Breaking furniture and smashing sentimental belongings in the real world whilst playing in virtual reality (VR) caused a surge in home contents insurance claims, insurer Aviva has said.
There was a 31% rise in claims last year with the average VR-related claim being £650 – most frequently from smashed TVs, according to the insurer.
“As new games and gadgets become popular, we often see this playing through in the claims made by our customers,” Kelly Whittington, Aviva UK property claims director, said.
“In the past, we’ve seen similar trends involving consoles with handsets, fitness games, and even the likes of rogue fidget spinners,” Whittington added.
With several people receiving VR headsets for Christmas, Aviva expects the number of claims in 2022 to stay high and potentially increase further.
One person threw a controller through his TV when a zombie jumped out the screen in a game, Aviva said, while one child smashed two figurines perched on a mantelpiece, and many reported cracked TV screens.
All of these types of claims were covered under policies, Aviva noted.
“These devices can be a great source of fun, but we’d encourage people to be mindful of their surroundings and take a look at their home insurance to make sure it suits their needs,” Whittington told the Guardian (read more), as the Aviva director encouraged customers to add accidental damage cover to their home insurance plan.