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

Let's do the math on accidental insurance

I've read the Worth Ave thread but I am going to pass on the college plus despite what the phone operator told me since it is clearly stated on their website that you must be a student or employee of colleges or universities.
So for Accidental smartphone coverage:
Worth Ave : $59/year with $50 deductible with no limits on number of incidents. Not sure if there is only one replacement allowed per year.
Cons: maximum of $599, no normal wear and tear or mechanical breakdown, ONLY accidental drops, spills and theft. No claims if you simply lost your phone.
Gocare insurance: $59/year with $50 deductible with no limits on number of incidents. One replacement device during the coverage term. Said it will cover jailbroken phone so I would assume rooted phone also. Coverage seems to be very comprehensive but no theft or loss coverage.
Square trade: one year is $69 two year is $99(cheaper at Amazon, $125 at square trade site) $99 deductible. One replacement per coverage term. Each accidental claim is deducted from full replacement value of phone. A little ambiguity since when I read the contract, it said PURCHASED PRICE not full replacement cost.
Squaretrade:
Given the $99 deductible and the fact that if you paid for 2 years for squaretrade, and the fact that each time you have a claim, the cost of the claim is deducted from the maximum value, I do not think that the squaretrade deal is a good deal. If you choose the $6.99/month, you still have to pay for all 24 months if you made any claim. Also suppose you need a replacement 3 months after your coverage starts, you are out $99 plus $99 and you will not have any more coverage on the replacement device since you exhausted the maximum value.
Gocare:
For $59/year with $50 deductible, I think this is a better plan. Each incident whether it requires replacement or repair is $50 not $99. Also if your phone is not repairable during the first year, you are out only $59+$50 instead of $198 if you had square trade. Also you can repair as often as you like. Crack screen twice, $100. With Squaretrade, two crack screens and you are out $198 plus you probably can't submit another claim ever on that policy if the actual screen replacement cost is half the phone cost.
Either way, it is cheaper and wiser to buy one year instead of two year. Buying one year at a time will allow one replacement each year for the worst case.
I want to hear your thoughts but looks like I am going to pull the trigger on gocare insurance.

I can confirm I claimed on square trade and was given the full retail amount to purchase a new phone
Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

I went with Squaretrade because of their good reviews on Amazon, etc.
I have Sprint's insurance currently, but for 11 dollars a month, with a 150 deductible, I wanted to try something else.
The problem with what you said, buying 1 year at a time, is that I dont believe with Squaretrade you can do that. My understanding is that you have to buy it within the first 30 days of purchasing your phone.

So does Gocare cover loss or theft? It sounds like the best deal, but lost or stolen is important to me.

bullz7210 said:
I went with Squaretrade because of their good reviews on Amazon, etc.
I have Sprint's insurance currently, but for 11 dollars a month, with a 150 deductible, I wanted to try something else.
The problem with what you said, buying 1 year at a time, is that I dont believe with Squaretrade you can do that. My understanding is that you have to buy it within the first 30 days of purchasing your phone.
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That is true, forgot about the 30 days.
GoCare doesn't care if your smartphone is new so you can just buy another one after the first year ends. Neither GoCare nor square trade covers theft or loss but I believe Sprint does.
Worth Ave group covers theft but probably requires a police report. It does not cover lost.
I took a chance and bought the $2000 coverage from Worth Ave group for a year since it is a blanket coverage of all your devices up to $2000. Since you don't even need to submit serial numbers(you can do that when you make a claim, provided you have the original box OR the receipt), I am basically covering every piece of electronics I own for up to $2000(smartphones, camera, laptop, camcorder) against accidental damage, spills, and thefts. Since I have 4 smartphones purchased for family plan, everyone of them is covered against crack screens, drops, and water submersions. For $66/year, I took a chance and hopefully if I have to make a claim, it will be a hassle free $25 deductibles.

I'm glad this thread is here, I was about to make a similar post. I'm also wondering which way to go as I currently have the Sprint coverage and would like something better and more affordable. I never heard of Gocare until now. I've used Squaretrade for my TF700 and it went well, bought a new one with the money...no deductible for tabs.
I'm thinking that will all the things that could go wrong with a phablet, if it would be better to go with Sprint for the ease. Will definitely look more into Gocare as I plan on picking up my phone this weekend.
I also was checking with Professor Google and found this: http://www.ensquared.com/GoCare-vs-Ensquared-vs-SquareTrade Ensquared is looking really good too. I'm going to put some more research into it but from their page here they look to have the best coverage: http://www.ensquared.com/catalog/phone-insurance/1-year-phone-insurance-smartphone

What about best buy? I heard we can just take the receipt and box into the store to get it added.

