Develop Bugs

Is the best buy black tie insurance worth it?

I just got the best buy insurance plan last tuesday because my phone fell n i got chips on it >.>.
but than decided if i get a full body screen protector plus a case(case on the way from ebay =D) i dont think ill be needing the best buy one.
because it is 10$ a month... do you guys think its worth it.
btw is the zagg full max worth it because i am getting it for 12 dollars..

read my post here:
forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=741045&page=6
sorry i can't post links

Just think, if you keep your phone two years... $240 on insurance.
Half the cost of the phone.
It's almost ALWAYS a better investment to spend the $20 on a case and then pocket the $10/mo into your own personal "insurance fund".

True.. Because today im going to best buy n decide there.
Well wht about the att one.. How does it par even though it has deductibles

acandia007 said:
True.. Because today im going to best buy n decide there.
Well wht about the att one.. How does it par even though it has deductibles
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$125 deductible... $5 a month is half as much, so $120 over two years. $120+$125= $245
It's a wash but based on the fact the BB doesn't have deductibles it might be cheaper if you have to replace it twice.
But all in all, you can insure yourself to death, I vote just get a $20 case and call it good.

you guys are funny.......
www.squaretrade.com
and stop overpaying for insurance on electronics!!!! use www.RetailMeNot.com to get coupon codes, seriously people.......

I have it because cases are gay.

GarciaM25 said:
you guys are funny.......
www.squaretrade.com
and stop overpaying for insurance on electronics!!!! use www.RetailMeNot.com to get coupon codes, seriously people.......
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ST only insures the money spent on the device, not the device itself. Check facts before posting.
Also, BB warranties obviously only apply to BB purchased devices.

TexUs said:
ST only insures the money spent on the device, not the device itself. Check facts before posting.
Also, BB warranties obviously only apply to BB purchased devices.
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ummmmmm, WHAT? so you're telling me that when my TyTN II died the first time under SquareTrade's warranty and I paid $750 for it, giving me back $750 after a year and a half was........ not what I wanted? Check YOUR facts before rambling....

GarciaM25 said:
ummmmmm, WHAT? so you're telling me that when my TyTN II died the first time under SquareTrade's warranty and I paid $750 for it, giving me back $750 after a year and a half was........ not what I wanted? Check YOUR facts before rambling....
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I bought my Captivate on a pricing error for $299.
Guess how much SquareTrade will cover? $299. If my device dies, they'll cut me a check for $299 because the retail $499 price is too expensive.
So check YOUR facts, please.
Let's also assume a $499 device had a $300 repair done to it. They devalue your coverage by that much, so now you've only got $199 left. So now let's say your device breaks completely. Well, you've only got $199 coverage left, they'll cut you a check for $199 and you're SOL on the rest.
Again, like I said earlier, they insure your money invested, not the device. So please stop talking out of your ass when you have no idea.

Insurance is always offered at a rate which would make the provider money. So no, you couldn't convince me that any phone insurance out there is "worth it."

TexUs said:
I bought my Captivate on a pricing error for $299.
Guess how much SquareTrade will cover? $299. If my device dies, they'll cut me a check for $299 because the retail $499 price is too expensive.
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CLOSE, but they don't cover the $299 because $499 is too expensive, moron, they cover it because THAT'S WHAT YOU PAID! You don't go to the dealership and buy a $40K car then tell your insurance company "well, it's worth $80K, but I got a good deal on it because of a pricing error" - sucks you couldn't buy it for $275 like everyone else who early upgraded
How do you think insurance works? Seriously, what the hell.....
TexUs said:
Let's also assume a $499 device had a $300 repair done to it. They devalue your coverage by that much, so now you've only got $199 left. So now let's say your device breaks completely. Well, you've only got $199 coverage left, they'll cut you a check for $199 and you're SOL on the rest.
Again, like I said earlier, they insure your money invested, not the device. So please stop talking out of your ass when you have no idea.
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Where are you getting this information from??? Here's how it REALLY works since you're just going to make up whatever the hell you want here..... I bought a $750 TyTN II and insured it for the full amount I paid. After a year and a half, my keyboard buttons started sticking - called them up, they said they could fix it in 5 days or refund my purchase price if they couldn't (the full $750!), just how it states on their website. They sent the phone back with the Tilt keyboard instead, and the buttons were in the wrong place, so I sent it back to fix it right or pay me the $750. They couldn't get the keyboard in the 5 days, so they sent me $750 back to my PayPal account!!!!!! Furthermore, since they screwed up, they also added in the purchase price of the warranty which they have NO problems doing (they refunded it back to me on a separate occasion too, but your little brain can't process that much info all at once). Directly from their website:
100% Parts & Labor Coverage with Zero Deductibles.
We pay you full item cost if item can't be fixed.
A $50 deductible applies on ADH-related claims for Cell Phones only.
Reimburse: For most items below $500, or it's going to take too long or is too expensive to fix, we'll pay you the replacement price of your item. We give you a free shipping label to make it easy to send in your item. Once you've shipped your item to our service depot, we will repair it within 3-5 days and then ship it back to you at no cost to you.
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So WHERE do you get the fact that once they do a service (replace my keyboard) that they deduct the money involved in the service??? They cancel the warranty if your plan requires a refund of the purchase price of the device, but that has NOTHING to do with subtracting the amount of money spent in repairs........

