Cellphone insurance

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Gblock

Jan 22, 2014 10:20 AM
got the iphone 5s this weekend and they wanted 11$ a month for the insurance...the last time i had insurance on a phone it was 7$ and after a few months i figured the cost outwieghed the risk...i will never pay 11 a month. however i would like to have a few months of coverage. anyone know any independent/aftermarket companies that are cheap and actually would replace your phone if u lost it?
Jan 22, 2014 10:20am
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thavoice

Senior Member

14,376 posts
Jan 22, 2014 10:22 AM
Yeah, they are starting to rip people off with that insurance.
Even when smart phones just came onto the scene it was only 5 bucks a month and 50 deductible.

They prey on the fear people have about paying full price for the phone if they break it.

Some of the places you get phones from actually offer an independant insurance through them.
Jan 22, 2014 10:22am
bases_loaded's avatar

bases_loaded

Senior Member

6,912 posts
Jan 22, 2014 10:30 AM
Gblock;1570658 wrote:got the iphone 5s this weekend and they wanted 11$ a month for the insurance...the last time i had insurance on a phone it was 7$ and after a few months i figured the cost outwieghed the risk...i will never pay 11 a month. however i would like to have a few months of coverage. anyone know any independent/aftermarket companies that are cheap and actually would replace your phone if u lost it?
My mom didn't have insurance on her 5. It broke...Verizon told her to buy some insurance...come back the next day and file a claim, then cancel the insurance in a month.
Jan 22, 2014 10:30am
Fab4Runner's avatar

Fab4Runner

Tits McGee

6,196 posts
Jan 22, 2014 10:35 AM
I have never had insurance and have been lucky in never breaking my phone and needing a new one. With the deductible as high as it is now, I will probably just keep taking that chance.
Jan 22, 2014 10:35am
wildcats20's avatar

wildcats20

In ROY I Trust!!

27,794 posts
Jan 22, 2014 10:35 AM
bases_loaded;1570670 wrote:My mom didn't have insurance on her 5. It broke...Verizon told her to buy some insurance...come back the next day and file a claim, then cancel the insurance in a month.
I know a ton of people that have done that.
Jan 22, 2014 10:35am
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thavoice

Senior Member

14,376 posts
Jan 22, 2014 10:38 AM
bases_loaded;1570670 wrote:My mom didn't have insurance on her 5. It broke...Verizon told her to buy some insurance...come back the next day and file a claim, then cancel the insurance in a month.
Used to be able to do that very, very easily.
Now if you didnt add it within a month then you have to bring it to a store and they must inspect it before adding it on.
Even at that....if you had a buddy working there they could vouch for ya.
Jan 22, 2014 10:38am
OSH's avatar

OSH

Kosh B'Gosh

4,145 posts
Jan 22, 2014 10:39 AM
I've never bought it, never will. That insurance is one of the biggest scams.

Just take care of your phone. Don't lose it.
Jan 22, 2014 10:39am
wildcats20's avatar

wildcats20

In ROY I Trust!!

27,794 posts
Jan 22, 2014 10:40 AM
OSH;1570684 wrote:I've never bought it, never will. That insurance is one of the biggest scams.

Just take care of your phone. Don't lose it.
Accidents do happen, ya know.
Jan 22, 2014 10:40am
TedSheckler's avatar

TedSheckler

Emporium Entrepreneur

3,974 posts
Jan 22, 2014 10:47 AM
Accidents are preventable. Take care of you things and you don't need insurance.
Jan 22, 2014 10:47am
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thavoice

Senior Member

14,376 posts
Jan 22, 2014 11:00 AM
wildcats20;1570685 wrote:Accidents do happen, ya know.
That they do.
Especially now with people using them nonstop you see an uptick in it. Back in the day when it was only phone calls it would be in a purse, or a pocket, or the car pretty much most of the time but now we are handling them nonstop.

We live in a farming area and they beat the absolute fuck out of their phones. Even the so called indestructible ones.
With ATT i usually had two phones and would swap the sim card. If I was going to a game when it was gonna be rainy, or doing shit outdoors that may fuck it up I would put the sim into my older phone, but if indoors and such would swap it back into my smart phone
Jan 22, 2014 11:00am
ernest_t_bass's avatar

ernest_t_bass

12th Son of the Lama

24,984 posts
Jan 22, 2014 11:12 AM
It's $11, not 11$.
Jan 22, 2014 11:12am
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thavoice

Senior Member

14,376 posts
Jan 22, 2014 11:17 AM
ernest_t_bass;1570700 wrote:It's $11, not 11$.
We know if it was $20 then CCrunner wouldnt purchase it....
Jan 22, 2014 11:17am
Automatik's avatar

Automatik

Senior Member

14,632 posts
Jan 22, 2014 11:24 AM
Never had insurance.

The factory warranty from Apple saved me a few times.

Go Otterbox if you're prone to fucking up your phone.
Jan 22, 2014 11:24am
OSH's avatar

OSH

Kosh B'Gosh

4,145 posts
Jan 22, 2014 11:33 AM
wildcats20;1570685 wrote:Accidents do happen, ya know.
That is true...never thought of that...:RpS_blink:

In my 11 years of having a cell phone, I have only busted one. That would be $1,452 ($11 x 12 months x 11 years, and without tax). I'll take my chances without insurance. In the end, it is a throw-away electronic device that will be obsolete in 1-2 years -- the going rate for when "new" and "better" cellphones come out.
Jan 22, 2014 11:33am
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thavoice

Senior Member

14,376 posts
Jan 22, 2014 11:45 AM
OSH;1570711 wrote:That is true...never thought of that...:RpS_blink:

In my 11 years of having a cell phone, I have only busted one. That would be $1,452 ($11 x 12 months x 11 years, and without tax). I'll take my chances without insurance. In the end, it is a throw-away electronic device that will be obsolete in 1-2 years -- the going rate for when "new" and "better" cellphones come out.
I have never destroyed a phone but have gotten lucky a couple of times. Once I "lost" it and drove up to Subway where i picked up food, and saw it laying on the curb and no one had ran over it yet. Another time I thought I forgot my phone on the way to work and when I got there it was on the top of my car.