Ensquare looks pretty good since it covers loss also. Price is not bad for 1 or 2 years and you get up to 2 or 3 claims. I guess squaretrade is best known for service but if you need replacement within 2 years(assuming $99 2 years coverage), you will be out $198 and won't be able to make any more claims. With ensquare, you can lose your phone up to 3 times and they will charge you $75 for first time, $100 second and third time. How is ensquare's claim reputations?

Thanks to being spurred on by this thread, I have decided on insurance (which I NEVER get, but this phone is too expensive to risk) and weighed all the options. I just signed on with Ensquared. I almost went with GoCare, but read several things that said it was more a repair facility than an underwritten insurance provider. I ruled out Square Trade, Sprint and others for a variety of reasons. $59/yr with up to 2 claims ($1000 limit per claim), $75 ded on first and $100 if there's a second. Probably I will have none, but already feel more relaxed. They also cover loss or theft. Link if interested: http://www.ensquared.com/catalog/phone-insurance/1-year-phone-insurance-smartphone

Why not Sprint TEP?
Does it cost more? Yes. $11 a month.
Defective phone or wear and tear? Take it to the store. Swapped or repaired.
Lost, stolen or damaged? $150 deductible. I think there was something stating it's 3 swaps now.
Without it and with a 3rd party insurance. You have your 1 year warranty, but there is a $36 swap fee involved. Or good luck contacting Samsung. I tried and no one spoke English or had any idea of what I meant when I called in and explained my vibration issue. The motor or something is loose that it reproduces a horrid cracking sound. I have to keep it turned down at all times.

Silent25r said:
What about best buy? I heard we can just take the receipt and box into the store to get it added.
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I work for best buy mobile an you can only add our protection plan if you bought the phone with us, with the exception of the iphone which we'll insure no matter where it was bought as long as its within 30 day of purchase and no damage to phone.

ps2gamer02 said:
I work for best buy mobile an you can only add our protection plan if you bought the phone with us, with the exception of the iphone which we'll insure no matter where it was bought as long as its within 30 day of purchase and no damage to phone.
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I have a phone I bought at sprint online and just went into the store and they added the insurance no problem
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium

aquaholik said:
That is true, forgot about the 30 days.
GoCare doesn't care if your smartphone is new so you can just buy another one after the first year ends. Neither GoCare nor square trade covers theft or loss but I believe Sprint does.
Worth Ave group covers theft but probably requires a police report. It does not cover lost.
I took a chance and bought the $2000 coverage from Worth Ave group for a year since it is a blanket coverage of all your devices up to $2000. Since you don't even need to submit serial numbers(you can do that when you make a claim, provided you have the original box OR the receipt), I am basically covering every piece of electronics I own for up to $2000(smartphones, camera, laptop, camcorder) against accidental damage, spills, and thefts. Since I have 4 smartphones purchased for family plan, everyone of them is covered against crack screens, drops, and water submersions. For $66/year, I took a chance and hopefully if I have to make a claim, it will be a hassle free $25 deductibles.
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They DO cover lost...if you file a report. I.E. "I saw it here last but now it is gone", with the police. Not loss in your living room. It has to be reported.
I had extensive conversations with them. As long as you are not trying to scam them. I hope I don't have to use it either.
And to the guy that said why not Sprint. It's 11 a month and $200, not $150 to replace.

steviee7 said:
I have a phone I bought at sprint online and just went into the store and they added the insurance no problem
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Please expound. I might be interested in doing this, but thought I had to buy it at Best Buy to be eligible.

ffolkes said:
Please expound. I might be interested in doing this, but thought I had to buy it at Best Buy to be eligible.
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I went to a best buy and they said only an iPhone would they sell insurance on it if you didn't get it from them. So no luck. He said return the phone and get it from them....