GarciaM25 said:
CLOSE, but they don't cover the $299 because $499 is too expensive, moron, they cover it because THAT'S WHAT YOU PAID!
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Exactly like I originally stated. They warrant the amount invested but not the device.
GarciaM25 said:
You are such a BS'er - where are you getting this information from???
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How about their own terms?
Now maybe perhaps you can shut the hell up and go back to being ignorant.
Mechanical and electrical failures that occur during normal use of your item. Your item is covered for up to the full purchase price of your item (tax and shipping are excluded).
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The total value of your warranty is in most cases equal to the purchase price of your item. For every valid claim filed against your item for which we provide repair services, the total value of your coverage is reduced by the cost of the repair services rendered. In the event a valid claim is filed with us and repair costs are estimated to exceed the current value of your warranty - the balance of your warranty value will be offered instead.
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In the case of Squaretrade, you can always go up to the $599 device plan and they will pay for your $499 device if need be.
They have multiple tiers. I'm thinking of getting the middle tier for their smartphones and if I need to, and I'll pay the difference if it's above that amount to replace that phone.

gerbick said:
In the case of Squaretrade, you can always go up to the $599 device plan and they will pay for your $499 device if need be.
They have multiple tiers. I'm thinking of getting the middle tier for their smartphones and if I need to, and I'll pay the difference if it's above that amount to replace that phone.
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Wrong.
What part of "Your item is covered for up to the full purchase price" do you not understand?
In the case of subsidy, the "full purchase price" will be the MSRP (which is shown on your receipt), but outside of that "full purchase price" is the amount paid.

thedon809 said:
I have it because cases are gay.
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Me too
Sent from my captivate

I have no case and no insurance.... I will deal with things as they happen. I hate cases, and I find the cost of insurance to high; over the 2 year life of the phone contract I would be paying for a second phone (at subsidized rates).
No other products have such high insurance rates. You don't pay $20,000 in insurance fees over the loan period of a car (5 years) or even over the normal usage duration (10 years) of a car.
But small personal electronics are lost and dropped in toilets all the time (apparently) so the insurance companies have to be able to cover all these people and not go out of business.
The best strategy is to buy these things when they are 6 months old and get the By One Get One offer - then you have a backup.

TexUs said:
Wrong.
What part of "Your item is covered for up to the full purchase price" do you not understand?
In the case of subsidy, the "full purchase price" will be the MSRP (which is shown on your receipt), but outside of that "full purchase price" is the amount paid.
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Insurance at $144 or so covers $599 via their Premium Smartphone insurance. You paid $499 for the Captivate without subsidy. Last I checked, $499 is less than $599.
So you would be covered for $499 when/if the need arises.

ill try to be impartial answering this. yes its worth it. 240 over 2 years may be half the price of the phone, but thats still less than full price of the phone if you want to buy it outright after destroying it.
no deductible, no limit to claims. only thing my customers dislike is the wait time while it is out for service, an issue for most customers and not wanting to put money down on a loaner phone. shouldnt be an issue with the common XDA forum poster...we all have tons of phones lying around we can use in the meantime.
i get a wicked good discount on phones through work and I dont pay any cell bills and i have the 4 major carriers. and i still get the Black tie protection on all my phones

I have the best buy insurance as well and I chipped my phone, think I can get a new one? Ha.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

E4GT insurance

Just bought my phone yesterday & have 14 days to decide if I want opt in with Sprint's insurance plan.
I did so because I wanted to see what other "alternative" insurance competitors had to offer.
Ensquared seems to be pretty good but some things to take into consideration before choosing them:
Monthly premiums are less: $4.91 vs. Sprints $8 which comes out to $58.99/yr. vs Sprints $96/yr. And with Ensquared you pay the whole plan fee up front.
Ensquared's deductible is $75 BUT it's my understanding that there is a $35 admin fee for the first claim and a $25 admin fee for the 2nd & 3rd claim (wtf!!!).
So with Ensquared it comes out to $110 for the 1st claim & $100 for the 2nd & 3rd claims (admin fees included), whereas Sprint has a $100 deductible for 3 claims within a 12 mo. period & no admin fees (I think)
Both Ensquared & Sprint cover up to $1000 on each claim.
On Ensquared's 1 yr. plan you can file up to 2 claims within a 12 month consecutive period, their 2 yr. plan covers up to 3 claims BUT the 2 yr. plan asks for an up front payment of $99.99 which comes out to $4.16/mo. or $49.99/yr.
Sprint also allows one the option to cancel at anytime & receive a prorated credit of your unearned premium, not too sure about Ensquared.
So taking everything into consideration we can see that Ensquared's monthly premiums are lower BUT when filing a claim it costs more.
When calculating all the numbers between the two on a 1 yr. plan basis & using 2 claims within that year. Ensquared comes out to $268.99 & Sprint comes out to $296 (but you have one more claim left)
In the end I'll probably go with Sprint for 3 major reasons: The biggest is no admin fees, the 2nd is a higher number of allowed claims given within each plan period & the 3rd is the ability to recomp any unearned premium.
If anyone here has experience with both can you please post any additional pro's & cons between the two including the level of customer service.
Thanks.

