It is very difficult to compare any kind of insurance due to the huge variety of insurance options available; the true comparison company to company varies for each individual and their requirements and I would advise any student to investigate a few companies to ensure getting the best deal – the reviews below are ranked by cost generally, please undertake your own research to get a true comparison for your specific requirements.

Most students only need students for their own possessions – some of these things could be insured with manufacturers (gadgets) or even with your parents’ home contents insurance – please check the small print of any policies and confirm this before purchasing any insurance from companies as nearly all insurance is contractual.

Primarily students will spend their time in rented accommodation where they have either a joint contract for the accommodation shared with friends, or an individual contract for their room. In either case, when you are renting furnished properties good landlords will have insurance on the house as a whole and the contents of the shared parts of the property will fall under their responsibility – (i.e. you do not need to get insurance for a 5 bedroom house and all its contents if you share the house with 4 others) – please check your contract with your landlord before purchasing any insurance to see what cover they have provided with the property and rental.

Also remember it is very important for you to check the terms of the insurance you purchase, look for the length of contract – especially if you only live in your accommodation during term-time – and always quote your items and their costs correctly, if you don’t it can void your cover.

Endsleigh Insurance

Website: www.endsleigh.co.uk

Endsleigh is the leading specialist student insurance provider within the UK and is the only provider recommended by the National Union of Students.

Cost:

Endsleigh offer insurance from £1.50 per month, depending upon what you need. You can enter you full requirements on the website and add any extras. For cover of £1,500 Laptop Cover, Mobile Phone cover, loss, theft, damage worldwide and accidental damage you can get a policy from £9.99 per month. Excess varies depending on your policy and items but can be up to £100 for values claimed over £1500.

What is covered?

• Offers cover over non-electrical items you take out of your room anywhere in the UK and up to 30 days worldwide
• New for old cover
• Room key cover
• Sports injury and equipment
• Bike cover
• Musical instruments
• Tuition fees, coursework and rent protection cover

(Please see website for full details)

Extras:

• Endsleigh have a policy to replace your mobile phone and laptop within 24 hours
• Instant cover as soon as you buy
• Option to pay monthly
• Also offer Gap Year Travel insurance and Student Car Insurance

Student feedback:

“I bought contents insurance from Endsleigh and it was so easy, the cover was instant and they are easy to get in touch with.” Sophie, Sheffield

“Great company, nothing but good things to say, from the cost to the cover and honesty and openness of the company.” Zara, first year undergraduate, Chester

“Endsleigh is made for students so they know what we need and don’t ask us to buy extra things we don’t want. I tailored my policy so I covered only things I owned and at the cost that I could afford.” Mark, second year undergraduate, Falmouth

 

Cover4students

Website: www.cover4students.com

Cover4students is specifically for students (as the name suggests) however, it provides cover as you require it underwritten through other companies (such as Royal and Sun Alliance PLC and Saxon Insurance).

Cost:

You can buy online from only £15 per year and can get a 25% discount by doing so, but be careful to double check what your policy covers. This quote is from Cover4students most basic levels of cover, you have to put in your items and how much each of them is worth and once this is done a different quote will be generated.

What is covered?

Cover4students has different levels of cover; Basic, Comprehensive and either of these with your own extras. These extras include:

•  A specified sum of personal possessions
• Laptop & Portable Computers
• Vacation Cover (included free in halls of residence)
• Accidental Damage
• Course Fees & Rental Protection
• Mobile Phones
• Pedal Cycles

Extras:

• Cover4students boasts a low £10 excess – however this is subject to change depending on your cover
• Option cover for ‘Criminal Assault’ and ‘Legal Expenses’ – cover which is quite difficult to find with other providers

Student feedback:

“Good products and different options for cover is great, the website is a bit complicated though. It took me a while to work out what I was actually getting.” James, Sussex

“Offered me more options to cover the things I needed that I couldn’t find anywhere else.” Georgia, Aberystwyth

 

E&L Insurance

Website: www.eandl.co.uk

E&L Insurance provide insurance for the “niches” in the market.

Cost:

Cost varies completely and you have to get a quote online, however there is a 20% online discount and you do get a quote instantly. The website quotes their premiums as starting from £1.44 per month, however, please be aware this policy covers very little. A couple of “mock quotes” we generated (covering personal possessions and laptops – similar to other providers in this review) came up around £17 per month. You need the costs of your items to hand to get an accurate quote and the cost varies by postcode. A £49 excess is as standard.

What is covered?

• Personal possessions
• Laptop/Computer cover
• Property on loan from college/university
• Fraudulent use of Credit Cards

*E&L does not offer cover for mobile phones and Apple iPods are excluded from cover.

Extras:

E&L Insurance also provide cover for missed exams, personal accidents, various costs of legal liability and permanent disablement due to various reasons – so if you tend to be unlucky and are accident prone, it might be worth checking E&L out. They also provide other services including travel insurance. Also no excess on the sections for Personal Accident, Missed Exams and Telephones and Meters if you pay monthly and you cancel the policy at any time.

Student feedback:

“Very good company, great customer service and a good price.” Sarah, Bristol

“Company is really friendly and have good discount offers!” Tim, second year student, Oxford

 

Supercover’s Gadget Cover

Website:  www.gadget-cover.com

Gadget cover is provided by the company Supercover and is good for those who wish to just get cover for a few items, specialising in insurance for gadgets only.

Cost:

There are bundles which generally cost 3 for £9.99 and 5 for £14.99. You can, however, get 25% discount if you go to gocompare and link to gadget cover through their site with certain policies. Doing this means you could get the Laptop cover for £5.24 per month (covers up to £1200). The excess on claims varies depending upon the item you’re claiming for and why you are claiming, for example, if you are claiming for a Laptop within the UK then it is a £75 excess fee.

What is covered?

• Mobile Phones/ iPhones
• PDA’s
• MP3 Players/ iPods
• Satellite Navigation Systems
• PSP’s and other portable consoles
• Cameras/Camcorders
• Personal Media Players
• Laptops and PC’s

Extras:

• Guaranteed 48 Hour Replacement
• Some cover includes free 3GB Data backup for your laptop/PC – this is quoted as being worth up to £24.99 per year

Student feedback:

“Gadget Cover let me just get insurance for a couple of items which is just what I needed.” Lizzie, Edinburgh

“Cheap prices and super easy to use website with clear policies, brilliant.” Simon, second year undergraduate, Southampton

 

*All prices, terms and conditions are correct at the time of publishing this blog entry

 

Leave a Comment: