Claiming Mobile Insurance

One moment my Samsung Galaxy Note II rested safely in my pocket. The very next moment it vanished out of thin air. I frantically searched all the places where I normally keep my mobile phone (or should I say a phablet – a phone tablet) – trouser pocket, shirt pocket and inside my laptop bag. As fate would have it, someone got the better of me that fateful day and the massive Note II was deftly pulled out from my trouser pocket. I was boarding a jam packed bus when this incident occurred and I could feel a few people jostle me in an artificial attempt to get in to the bus. I had absolutely no clue that this unnecessary pushing was done only to make me oblivious of the planned theft. I struggled and managed to get into the bus and brought a ticket for my journey. When I then looked for my phone, it was gone. My heart sank. Was it some kind of a nasty dream that I often see or was it reality? I pinched myself into reality and I had to come in terms with it at the earliest. My ~40K phablet was stolen. My mind went blank. I got down from the bus – exasperated at my carelessness and agitated at the conspiracy of the thief. None of those emotions helped. I rolled the bus ticket in to a small ball and shot it off my fingers and marvelled at the skill that I had developed in firing small objects to a considerable distance. However, the grief of having lost a fortune was overwhelming than the celebration of a skill that could hardly give me any return. It was only later that I realised how important it was to have that ticket retained for an insurance claim.

I had purchased the Samsung Gaxaxy Note II in February 2013. While settling the bill I had argued against paying for insurance cover that cost me an extra 200 bucks. Sometimes when we buy expensive stuff, smaller amounts appended to the five digit figure appear monstrous. I fought my little battle to get rid of the insurance cover charges, but ended up on the losing side. I coughed up extra sum and the Note II was mine. I had spent months deliberating whether or not to buy a smart phone, and eventually the time had arrived. I felt good. I felt richer that the less than 40k phone folks around. It was an ugly celebration within my heart, but I didn’t complain. Many would have looked down at me the way I was looking down at people now. Human psychology – we are all the same flesh, blood and thoughts.

The glory and celebration was short lived and I was dragged to the ground once my smart phone was stolen. I returned back to where I came from – or perhaps even lesser - to a state of phone-less-ness. It was ruthless, but the hope of claiming the insurance made my mood a little better.

First I rushed to the mobile store where I had purchased the mobile from. He said I have to visit the Insurance office with an FIR from police stating that the phone was indeed “stolen”. I rushed to the police station and mentioned that my phone was stolen. I was asked to narrate the entire incident and I did so. I was then given an acknowledgement letter by the police stating that the mobile was lost. I argued that it was stolen and not lost, but I was made to believe that acknowledgement is what is issued in such cases and many people have claimed insurance with this document.

I read to them the “terms and conditions” of the insurance company that clearly stated the claim can be made only if it’s a theft and not in case it’s lost. The police sub-inspector looked at me like a criminal and asked to me to sit down. He called for the police constable and ordered to get lemon tea for him. The constable left the room as fast as he had entered it to fulfil the order of his higher up. The sub-inspector looked at me as asked “So, your mobile has been stolen.. Right?” I replied in affirmative.  “Did you see the thief? Did he push you, hit you or fight with you before he escaped with the phone?”

“No Sir!” I replied.

“Oh! So how do you claim it was stolen?” he asked.

“Due to the fact that I was pushed when there was no need, and the phone was skilfully pulled from my pocket!” I offered.

“Did you feel someone’s hand in your pocket? Did you realise it was being pulled out?”

“No Sir”

“So when did you get to know that you were rid of your mobile?” the sub-inspector asked, growing more curious now.

“After I took my seat in the bus. I felt something was amiss. I could not feel the phone in my pocket” I said regretting my ignorance.

“And then?”

“And then I walked up to the driver, asked him to stop the bus and got off it”

“But still” the sub-inspector said “how do you claim it was stolen? It might have fallen off your pocket and someone might have laid their hand on that!”

“It was switched off when I tried calling the number” I sheepishly said knowing very well that it would not serve the purpose.

“Oh! So you mean that everyone who finds a phone on the road or bus will duly return it back to the owner?”

“Well...that’s not what I meant....” I said and was interrupted by the constable who got the tea swearing at someone. The sub-inspector gulped a couple of sips of lemon tea and appeared satisfied. It appeared his system was craving for tea and being supplied with it made his brain work better.

“Show me the ticket that you had brought for your journey” he said. The lemon tea has started to show its effect.

“I don’t have it. I threw it off” I said resisting the temptation of exactly describing how I had shot it off my fingers

“What’s the proof that you indeed were on that bus? Did you inform the driver, the conductor or any fellow passenger? Can anyone be your witness?” the sub-inspector said as he looked around. Couple of constables were nodding at the wit of their superior and I could sense he wished to be appreciated for his case processing abilities.

“Valid point, sir” I offered “but I unfortunately have none. I am my own witness”

“It won’t help mister” he disdainfully said “we get hundreds of such cases every day. If everyone is his own witness, why have courts and judiciary?” he again looked around and got appreciative nods from his juniors.

“It’s a simple mobile theft. Why is he making it appear like a murder case” I thought to myself.

“Give him the acknowledgement and send him” he ordered to the computer guy. He obediently typed down the letter and sent me on my way. It said the phone was lost during a bus journey. I was supposed to present this letter in the insurance office and get a 75% claim on my lost phone.

