Gadget Graveyard as One in Five Brits Break Their Tablets
- Men are more likely to drop their tablet than women
- One in five admitted to leaving their tablet in an unattended place
- A third of respondents happily let their toddlers play with their tablet
Research from Endsleigh Insurance discovered one in five of us have broken or damaged a tablet in the past, with the top misdemeanours including dropping them, water damage and a child getting their hands on them.
39% of respondents admitted they would happily let their toddler play with their tablet, although the more mature owners are more cautious, with 85% of over 55s responding that they would not let a youngster near such an expensive piece of kit.
Breakages weren’t the only threat posed by little ones, with 7% saying that their child had run up large bills through in-app purchases.
Top five ways we break or damage our tablets:
- 1. Dropped it 35%
- 2. Got it wet 27%
- 3. A child broke it 19%
- 4. Scratched the screen 9%
- 5. Dropped something heavy on it 8%
23% of men are more likely to drop their tablet compared to just 15% of women. One in five of those people surveyed admitted to leaving their tablet unattended in a public place, with one in twenty saying they do this on a regular basis. To make matters worse 40% of tablet owners admitted they don’t protect their device with a password.
31% of Brits would take more care of a tablet if it was owned by their boss. Yet employers should still be cautious before handing over gadgets for work purposes; one in ten employees admitted they would actually take less care of one that wasn’t bought out of their own money.
Michael Day, Marketing Manager at Endsleigh, comments, “This year we’ve seen a huge increase in customers insuring their tablets, usually as a result of the first one they own suffering a mishap. When you think the starting cost of these items are in the hundreds and many would happily let a two-year-old play with them, expensive accidents are going to happen!
“We’ve had claims from customers who have stood on them, spilt drinks on them and not even noticed when they have slipped out of their bags until it’s too late. When you rely on your gadget for work, study or just entertainment, it can be heart-breaking when it can’t be fixed for much less than it cost.”
Endsleigh offer their advice on keeping your beloved gadget safe:
- • Buy a sturdy case that will offer some protection if your tablet hits the deck. One with a stand means you won’t have to precariously balance it, risking an accident.
- • Put a toy replica tablet on your child’s Christmas list to Santa. They look just like the real thing, but at a fraction of the cost you won’t cry when they bury this one in the sand pit.
- • We might like a glass of wine when watching BBC iPlayer on our tablets, but try to keep a safe distance to ensure not a drop touches those delicate electronics.
- • Taking your tablet into the bathroom is not only unhygienic, but obviously dangerous and it won’t survive a quick dunk in the bath. Choose a good old fashioned paperback instead.
- • If you do your best, but that tablet really did just leap out of your hands, make sure you responsibly recycle it, as its working parts can often be used again.
-ENDS-
Notes to editor
Endsleigh insurance commissioned a 1,000 respondent survey carried out by One Poll, on 20th October 2013
Contact Email: emma.trotter@stickyeyes.com
Contact Number: 0113 3912929