Broken Christmas

Back

Bad news for Santa - new research out today reveals that more than one in ten1 parents will be throwing away a brand new children's toy on Christmas Day due to breakage or damage - at an estimated cost of £1.1 billion2.

According to the research by esure home insurance, broken or damaged toys have ruined at least one Christmas for almost half (49 per cent) of parents polled, which is unsurprising given that 72 per cent of children are likely to cry or have a tantrum before the day is out.

Of all the toys children will receive this Christmas, dolls or action figures (26 per cent) are the most likely to be broken or damaged. Almost one in five (18 per cent) parents surveyed report that hi-tech gadgetry such as the Nintendo Wii and DS consoles get broken or damaged by the end of Christmas Day and almost a third (32 per cent) admit that construction sets or arts and craft toys are likely to be damaged as festivities get into full swing.

The Christmas Day broken toy timeline (for the average UK family home):

Despite the time and effort parents spend trawling the shops looking for the perfect gifts to give their offspring, only a quarter (25 per cent) of families questioned said they would return to the store to ask for an exchange or refund should it break. A further three per cent admitted they take an 'out of sight, out of mind' attitude to damaged or broken toys and leave them in a cupboard to collect dust, whilst a cheeky three per cent donate them to a charity shop.

Mike Pickard, Head of Risk and Underwriting at esure home insurance, said: "Parents are continuing to spend a phenomenal amount of money on Christmas gifts for their children, particularly now that 'must-have' costly games consoles such as Nintendo Wiis are so popular.

As accidents can happen and sadly we can't always avoid the tears and tantrums that follow, we would advise parents to ensure they keep hold of all receipts - particularly for high-value gifts - and consider adding accidental damage cover onto their home insurance policy in the event of a major Christmas mishap."

esure's home contents cover increases automatically by 15 per cent during the three weeks prior to Christmas to cover gifts and food bought for the festivities.

Regional Differences
Those living in London are more likely to have their Christmas Day festivities ruined by broken or damaged toys - 57 per cent of Scottish parents polled said at least one Christmas had been ruined by this compared to just 38 per cent of those in Wales, who no doubt will be having a much more peaceful Christmas as a result.

Broken or damaged toys in Scotland are most likely to be repaired, as almost three quarters (73 per cent) of those polled would attempt this. However, in Wales just 43 per cent would try to repair broken toys. And while 14 per cent of parents in the North West would throw out a damaged toy, just two per cent of those in the North East would do so.

- ends -

esure's press contacts:

For further information please contact the esure press office at Mischief PR on 020 7100 9999 or email esure@mischiefpr.com
An ISDN line is available for radio interviews

Notes to Editors:

  1. 13 per cent of those polled. esure used the independent online research company FlyResearch who surveyed 1,000 UK parents with children aged between 1-10 between 11th and 15th December 2009
  2. £1.2 billion is an estimated figure based on the research which showed that the average UK child will break one toy on Christmas Day. The number of UK children is 10,721,100 (source: Office of National Statistics, 2007) while according to the research the average cost of a toy this Christmas will be £108. Number of UK children x Average Toy Cost = £1,157,878,800 (rounded to £1.1bn)

About esure:

esure was launched in 2001. The company offers car, home, pet and travel insurance over the internet and by phone. esure also offers car insurance cover through the brands Halifax, Sainsbury's, Sheilas' Wheels and more recently home insurance through the Sheilas' Wheels brand.