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Myth busters: Does my car insurance cover any items stolen?
September 17, 2010
Have you ever left your favourite sunnies or your camera in the car while you ducked across to the shops only to discover that your car had been broken into and your favourite items have been stolen?
Myth No.2: If my car is broken into or stolen, my car insurance will cover any items taken.
Answer: False. If your car is broken into, damaged or stolen, not all of your items affected will necessarily be covered. However this will depend on your insurance company and what is included in your policy, as some insurers will cover you for particular items or pay you up to a certain amount.
To help bust this myth, we randomly picked three car insurance companies to demonstrate what different types of providers cover for personal items in their comprehensive car insurance policies.
Westpac Car Insurance
Westpac states that they will pay you up to $750 for any loss or damage to personal items per event with up to $500 for any one item. This includes any loss or damage to personal items or clothing belonging to either yourself or members of your family that were in your vehicle when it was in an accident, received fire damage, broken into or if your vehicle is stolen.
Coles Car Insurance
You won't be covered for personal items if they are damaged or stolen. However, if your child seat or baby capsule is damaged or stolen, Coles may pay you up to $400 to cover the cost. The supermarket giant will also pay you for the costs of replacing your groceries if they are damaged because you are involved in an accident or if your car is stolen. They will pay up to $200 at any one time, however in order to be covered the original groceries must be from Coles and not another store.
Virgin Money Car Insurance
Virgin Money will pay their customers up to $250 for any personal effects that were damaged if involved in a collision only. This also includes any damage caused to child seats and baby capsules.
So whether your personal items are covered and how much you will receive differs between car insurance providers. To make sure that you are receiving the best cover that suits you, compare car insurance online.
Be sure to read the product disclosure statement (PDS) before signing, as this will tell you exactly what you are covered for, what you aren't and how much you are likely to receive if your camera or favourite sunglasses were stolen or damaged, if they're covered at all.
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