This site add some insight http://extended-warranty-services-review.toptenreviews.com/
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using XDA Premium HD app
---------- Post added at 10:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:04 PM ----------
aquaholik said:
That is true, forgot about the 30 days.
GoCare doesn't care if your smartphone is new so you can just buy another one after the first year ends. Neither GoCare nor square trade covers theft or loss but I believe Sprint does.
Worth Ave group covers theft but probably requires a police report. It does not cover lost.
I took a chance and bought the $2000 coverage from Worth Ave group for a year since it is a blanket coverage of all your devices up to $2000. Since you don't even need to submit serial numbers(you can do that when you make a claim, provided you have the original box OR the receipt), I am basically covering every piece of electronics I own for up to $2000(smartphones, camera, laptop, camcorder) against accidental damage, spills, and thefts. Since I have 4 smartphones purchased for family plan, everyone of them is covered against crack screens, drops, and water submersions. For $66/year, I took a chance and hopefully if I have to make a claim, it will be a hassle free $25 deductibles.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you see the blanket coverage on their site or did you call?
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using XDA Premium HD app

chrischoi said:
Why not Sprint TEP?
Does it cost more? Yes. $11 a month.
Defective phone or wear and tear? Take it to the store. Swapped or repaired.
Lost, stolen or damaged? $150 deductible. I think there was something stating it's 3 swaps now.
Without it and with a 3rd party insurance. You have your 1 year warranty, but there is a $36 swap fee involved. Or good luck contacting Samsung. I tried and no one spoke English or had any idea of what I meant when I called in and explained my vibration issue. The motor or something is loose that it reproduces a horrid cracking sound. I have to keep it turned down at all times.
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People are saying it's $200 for the Note 2 which IMO is getting outta hand.

Sprint insurance is getting so expensive it's out of the question for me. I can wait for a few days while my phone is getting repaired (did it twice with my Epic). The local sprint store (and I did not have TEP) was kind enough to give me a loaner for a week without any charge (best buy will do the same if you have their coverage).
I'm going to go with Best Buy. $169, no deductible. Sure it's more out of pocket, but I've heard of them, and after one claim I'm ahead of the game than with Squaretrade.

Chuck_IV said:
People are saying it's $200 for the Note 2 which IMO is getting outta hand.
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Yes. I had to pay $200
MeetFace said:
Sprint insurance is getting so expensive it's out of the question for me. I can wait for a few days while my phone is getting repaired (did it twice with my Epic). The local sprint store (and I did not have TEP) was kind enough to give me a loaner for a week without any charge (best buy will do the same if you have their coverage).
I'm going to go with Best Buy. $169, no deductible. Sure it's more out of pocket, but I've heard of them, and after one claim I'm ahead of the game than with Squaretrade.
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Best Buy vs. Squaretrade Vs Worth Ave.
Go look at my Worthave thread before you decide. $67 for 2k of insurance on any electronics with a $25 deductible.

ZenInsight said:
Yes. I had to pay $200
Best Buy vs. Squaretrade Vs Worth Ave.
Go look at my Worthave thread before you decide. $67 for 2k of insurance on any electronics with a $25 deductible.
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I didn't see that on their site...how did u get that?
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using XDA Premium HD app

[Q] ATT Mobile Insurance

ATT mobile insurance is $7 per month. But the deductible for the i317 is $200.
Do you think it is worth it to have? is ATT's replacement policy similar to that of Apple for instance. meaning with 100% satisfaction rate or do they give people hard time before replacing any device.
Thanks

I had them replace my note twice for charging port issues, they never gave me any grief. In fact they send a brand new device the second time.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2

It is hard for me to pay those crazy fees now for insurance. I would compare Squaretrade, at least that has a capped rate(one time fee vs monthly).
Here is the kicker for AT&T that they don't always tell you: no matter what is wrong with the phone, after 12 months you pay the $199 deductible. So you paid $8x12 months(or more) and the phone fails to power on but has ZERO damage, you are still required to pay the $199 deductible. That is $296 minimum @ 12 months. Squaretrade is upfront fee of around $100(they offer coupons so it varies look on Facebook) and a deductible of $100(I think).
You need to do the math to see if it is worth it for you. I personally will never pay those fees again bc they are wasted if you don't use it. Your screen is the most likely thing to repair and odds are I can repair it for less than $200. Basically around the same amount of money but I only spend it if needed. Also, do not forget that there is now a real out of contract replacement available: Nexus 4. Once the back order is caught up in a month or two you would be able to get a high end replacement device for 299 or 349, again only spending money if you need to vs spending it every month regardless.
All in your perceived value.

