What documents you need when making a phone insurance claim

We know that losing or damaging your device is not an ideal situation. That’s why we have made the claim process as hassle free as possible.

Below we've summarised the possible documents you would need to provide as part of your claim assessment.

Quick Links - What documents do I need to provide for my claim?

Proof of Purchase
Gifting Letter
Proof of Exchange
Proof of Usage
Itemised Phone Bill
Proof of Blacklisting
Crime Reference Number
Lost Property
Proof of Travel
Questions?

What is a proof of purchase?

This is your purchase receipt confirming the ownership and the details of the device. It is the first and most essential document that you would need to provide as it will help us to initiate the claims assessment. It is requested for every type of claim you make – accidental damage, mechanical breakdown, theft or loss.

Make
Model
Purchase date
IMEI number of the phone

This is to check that the phone you are claiming for is the one which is currently covered by your policy.

What do you accept as proof of purchase?

We accept a paper copy of purchase receipt, which you can scan or take a picture of and email to us at claims@citymain.com. Alternatively, you can upload your receipt on our claims portal: eclaimcity.

If your device was an online purchase, search through your inbox to locate the receipt. Please remember that as long as the document confirms the make, model, IMEI and purchase date, it will be accepted.

Can I send my online order email or shipping confirmation as my proof of purchase?

Unfortunately, we are not able to accept order or shipping confirmation emails as proof of purchase as those would not include the necessary information that we need to assess.

I can’t find my proof of purchase receipt. Can I send you a picture of the device box to confirm the IMEI number?

Yes, you can. You can email us the picture at claims@citymain.com quoting your claim reference number.

How can I confirm my IMEI number if I no longer have the device box?

You can contact the retailer or the online store from where you bought the device and ask them to forward you a duplicate receipt to your email address. They would need to receive the IMEI number of the phone in order to have a look through their records. You can find the IMEI by typing *#06# on your keypad and it should appear automatically on your screen. Alternatively, you can follow our guide on the different ways you can find your IMEI number.

How do I find my IMEI number if I can no longer access my phone? Will you decline my claim?

No, take a breath, there is still hope! You can actually find the IMEI number of your phone by using the Find My Device through the following ways:

To use this feature:

Open Google Find My Device website from your computer or any other device you may have access to.
Log in with your Google account.
It would list your Google signed-in devices.
Click on the information icon near the name of your device.

If you have an Apple device:

Open the Apple Website on your personal computer.
Log in using your Apple credentials (Apple ID).
Locate the Device section on the website. It would list all your registered devices.
Click on a device to know additional details such as the IMEI number.
(Instructions retrieved from Find the IMEI Number Without a Phone (on iOS and Android) (techcult.com).

Received your device as a gift?

If the proof of purchase you provided is on someone else’s name due to your device having been bought by someone else for you as a gift, we would need to receive a gifting letter from the person that purchased it for you.

What is a gifting letter?

A gifting letter is a written confirmation from the person whose name is on the receipt, confirming that they made the purchase for you.

How do I obtain a gifting letter?

You can request the gifting letter directly from the person who gifted you the device and forward it to us via email. Alternatively, the person can email us the confirmation directly by also quoting your claim reference number, full name, email and address for Data Protection purposes.

Exchanged your device because it was faulty?

In this case we would request a proof of exchange.

What is a proof of exchange?

A proof of exchange would be the new receipt provided by the retailer when your device was exchanged. Even if you exchanged your faulty device to the exact same make and model, the IMEI would now be different from the previous one, and that would show on your new receipt document.

How do I obtain a proof of exchange?

You can obtain this the same way as the proof of purchase. If you have not kept the proof of exchange at the time of the purchase, you can contact the retailer to provide you with a duplicate receipt.

What is a Proof of Usage?

The proof of usage is a document that confirms the first and the last time the handset was used. It can be provided by your Network Provider upon request.

Why do you need the proof of usage?

Unlike the proof of purchase, the proof of usage is predominantly required for theft and loss claims.. However, if during the assessment of accidental damage or mechanical breakdown claims it is deemed necessary, we will contact you to let you know so that you can provide it for us.

How can I get the proof of usage?

You can request it directly from your Network Provider who will be able to send it to you via email. As per our terms and conditions, it would also be used as "evidence from your network provider showing your mobile phone has been in use since the policy was purchased and up to the event giving rise to the claim."

What can I send as proof of usage if I’m on a PayAsYouGo Sim and the provider can’t send me a proof of usage.

If you have a PayAsYouGo Sim Card, you might find that the Network Provider will not be able to generate a proof of usage for you. If this is the case, you would need to ask them to register your IMEI number on their Network to enable them to produce it for you. You can find your IMEI number by typing *#06# on your keypad.

What is an itemised phone bill?