I pay the $8 insurance on both of my phones. It is really nice being able to walk into a Sprint store and walk out one hour later if you have an issue. When I had my OG Epic, my screen went bad. I brought it in and they not only replaced the screen but also the keyboard and battery cover. It was like getting a new phone.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium

JohnCorleone said:
I pay the $8 insurance on both of my phones. It is really nice being able to walk into a Sprint store and walk out one hour later if you have an issue. When I had my OG Epic, my screen went bad. I brought it in and they not only replaced the screen but also the keyboard and battery cover. It was like getting a new phone.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
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This is where having the insurance doesn't seem to make sense... I don't carry it, but if my screen goes bad, I wall into a Sprint store, pay $35, and they replace the phone under manufacturer warranty. Only down side is it sometimes takes a day store a replacement to arrive.
In your case, you had to pay $100, or the cost of repair, right?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App

Maybe I'm wrong, but as I understand it, any insurance claims require you to send the phone to Asurion. I don't believe the Sprint stores handle any insurance claims.

EL TEJANO said:
Ensquared's deductible is $75 BUT it's my understanding that there is a $35 admin fee for the first claim and a $25 admin fee for the 2nd & 3rd claim (wtf!!!).
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Where did you read that the first claim has a $35 fee? First claim is $75, after that it's $100. So for one year it's $60 and two claims ($75, $100). 2 year it's ($75, $100, $100)

mzaur said:
Where did you read that the first claim has a $35 fee? First claim is $75, after that it's $100. So for one year it's $60 and two claims ($75, $100). 2 year it's ($75, $100, $100)
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I read it on their page, unless it was for a different type phone. Either way it's still ridiculous.

I don't have Sprint. Ensquared is considerably cheaper than my options with AT&T. Even compared to Sprint's TEP, if something happens after 12 months, that's 96+100= $196 for replacement. With Ensquared it's $135 if you have 1 year plan and $175 with 2 year plan. Not ridiculous at all.

I was going to stop my Sprint insurance last week because I baby my phone and nothing ever happens. Then my phone stops working. After 45 mins the tech couldn't bring her back to life so they swapped it out right then and there. Usually they order one and it takes a day to get there but I got lucky. Lesson learned it's nice having Sprints insurance. lol

Dalmus said:
This is where having the insurance doesn't seem to make sense... I don't carry it, but if my screen goes bad, I wall into a Sprint store, pay $35, and they replace the phone under manufacturer warranty. Only down side is it sometimes takes a day store a replacement to arrive.
In your case, you had to pay $100, or the cost of repair, right?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App
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The $100 is only for lost/stolen phones when you go through Asurion. I have taken phones into the Sprint store and got them fixed or replaced without paying anything since I have TEP. A friend of mine that is a fireman and does construction on the side breaks his phone a few times a year and never pays for repair or replacement. Think on his latest phone he switched to Best Buy's insurance and then switched back to Sprint's after his first claim with BB. They sent his phone out for a month before finally agreeing to replace it. Sprint he has never waited more than 2 days.

blkhwkz said:
The $100 is only for lost/stolen phones when you go through Asurion. I have taken phones into the Sprint store and got them fixed or replaced without paying anything since I have TEP. A friend of mine that is a fireman and does construction on the side breaks his phone a few times a year and never pays for repair or replacement. Think on his latest phone he switched to Best Buy's insurance and then switched back to Sprint's after his first claim with BB. They sent his phone out for a month before finally agreeing to replace it. Sprint he has never waited more than 2 days.
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the $100 insurance claim also applies to broken screens w/more than a 1/2 inch crack. My wifes EVO dropped a few months back and the screen is nearly shattered. Only way to fix it is to file insurance claim and pay deductible. Sprint stores wont even touch it. Good thing for her is its still usuable and shes waiting a couple months for an upgrade.

Call your home insurance. We're with Amica, and when we asked them about additional coverage for our electronics, they said we could insure all of our electronics (2 cell phones, ipad, 2 Touchpads, computers, etc.) for ~$50 per year. This would be used for worst case scenarios, such as losing your phone, or breaking it beyond repair.
If you have an issue like a bad screen, broken camera, defective microUSB port, etc just take it in to Sprint and pay the $35 to have it repaired. The only way the $8 TEP program is beneficial is if you're very clumsy and/or your phones seem to always break.

I work in a metal fab shop and my phone speakers go out a lot so 8 bucks a month is a good deal for me.
Sent from my PG86100 using XDA App

thaprinze said:
Call your home insurance. We're with Amica, and when we asked them about additional coverage for our electronics, they said we could insure all of our electronics (2 cell phones, ipad, 2 Touchpads, computers, etc.) for ~$50 per year. This would be used for worst case scenarios, such as losing your phone, or breaking it beyond repair.
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Well I'll agree that $50 per year to cover your electronics is good but is there a deductible that must be met first?

