In the coming weeks, you will have Christmas gifts in your residence for many people and burglars know it.
We take out home contents insurance with burglars in mind, but you probably didn’t factor in the extra valuables in your home around this time of year when you estimated the value of your possessions on the proposal form. So does that mean they wouldn’t be covered if they were stolen?
Let’s take a look.
‘Twas the month before Christmas…
We’re on the final stretch of shopping days until December 25, and while many will already have everything wrapped up, the majority are likely to be out spending soon.
American Research Group estimates that the average spent on Christmas this year will total $861 for gifts. Jewelry and tech can make up a good portion of that and will be most attractive to thieves, offering the perfect ratio of value and portability.
Of course a bit of vigilance and common sense can keep the burglars at bay but there are other potential hazards like dropping items down the stairs, or your pipes springing a damaging leak. You might should consider some kind of protection in place.
But are these additional valuables covered by your home insurance? In some cases, they are.
Take precautions
Research has found that, actually, burglaries are no more common around Christmas, nor as the nights draw in. But burglary is often an opportunistic crime, which means you should always take extra care with your Christmas valuables.
As if the increasingly cold weather wasn’t enough to motivate you, you should make sure all doors and windows out of your view are shut and locked. Even if you have home contents insurance, the insurer could refuse to pay out if a burglar gained access through an open window since you would have failed to take “reasonable care” of your belongings.
This will be particularly important as the Christmas decorations go up. If you’re putting up outdoor lights and feeding the power cables through a window, you’ll need to make sure it can’t be opened from the outside.
And if you’ve thrown out any branded boxes the gifts came in, break them down as much as possible and put them in trash bins. Otherwise you’re advertising the contents of your home to potential burglars.
If you’re lucky enough to receive any particularly valuable Christmas presents this year, it might be worth a quick call to us here at Benton White Insurance to see if your level of coverage needs to be adjusted or, in the case of something like an expensive musical instrument or jewelry, if your gift needs any kind of special coverage.
What about the car? Park & hide!
After a marathon Christmas shopping spree, your car could be bursting at the seams with gifts. You should never leave valuables in plain sight in your car if it’s unattended (thieves are known to prowl retail parking lots looking for items that could be easily taken). If you’re visiting a number of shops in succession at the mall, consider leaving your purchases in the store and collecting them all in one to go at the end of your expedition.
If everything is hidden in your vehicle and your car is broken into, comprehensive coverage from your auto insurance policy may give you a degree of protection.
If you have a home insurance policy with personal possessions coverage, your gifts may be covered, but remember that the coverage will have an overall limit, as well as a limit for how much you can claim per item – which may be less than the value of a gift. Limits vary from insurer to insurer, so check your policy documents and whether you’re covered outside the home.
Remember also that you will have have a deductible to meet when you make a claim on either your car or your home insurance plus you will lose any accumulated no claims discount.
These are just some of the things we suggest to our customers along the way when a special season is upon us. We want this Christmas to be a joyful event for you and your family. One claim of gifts you purchased for loved ones could make for a messy and disappointing holiday. Hopefully, some of these items will help you. You can reach us by EMAIL at info@BentonWhite.com or contact any of our staff at 615.377.1212. We’re ready to help you make this an awesome Christmas season in 2014.
