Are portable electronics covered if stolen from my car?

I just had an expensive portable GPS navigation unit and some CD's stolen from my car. Is that something I can turn in on my car insurance policy?

Unfortunately, you're going to find out that your car insurance will not pay for this loss. The reason is, auto insurance will only pay for equipment that is "permanently installed" in your vehicle. So items such as portable CD players, portable GPS systems, MP3 players and any other electronics and accessories that can easily be removed from your car will not be covered if they are stolen.

You can, however, turn in a loss on your renter's or homeowner's policy as those items fall under your personal property coverage. Unless you have a relatively high dollar loss, you're probably not going to meet your homeowner's insurance deductible.

If your GPS had been an in-dash unit that could not be removed from your car, then your car insurance would have paid you for the loss less your comprehensive deductible. So keep that in mind if you frequently leave your portable electronic devices in the view of lurking thieves. If they get stolen, you have no coverage from your car insurance policy.

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