Why is Theft more common at College?
Campuses contain an abundance of young people all with expensive, portable items like Phones, Laptops, Smartwatches, Sunglasses, and Bikes. Colleges are also filled with public spaces and a lot of people traffic, making it easy for thieves to access and target students.
In addition, most College Students have shared living spaces where not all visitors and neighbors can be accounted for despite schools’ security policies and efforts.
Whether dorms, apartments, houses, as well as Fraternity/Sorority houses, students aren’t always aware of all their neighbors or who they may be inviting into their building, on to their floor, or right next door.
How big a problem is Theft at College?
Colleges are ranked in the Top 5 places laptop and phone theft occurs most according to FBI statistics and studies. Many times, thieves at colleges are just other students tempted by making a quick buck or wanting something nicer or new… not career criminals (except for this guy whole stole 55 laptops worth over $30,000 at UCLA!)
Theft at College is clearly a problem enough that nearly every College has resources and recommendations for students on how to prevent theft and the negative repercussions of falling victim to theft. Here’s a page from UC Berkeley with a good list of recommendations such as registering your device, engraving it, locking it up, as well as taking steps to protect your data.
How to prevent becoming a victim of Theft at school?
The best piece of advice is for students to always keep their room doors locked when they’re away as well as valuables locked in a small safe, cabinet, or at the very least moved out of plain sight so as not to tempt a would-be-thief.
When on campus, students should always make sure to keep an eye on their belongings. Unfortunately, sometimes even asking the person you’re sitting near “can you watch my things?” when getting up to go grab some water, get food, or use the bathroom, doesn’t always work… Taking your items with you when you get up to leave a table in the library, study room, or a cafe is always going to be the safest option.
Get Theft Protection coverage!
In addition to following guidance on protecting your belongings from theft, the smartest choice you can make is to also GET COVERED.
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Q: Doesn’t my homeowners or renter’s insurance policy cover theft?
A: Yes. BUT… your deductible is probably at least $500-$1,000, making a claim could make your rates increase, and the process of resolving a homeowner’s claim can take weeks!
While making a claim on your homeowner’s policy may be a good idea in the event of a robbery or break-in where many items are stolen and losses exceed a few thousands dollars, making a claim against your homeowner’s policy for something like a phone or laptop theft may not be the best idea…. For starters, the most likely items a college student will have stolen are a laptop or phone, which may only be worth $500-$1,000 anyways. This could mean that using your homeowner’s policy for coverage is nearly pointless. Additionally, making a claim against your homeowner’s policy can make your rates increase, which may lead to the expense of making a claim being far greater than the claim payout in the long term… Finally, having a claim resolved with your homeowners insurer could take weeks, time which cannot be afforded for a college student who relies on their phone and laptop on a daily basis.
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What about protection plans?
Unfortunately, some of the most popular protection plans available such as AppleCare+ or Squaretrade don’t cover Theft! And the protection plans which do such as Geek Squad, AT&T Mobile Protection, Verizon Total Mobile Protection, or T-Mobile Protection 360 all cost $10-12 per month per device and charge $200-$300 deductibles for theft claims!
The Clear Choice: AKKO's College Plan
There’s a reason we’re the best protection plan option for College Students… Not only because of great protection against Accidental Damage (with Apple Store repairs covered) but also for Theft Protection.
AKKO’s deductible for any Theft Claim is only $25. And our College Plan is only $10 per month and covers not just 1 device, but ANY 25 items. So this can include not only a student’s phone and laptop, but also their headphones, sunglasses, smartwatch, and even a bike, skateboard, camera, or music gear!
With an AKKO College Plan, students (and parents) don’t have any worry about Theft, because all of a student’s items are covered in their single plan and the deductible for a theft claim is low and affordable. Even more importantly, claims get resolved FAST so students can get back on track with their studies and work.
