Re: PC insurance (was- Re-

["Edmond Bourne" <ebourne@maplesoft.com>]

take...

My wife is a state farm Claims adjustor and we went over our policy recently
when I purchased a computer for home.  I had to add a rider to our house
insurance for the computer since its replacement cost (not its depreciated
value) is > $5000 which is the limit for any individual item on our policy. 
When I first got the computer I counted things like this (computer $3000,
monitor $500, external modem, $150, extra memory $400, etc, etc), which I
figured meant I didn't need to worry about getting a rider.  StateFarm
however add's up ALL the computer items together (just like they would for a
Car) which is why the total value of the computer is much greater the $5000
even though no component even comes close.
Our Car insurance is also with state farm which makes things easy, but you
will find that most insurance companies cover stuff stolen out of a car under
the home owners insurance, if its an item thats not specific to the car (ie:
a car stereo is, a walkman isn't).  Check with your agent for the specifics.

I think the rider just a added a buck or two a month to the policy (my wife
is the expert!).  By the way, these are Canadian/ontario dollar values and
may not apply elsewhere.

cheers
ed

--------------------------------------
Date: 10/10/95 12:30 PM
To: Edmond Bourne
From: Don Whiteside
On Mon, 9 Oct 1995, Martin P. Smith wrote:

> A word of caution MOST home insurance does NOT cover a portable
> machine when used for work or outside the home. 

Yes - State Farm told me that the criteria is "is it used or intended for 
use primarily inside the home?" While in my case I could probably contend 
that the primary use is for inside the home, I suspect that with any 
reasonable amount of outlay they'd argue the issue, given that the 
_nature_ of a laptop is to be portable.

Similarly, I discovered that my car insurance won't cover something that 
isn't "permanently attached to the car." Meaning that a mounted car phone 
(which is infinitly more recognizable as there to be stolen) would be 
covered while my handheld unit isn't! Sheesh! So my laptop wouldn't be 
covered either.

But as a final note, most insurance companies will sell you a rider 
policy for your transportable electronics. Their quote on my cellular 
phone worked out to the same as the "no questions asked" $4 a month my 
carrier wanted, so I passed on that. I have yet to ask them about my 
laptop (living dangerously for the moment...) but I'd suspect it would be 
similar to Safeware's price.