Endsleigh: 6 out of 10 students damage or break their phones while at university

*Press Release*

6 out of 10 students damage or break their phones while at university

·         26% of students lose their phone 

·         17% of students have had their phone stolen 

16 November 2015: 57% of students have damaged or broken their phones at least once, according to new statistics from Endsleigh, which has been insuring students and young professionals since 1965 and is this year celebrating its 50^th anniversary. The results showed that 52% of students who had damaged or broken their phones had done so outside their homes – 23% whilst out and about, 19% in the street and 10% on a night out.

Hold the phone

The survey, which was carried out by the NUS Insights Team on behalf of Endsleigh, asked 4,642 current university students about their possessions and how they keep them safe whilst at university. The results found that 26% of students accidently lost their phone (59% whilst out and about or on a night out) and 17% have had their phone stolen. Of those who have had their phones stolen, 75% had done so outside their accommodation – either whilst simply out or about (42%) or on a night out (33%). 

When it came to replacing these phones, student’s biggest concern (33%) was the cost – with most students anticipating having to spend £297 to get a new model. When asking those students who have had to replace a phone how they did so, 33% of students had to pay for it themselves, while 14% had to rely on their parents to buy them a new one.  

It doesn’t stop there

Endsleigh’s research also found that students now bringing an average of £3,658 worth of gadgets and other possessions with them to university. According to the results, 95% of students now own a smartphone, 91% a laptop and 45% a tablet – making keeping their gadgets and possessions safe more important than ever before. 

Indeed, the survey revealed that 37% of students had also damaged or broken their laptops at least once, 10% had cracked their screens and 9% had experienced water damage. As with mobile phones, when this happens, the replacement cost for laptops is students’ greatest concern (39%), with average replacement cost estimated at £617. 43% of students who needed to replace their laptops had to pay for one themselves. 

Also a concern for students was the loss of their documents, which was the biggest worry for 38% of students – while 11% are most anxious about identity theft. 

Which city has the clumsiest students?  

The top five cities where Endsleigh saw the most frequent claims for accidental damage – which includes cracked screens and water damage are:

Sara Newell, Manager Student Markets at Endsleigh, said: 

“Given the thousands of pounds’ worth of expensive, portable gadgets students are now bringing with them to university, they just cannot afford to be complacent about keeping their possessions safe from damage or theft – wherever they are studying. While our data shows us that students can be ‘clumsier’ in certain parts of the country, in practise, it doesn’t matter where you are – you need to take precautions to protect yourself from damage and theft.” 

Students looking for advice about on how to keep their possessions safe can visit the Hub- Endsleigh’s go-to guide for preparing, studying and leaving university, written by students, graduates and industry experts.