Smartphones have become one of our most valued possessions. As important as it is, it’s also among the things that is most susceptible to damage and loss.

Accidents by nature are unforeseen and inevitable. The use of display protections such as tempered glass and back covers will safeguard your phones from drops and falls, however, there are innumerable ways your smartphone can suffer harm and mitigating those risks is a difficult task.

Statistics reveal that around 38 percent users damage their phones by dropping it off their hands and about 45 percent absentmindedly damage their phones while watching TV, cooking and using the bathroom.  All it takes is one fateful slip for your precious phone to fall apart.

This is where Mero Surakshya comes to the rescue. Mero Surakshya is a smartphone protection plan that covers the cost of repairing or replacing your phone in case it gets lost, stolen or damaged. Similarly, it offers insurance in case of damage from fire or water, accidental damage and liquid damage.  In addition, it covers you from data theft, data loss and provides virus protection.

In simple terms, if your smartphone is damaged or compromised in any way, Mero Surakshya will replace your old phone with a new one and recover all the data from the old device. The replacement policy only works if the phone is damaged to a level beyond repair. Similarly, other terms and conditions are also circumstantial. The cost of purchasing a single protection plan by Mero Surakshya is five percent of the mobile’s invoice value.

Mero Surakshya is a service that is one of a kind in Nepal. Before this, insurance on smartphones was only provided by Flagship devices by the companies themselves. For budget or mid-range devices, people had no option other than paying huge repair costs or getting a new device altogether if their smartphones suffered loss/damage of any kind. Mero Surakshya is a plan that is there for everyone and irrespective of the company or version of the phone, it will provide a certain degree of insurance and protection to your device.

How do I get Mero Surakshya on my phone?

In order to get the Mero Surakshya Mobile Protection plan, you will have to:

•    Download the Mero Surakshya application from Playstore/Appstore or get to their platform through their website.

•    Register and login to Mero Surakshya via the mobile app or web dashboard.

•    Select your smartphone model and purchase the desired plan.

•    Enter the details of your smartphone including the reason behind the damage and the current status of your device.

•    Select the payment option and visit their service centre for approval.

What kind of damage does Mero Surakshya cover?

Mero Surakshya offers insurance from the following things:

•    Fire damage: Refers to physical damage to property as a result of burning through direct flames, smoke or

any other corrosive substance emitted by fire.

•    Liquid damage: It is the corrosion of electric components caused due to electric current running through a wet phone. Customers can claim for any kind of liquid damage except for alcohol.

•    Accidental damage: Mero Surakshya ensures coverage of any kind of accidental damage which is not a part of

normal manufacturer’s warranty that may come up due to unforeseen circumstances.

•    Loss or theft: Refers to loss or theft of your device which is again not a part of normal warranty.

•    Screen damage: Screen damage refers to physical damage to the screen of smartphones, full or partial breakage of screen.

During the claiming process, the customer must be able to explain the accident/incident in a way that proves that the harm done to the device was not intentional. The repair process will begin after checking whether the mobile phone is fully or partially damaged. The company tries to repair the phone and in case it is not repairable, your device will be replaced with a new one of the same model. Similarly, if the device is replaced, 80 percent of the cost is discounted and 20 percent is to be paid by the customers themselves.  If the same model of the smartphone is not available in the market, in accordance to the company policies, the customer is provided with a similar and comparable phone with about the same market value. In any case, the company will ensure that the data is fully recovered.

How do users claim for a new mobile device in case the old one is not repairable?

There are altogether three steps all customers have to take in order to claim their damaged/lost/stolen smartphones. However, the process for loss/theft is a bit different because one does not have the device with oneself. Steps for the claim process include,

1.    Reporting the incident within 24 hours via telephone/website/mobile application.

2.    Submitting the required documents within seven days in accordance to the guidance provided by the call centre executive.

3.    Within seven days of the submission of the handset and documents (for cases of fire/accidental/screen/liquid damage) and submission of documents (in case of loss/theft), the claimant will be eligible to claim for a new device.

Mero Surakshya may not have a protection plan for every single type of smartphone in the market. In such cases, one can contact Mero Surakshya on their website and fill a request form. After doing so, the technical team will contact the person once the mobile has been registered on the Mero Surakshya Protection Plan.

Since the introduction of the Mero Surakshya app, the company has reported more than one thousand downloads from the Playstore. “The services for Appstore will start as soon as we get through the technical hurdles”, says Prem Sunwar, CEO of Mero Surakshya.