With the competition in the marketplace anymore they pretty much let ya upgrade early and any time ya want so it makes it insurance even less worth it...even tho the trade up deals arent all what they are cracked up to be.
Jan 22, 2014 11:45am
sleeper's avatar

sleeper

Legend

27,879 posts
Jan 22, 2014 11:56 AM
bases_loaded;1570670 wrote:My mom didn't have insurance on her 5. It broke...Verizon told her to buy some insurance...come back the next day and file a claim, then cancel the insurance in a month.
So kinda like how Obamacare is going to work.
Jan 22, 2014 11:56am
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
Jan 22, 2014 12:04 PM
LOL...as more and more people wise-up to the insurance scam, and as rates have continued to rise, only careless people sign-up (which drives up the cost further - adverse selection). I paid $8/mo for about a year, and then realized between $8/mo and the $100 "deductible" that your break-even was like losing/breaking 1 phone a year ($200 - the typical cost of subsidized phone on 2-yr contract).

If you bust your phone then you bust your phone. Otherwise I don't think you need it as at least VZW has a pretty good track record of replacing phones with known hardware issues. But for peace of mind paying for insurance for 2 months and then canceling won't break you.

Keep an old phone for an alarm clock/wifi media device and if you bust your phone between contracts you have something to use until you are eligible to upgrade. Otherwise there are always cheaper options available on EBAY in a pinch.
Jan 22, 2014 12:04pm
V

vball10set

paying it forward

24,795 posts
Jan 22, 2014 2:00 PM
sleeper;1570728 wrote:So kinda like how Obamacare is going to work.
lol, well played : thumbup:
Jan 22, 2014 2:00pm
Classyposter58's avatar

Classyposter58

Senior Member

6,321 posts
Jan 22, 2014 2:06 PM
OSH;1570684 wrote:I've never bought it, never will. That insurance is one of the biggest scams.

Just take care of your phone. Don't lose it.
Yup anyone over 17 shouldn't need it
Jan 22, 2014 2:06pm
Heretic's avatar

Heretic

Son of the Sun

18,820 posts
Jan 22, 2014 2:29 PM
Classyposter58;1570769 wrote:Yup anyone over 17 shouldn't need it
Middle-aged women (at least the ones in my office) would disagree. I think they're worse about shit than teens because they have to be in constant touch with their families and are scatterbrained as hell, so they're always misplacing their phones.
Jan 22, 2014 2:29pm
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thavoice

Senior Member

14,376 posts
Jan 22, 2014 2:40 PM
Heretic;1570784 wrote:Middle-aged women (at least the ones in my office) would disagree. I think they're worse about shit than teens because they have to be in constant touch with their families and are scatterbrained as hell, so they're always misplacing their phones.
+1.
Jan 22, 2014 2:40pm
Scarlet_Buckeye's avatar

Scarlet_Buckeye

Senior Member

5,264 posts
Jan 22, 2014 4:43 PM
I used to be one who was always suckered into procuring an insurance plan for my new phone(s), but now... with a $25-40 phone case... with being "extra careful" about dropping my phone, there's no need to buy an insurance plan that's going to end up costing me $11 x 12 months x 2 years = $264, when I can likely purchase a new phone in 2 yrs for $300 or so.
Jan 22, 2014 4:43pm
OSH's avatar

OSH

Kosh B'Gosh

4,145 posts
Jan 22, 2014 6:22 PM
Heretic;1570784 wrote:Middle-aged women (at least the ones in my office) would disagree. I think they're worse about shit than teens because they have to be in constant touch with their families and are scatterbrained as hell, so they're always misplacing their phones.
My wife (who is not middle-aged) was in this situation. She would not take care of her phone at all. I got on her about it after she dropped a brand new phone in the toilet -- she literally just got it before seeing me.

It doesn't take much to actually think about what one is doing to ensure money isn't wasted. In my wife's case, take your phone out of your back pocket when you go to the bathroom -- set it somewhere so it's safe.
Jan 22, 2014 6:22pm
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GOONx19

An exceptional poster.

7,147 posts
Jan 22, 2014 10:29 PM
My 4s had a "fried wifi antenna" after 13 months. Nothing I did wrong, just stopped picking up wifi signal entirely. Ended up buying a 5s, but would've liked to make it to the upgrade this summer.
Jan 22, 2014 10:29pm
sherm03's avatar

sherm03

I go balls deep.

7,349 posts
Jan 23, 2014 10:34 AM
With the new direction that carriers are taking with their phone pricing, you are going to see insurance prices taking a complete nose dive. People aren't going to have a choice soon, and plans like Verizon's EDGE, AT&T's NEXT, and Sprint's One Up will be the only options for purchasing phones. Since people are spreading the full retail cost on their bills, most people would be smart to opt out of the insurance since you're able to upgrade every 12 months instead of every 18-24.

The only thing driving insurance prices right now is Asurion's agreements with carriers to sell the product. Every rep in store has certain targets they have to reach and have to attach insurance to a certain percentage of sales (depending on the area and the carrier, it could be as high as 70%). But with the focus from management switching to making sure people end up on EDGE or NEXT, insurance metrics get pushed to the back burner.
Jan 23, 2014 10:34am