An itemised phone bill shows the number of calls that you made during a specific period more analytically. This document is not always required, however if it is needed, it would mainly be for the assessment of loss or theft claims. We would use it to trace the exact times that phone calls were made, specifically on the day that the phone was lost or stolen.

Where can I get the itemised phone bill?

You can request it from your Network Provider who can email it to you.

What is a proof of blacklisting?

If your phone has been lost or stolen, you would be asked to provide a proof of Blacklisting document. This would confirm that the IMEI number of your lost or stolen device has been blocked on the national database. Blacklisting the device in the event of loss or theft is crucial as it would prevent any access or misuse by a third party that may have found or stolen your device.

How do I obtain the Proof of Blacklisting?

You can contact your Network Provider(s) to request it. Once your Provider(s) has/have confirmed that the phone has been blacklisted, they will send you an email receipt which you will then need to forward to us for the assessment of your claim. The process usually takes up to 48 hours.
If your Network Provider is unable to blacklist your device, you can contact us to let us know and we can action the blacklisting for you.

*Please note* that the IMEI number of the phone is not related to the actual SIM card or e-sim. The IMEI is used when we need to locate or identify the device regardless of what SIM the phone has in it. Blocking the SIM and blocking the IMEI number are two separate processes.

IMPORTANT:

If your device is dual SIM, it will have two different IMEI numbers, a primary and a secondary one. Each SIM can be connected to a different network. For example, one can be registered on an International Network, and the other on a local Network. If the device gets lost or stolen, you would have to contact both Network Providers in order to block both SIM cards and to blacklist both IMEIs which are used to identify the same device.

If you have a SIM card and an e-sim installed in the lost/stolen phone, you would need to contact the Network Provider(s) that they are registered with so that they can block both of them for you. The Network Provider would usually send you a new SIM card to insert into a new phone. If you use an e-sim, they would generate a new unique QR code to register on another phone that you have access to.

You can read our article about e-sims to find out how they work in more detail.

Why should I blacklist both IMEI numbers?

If only the primary IMEI is blacklisted, you would still be leaving your device open to risk as anyone could still access your phone to make phone calls or send texts through the secondary unblacklisted IMEI. Therefore, by blacklisting both IMEIs, you are taking an extra safety measure against any possible misuse.

What can I do if the Network Provider has not yet sent me the proof of blacklisting?

Sometimes, certain Network Providers will blacklist your device straight away but they might take longer than 48 hours to send you the proof of blacklisting. In this case, you would just need to contact us to let us know so that we can check on our systems to confirm whether the blacklisting has already been actioned.

What is a Crime Reference Number?

A crime reference number is a unique number that is produced by the police in order to identify the incident. Please bear in mind that crime references are needed for theft claims only.

How can I get a crime reference number?

Crime reference numbers can only be provided by the police. If your device was stolen, we would strongly recommend that you report the incident to your local police as soon as possible, as well as blacklist your phone and SIM by contacting your Network Provider.

Do the police provide reference numbers for loss claims?

Unfortunately not. If you believe that your device was lost, you would need to contact your Network Provider to block your Sim card and blacklist the IMEI number of the device, as the police might not be able to assist you. If your Network Provider for any reason is unable to blacklist the IMEI number, you can contact us to let us know so that we can action this for you.
You will also be required to report the loss of the device.

How do I report the loss of my device?

Reporting the loss of your phone is a requirement for loss claims.
We also strongly recommend that you always register the ownership of your valuable devices on www.immobilise.com, even if a loss or a theft might seem unlikely to occur. This is a free service that the police work in tandem with in order to check for any lost or stolen devices that may have been returned or retrieved. It also allows you, as the owner of that device, to take proactive steps to ensure that your lost device is returned to you, if it hopefully gets found.
After your registration, you will be sent a certificate by Immobilise, which you could then provide us with by emailing us at claims@citymain.com.

How do I obtain a Lost Property Reference Number?

By reporting the loss on Report my Loss and Immobilise. There is a small fee that would be applicable for using this service. However, if your claim is approved, we will reimburse the cost after you have provided us with the proof of payment of the levied charge.

What is a Proof of Travel?

If your device gets damaged, lost or stolen while you are abroad, we would need to receive your travel documents to confirm that you were at that particular destination at the time of the incident. Your flight tickets would count as your proof of travel.

How can I get my travel documents if I no longer have them?

If for any reason you no longer have your travel documents, your airline should produce copies for you.

Questions?

Yes, as long as the claim was submitted while the previous device was on cover, you can still update the details on your policy, including your device. The claim will still be dealt with separately.

Yes, you can cancel your policy at any time. The cancellation will not affect the assessment process of your claim. It will be assessed and fulfilled as normal.

As your cover starts immediately after you purchase the policy, you can claim anytime you need to.

You can either upload the documents on the claim portal on eclaimcity.co.uk, or you can email them to us at claims@citymain.com. Please remember to quote your claim reference number as well as confirm your full name, address and device details for Data Protection purposes.