Sprint says OPtimus G isn't TEP qualified..

So I have a feeling someone is being a moron when telling me this but the website also says that its not. SO how would I go about adding it?.
I also have a feeling that if/when people use the TEP to replace it will probably be new phones for sometime guess that is a plus.
"Total Equipment Protection" is not supported by the phone LG Optimus G™.

cmsjr123 said:
So I have a feeling someone is being a moron when telling me this but the website also says that its not. SO how would I go about adding it?.
I also have a feeling that if/when people use the TEP to replace it will probably be new phones for sometime guess that is a plus.
"Total Equipment Protection" is not supported by the phone LG Optimus G™.
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Total Equipment Protection
$11.00
That's a different TEP than most older phones.

cmsjr123 said:
So I have a feeling someone is being a moron when telling me this but the website also says that its not. SO how would I go about adding it?.
I also have a feeling that if/when people use the TEP to replace it will probably be new phones for sometime guess that is a plus.
"Total Equipment Protection" is not supported by the phone LG Optimus G™.
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That person is an idiot. You can add TEP on the Optimus G. Trust me. Haha. :laugh:

Can I do it via web? I'm the account owner and.holder and I get the optimus g today
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk 2

I also have the TEP and its $11 per month. The sprint rep was very adamant about it although it seems a bit expensive.
Sent from my LG-LS970 using xda premium

TEP went to 11 bucks a month for all phones above a certain price point. (all newer mid-high end smartphones) and for the low end and feature phones its like 8 bucks a month
Shifted from a Zombie Wasteland

cmsjr123 said:
Can I do it via web? I'm the account owner and.holder and I get the optimus g today
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk 2
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You have 30 days to add it from activation date. So either call or online thru chat
Sent from my LG-LS970 using xda premium

Online via chat probably and well it might be expensive but still cheaper than a new phone..
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

$11 a month x 24 month plan = $264...spendy if you don't use it, but the first time you have to pony up $549 for a new one with out it you'll be wishin you had it lol. especially if it's in the first couple months.
Also don't know if you know this but with TEP it also covers warrenty stuff at $0 deductible past the factory 1 year warrenty. This has come in handy for me several times

stealth919 said:
$11 a month x 24 month plan = $264...spendy if you don't use it, but the first time you have to pony up $549 for a new one with out it you'll be wishin you had it lol. especially if it's in the first couple months.
Also don't know if you know this but with TEP it also covers warrenty stuff at $0 deductible past the factory 1 year warrenty. This has come in handy for me several times
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I had every single one of my HTCs replaced at least twice and my samsung four or five times at no cost to me. I even got upgraded from the Touch Pro to the Touch Pro 2 for free because the TP1 was no longer made or refurbed! Never a bad deal there.

I was able to get TEP on mine. Like others have said, its $11.

sn0w said:
I had every single one of my HTCs replaced at least twice and my samsung four or five times at no cost to me. I even got upgraded from the Touch Pro to the Touch Pro 2 for free because the TP1 was no longer made or refurbed! Never a bad deal there.
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No sir, that's getting your money's worth there for sure!

So could someone explain exactly how it works? I'm considering it. Do I pay for repairs? And I know everything is covered.. I'm tempted..
Sent from my LG-LS970 using Tapatalk 2

If its your fault then 100 deductable no questions asked. Warrenty stuff is free.
Sent from my LG-LS970 using Tapatalk 2

