"This is perhaps a wise move for them to make now that their kids are out in the world, and a good option for you to advise them of at this time of year."
Yes! They’ve done it – their son or daughter is off to university. While there are so many things that need to be prepared, purchased, arranged and booked over the next few weeks, as well as a multitude of decisions that need to be made, the one thing your clients don’t need to worry about is if their child’s belongings are covered when they ship out to their new digs.
Paymentshield’s contents insurance protects items that have been temporarily removed from the insured address while a member of the family is attending full-time education. This means that crockery, bedding and electrical items are all covered and even that new laptop they received as a congratulations for their great grades – phew! So, whether their child is in the uni’s halls of residence, private halls or other rented accommodation, Paymentshield’s contents insurance will provide up to £5,000 of cover for their belongings, which should give them one less thing to worry about while their child is away from home.
Their contents insurance policy will protect their child’s belongings against all of the usual perils such as fire, flood and theft. Accidental damage also applies to the student’s belongings if this additional cover has been selected on the policy – this is perhaps a wise move for them to make now that their kids are out in the world, and a good option for you to advise them of at this time of year.
It’s an unfortunate reality that students are often targets of theft and vandalism, which is why damage to, or loss of, items is also covered when items are temporarily removed from the insured address. What students need to be mindful of, however, is that their insurance will only cover them for theft where force and violence has been used. So, while insurance can go some way towards giving your clients peace of mind, they really should have a conversation with their kids on keeping their belongings and those of their roommates safe, with so many people coming and going through halls.
In addition, any items that are already specified under additional personal possessions cover – items that are regularly taken out of the home – can be claimed for too, even though it’s at a different address to the one their policy is registered to. This is on top of the £5,000 limit under the contents element of their policy, so expensive smart phones or sports equipment specified under personal possession can still be protected!
The first steps to uni are a genuinely exciting and thrilling time for your clients and their children, so you don’t want to detract from the infectious buzz that they’ll be experiencing. As a great adviser though, you can let your clients know what they can do to keep their kids’ belongings safe – it’s just a shame that no policy can protect the extent of their first bad hangover while trying to get to a 9am lecture!
