100,000 mobiles dropped down the loo every year

A new survey by independent price comparison and switching service, uSwitch.com, of the top mobile phone insurance claims reveals that consumers continue to be clumsy when it comes to looking after their handsets. Over a million consumers have made a claim on their mobile insurance in the last twelve months, but just 11% of claims were due to handsets being stolen. According to the survey, the majority of phones are either accidentally damaged (60%) or lost (20%).

When it comes to the top three reasons for mobile insurance claims, there appears to be one culprit - gravity. 189,000 claims (15%) were due to phones falling out of people's pockets, while slippery fingers accounted for 176,000 claims (14%) - when mobiles were dropped onto the floor. Meanwhile, 101,000 handsets (8%) were dropped down the loo. Reasons for other claims included phones being accidentally run over, being put in the washing machine, or mistakenly being left behind on holiday.

Ernest Doku, communications expert at uSwitch.com, says: "Mobile phones may be getting smarter but their owners aren't. Accidents can happen, but such is our dependence on our mobiles that replacing them can be a seriously inconvenient, not to mention costly, exercise. It's likely that you'll have to pay an excess when you make a claim, and your may find that your premium goes up the following year. Letting your mobile fall out of your pocket can leave you seriously out of pocket."