TEP's monthly cost is calculated by the full MSRP of the handset.
Anything below $499.99 is $8 per month
Everything $500 and up is $11 per month
WiMax devices are grandfathered into the old $8 rate (The Motorola Photon, HTC Evo 3D, etc. are $549.99 but are $8 per month to insure).
Deductibles are also calculated by the full MSRP of the handset.
Anything $299 and below will have a $50 deductible
Anything between $300-499 will have a $100 deductible
Anything between $500-599 will have a $150 deductible
Anything over $600 has a $200 deductible
Wimax devices are again the exception having been grandfathered in on the old $8 rate; The Photon and Evo 3D for example have $100 deductibles.
Some examples of TEP premiums and deductible schedule with Sprint's current device lineup:
Kyocera Rise - MSRP $249.99, $8/month, $50 deductible
LG Mach - MSRP $399.99, $8/month, $100 deductible
Samsung Galaxy S II - MSRP $499.99, $8/month, $100 deductible - WIMAX
[*]LG Optimus G - MSRP $549.99, $11/month, $150 deductible
Samsung Galaxy S III 16GB - MSRP $549.99, $11/month, $150 deductible
Samsung Galaxy S III 32GB - MSRP $599.99, $11/month, $150 deductible
Samsung Galaxy Note II - MSRP $649.99, $11/month, $200 deductible
As for what's covered, here's the easiest way to think of it:
Anything YOU did to your phone (or by omission allowed to happen) will require you to contact Asurion, pay a deductible and they will ship a phone to the address of your choosing. *
Anything that the PHONE did by itself and can be reproduced in the store is covered at a store level. They'll attempt to fix the phone, if it can't be fixed a DHRP (Direct Handset Replacement Program) phone will be ordered. **
As for your manufacturers warranty, it's completely and 100% not applicable at the store. Doesn't matter if you bought the phone 8 months or 8 weeks ago, once you're outside of 14 day return/exchange window, you're paying out of pocket to fix defects with your phone if you don't have TEP. If it's physical damage, lost/stolen, etc, you're paying out of pocket to buy a phone at full MSRP.
* This would be physical damage, cosmetic damage, lost phone, stolen phone, liquid damage, cracked screens, housing damage, etc
** This would be defects in the phone itself such as swollen battery, blown speaker, dead spots in the screen, non-traumatic charging port failures, etc.
Accessories bundled with the device are not included in TEP protection (chargers, headphones, etc)
DHRP phones can be new or reconditioned depending on the age of the product (the older it get's the more likely you are to get a recon) and will either be the same phone or something comparable. If you bring in a broken Galaxy S II don't expect to walk out with a Note.
---------- Post added at 03:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:43 PM ----------
I forgot to mention, TEP can be added during the 14 day return policy or after an eligible repair. If you bring in an uninsured phone, pay to have it fixed, TEP can be added afterwards.
Care may allow you to add TEP up to 30 days out but it doesn't always stay on the account if you do it at the store after 14 days from purchase (System may kick it off if it doesn't see a TEP eligible transaction).

Being a tech for sprint I will tell you that TEP is available for our phones. I have it on mine. I believe that when they say it's not available they are most likely referring to the TEP app you can download. The app usually takes some time to be made compatible with new devices.
The TEP app allows things like GPS location of your phone, remote wipe, etc and can only be used if you have TEP service on your account.

I am also a tech for Sprint and to clear things up, we are required to fix the phone, even if it is technically "your fault." With three exceptions. If the device is liquid damaged or the screen is shattered, or the board is damaged, it is supposed to be sent through Asurion.
Now, the lines drawn for liquid damage are kind of a grey area. Technically, if the litmus papers are triggered, it could be considered liquid damaged. But at my store, we give the customer the benefit of the doubt and have to see actual liquid or corrosion.
Also, the shattered screen thing, is supposed to be an Asurion claim, but at my store, we will generally fix the phone unless the we don't have the part to do so. We try to take care of the customer as much as possible.

Th3ArCh0n said:
I am also a tech for Sprint and to clear things up, we are required to fix the phone, even if it is technically "your fault." With three exceptions. If the device is liquid damaged or the screen is shattered, or the board is damaged, it is supposed to be sent through Asurion.
Now, the lines drawn for liquid damage are kind of a grey area. Technically, if the litmus papers are triggered, it could be considered liquid damaged. But at my store, we give the customer the benefit of the doubt and have to see actual liquid or corrosion.
Also, the shattered screen thing, is supposed to be an Asurion claim, but at my store, we will generally fix the phone unless the we don't have the part to do so. We try to take care of the customer as much as possible.
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I'm about to take my chances in having my wife's SGS3 fixed. She has a slight crack that goes through the center of the glass. It's not shattered by any means, but I more or less assumed that the phone being 3 months old, it would be covered by warranty. I do have TEP on it though.

Th3ArCh0n said:
We try to take care of the customer as much as possible.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for doing that. I was turned away from my local Sprint store for having a shattered screen on my Evo 4G. The "greeter" took one look at it and wouldn't give me the time of day - didn't even offer to fix me up with a new phone. I was off contract and he might have made a sale that day. Instead, his attitude convinced me to buy my new LGOG straight from Sprint instead of through him.
Thanks for providing good customer service - I only wish I lived in GR near you!!!

tduck said:
Thanks for doing that. I was turned away from my local Sprint store for having a shattered screen on my Evo 4G. The "greeter" took one look at it and wouldn't give me the time of day - didn't even offer to fix me up with a new phone. I was off contract and he might have made a sale that day. Instead, his attitude convinced me to buy my new LGOG straight from Sprint instead of through him.
Thanks for providing good customer service - I only wish I lived in GR near you!!!
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I am sure he feels bad for missing out on an upgrade that would have paid him 4 bucks. Scratch that, when you gave him a bad survey score for making you buy a phone when yours was "repairable" he would have lost money anyway. He really missed out.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium

Insuring for Galaxy Note 4

I am coming from best buy Geek Squad with no deductible. I know best buy is still much better than sprint but I am looking for insurance that offers me the best protection including accidental drops and water damage and coverage for lost and stolen phones (although I'm willing to give this up if I have to in return for a great accidental plan with low ddeductible) I'm curious what everyone else is planning to go with to protect their new phone. With bestbuy I had my phone ran over by a semi and dropped from high elevation (both theories technically not covered) but was replaced twice at no charge.
Anyone find this kind of great insurance else where?