Gvndeb60 said:
It is hard for me to pay those crazy fees now for insurance. I would compare Squaretrade, at least that has a capped rate(one time fee vs monthly).
Here is the kicker for AT&T that they don't always tell you: no matter what is wrong with the phone, after 12 months you pay the $199 deductible. So you paid $8x12 months(or more) and the phone fails to power on but has ZERO damage, you are still required to pay the $199 deductible. That is $296 minimum @ 12 months. Squaretrade is upfront fee of around $100(they offer coupons so it varies look on Facebook) and a deductible of $100(I think).
You need to do the math to see if it is worth it for you. I personally will never pay those fees again bc they are wasted if you don't use it. Your screen is the most likely thing to repair and odds are I can repair it for less than $200. Basically around the same amount of money but I only spend it if needed. Also, do not forget that there is now a real out of contract replacement available: Nexus 4. Once the back order is caught up in a month or two you would be able to get a high end replacement device for 299 or 349, again only spending money if you need to vs spending it every month regardless.
All in your perceived value.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for your argument... I was considering buying the insurance myself
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2

Gvndeb60 said:
It is hard for me to pay those crazy fees now for insurance. I would compare Squaretrade, at least that has a capped rate(one time fee vs monthly).
Here is the kicker for AT&T that they don't always tell you: no matter what is wrong with the phone, after 12 months you pay the $199 deductible. So you paid $8x12 months(or more) and the phone fails to power on but has ZERO damage, you are still required to pay the $199 deductible. That is $296 minimum @ 12 months. Squaretrade is upfront fee of around $100(they offer coupons so it varies look on Facebook) and a deductible of $100(I think).
You need to do the math to see if it is worth it for you. I personally will never pay those fees again bc they are wasted if you don't use it. Your screen is the most likely thing to repair and odds are I can repair it for less than $200. Basically around the same amount of money but I only spend it if needed. Also, do not forget that there is now a real out of contract replacement available: Nexus 4. Once the back order is caught up in a month or two you would be able to get a high end replacement device for 299 or 349, again only spending money if you need to vs spending it every month regardless.
All in your perceived value.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you ever used them? never heard of them.

I have not personally used Squaretrade, but they are highly reputable and I read nothing but good things about them on other forums.
To put it in perspective, IMO, Apple offers the best extended warranty called AppleCare+ for $99 for their devices. I have used it before on my iPad and my wife's iPhone. It is amazing and they cover everything. On imore.com which is an apple site, the forums have lots of people saying they choose Squaretrade over AppleCare.
That is just an example, again I have not used them so I am just sharing what I have read.
But I have used Best Buy coverage, AT&T insurance, and Sprint insurance. Best Buy was horrible in all ways as was Sprint. Both grilled you with tons of questions, and honestly looked for ways to void your warranty. Sprint even called a huge bright white spot on the middle of my HTC EVO a cosmetic problem. Both AT&T and Sprint use Asurian as the insurance company, and both times I have had to swap phones they gave me damaged models. With Sprint I went through about 4 Palm Pres before getting one that wasn't noticeably damaged. ATT swapped my Atrix out without any hassle but the first one was damaged as well.
I could be biased bc of my experiences but remember they are not in business to help you, they are in business to make money. Do the math to see if it is worth it. I will say that I have used it before for the first 2-4 months when a device is first released bc of the high cost. Normally the out of contract cost drops after a month or two.
Good luck.

Gvndeb60 said:
I have not personally used Squaretrade, but they are highly reputable and I read nothing but good things about them on other forums.
To put it in perspective, IMO, Apple offers the best extended warranty called AppleCare+ for $99 for their devices. I have used it before on my iPad and my wife's iPhone. It is amazing and they cover everything. On imore.com which is an apple site, the forums have lots of people saying they choose Squaretrade over AppleCare.
That is just an example, again I have not used them so I am just sharing what I have read.
But I have used Best Buy coverage, AT&T insurance, and Sprint insurance. Best Buy was horrible in all ways as was Sprint. Both grilled you with tons of questions, and honestly looked for ways to void your warranty. Sprint even called a huge bright white spot on the middle of my HTC EVO a cosmetic problem. Both AT&T and Sprint use Asurian as the insurance company, and both times I have had to swap phones they gave me damaged models. With Sprint I went through about 4 Palm Pres before getting one that wasn't noticeably damaged. ATT swapped my Atrix out without any hassle but the first one was damaged as well.
I could be biased bc of my experiences but remember they are not in business to help you, they are in business to make money. Do the math to see if it is worth it. I will say that I have used it before for the first 2-4 months when a device is first released bc of the high cost. Normally the out of contract cost drops after a month or two.
Good luck.
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Thank you Bro.
I've done some research on both.
Before I was under the impression they give you a brand new phone, but it seems a Refurbished one is the way to go for them.
It appears to me that after: $199 + $100 it is not worth it to get a refurbished phone after let's say 12 months of usage. One may just use this money and do an early upgrade if anything goes wrong with the phone.
BTW squaretrade doesn't allow theft coverage.

You don't always get a refurbished... I was given a brand new device once.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2

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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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 ----------
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".