Study finds men more likely to be victims of theft and to damage belongings

New stats from a UK wide survey have shown that men are more likely to damage or break their home gadgets than women.

Research from Row.co.uk indicates that 13.28% of men have claimed on their gadget insurance in the last 12 months, compared to 10.44% of women. However, more women surveyed (13.75%) admitted they had lost a gadget, such as a mobile phone, tablet or laptop, than men (11.41%).

Men are more likely to be a victim of theft, with 21.74% of those surveyed agreeing that they have had a device stolen from them in the past.

In terms of age, shockingly, 35-44 year olds have claimed on their gadget insurance more than three times in the past year, and they are the age group most likely to claim due to the loss of a gadget (17.95%). 41.07% of those aged 18-24 have claimed on their insurance because they have dropped a device.

When asked if they had gadget insurance, 18-24 year olds and the over 55s are the most likely to say yes, coming in at 28.03% and 27.78% respectively. 45-54 year olds are the least likely to have gadget insurance (74.39%) yet over 30% of them agreed that their devices are worth over £1,000.

Those living in London are more likely to have a fault with their gadgets, as almost 13% have made a claim on insurance over the past 12 months, which is a five per cent increase on the West Midlands, in which only 7.7% of people have claimed.

Despite being the highest claimers, Londoners are also the least likely to have insurance for their devices (69.74%).

Richard Waters, Managing Director at Row, commented: “These stats highlight the importance of getting some kind of insurance to protect your devices, particularly as the value of our gadgets seem to be increasing.

“Looking at the results from London, these are particularly worrying, especially as 13% of people find a fault with their device, yet over half of those living there don’t have insurance. Consumers may be shelling out a lot of money for a new phone or laptop, when protecting their gadgets can only cost a few pounds per month.”

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