HYDERABAD: With the cost of smartphones increasing steadily, insurance cover for mobile phones has caught the fancy of many. However, not all of them keep their word and cover your costs. Take the case of Musheerabad resident K Raja Shekar. He had to wait for two long years to get a refund of 57,000 for his Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge that got physically damaged. He also got 33,000 as compensation.
Shekar bought the phone in May 2016 and had it insured, by paying `4,999, against physical damages and theft. In October 2016, he accidentally dropped his phone after which it stopped working. He then went to the insurance provider Apps Daily seeking relief. Though the phone was taken for repair and service, it was not returned on time. The company maintained that the device had been sent to its Mumbai centre for repair. They claimed it was difficult to obtain spare parts as the government had just demonetised high-value currency notes.
The phone was eventually fixed and returned only in February 2017, after a gap of four months. This allegedly impacted Shekar professionally. Being an academician, Shekhar depended on the phone and Skype to conduct video sessions for international lectures. The loss of phone resulted in the loss of income he claimed and demanded a refund of money. He approached the district consumer forum which has ruled in his favour.