As I arrived in the insurance office a fat bloke offered me a seat and asked me the reason of my visit. He asked me to hand over the documents I was carrying. He flipped over them and asked me for the FIR. I said I had the acknowledgment letter and not an FIR from police and pulled out the sheet. He looked once at sheet and once at me and said “So you think we should approve the claim to everyone who lose their mobile?”

“It was stolen and not lost” I pleaded “the police refuse to give me a letter that states it was stolen and I wonder why”

“Because that will be registered as a case and they have to resolve it. Till that time it is a part of their backlog” the fat insurance bloke said wiping his glasses, his style suggesting he had made this statement a million of times before.

“Arre Shyam, get me the file of claim cases” he yelled at someone. Immediately the file landed n front of him. He randomly showed me a couple of case papers that clearly had a police FIR attached mentioning the phone was ‘stolen’. He then offered me an elderly advise “People refuse to certain things to eliminate work from their life. They want an easy job. You are an educated man. Fight against them. Use social media and expose them. Use consumer forums. Go to the DC and complain against the police”

I sat there wondering if I was fighting the police or the thief – or both. Whatever it was I had to go back to the police station and demand my right. In a few hours I was back at the station. The guy looked at me and said “O software engineer! Have you made police station your work place or what?” everyone around him laughed and I let a suppressed smile. I was not enjoying it but looking at the few guys locked up in prison half naked, I had to be polite.

“Not really, sir” I said “I had been to the insurance office and to my surprise many police stations have provided FIR to individuals stating it as theft. Why don’t you provide me one?”

The policemen looked at each other and realised that I was not going to give up.

“Please meet the Inspector” the sub inspector said “if he agrees, we have no problem to issue one”

“Where is the Inspector?” I asked sensing victory

“He’s on rounds. Come tomorrow” said the constable.

I had to make a few visits to the station before I could meet the busy Inspector. Finally when I met him he said he knows my issue. I felt relieved that this guy wont trouble me much. Sometimes when you have fought your battles and victory appears in sight, suddenly you’ll be faced with more attacks. You need to fight the new ones as well else your earlier victories hold no value.

 “I know you are cooking up story that your mobile is stolen so that you can claim your insurance” the inspector said as he watched news on TV in his cabin. Although the second part of his statement was correct, the first part I hated listening to.

“No sir, it indeed has been stolen!” I said giving my words the right intonation so as not to sound aggressive but also not so feeble that could prove him right.

“But then you don’t have the tickets, no witness, nothing” he said. “Do you have body marks to indicate the thief had attacked you before he fled with your mobile?”

Now this guy was taking it to the next level where the sub-inspector had stopped. I wondered if their criminal questions were based on their seniority or their designations.

“I’ll put your number for IMEI tracking” he said breaking my thoughts “come back after two days”

He shot off an email to Vodafone informing them of the number that needed to be tracked. I learnt from him that if the phone is switched on the IMEI tracking can help locate the location of the device and police can recover the device. I was confident that the person who has stolen it might not switch it on for weeks/months. These guys in stealing business are far smarter than we think and evolve as technology evolves. I made a vain attempt for him to still issue the FIR and the Inspector was agitated. He said I need to wait till the process completes and asked me to see him after two days.

I was at the police station two days later and was told that the device was not yet tracked and asked me to revisit after 2-3 days. This was the point I felt like giving up. I had been to the police station more than 10 times, but there was not an inkling of confidence that I’ll be issued an FIR.

I however decided to keep visiting the police station till the time they explicitly say no. I was never told that the FIR will not be issued, so there was always a hope. This hope saw me into the station after 3 days. The Inspector called me inside and again made the same statement that I had lost my phone. I had become thick skinned by now. It didn’t matter what they said. My aim was to get the FIR from them and leave. Finally, he summoned a sub-inspector and asked him to issue an FIR. I was relieved. I profusely thanked the inspector like a child and took his leave. I had to re-write the incident on white paper for the records and eventually I was issued with an FIR. In the entire process, I was never asked for a bribe. I felt bitter on the one hand that I was made to visit the station 12 times, but on the other hand I was proud that the system has improved.

I submitted the documents at the insurance office and a few days later the insurance agent was at my house to verify if I was present at the address I had mentioned on the claim forms. He asked me for a separate description on paper with details of bus number, time, point of theft and so on. I provided all the details and after 3 weeks of follow up to the insurance office I got my claim approved. I had to shell out 8-10k extra to buy back the Note II, but I was glad that I didn’t give up in the middle. And yes, I was not given an insurance cover for the new buy. :)

Points to remember in case of theft and to claim insurance:

• ·         Keep your IMEI number handy
• ·         Keep the bill that was given during the purchase
• ·         Retain the tickets of bus, train in which the theft occurred that was taken for the journey
• ·         Take pictures of the bus or place where the theft occurred
• ·         Note the details the vehicle in which the theft occurred (bus number etc)
• ·         Note the phone number of the driver of the vehicle and inform him you may need his help later
• ·         If theft occurred in a  public place it will help to have the phone number of a person alongside you who can serve as witness
• ·         Take a letter of acknowledgement from service provider after you ask them to terminate service to the lost SIM (should contain the phone, IMEI and SIM number)
• ·         Take photocopies of the declaration that you write in the police station
• ·         For theft of mobile phones prices > INR 15,000 an FIR will be issued by the police
• ·         And finally, keep going to the police station. You’ll see and hear a lot of interesting cases there. All the best!
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-Sandeep Mahagaonkar