Handset insurance

Mobile handset theft and loss continue to cause concern. In Ireland, for example, up to 15,000 mobile phones are stolen every year and 2,000 are lost, stolen or damaged every week (Source: The Sunday Times, 19 March 2006).

O2 offers optional mobile phone insurance policies through reputable third-party insurers.

We recommend that customers always insure mobile phones unless the owner regards them as ‘disposable’ due to age or contract expiry.

With the onset of 3G services and more sophisticated handsets, the replacement value of our mobile phones, which are heavily subsidised by O2, may be far greater than the customer perceives.

There has been some concern that mobile phone insurance does not offer value for money and that loopholes in the small print of policies may disqualify consumers’ claims in ways they don’t understand.

We believe our schemes are appropriate and good value but recommend that all customers read and understand their policy documents.

Whether they are insured or not, O2 recommends that customers write down their phone’s unique code number – found behind the battery or by keying *#06# into their handset.

In the UK and Ireland, customers can give this number to our customer services teams after a mobile has been lost or stolen and bar the mobile phone on all networks within 24 hours, making it useless to a thief. In Germany, the sim card can be barred if a phone is stolen. 

O2 Ireland announced in November 2006 that it has introduced a brand-new mobile phone repair service for its customers. The service entitles customers to return a faulty handset to their local O2 retail store after 30 days and get a like-for-like device from the store on the spot, provided the mobile phone remains in warranty. The standard warranty period for a mobile phone is 12-18 months. It is the first time a service like this has been introduced for mobile phone users in Ireland

On the Isle of Man, customers whose phone is being repaired under warranty are offered a courtesy mobile phone.

Printable version | Accessibility | Glossary | FAQ | Disclaimer