Frequently asked questions

Parents can insure their children's gadget(s) on their behalf.

The cover of your gadget applies to you as the person who purchased the policy and your immediate family – including your mother, father, son, daughter, husband, wife, partner, brother, sister, grandparent or grandchild who permanently lives at the given address (as well as sons or daughters living away for some of the year whilst at college or university).

Yes – your gadget will be insured for its market price, so even if you buy it with a discount from your network provider, we’ll still replace it with an identical or similar model if necessary.

When insuring your gadget, you can find your specific model from a drop-down menu or manually enter your gadget’s purchase price. When possible, try to ensure that you’re getting cover for the amount shown on your proof of ownership.

We only cover damage if it stops the normal functioning of your gadget. Cracked screens are covered, but if your gadget has only suffered a scratch or dent, and still works as expected, then we will not repair or replace it.

No – we only cover gadgets that are either purchased as new, or that are purchased as refurbished directly from a manufacturer or network provider.

Please see our terms and conditions  for more information. 

Yes – your device will be covered worldwide. Please note that replacements can only be sent to UK addresses.

No, any incident prior to the start date of your insurance will not be covered. 

No, we only cover the gadget itself – we do not cover any accessories.

No, we don’t cover any loss of profit, opportunity, subscription fees, line rental, goodwill or similar losses. We just cover the gadget and any unauthorised network charges.

No, if your gadget has been modified in any way we will only replace the gadget, we do not cover the modifications that have been made.

Yes – you can cancel your individual policies at any time and then open a Household Gadget policy. Due to differences in billing and accounting processes, you’ll need to physically cancel your existing policies and then open a new policy online or over the phone, instead of just changing your existing cover.

In order to open a Household Gadget Insurance policy, you must insure a minimum of three gadgets, and all of them must be less than 36 months old at the time your purchase your policy.

• Call us on 0330 333 4792 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm)
• Email us at customerservices@protectyourbubble.com

Yes – we’ll send you prepaid packaging and cover the shipping costs if we confirm that your device is in need of repairs.

You gadget must have been purchased as new directly from a manufacturer, network provider or retail store (high street or online).

If refurbished, your gadget must have been purchased directly from a manufacturer or network provider or Assurant approved retailer list.

Your first and second items must be under 6 months old when you purchase the policy. For the third and any additional items the age of each device can be up to and including 36 months old.

Yes – having insurance does not mean that you can take risks with your gadget which you would not take if your gadget was not insured. Doing so may result in your claim being declined. It is important to note that gadget insurance is offered on the understanding that you will take care of your gadget.

Providing that this happens after you have purchased insurance with us, we will either:

1. Repair the gadget (where possible) or
2. Replace it with a gadget of the same make, model and memory size. If we cannot do this you will be given a choice of models with an equivalent specification

Yes, if you make a successful claim for theft and discover you have been charged for calls, texts or data as a result of someone else using your gadget, you are covered up to a maximum of £10,000. If you have taken the additional loss cover then this benefit also applies in the event you make a successful claim for loss. The SIM card will need to be registered to you or your family member, or to the business or an employee in order for these charges to be covered. 

If your gadget was lost or stolen, tell your network provider as soon as you can so they can block your device and SIM card as soon as possible – we also may ask for evidence of this to support any claim for the loss or theft of your gadget. We only pay for unauthorised network charges from the point your gadget is lost or stolen up to 24 hours after you discover the loss or theft – if you don’t tell your airtime provider within 24 hours you will be responsible for any further charges.

You will be able to take out insurance with us, but if a problem occurrs that is covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, we will advise you to follow the the warranty returns process as specified by the manufacturer.

We offer insurance on iPhones, smartphones, mobiles, laptops, iPads, iPods, MP3 players, game consoles, handheld game consoles, satellite navigation systems, cameras and camera lenses, camcorders, Bluetooth headsets, in-car computers, headphones and earphones. If you have any other items that you would like to insure, please email us at customerservices@protectyourbubble.com.

We will always try to be fair and reasonable. If you believe we have not provided you with a
satisfactory level of service, please tell us so that we can do our best to resolve the problem. The
easiest way to contact us is to call us on 0330 333 4792. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 6pm. We will do everything possible to ensure that your query is dealt with promptly. Alternatively, you can email complaints@protectyourbubble.
com or write to:

Quality Assurance Manager,
Assurant General insurance Limited,
PO Box 1033,
Uxbridge,
UB8 9PX

Please quote your mobile phone number in any correspondence.
Lifestyle Services Group handle all queries and complaints on behalf of the insurer.
If you are not happy with our decision you can, within 6 months of our final decision, refer your
complaint for an independent assessment to: The Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower,
Harbour Exchange, LONDON, E14 9SR
Telephone: 0800 023 4567 / 0300 123 9123, Email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Web: financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Nothing in these terms, including referral to the Financial Ombudsman Service affects your
statutory rights.

