Phones, glasses and dentures: New Zealand's top contents insurance claims, according to State

It found 1521 phones were accidentally dropped in toilets over the past two and a half years.
It found 1521 phones were accidentally dropped in toilets over the past two and a half years. Photo credit: Getty Images

Whether a peacock has rampaged through your living room, your dog has chewed on your dentures or you have dropped your phone down the toilet one too many times, many of us have had to claim insurance before.

State Insurance has released New Zealand's top content insurance claims between July 2019 and December 2021, revealing what Kiwis most often lose, damage or have stolen.

Not surprisingly, mobile phones top the list with 35,899 claims, which is an average of 33 mobile phones lost damaged or stolen in New Zealand every day and costs a whopping $42 million.

State found the not-so-trusty back pocket may be to blame, with 1521 phones accidentally dropped in toilets over the past two and a half years - including five phones lost in porta-loos.

Second on the list was glasses with 28,957 claims, followed by laptops at 17,045 and jewellery at 17,045.

Notably at seventh place was hearing aids, with State seeing a significant rise in claims for hearing aids in 2021, particularly involving damage or misplacement caused by putting on and taking off a mask.

Nine percent of all hearing aid claims involved a mask, leaping to 24 percent in August 2021 and 45 percent by September 2021.

And there's a warning to people with playful pets, and dentures, State found a surprisingly large number of dentures were damaged by pets, putting it in 10th place.

State's executive general manager for claims Wayne Tippet said if there's one thing we can expect in life, it's the unexpected.

"We see all kinds of situations that have led to people lodging a claim, including peacocks rampaging through living rooms, or large quantities of expensive house plants going missing from someone's property," Tippet said.

"Mistakes, theft, and accidents happen to us all, and the costs can quickly add up."

He said once you calculate the value of everything you own it can be surprising how much it's collectively worth and all these items could one day need replacing if they are lost or damaged in a fire or flood.

"When the worst happens, whether it's dropping your phone or a devastating house fire, you want to make sure you have the appropriate insurance in place to absorb the financial hit and get back on your feet as quickly as possible."

Here is the full list of New Zealand's top contents insurance claims:

  1. Mobile phones with 35,899 claims
  2. Glasses with 28,957 claims
  3. Laptops with 19,813 claims
  4. Jewellery with 17,045 claims
  5. Appliances with 16,032 claims
  6. Furniture with 13,402 claims
  7. Hearing aids with 9796 claims
  8. Bicycles with 6665 claims
  9. Carpet with 4896 claims
  10. Dentures with 4327 claims