RSS Feed

Related Articles

Related Categories

Don't let tent thieves wreck your festival fun

18th June 2012 Print

With the summer festival season getting into full-swing and the British weather not dampening spirits, MoneySupermarket urges festival goers to ensure their possessions are protected while they party away from home this summer.

Insuring your possessions

As revellers prepare for this year's festival season, it's important to consider protecting  possessions against theft, loss or damage. Research from Britain's number one comparison site found cover for personal possessions away from home can be tagged on to your home insurance policy for a small additional cost. With Swinton for example, a home contents insurance policy costs £88.16 including £5,000 worth of possessions cover. This should be more than enough to cover the costs of any gadgets, devices and belongings and give festival goers peace of mind that while they're moshing in the mud they would be able to claim for their possessions should they be lost, damaged or stolen. Brits should also ensure they check the small print of their policy as some insurers will not cover camping equipment as standard.

Festivals abroad

For those combining a festival experience with a trip abroad, such as the Spanish festival Benicassim in July, Brits should also think about having adequate travel insurance in place as well as having a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This will ensure protection against stolen or lost baggage, medical cover and flight cancellation, and a week of cover is available from providers such as Best Price for £5.65.

Hannah-Mercedes Skenfield, home insurance manager at MoneySupermarket, said: "The 2012 festival season has kicked off, and revellers will be looking forward to getting into the party spirit. As well as thinking about having a good time it's also important to think about protecting your possessions from wouldbe thieves. Such large events can be a prime target for those on the hunt for unguarded valuables. I would urge people to leave any expensive or irreplaceable items at home and take out adequate cover for items such as mobiles, smartphones, cameras and personal music players which many festival goers won't want to be without.

"Festival tents are left unattended for hours on end and with little or no way to secure your tent from an intruder looking to steal so I would advise keeping any expensive items with you at all times. If you are unfortunate enough to find you have items missing, spending a little extra on insurance to ensure you are protected is a small price to pay to avoid the inconvenience and upset theft can cause."

Motor breakdown

To avoid being stranded at the roadside watching cars go by, motorists hitting the roads in order to reach their festival of choice should check they have adequate breakdown cover in place. Breakdown cover with onward travel will ensure that the driver and any passengers still make it to the festival even if their car fails. UK cover can cost around £24.90 for an annual policy with Rescuemycar.com and will ensure that no one will miss out on all of the festival fun.

Hannah-Mercedes Skenfield continues: "The last thing anyone wants is to be stuck at the side of the road with little choice but to listen to their destination festival on the radio. Before setting off, it's important to check policy wording carefully in order to know what is covered. For example, making sure a policy includes onward travel to ensure motorists make it to hear their favourite bands, even if they breakdown on their way."

MoneySupermarket's top tips for festival fun:

Don't take expensive clothing or jewellery with you - you won't need them - especially as insurer ‘single article' limits (the maximum amount the insurer will pay out on any single item you are claiming for) are usually around £1,000 or £1,500. Consider taking a disposable camera, to cut down on risk of damage, loss or theft.

Report lost or stolen money to the police within 24 hours - a condition in some policies which otherwise will not pay out.

Keep your most valuable possessions with you at all times, and stick together in groups - you are less likely to be a target of mugging or theft. But don't keep all your money in one pocket.

Don't make your pitch at the bottom of a hill, since rainwater (and much worse) could end up streaming its way into your tent.

Look at whether your credit card offers you any form of protection for accommodation or travel cancellation.