You must be at least 18 years old and a UK resident in order to take out a Gadget Insurance policy with us.

Our Gadget Insurance is underwritten and administered by Assurant General Insurance Limited. Assurant General Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under registration number 202735.

Pay monthly via Direct Debit. You can choose to have your monthly premium taken on the 2nd, 14th or 25th of the month. Please note that due to processing and set-up times for Direct Debit, your first installment might not be taken for several weeks. Your second installment may be taken within a short time after the first due to this delay.

 "Loss cover" protects you if your gadget has been accidentally left somewhere by you, and you are permanently deprived of its use and unable to locate it. Loss cover requires an additional £1.50 premium per month, per gadget. Loss cover is not available for laptops, MacBooks,TVs, desktop PCs or PC monitors. If you have not selected loss cover then you will not be able to claim for this type of incident. You must have taken all reasonable precautions to prevent any loss. Excesses for all items can be viewed on our excess page.

This policy is designed for people who don't have their gadget insured elsewhere, or wish to cover them separately, and who want to cover the costs of repair or replacement should the item breakdown outside of the manufacturers’ warranty, be damaged, lost or stolen. 

As with most insurance policies, an excess is required and limitations and exclusions apply. This cover is provided on the condition that you are a UK resident and over 18 years of age.

MyBubble is the name of our old online account management portal. We have a new online account and policy portal for policyholders.

You can log in online to:
- View your policy terms and conditions
- View your schedule of Insurance
- Change your personal details - your email, postal address and phone number

To get started, simply register your account with the exact details you used to originally buy your policy. To access your account, simply use the “Login/Register” link in the top right-hand corner of our website.

Please email us at customerservices@protectyourbubble.com or call us on 0330 33 34 792. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 6pm. 

For monthly customers, to make sure you have continuous cover under your policy we will automatically renew your policy each month, unless you advise us otherwise and your monthly premium will be collected by the method chosen by you at the time of the initial purchase of this policy.

You can advise your policy administrator about any changes to your policy details by calling 0330 333 4792. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

For more information and help with other gadget renewal questions, please click here.

We no longer send printed version of your Terms and Conditions and Policy Summary as it helps us to be more environmentally friendly. Instead, you will receive an email from us within two working days with a link to view your Schedule of Insurance and policy documents online via our online portal for policyholders.

You can also have hard copies of your policy documents mailed to you. To request them:

• Email us at customerservices@protectyourbubble.com
• Call us on 0330 333 4792 
• Write to us at:
  Protect Your Bubble
  PO Box 1033
  Uxbridge
  UB8 9PX

Yes – if you’re starting a new gadget policy or adding a gadget to an existing Household policy, your item/items need to be fewer than 36 months old.

If you need to leave your gadget somewhere then we expect you to lock it away out of sight if at all possible. If you cannot lock it away then you must leave it with someone you trust or concealed out of sight in a safe place.

You'll need to contact us if you want to cancel your policy – be sure to give your policy number to facilitate the process. 

You can cancel at any time by:

• Emailing us: customerservices@protectyourbubble.com
• Calling us: 0330 333 4792, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
• Writing to us:
  Policy Administration Manager
  Protect Your Bubble
  PO Box 1033
  Uxbridge
  UB8 9PX

If you cancel within the first 14 days after you receive your insurance documents, you'll receive a full refund. 

For monthly customers, after the first 14 days we will cancel the policy at the end of the most recent policy period. For example if you have paid your latest monthly premium on the 1st January and contact us to cancel on the 15th January, we will set the policy to cancel on the 31st January and collect no further premiums. No refunds will be paid at cancellation.

For annual customers, after the first 14 days we will cancel the policy at the monthly anniversary of the date you purchased the policy and provide a pro rata refund of any remaining complete months of your annual premium. For example, if you have an annual premium of £65.89 and request that your policy is cancelled during the seventh month, you will be en­titled to a refund for the remaining full 5 months. This will be calculated as 5/12th of the premium you have paid as follows: The premium taken for a policy is £65.89, therefore the refund would be £65.89/12 x 5 = £27.45.

See our Terms and Conditions for full details.

If a change like this occurs, contact customer service and we’ll discuss the details of your policy and any necessary changes with you.

• Call us on 0330 333 4792 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm)
• Email us at customerservices@protectyourbubble.com

Proof of ownership could include a till receipt or documentation from any online purchase, or in the case of mobile phones, documentation from your network provider. If you don’t have any proof of ownership we may decline your claim.

In order to reduce fraud, we need to know that the gadget you are claiming for is yours or a family member’s (or owned by the business if this is a business policy). Therefore you will need to provide some form of proof of ownership.

No – in the event of a theft, you should notify your network provider and get your phone blacklisted, as well as notify the police and obtain a crime reference number. Read our answer for “How do I make a claim?” for more information on other requirements.

Once you provide us with that information, we will facilitate the replacement of your gadget. If you purchase your own replacement we will be unable to reimburse you for that cost.

In the event of a claim, we'll need to see your receipt or proof of ownership of the item you are claiming for. 

Your Proof of Ownership must be on company letter headed paper from the company / network provider that you purchased from and should include: 

• Date of purchase
• Make & model
• Serial number (IMEI number for mobile phones)
• The memory size of your gadget (where relevant)
• Proof that the gadget was purchased as new, or as refurbished directly from a manufacturer or network provider

You may also be required to provide a lost property or crime reference number from the police when making your claim. Mobile phone claims may require confirmation from your network provider of when the phone was last used.

Useful tip: Send us a copy of your receipts – we’ll link your receipt information to your policy to speed up any future claims. Include your name, policy number and the email address the policy is registered to. 

Post a copy of your receipt(s) to: 

Protect Your Bubble
PO Box 1033
Uxbridge
UB8 9PX

Or scan and email an electronic copy to customerservices@protectyourbubble.com. 

Yes – tell the police about any lost or stolen gadget as soon as you can. We will ask you to provide the police reference number before we will pay any claim for loss and theft.

Yes – tell your network provider as soon as you can so they can block your device and SIM card as soon as possible. We also may ask for evidence of this to support any claim for the loss or theft of your gadget. We only pay for unauthorised network charges from the point your gadget is lost or stolen up to 24 hours after you discover the loss or theft – if you don’t tell your airtime provider within 24 hours you will be responsible for any further charges.

This is not a replacement-as-new policy, therefore your replacement gadget may be refurbished. If your gadget cannot be replaced with an identical one of the same age and condition, we will replace it with a comparable or equivalent device, taking into account the age and condition of the original gadget.

1. Tell us about any claim as soon as possible from discovery of the loss, theft, breakdown or damage. If your gadget was lost or stolen, you will also need to:

• Tell your network provider as soon as you can so they can block your device and SIM card as soon as possible – we also may ask for evidence of this to support any claim for the loss or theft of your gadget. We only pay for unauthorised network charges from the point your gadget is lost or stolen up to 24 hours after you discover the loss or theft – if you don’t tell your airtime provider within 24 hours you will be responsible for any further charges.
• Tell the police about any lost or stolen gadget as soon as you can – we will ask you to provide the police reference number before we will pay any claim for loss and theft
• Report the loss or theft of your gadget to the place you think it was lost or stolen from, or is most likely to be handed back to – we may ask you to provide the details of where your gadget was lost or stolen from and actions you have taken to try to recover it

2. Make your claim by:

• Calling us on 0330 333 4792 – our phone lines are open Monday to Friday, from 8am to 8pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 6pm. 
• Writing to us at Protect Your Bubble, PO Box 1033, Uxbridge, UB8 9PX

3. A claims representative will walk you through the simple claims process and tell you what information and documents you will need to provide for us to assess your claim, like your proof of ownership or police reference number.

4. Pay your excess and sit tight while we either repair your gadget or send you a replacement. Your excess will need to be paid before we can settle your claim.

Yes – there is an excess fee for all successful claims which must be paid before your claim can be approved. The amount you will need to pay will vary depending on the type of device you have insured and the type of claim you are making. 

Please remember that you must have purchased loss cover for your gadget in order to claim for loss. Excess payments cannot be made via American Express or PayPal.

Excesses for all items can be viewed on our excess page.

We rely on the information you provide to us either online, over the phone or in writing to make decisions about your insurance and any claim. If you do not answer accurately and completely any questions we ask, we might invalidate your insurance and/or we might reject your claim.

If we decide to replace the mobile device instead of repair it, the replacement may be a remanufactured (not brand new) device. We will attempt to replace your device with one of the same colour but we can’t guarantee to do this or replace any limited or special edition mobile devices. Where we send you a replacement or repaired item, this will only be sent to a UK address.