Maybe I'll just do geek squad and drop sprints insurance

hardingn88 said:
I am coming from best buy Geek Squad with no deductible. I know best buy is still much better than sprint but I am looking for insurance that offers me the best protection including accidental drops and water damage and coverage for lost and stolen phones (although I'm willing to give this up if I have to in return for a great accidental plan with low ddeductible) I'm curious what everyone else is planning to go with to protect their new phone. With bestbuy I had my phone ran over by a semi and dropped from high elevation (both theories technically not covered) but was replaced twice at no charge.
Anyone find this kind of great insurance else where?
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I haven't looked at specifics between plans to compare, something I need to do but I recently read an article on one of the many android-centric sites about best buy's updated insurance plan and it is not so good, a few months back it was modified greatly and at quick glance it was worse than what is provided through sprint. These aren't exact numbers but it was something like 40 dollars per claim even if work (as in fix/replace) is done or not and deductible was through the roof for high-end smartphones [audit needed]. I just remember many of the commenters on the article were saying they were jumping ship from BB insurance and going with sprint's.

No insurance for me. Never had it on a phone I've owned.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using XDA Free mobile app

ahhh, nice, cheaper than both BB and Sprint:
http://www.samsung.com/us/owners/protection-plus/mobile-elite/?CID=AFL-hq-mul-0813-11000170
+1 Samsung
Sprint: $11 x 24 = $264 + $200 deductible, total $464
BB/GeekSquad: $149 up-front + $149 service fee, total $298
Samsung: $129 up-front + $95 service fee, total $224
Sprint includes service/repair in their monthly cost, but not replacement.
BB/GS&Samsung all charge a service fee any severity problem.

evolone said:
ahhh, nice, cheaper than both BB and Sprint:
http://www.samsung.com/us/owners/protection-plus/mobile-elite/?CID=AFL-hq-mul-0813-11000170
+1 Samsung
Sprint: $11 x 24 = $264 + $200 deductible, total $464
BB/GeekSquad: $149 up-front + $149 service fee, total $298
Samsung: $129 up-front + $95 service fee, total $224
Sprint includes service/repair in their monthly cost, but not replacement.
BB/GS&Samsung all charge a service fee any severity problem.
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Thank you so much for this information. This is what I will be going with. Currently I have been paying $22 a month with best buy for 2 phones and never used it for one of the phones. That is $264 per device over the 24 month policy term that I paid. Samsung seems to have the best plan available for me and seems to have the lowest deductible which has been my concern. I live paycheck to paycheck and do not have $150-$200 to pay to best buy or sprint if I was to need to make a claim and $95/per claim would much easier on me. Again, Thank you for sharing that information. I don't understand why samsung has not marketed this a little better maybe in their commercials or something. Hopefully they will market it better so it will do good. I have been on the samsung site every day for the last week waiting for note 4 accessories and have never seen this.

Squaretrade is even cheaper than Samsung. It has a lower deductible and the premium is cheaper too..
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium

I'm also coming from geek squad with no deductible on my GS4 , and I'll be going to square trade it's the best deal for $100 for 2 Years or 5$ a month and it's a 75$ deductible cheapest of all them, I'll miss the no deductible tho :/

Only the Sprint policy covers lost or stolen phones so something to keep in mind.
I'm not cheer-leading for them just adding info to the archives.
I do use Square Trade on my other electronics but will probably keep the Sprint insurance for a year.

Itchiee said:
Only the Sprint policy covers lost or stolen phones so something to keep in mind.
I'm not cheer-leading for them just adding info to the archives.
I do use Square Trade on my other electronics but will probably keep the Sprint insurance for a year.
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I haven't filed a claim with them yet, but Worth Ave. Group insurance seems to be the best deal, and has great reviews: http://www.worthavegroup.com/product/cell-phone-insurance/
For a $699 phone and $50 deductible, it's $69 per year. From their site, "Each policy covers the cell phone for Accidental Damage such as drops and spills as well as Theft, Fire, Flood, Natural Disasters and Lightning Strikes. With a low $50 deductible and premiums starting as little as under $4 a month, this policy accommodates every budget. We cover NEW, USED and REFURBISHED devices."

I've been doing some more digging around about policies and this might be some useful information.
Options for people concerned with lost/stolen smartphones
-Renters/Homeowners Insurance - you'll need to add a "Valuable Personal Article" to your plan - this is also the cheapest way to go out of all of them, but only covers loss not damage (same insurers may cover damage)
-Sprint (insurance by Asurion)
If only concerned about broken/damaged smartphones (plans exclude loss)
-Squaretrade
-Samsung
Alternative ...best deal of them all but there is some risk (imo)
-Worth Ave. Group
Note: They pay out cost of plan instead of repair/replace. If you go with the $899 plan and if something happens to the phone they send you $899. The issue I found is if you look up reviews online (not on their website) there are mixed reviews, people have had problems with their claims and WAG's customer service. So there seems to be some risk here of getting the money, also the wait-time of processing the claim and actually receiving the money. [update] They don't cover loss and their definition of theft is extremely specific, read their fine print.

