Posting "Wish you were here!" pool-side photos online is almost a reflex for some travellers. Nothing quite stokes FOMO like sundown cocktails shared in real time.
Your bathing suit selfies could land you in trouble and thousands of dollars out of pocket.
Experts have begun advising holidaymakers that updating your social media with those 'away on vacay' could void your home and contents insurance. Some uncharitable underwriters could interpret it as neglecting your duties as a policy holder, Although, most do not specifically forbid gloating about your holiday online.
It is essentially telegraphing burglars you're abroad.
A 2019 UK crime and social media survey found one in twelve burglaries happened after the victims had been bragging about their travels on social media.
That's enough to make you twice shy about sharing your holiday snaps.
AA Insurers recently advised policy holders to resist the temptation to update their public instagram pages:
"You wouldn't put a sign on the door advertising that you're on holiday," they advise.
Sharing the same information to Social media could be treated as any other step taken to not properly safeguard contents, like leaving your door open.
"An Instagram here and there won't invalidate your policy, but you'll need to act reasonably and not overshare," writes AA.
They also advise travellers not to share pictures from the inside of their home - showing details such as high value items or giving a clear layout of door locks and room layouts.
Official insurance bodies advise that insurers would have to be very mean spirited to use social media to avoid paying out. The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) recently went as far as to tell AAP say the idea that was "rubbish" and social media activities should not affect your policy.
Australian Insurer GIO said it would be very hard to prove a link between social media activity and a break in. A 2016 survey of 3,283 of the insurer's policy holders over 50 per cent posted updates to their social media accounts while travelling.
The ICA advised travellers "to avoid putting their travel plans and destinations on social media to reduce the risk of being robbed while their home is unoccupied. But it will not affect a claim."
It's safer to share a recap once you're back.
If your holiday snaps are hot stuff and absolutely cannot wait, it makes sense to keep your accounts private. Be sure to check privacy settings so that it's only your friends and family who know how much fun you're having.
