People Failing To Take Out 'Clothes Insurance'

Whenever we go on a clothes shopping spree, whether it is to stock up on seasonal clothes or simply a splurge, we rarely think about updating our home insurance afterwards. This could be a mistake according to recent research.

While a quarter of Britons own clothes and accessories worth over £2,000, they are choosing not to include them on their home insurance. Uninsured items in the UK have reached a total value of £13 billion, according to Prudential Home Insurance.

Furthermore, 2.6 million people in the UK have things in their wardrobes totalling more than £5,000 - items the company's media relation manager, is amazed to find people are choosing not to insure. Sometimes single items can costs as much as £200 to buy, imagine having to buy it again as it was not covered on your insurance. Many women have one or more pairs of designer label shoes such as Jimmy Choo, Alexander McQueen and Louis Vuitton and they can cost upwards of £400 per pair, these are irreplaceable.

As well as recommending people take out cover on household items such as clothes, he has suggested that people keep their proof of purchase as well as any other evidence they might find sufficient.

"For expensive items it is worth taking pictures as evidence, should you have to make a claim on your insurance policy," he said.

If the worst happens and your clothes are stolen or damaged then check your insurance policy on how to make a claim. However, there are some basic tips that can save you some time and heartache.

Top tips on how to make an insurance claim:

•    Before a claim – try to keep receipts and take pictures of particularly expensive or unique items.
•    Note down any details of the incident which you are about to claim for.
•    Locate your insurance documents and check things like expiration dates, excess values and what is declared separately. Typically items which are valued at more than £3000 should be mentioned specifically on your policy.
•    Contact your insurance provider as soon as possible and make sure you follow their instructions exactly as you may not be eligible to claim.

If you would like to know more about insurance why not ask AnswerBank Insurance.