Itchiee said:
Only the Sprint policy covers lost or stolen phones so something to keep in mind.
I'm not cheer-leading for them just adding info to the archives.
I do use Square Trade on my other electronics but will probably keep the Sprint insurance for a year.
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Also, if you're using Easy Pay and plan to upgrade in a year, you can only trade in the original device or a Sprint approved replacement. If you use other insurance and get a replacement, you'll have to keep it the full two years.

evolone said:
I'll
If only concerned about broken/damaged smartphones (plans exclude loss)
-Squaretrade
-Samsung
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Samsung has insurance? Is it well priced?

I didn't even realize that bestbuy changed. I've been looking around for the negative reviews by Worth Ave and I can't find any. I've seen a few that claim to be negative but the details sound like people are trying to get coverage on things that were stated not to be covered. I'm not trying to defend them by any means. Just looking for where all these mixed reviews are posted.

Silent25r said:
I didn't even realize that bestbuy changed. I've been looking around for the negative reviews by Worth Ave and I can't find any. I've seen a few that claim to be negative but the details sound like people are trying to get coverage on things that were stated not to be covered. I'm not trying to defend them by any means. Just looking for where all these mixed reviews are posted.
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Here is a good place to look BBB, yes they are 'resolved' but if you read them, many are not to the customers satisfaction.
There's also more, just google for it, you'll need to do some digging through ads/promotions and whatnot. Some of the complaints have to do with technicalities in the fine print that allow the company to deny the claim. For example if my phone is stolen I'd expect reimbursement from the claim under any circumstance, not an investigation into why it doesn't fit their definition of theft and then denied. Here's a scenario they would deny: Your at starbucks and place an order, you go find a table and put your phone on it, they call your name and you get your coffee, you come back to an empty table. Stupid absolutely, but the phone was stolen (theft), Worth would deny that claim because the phone was unprotected and "free for the taking". That's a simplistic example of the reviews/complaints/issues i've found. Basically there has to be some act of vandalism (breaking and entering/physical attack etc) along with the act of theft for it be covered and apparently this is in the fine print and not in their advertisements.
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jrollercoasters said:
Samsung has insurance? Is it well priced?
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Post 5

evolone said:
Here is a good place to look BBB, yes they are 'resolved' but if you read them, many are not to the customers satisfaction.
There's also more, just google for it, you'll need to do some digging through ads/promotions and whatnot. Some of the complaints have to do with technicalities in the fine print that allow the company to deny the claim. For example if my phone is stolen I'd expect reimbursement from the claim under any circumstance, not an investigation into why it doesn't fit their definition of theft and then denied. Here's a scenario they would deny: Your at starbucks and place an order, you go find a table and put your phone on it, they call your name and you get your coffee, you come back to an empty table. Stupid absolutely, but the phone was stolen (theft), Worth would deny that claim because the phone was unprotected and "free for the taking". That's a simplistic example of the reviews/complaints/issues i've found. Basically there has to be some act of vandalism (breaking and entering/physical attack etc) along with the act of theft for it be covered and apparently this is in the fine print and not in their advertisements.
---------- Post added at 02:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:06 PM ----------
Post 5
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Thanks for that reply. I did read the BBB. At least some of them. A lot of the issues did deal with people leaving their cars unlocked or breaking in commercial used vehicles. I don't know about worth ave ads since I usual don't read the ads. I've yet to leave any of my phones unprotected and I'm anal about locking things up. However, as far as insurance goes the only ones I've looking at don't offer replacement for stolen devices of any kind. Samsung and squaretrade. Since I don't like a lot of time to go by on waiting for a replacement Squaretrade is out for me.
Aursion brunt me bad. I filed a BBB case against them myself. Had liquid damage with my note 2. After agreeing to pay the high deductible they sent me a broken replacement and refused to replace the replacement. Sprint kept telling me I had 10 days to get them to replace it but they wouldn't do it. I spoke to supervisors at Aursion and did all I could to get them to replace my broken replacement and they told me the only way they'd do it if is if I paid another 250 or whatever stupidly high price they are charging. I ended up having to wait around for a week for Sprint to get me a replacement device and surprising that device didn't work so I had to wait yet another week. I did finally get a working phone and I was refunded the deductible on the grounds of TEP not following their contract. I had to get a hold of sprint corporate in order to make this refund happen. Aursion didn't appear to be happy with the way things went and made sure I knew that I would never have to use them again.
Under the Samsung insurance if my device fails under normal circumstances will they still get me a fast replacement and not charge me 95 bucks to fix their problem? That for me is the kicker. If not, I'm probably going to go with Worth Ave. I'm not really counting on my phone being stolen but I do spend a lot of time on the water. Liquid damage is my worse enemy. I didn't want the S5 and no case so far offers waterproofing. For now, I'll just use a waterproof box and a bluetooth. Despite these measures I had one of those boxes fail on me taking my device with it. This week I'll be going through Worth Ave's terms and conditions and e-mailing them questions on anything I'm unsure about.
I still don't understand how Best Buy went from being on the best to what I'm calling one of the worst in terms of insurance. From the looks of things even it is covered under warranty they may still charge to fix or replace it. I understand people gaming the system but I think they went a little to aggressive on stopping that from happening.

i've never had an issue with Geek Squad and my Note 2 other than having to use one of my own phones as a backup until it was fixed (don't carry sprint phones for some reason). I had a bad string of unfortunate events within about a 3 month period and went through three Note IIs. They replaced each one without question. The last replaced phone was about four months ago. i suppose I'll be finding out what has changed since then when my phone comes in.

