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Millions wait to be burgled before insuring

Tuesday, 25 October 2011 12:53 PM

Four million people say it would take being burgled to make them consider buying home contents insurance, according to a new survey.

The research by Post Office Home Insurance says 11 million people (23 per cent) do not have their home contents insured. A quarter of them believe a policy may be too expensive.

A third of those without insurance say they would only consider taking out a policy if they were burgled. Another third say a burglary suffered by friends or families or reports of crime in the neighbourhood might make them reconsider.

The remainder either feel they do not need insurance or that it is a waste of money.

However, 29 per cent of those without contents insurance say they are worried about not having cover.

A million people said getting a new gadget was a trigger for getting insurance and half of them said they would buy cover if their bought a smartphone or iPhone.

Post Office head of home insurance Gerry Barrett said: "Anyone who waits until they or someone they know is burgled is playing a game of chance with their possessions.

"It's not just opportunistic burglars that people need to protect your valuables from, but also hazards such as fires, floods or other accidental damage."

He added that their "latest mod con" should not be the only thing that people think about insuring.

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