Letztes Update: 12. November 2023
After introducing SafeSide ‘s simple and digital life insurance, I wanted to bring my household insurance into the present. After all, my homeowner’s and personal liability insurance dates back to a more analogous time, when the customer service representative came home and drank coffee. By the way, that’s not a stupid saying, that was really the case back then. And as a further nuisance, five-year contracts were signed at that time. That’s why you can read about my experiences with IKEA household contents insurance & liability insurance from Ikea (formerly HEMSÄKER) and LINGS from Generali here.
With household contents and personal liability insurance, I don’t need a personal advisor. I only want to deal with the insurance company in the event of a claim. I prefer to drink coffee with people who are important to me. And I don’t want to be informed by the insurance company by telephone about “new”, “innovative” and “interesting” products, as my previous insurance company regularly did.
The haystack
So I looked around for an alternative. But that was not so easy. There are hardly any comparison portals or not all insurances are included and the results can hardly be compared because, for example, the deductible is once CHF 200 and once CHF 500. If you try the providers’ websites directly, they put together different packages, and I’m preferably offered all-round protection packages, “innovative additional cover”, “innovative security modules”, “home assistance” or “super theft”.
I am allergic to one-time, combination or special discounts that are only given in the first year and are included in the final price. This makes comparison even more tedious. To speak with the sign language of a provider: I find that 💩.
Or what I find really great is that with another insurance company, the non-selectable “Services” option, which includes, among other things, a 24/7 hotline, costs extra.
It all seems like it’s not made for laymen and that’s why you absolutely need a consultation. The dear advisor then lifts the veil, puts together the optimal (overloaded) insurance package and solves other problems at the same time, such as the fear of old-age poverty, by selling (overpriced) pillar 3a funds or, even better, (non-transparent) life insurance policies. A business model from the day before yesterday, but apparently it still works. For me, there is still far too much blah-blah in it in general.
I like to test the response speed of providers once in a while. Four business days to answer a simple question by e-mail is too long for me for the “most direct insurance company in Switzerland” without “dusty processes”. Makes me wonder how long I’ll have to wait for the money in the event of a claim.
The first pin – IKEA household contents insurance & liability insurance
I then came across the IKEA household contents insurance & liability insurance by chance, which usually doesn’t appear in the comparison portals. Behind the household insurance is iptiQ, a Swiss Re company. For example, iptiQ takes care of customer support, claims processing and the online portal for administration also comes from iptiQ.
A unique feature is that you can cancel the insurance at any time without notice and receive a refund of the proportionate annual premium. Goodbye, five-year contracts!
It should be noted that payment is possible only by credit card.
In IKEA fashion, you can calculate your premium online with no frills. The personal offer is clearly displayed and changes are very easy to make, and you can always see directly how the changes affect the amount of your premium. Short, easy-to-understand texts describe the different options, and if you want to know more, you can find more detailed explanations in a pop-up that opens.
If you want to come back to the offer later, you will receive an email with a link and can complete the offer digitally at a later time or make further changes.
If you are a member of the IKEA Family Club, you will receive a benefit bonus of CHF 20 for each year without damage. By the way, membership in the IKEA Family Club costs nothing.
After signing the contract, you will receive an e-mail with a link to the customer portal of the insurance partner iptiQ with all contract information.
The second needle – LINGS
I no longer include simple theft away from home in the policy. Next time I go on vacation, I’ll insure the camera or smartphone with LINGS‘ on-demand insurance.
LINGS is a brand of House of Insurtech Switzerland AG, with Generali Allgemeine Versicherungen AG being the insurance carrier and contractual partner.
Unlike most traditional home insurance policies, LINGS offers the following benefits:
- insured against destruction, damage and loss,
- insured against theft on the road,
- no deductible.
All these points are usually also available with traditional insurances. They simply cost more and cost even if you actually only need the insurance coverage temporarily.
You can easily add an item to your insurance by entering the brand and model and selecting it from the suggestions in the drop-down list. The insurance value is then automatically deposited.
You can activate insurance cover on a daily basis with a slide and deactivate it again just as easily.
As a second option, you can activate the insurance for a whole month. This is where the so-called flat rate comes into play, with which you save around 20% to 50% on the daily rate.
You can pay either by credit card or by TWINT.
Another special feature: if there is anything left over from the premiums paid in after deducting a fixed portion for administrative costs and claims coverage, LINGS donates the amount to charity.
My inquiry by e-mail was answered within a few hours with a personal touch and competently – that way insurance is even fun.
Summary of IKEA household contents insurance & liability insurance
Household insurance companies that communicate with customers on an equal footing, that are understood, and that can be easily concluded online are still a rarity in Switzerland.
As an alternative to IKEA household contents insurance & liability insurance, you can take a look at Smile – Die Versicherung ohne Blabla or Migros Versicherungen.
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