Better Buy Insurance

What Better Buy Insurance does

Better Buy Insurance is a UK-based specialist insurer offering mobile phone and gadget insurance, operating as a trading brand of Burnett & Associates Ltd. (Company No. 01472537, registered address at 3000 Lakeside, Portsmouth). It sits within the SPB UK & Ireland Ltd. corporate group, with Citymain Administrators Ltd (FCA No. 306535) administering all policies and Square Pound Limited (FCA Firm No. 305511) acting as the FCA-authorized principal. Claims on legacy policies issued before 25 January 2024 are handled by Direct Group, and sales-related complaints on those legacy policies are routed to Super Cover Insurance. The firm holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and ISO 27001:2017 certifications from the British Assessment Bureau, covering quality, environmental, and information security management.

The business is a single-product, direct-to-consumer subscription insurer. It underwrites one core line — phone and gadget insurance — distributed via its own website, phone (0333 999 7918), and email ([email protected]), charging monthly premiums that include Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) at 12%. Pricing is opaque and quote-based; tier structures are not publicly disclosed. The acquisition channel is limited to a Trustpilot presence and a referral arrangement with Insurance2go, which receives prospective mobile phone insurance customers who can no longer be quoted by Better Buy Insurance. The technology stack is undisclosed, with no proprietary platforms, APIs, or AI capabilities referenced.

The defining commercial posture is managed run-off. Better Buy Insurance is not accepting new policies and is instead prioritizing existing customers for service. Combined with the January 2024 migration of policy administration to Citymain Administrators Ltd, every available signal points to a contracted, service-only operation rather than a growth-stage insurer. There is no disclosed revenue, headcount trend, or policy-count data, but the cessation of new business combined with outsourced operations, a single Portsmouth office, and 11-50 employees indicates a small, declining niche book. The investment-relevant conclusion is that the asset is best understood as a legacy policy portfolio plus regulatory and IPHT-compliant servicing infrastructure, not an active growth platform.

Name

Better Buy Insurance

Legal name

Burnett & Associates Ltd.

Website

https://betterbuyinsurance.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Better Buy Insurance is a UK-based specialist insurer offering mobile phone and gadget cover to consumers as a trading name of Burnett & Associates Ltd. It is currently not accepting new policies and is operating in a managed run-off focused on its existing customer book.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Mobile Phone and Gadget Insurance

NAICS

Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Electronics & Mobile Device Protection Plans (FSAJALAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Retail (Personal Lines) Insurance Brokerage (FSAEADAA)

Keywords

• Mobile phone insurance
• Gadget insurance
• Device protection coverage
• Consumer electronics insurance
• Phone damage cover

Headquarters

HQ city

Doncaster

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Insurance Premiums: Collects recurring insurance premiums from policyholders. Premiums are inclusive of Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) at 12%. The company is currently not taking on new policies and is focusing on serving existing customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Better Buy Insurance provides monthly mobile phone and gadget insurance policies covering damage, loss, theft, and breakdown for consumer-owned devices. The company operates as a trading name of Burnett & Associates Ltd, with policy administration handled by FCA-authorized Citymain Administrators Ltd. The company is currently not accepting new policies and is focused on servicing its existing customer base.

Product overview

Better Buy Insurance is a single-product insurance company specializing in gadget and mobile phone insurance. The company offers one core product line—phone and gadget insurance—which is administered in partnership with Citymain Administrators Ltd. They are not currently accepting new policies and are instead prioritizing their existing customer base for exceptional service delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Better Buy Insurance Mobile Phone and Gadget Insurance Monthly mobile phone and gadget insurance policies providing standard coverage for damage, loss, theft, and breakdown, plus customer service and claims handling for individual UK consumers. The company is not currently accepting new policies.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Insurance2gominorGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance2go is referenced as a partner company to which potential mobile phone insurance customers are referred when Better Buy Insurance is not accepting new policies. This is a referral arrangement for customer acquisition.
• Citymain Administrators LtdcoreOthersCitymain Administrators Ltd provides the administration of all Better Buy Insurance policies. They are authorised and regulated by the FCA (registration number 306535) and are part of SPB UK & Ireland Ltd. They handle customer service, policy administration, and complaints for policies from 25th January 2024 onwards.
• Direct GroupcoreOthersDirect Group handles claims for policies prior to 25th January 2024. Customers with pre-25th January 2024 policies can contact Direct Group at 0203 794 9335 or [email protected] for claims handling.
• Burnett & Associates LtdcoreOthersBurnett & Associates Ltd is the registered legal entity and trading name for Better Buy Insurance. Registered in the UK (number: 01472537). Registered address is C/O SPB UK, 3000 Lakeside, Western Road, Portsmouth, PO6 3FQ.
• Square Pound LimitedcoreOthersSquare Pound Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Firm number 305511). It appears to be a principal firm in the insurance arrangement.
• Super Cover InsuranceminorOthersSuper Cover Insurance is referenced for handling sales-related complaints for policies prior to 25th January 2024. This indicates a prior business relationship or legacy arrangement.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Trov: Digital-first personal lines insurance platform covering electronics and other personal items. Comparable as an emerging insurtech building modern, embedded device protection products that could disrupt the legacy UK specialist model.

Direct peers

• Gadget Cover: UK specialist insurer offering gadget and mobile phone insurance to consumers. Directly comparable as a single-product UK device protection brand with similar product, customer, and regulatory profile.
• so-sure: UK-based mobile phone insurance provider with a social-loss-prevention model. Closely comparable in product line, geography, and customer segment, serving the same UK phone insurance consumer.
• Insurance2go: UK mobile phone and gadget insurance specialist that is the brand's referral partner. Directly comparable as a DTC device protection provider serving UK consumers with similar product scope and distribution model.
• Protect Your Bubble: UK-based multi-product insurance provider with a strong gadget and mobile phone insurance line. Comparable in product offering, customer base (UK consumers), and direct-to-consumer distribution.
• Loveit Coverit: UK gadget insurance specialist offering mobile phone, tablet, and electronics cover. Directly comparable as a focused UK device protection brand competing for the same consumer segment.

Broad incumbents

• Likewize: Global device protection and lifecycle services provider owned by SPB Group — the same parent as Better Buy Insurance. Comparable as a much larger sibling offering similar device protection products at scale across multiple geographies.
• Asurion: Global leader in device protection, supporting carriers and retailers. Comparable as the dominant incumbent in the device protection category, with overlapping customer base and product scope far exceeding Better Buy's single-market footprint.
• SquareTrade: Major device protection provider serving US and international markets including the UK. Comparable as a scaled, multi-country gadget insurance incumbent with broader product, technology, and distribution capabilities.
• AppleCare: Manufacturer-backed device protection programme from Apple. Comparable as a direct competitor for iPhone and Apple device insurance demand, with structural advantages from bundling and brand ownership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/better_buy_ins
• Facebookfacebook.com/betterbuyinsurance

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Better Buy Insurance