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Don’t Count on Your Car Insurance to Cover Holiday Gifts Stolen from Your Car

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You’ve spent what feels like forever shuffling back and forth between stores searching for the perfect gifts for your loved ones and your car where you throw those purchases in the trunk. Finally, with your feet numb and your final bought treasures in your hands, you make your way to your car so you can go home. But, someone has gotten to your car first, and all the gifts you procured have been stolen from your vehicle.

A justified emotional meltdown ensues, and then you remember that you have car insurance, which should totally cover these holiday losses, maybe. No?

Hate to sound like the Grinch, but car insurance will not rescue your bank account, your holiday spirit, or your shopping to-do list from this situation.

“While comprehensive coverage does protect your car against theft, it only protects your car. Any items you have in your car that are stolen, such as laptops, will generally not be covered by comprehensive coverage,” states DMV.org.

Even though your car insurance can’t help, there is still hope that all is not lost.

“Homeowners insurance generally covers your personal property if it is damaged or lost due to theft. This coverage is not necessarily limited to items in your home. If things are stolen from your car, your homeowners insurance or renters insurance may cover it,” according to DMV.org.

Before you file a claim through your renters or homeowners insurance, though, do some math, especially if your plan’s deductible is super high. The DMV.org warns that a high deductible could mean you end up paying more by filing the claim and satisfying the deductible than what you would pay to replace the stolen items.

If using your insurance plans isn’t a feasible choice, ConsumerReports.org Writer Anthony Giorgianni suggests looking into what your credit card can provide through its free protection benefit. There are usually a lot of limits and requirements to exercise the benefit successfully, but it’s worth considering.

News Source: Consumer Reports, DMV.org