Pesky puppies and dogs accounted for over 300 phone insurance claims 

iPhone 11 users are the clumsiest at handling their phones 

Real case studies reveal some of the funniest ways Brits have broken their phones 

Claims data from the specialist phone insurance provider, insurance2go, has revealed some of the strangest reasons that Brits break their phones, and some of them might surprise you.

Disasters in data

The most common accidents in the data set came from people dropping their phone down the toilet.  While dropping the phone down the toilet is one of the most common causes of damage, losing phones in taxis (505 claims) and breakages caused by dogs (302 claims) come in 2nd and 3rd on our chart.

Claims involving:  Claims 
Toilet  1st
Uber / taxi  2nd
Dog / Puppy  3rd
Bath  4th
Pub  5th
Baby  6th
Vibrates off a table  7th
Gig / concert  8th
Cooking  9th
Hot tub  10th

 

The UK’s strangest insurance claims

Blame it on the kids

Children were often blamed for claiming a phone insurance policy. One customer said: “I was at home after work in the evening and I was getting my children ready for bed. I put my phone on my bedside table whilst explaining the importance of brushing my teeth. When I wasn’t looking, my 18-month-old son got the phone and decided to drop it into the toilet”.

Watch out for the portaloo

We’ve all been there, needed to use the toilet at a music festival – cue the portaloo.  One unlucky person succumbed to this, claiming “Last Saturday I was at a party, went to the portaloo with my phone light on and accidentally dropped my phone down the toilet.”

That must sting

Animals also seem to be a major factor when it comes to people breaking their phones for reasons such as: “A wasp flew on me at a theme park, and I dropped my phone face down and now the top of the screen is cracked” and “my phone fell off my leg when a spider crawled on to me.”

Make a splash

It is one thing to accidentally smash the screen of your phone but watching it disappear into the depths of the ocean is gut-wrenching: “I was on a boat, slipped on a ladder on the back of the boat and fell, my phone slipped out of my pocket and fell in the sea.”

In a slurry

Probably one of the most unlikely places you might expect to drop your phone, one anonymous person explains: “I was at work and my phone dropped down a slurry pit.” They add: “This would not need reporting to the police as it was not lost anywhere except at the bottom of a huge slurry pit on a farm, no one is going after that phone trust me.”

Top 9 clumsiest mobile phone users:

The data didn’t only highlight some of the weird and amusing ways Brits are breaking their handsets, but also gave an indication as to some of the most frequently claimed models:

  Top 9 most claimed for phones 
1st  iPhone 11 64GB
2nd  iPhone XR 64GB
3rd  iPhone 7 32GB
4th  Galaxy S10 128GB
5th  iPhone 6 16GB
6th  iPhone 6S 64GB
7th  S7 edge
8th  iPhone 6S 16GB
9th  iPhone 7 128GB

 

Richard Gray at insurance2go commented: “When it comes to mobile phone damage, it is not always as straightforward as a cracked screen. Damage can be caused by most of our everyday activities including walking, physical activity, cooking and even going to the toilet.

“Now, people are reliant on their phones and other gadgets more than ever, so it’s important to select a specialist insurance provider that can repair your handset quickly and efficiently.”

For more information about insurance2go’s mobile phone insurance options, please visit: https://www.insurance2go.co.uk/mobile-phone-insurance

Thanks for reading this article, please continue to support us and check out our other reviews and follow us on Social media: Facebook, Twitter,  Instagram, Linkedin and don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter below.