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You come home to discover that someone has already been there before you – the apartment door has been broken open and your valuables are gone. You are sitting in a café and someone helps themselves to the contents of your handbag. Your wallet and your smartphone are gone. 

Situations like this are not only particularly annoying; they always involve considerable losses and a lot of hassle, too. Unless you have insurance that is there for you in the event of theft or burglary. We explain which type of insurance comes into play in which case. That way, you can at least save yourself the financial hassle.

Theft – which insurance pays what?

Theft can happen to anyone, no matter how careful they are. But if you also have to pay for the loss yourself, that is particularly annoying. Which insurance policies cover theft anyway? On the one hand, it depends on what kind of incident has occurred – a theft, a robbery or a burglary? The second important question is where it happened – at home or while you were out and about? The details are crucial.

Burglary

Your apartment door has been broken open, and your family jewellery and other valuables have disappeared. If your belongings are stolen by forcible entry into buildings, rooms and containers such as safes or locked cupboards, this is called burglary. Incidentally, it also counts as burglary if someone steals items from you home having entered with a key that they previously obtained by burglary or robbery.

Robbery

Attackers knock you to the ground in broad daylight and rip your bag out of your hands. Or you catch a burglar in your home who threatens you with a gun and then disappears with your valuables. If something is stolen from you with violence, the threat of violence or because you are incapable of resisting, this is called robbery.

Simple theft

A second ago, your smartphone was lying on the table in front of you. Now it’s gone. If something is stolen from you but there is no break-in or robbery, this is known as simple theft.

Simple theft at home

You leave the cellar window open when you go shopping. Or the person you thought was a heating engineer turns out to be a thief. And now your jewellery and other valuables are missing. Unfortunately, there are many different examples of simple theft at home – and one thing they have in common is the amount of trouble they cause.

Simple theft outside the home

You park your bike at the train station or leave your snowboard in front of the mountain hut – when you return, it’s gone. Amid a jostling crowd, you fail to notice a pickpocket – he’s delighted to have his hands on a brand-new smartphone. Simple theft outside the home can happen in the blink of an eye.

GOOD TO KNOW

Since you have free choice of sum insured for simple theft outside the home, you should talk to your adviser. Together, you will find the right amount.

Theft cover in household contents insurance

All losses that occur at home are generally included in the basic cover of your household contents insurance – in other words, burglary, robbery and simple theft at home. But be careful: cash is not insured against simple theft unless you take out additional cover.

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Theft cover in other insurance policies

Your door was broken open, door locks and door frames were damaged or windows were smashed during a break-in. This type of damage to the building is usually covered by buildings insurance or household contents insurance.

Expensive jewellery, musical instruments, hearing aids, pictures and other favourite items are already insured against theft under your household contents policy. If you would like additional protection against damage, loss and disappearance, we recommend our valuables insurance or all risks cover.

If your handbag is stolen from your car, this is a case for your partially comprehensive or fully comprehensive car insurance. You can cover this via the “property carried in the vehicle” add-on.

Which insurance policies pay out in the event of theft abroad? 

In principle, your household contents insurance also applies when you are on holiday. For example, when burglars climb in through your hotel room window and help themselves to your expensive camera. With supplementary cover for theft outside the home, this isn’t so bad, as your insurance will compensate you for the loss. Be sure to check your sum insured if you are carrying expensive items with you.

Your suitcase disappears at the airport in Rome. But luck is on your side as you have travel insurance. With this, your luggage is additionally insured against damage, loss and forgetting while on holiday. You can also insure the cost of replacement luggage – for example if your suitcase fails to turn up or arrives too late for your holiday.

After a short break in a layby, you return to find that your car is gone. A very annoying situation, but at least you don’t have to bear the financial loss. If your car is stolen or damaged in a burglary, your partially comprehensive insurance will pay the costs – including abroad.

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