's camera was broken while it was in her purse and with just a $25 deductible, it was covered. And with no risk of our homeowners insurance rate going up because we made a claim.</p>
<p>worried_mom, et al: Thanks for the info. I will definitely look into the student policies. They are news to me!</p>
<p>My S had CSI coverage this year. Mysteriously, his cell phone came to a resting place in the toilet water. After a rapid on-line claim process and faxing proof of worth and front page of owner's manual, he quickly received a check. Too bad I can't say the same of T-Mobile's extra coverage. It was worthless. We'll be renewing the CSI next year.</p>
<p>The premium drops quite a bit for a higher, but still very low, deductible. I too didn't want to make claims on homeowner's for small things like this. I'm not big on insurance, but the small premium was worth the piece of mind for a freshman S with a lot of electonic stuff.</p>
<p>I could have filed a claim with CSI when My son's phone drowned in the toilet?? I never even thought to do that!</p>
<p>OTOH, the phone I bought from T-mobile just died and they sent a replacement for no charge in 2 days. We didn't have extra coverage from t-mobile (I paid $173 for that phone 4 months ago to replace the drowning victim).</p>
<p>I haven't had to use the CSI coverage, but I will be renewing the plan. Good to know they are on the up and up</p>
<p>Thank you all so much for your replies. I want to insure against theft and accidental damage. Looks like CSI is the way to go!</p>