While there is no limit to how many times you can claim for damage, there is a limit of 2 successful claims for loss or theft for each insured item in any 12-month period, beginning from the start date detailed on your certificate of insurance.

No, we only want your gadget to get high-quality repairs, which is why we only use our approved repairers. We also want the ability for us to assess the damage to your gadget in order to best decide whether to repair or replace the gadget. 

Yes, we do cover contract phones. You’ll need to insure your phone for its correct market value – in most cases, you’ll be able to select your phone from the drop-down menu at checkout. If we don’t have your phone listed, you can input the information manually. Your network operator will be able to provide you with the market value of your phone. 

Insuring your phone under the correct value is very important – we’ll use that information to determine the value of your replacement in the event of a claim.

Every mobile phone has a unique IMEI number, or “International Mobile Station Equipment Identity” number. It can be found by dialing “*#06#” on most phones, and is also often printed inside the battery compartment of a phone.  Your phone’s IMEI number can usually be found within your settings menu, as well.

For items other than mobiles phones, you’ll need the serial number – a unique code assigned to a gadget for identification.

While you may get 12 months of coverage with your manufacturer’s warranty – which covers you for mechanical breakdowns – you won’t be covered during those 12 months for cracked screens, liquid damage, accidental damage or theft. Even extended warranties generally don’t cover these events. We cover all of them as standard.

No, we only cover the gadget, we don’t cover the contents.  This means that any pictures, software, downloads, apps, music or any other content is not covered by this policy, so make sure you back it up regularly.

Protect Your Bubble is a seller of insurance – not an insurer. We sell insurance to customers on the behalf of iinsurers

Protect Your Bubble is a trading name of Assurant Direct Limited who is an appointed representative of Lifestyle Services Group Limited. Lifestyle Services Group Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under register number 315245. You can check these registrations on the Financial Services Register at http://www.fca.org.uk/ or by calling 0800 111 6768.

Yes, Lifestyle Services Group Limited and Assurant General Insurance Limited are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. You may be entitled to compensation from the scheme if they cannot meet their obligations. General insurance contracts are covered for 90% of the entire claim, without any upper limit. You can get more information about the compensation scheme arrangements by contacting the FSCS on 0207 741 4100 or 0800 678 1100 or by visiting their website at www.fscs.org.uk

All Digital Secure services are accessible online via a hubb you securely log in by clicking here.

If you add the Digital Secure service you will receive a separate welcome email within three (3) hours of purchasing your policy, providing you with details on how to register for the service in the online hubb. Make sure you complete the registration to get full value from the available services.

Once registered, you are able to access all elements of Digital Secure so you can:

• See your credit report whenever you need to and receive automatic alerts if anything changes
• Provide more details for the Web Detect service to monitor for identity fraud and choose to receive notifications by SMS or email
• Contact us if you want any ID help or advice on 0333 2206959. Lines are available Monday to Friday 8am – 6pm.
• Use your legal assistance helpline
• Register your bank cards with Card Support 365, so if you lose them you can cancel them with just one phone call 

Digital Secure provides a great collection of services that help protect you from cybercrime, fraudsters and more.

It can help you spot any fraudulent activity as early as possible and stay one step ahead of fraudsters. It’s an easy way to help protect your identity, and may help to resolve any issues before they escalate further.

Digital Secure gives you:

• Online access to your credit report and automatic alerts if there are any key changes to your credit report and status
• Web Detect service which automatically checks to see if your personal or financial details have been compromised and alerts you if they may have been
• An ID Fraud Helpline including a dedicated caseworker if you are ever a victim of ID fraud
• Access to legal assistance services, free consultation on a wide range of subjects from a list of carefully selected and recommended solicitors.
• Card Support 365 – one number to call to cancel all your payment cards, and where possible we can order replacements, too

Find out more>

We will send you a registration email within 3 hours of purchasing your Gadget Insurance policy.  This will explain how to register for Digital Secure.

To cancel Digital Secure, call us on 0844 346 3970*

*Calls to 0844, 0843 and 0845 numbers cost 7p per minute, plus your telephone company's access charge.

Yes. Please just let us know that you want to keep the Digital Secure service when you tell us you want to cancel your Gadget Insurance.

Yes. Protect Your Bubble currently only offer Digital Secure as part of the UK Gadget and Household Gadget Insurance products on an optional basis.

If you need help, please call us on 0333 2206959. Lines are available Monday to Friday 8am – 8pm, and Saturday to Sunday 9am – 6pm.