Silent25r said:
...For now, I'll just use a waterproof box and a bluetooth. Despite these measures I had one of those boxes fail on me taking my device with it.
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Why not go with liquipel? I don't mean the self applied external only stuff they sell but their service that waterproofs inside and all. They downplay its functionality somewhat on their site but check out the youtube videos of multi-hour submersion in water. And if you live near Santa Ana or Vancouver you can get it done locally in 20 minutes instead of waiting for shipping.

4SQUARE

Probably a stupid question, but can you do 2 warranties at the same time? For example, i want to be covered for the lost/stolen part of sprint, but I also want the lower deductible from Squaretrade. Is that possible?
Sent from my SM-P900 using XDA Premium HD app

Has anyone heard of squaretrade insurance?

http://www.squaretrade.com/best-buy-smartphone-warranty
They have better rates than bestbuy and sprint, and a lower deductible..has anyone heard of this company before? I'm like 4 days into having my note 4 and kinda thinking about insurance. bestbuy decided to impliment a protection plan identical to sprints. :/

No. But you have got me interested. Im going to call them this week and get some more info. 11 bucks a month for sprints insurance, its half the cost. One thing about insurion (or what ever their name is), i know for a fact they pay claims. Ive used them once when I dropped my droid razr maxx hd in my coffee. Had a new phone in 2 days. Not sure how reliable this one is. But Im definitely interested in knowing more. One thing that is a red flag is it has Sprints deductible at 200 bucks. Mine is 100 bucks, or at least it used to be.
Let me know what you find out. Ill do the same after I call them.
Thanks for the info. Good to know there is some competition for mobile device insurance.
AS FOR ME.....GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH

Unfortunately with the premium phones the deductible is $200 and $300 if you lose the phone. I will be looking into this tomorrow also.

I would read the reviews on Amazon, I was all for buying through square trade... Now I am rethinking it

I actually use to sell Square Trade and use them for all my electronics (except phones because I haven't broken one yet). If you read the comments you'll see that they're 5 star rated on Amazon and have an A+ rating with the BBB as well as numerous awards for customer service. They're totally worth it though I'm not familiar with their phone policies, I only TV, computer, and tablet warranties.
I do know that if you intend on keeping the phone for the full two years you can just buy the insurance instead of doing monthly installments. In the end it saves you around 50% give or take.
If you want more info call them or go in to a TigerDirect, they sell them there. You can get a device anywhere and buy the Square Trade at Tiger, just make sure to tell them you saw the online price and it was cheaper, it'll knock down the price.

Squaretrade is about the same as any warranty, customer service is ok, once you speak to a supervisor. Most lower reps don't know what they are talking about, when my note 3 screen cracked they replaced it with a new phone from amazon, but I was told that was a one time deal. Otherwise it is "gently used" or open box items. I paid 89 for two years with them, but I am also paying 13 a month with sprint and will probably stick with sprint unless Squaretrade does that again. Only recommend them if you don't want to shell out a monthly payment with sprint
Sent from my SM-N910P using XDA Premium HD app

Have we found out anything else regarding squaretrade? I haven't had a chance to call them at all but I'm thinking of just going with best buys insurance, even if the deductible is crazy high. ..

I have SquareTrade on both of my tablets but fortunately I never used the policy... I would insure my phone with them but they don't cover theft or loss like Sprint does.
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

Come on guys, Google is your friend! Squaretrade is either $5 a month or $99 for two years. They don't cover loss or theft and their deductible is $75. Across the board they're more affordable than everyone else. You can also get it on any device at any time, you just have to prove it's working I guess.
http://www.squaretrade.com/smartphone-warranty

I am interested in switching to square trade but other than theft coverage Sprint's tep has one other benefit. There have been times where I go to a Sprint store for an issue, like my wifi radio not working anymore or something else. They have replaced it for free. Sometimes with a new device.
It looks like with square trade it's cheaper but you get a refurbished or used device.

DarkManX4lf said:
I am interested in switching to square trade but other than theft coverage Sprint's tep has one other benefit. There have been times where I go to a Sprint store for an issue, like my wifi radio not working anymore or something else. They have replaced it for free. Sometimes with a new device.
It looks like with square trade it's cheaper but you get a refurbished or used device.
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Sprint TEP will replace with used/refurbished phone also. It even states that in the fine print. It even says they can replace with different device of equal value.

I've used squaretrade for years, they're a good route to take, but as with any contract, be sure to read the terms and understand what you're reading.

Patch7 said:
Sprint TEP will replace with used/refurbished phone also. It even states that in the fine print. It even says they can replace with different device of equal value.
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Yep I know. That's why I said "some times with a new device".