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AppleCare+ vs. VZW Warranty vs. Geek Squad. vs. SquareTrade

willmtaylor

willmtaylor

macrumors G4
Original poster
Oct 31, 2009
10,314
8,198
Here(-ish)
mhanna said:
I am getting the iPhone 5 for my kids (on Sprint). Based on past experience, they are more likely to lose the phone than damage it. Since AC+ does not cover lost phones can anyone suggest where to go for lost/stolen coverage? Thank you.
Click to expand...

Someone on another thread recommended Worth Ave Group. I had never heard of 'em, but they seem legit.

And don't forget to enable iCloud and the Find My iPhone feature.

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meganator said:
Don't forget that after the first year apple won't replace or fix non-accidental issues either. I had to pay $200 for a refurb phone when my two month out of warranty iPhone 4 just quit charging. In addition to the two accidental replacements you get regular warranty service for the full length of the contract.
Click to expand...


It's a bit much to just say they won't. There of plenty of stories, from myself included, of people taking in Apple devices, including iPhones, that are out of warranty and walking out with a repair or refurb. without paying a dime.its just that they don't have to. One has to catch the right person at the right time.
 
boomhower

boomhower

macrumors 68000
Oct 21, 2011
1,570
56
mhanna said:
I am getting the iPhone 5 for my kids (on Sprint). Based on past experience, they are more likely to lose the phone than damage it. Since AC+ does not cover lost phones can anyone suggest where to go for lost/stolen coverage? Thank you.
Click to expand...

If your kids are that prone to losing their phone don't buy them a $700 phone until they are more responsible.
 
M

mslederer

macrumors newbie
Sep 14, 2012
3
0
So, I am getting ready to take the iPhone plunge and get 4 for our family. Seems like maybe getting insurance is a waste of money. Here are my questions.

- If you get a replacement through AC+ are you getting a new or refurbished phone? What about through Square Trade? These seem like the only two reasonable options unless you need loss coverage.

- Yes, my teenagers should wait to get the iPhone until they're responsible enough to not lose it. But.... Things happen. They will have to pay for their own insurance, but what is the best option? Worth Ave says they only pay for theft (with a police report). VZW is outrageous and a pain. Any other options?
 
R

Rigby

macrumors 603
Aug 5, 2008
6,222
10,168
San Jose, CA
In case you have a Wells Fargo credit card, check whether you are eligible for their Cell Phone Protection. Just use the card to pay your cell phone bill, and you will have coverage up to $600 for accidental damage and theft.
 
G

Gjwilly

macrumors 68040
May 1, 2011
3,216
701
SF Bay Area
Didn't see it mentioned yet but Square trade also provides refurbished replacements.
And they're not even Apple refurbs. They just come in a plain black box from whichever repair center they're currently contracting with.
 
edtorious

edtorious

macrumors 65816
Aug 14, 2007
1,212
78
San Diego, California
I used my Discover credit card to pay for my iPhone 5 and according to Discover, they will extend another year of my manufacturer's warranty. So my question is since Applecare is included and Discover will only extend it for a year but if I lost or my iPhone 5 is stolen, my Discover will not cover it correct? Discover will only extend and cover per Applecare condition right?
 
G

Gjwilly

macrumors 68040
May 1, 2011
3,216
701
SF Bay Area
AppleCare (not the same as AppleCare+) does not cover accidental damage so the additional year that Discover will add doesn't really get you a whole lot.
 
jkeb

jkeb

macrumors regular
Mar 13, 2011
167
0
Gjwilly said:
AppleCare (not the same as AppleCare+) does not cover accidental damage so the additional year that Discover will add doesn't really get you a whole lot.
Click to expand...

Agreed. The free automatic extended warranty is a great service from Discover but if you're looking for AppleCare+ level protection, this isn't it. It just double's the length of the manufacturer's warranty on defective parts and labor.

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Gjwilly said:
Didn't see it mentioned yet but Square trade also provides refurbished replacements.
And they're not even Apple refurbs. They just come in a plain black box from whichever repair center they're currently contracting with.
Click to expand...

I have a lot of stuff warrantied with SquareTrade but their current $35 off coupon is really lame. Their every day price for an iPhone warranty is $99, even if they say the regular price is $124.99. It's been $99 forever because it was the price when I was considering it for my iPone 4S a year ago. When you apply the $35 off coupon, the price becomes $89. That's $10 off, not $35 off. You can't offer the same reduced price forever and then offer $35 off the full price that you never charge to begin with. Does that make sense?
 
A

AlvinNguyen

macrumors 6502a
Jun 23, 2010
820
3
Square Trade vs AppleCare+ ?

Any of you guys experienced Square Trade? I'm wondering is better since they give 4 accidental repairs whereas AppleCare only gives 2. This is pretty much the only difference. Both of them give refunds if you get a new phone and wants your $ pro-rated and put it towards your new protection plan.
 
lorenwade

lorenwade

macrumors 68000
Aug 27, 2008
1,951
0
I have square trade for this very reason. It's better in every way. AppleCare+ used to cover theft/loss but I don't see that it has that anymore (ST doesn't offer this) so otherwise they're exactly the same.
 
A

AlvinNguyen

macrumors 6502a
Jun 23, 2010
820
3
lorenwade said:
I have square trade for this very reason. It's better in every way. AppleCare+ used to cover theft/loss but I don't see that it has that anymore (ST doesn't offer this) so otherwise they're exactly the same.
Click to expand...

I'm thinking the same thing - gonna cancel my applecare+
 
R

rnizlek

macrumors 6502
Mar 31, 2004
335
176
Washington, DC
I've had a good experience with Squaretrade in the past, so I went with Squaretrade for my 5. The fact that they offered me the service for $89 in a promotion a few days before the release of the 5 helped also...
 
B

Boiler

macrumors regular
Apr 30, 2009
149
0
Sounds like square trade over apple care

But I prefer no warranty insurance for cost savings
Hoping that my accumulated savings can pay for emergencies
I'm careful and haven't dropped an iPhone or needed replacement
*knocks on wood
 
mattopotamus

mattopotamus

macrumors G5
Jun 12, 2012
14,666
5,879
I don't see how these companies replace lost/stolen phones....that is the easiest way to commit insurance fraud.
 
G

Gjwilly

macrumors 68040
May 1, 2011
3,216
701
SF Bay Area
Apple gives out refurbs that are Apple certified.
The Squaretrade refurbs have no pedigree. Just phones assembled by various contracted repair centers.
 
RetiredInFl

RetiredInFl

macrumors 68020
Jul 7, 2008
2,422
237
FORMERLY NJ now FL
Gjwilly said:
Apple gives out refurbs that are Apple certified.
The Squaretrade refurbs have no pedigree. Just phones assembled by various contracted repair centers.
Click to expand...
With ST you still can go to Apple and get their "official" replacement for $150 or whatever it is then ST will reimburse you. You don't have to have them "repair" it.

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mattopotamus said:
I don't see how these companies replace lost/stolen phones....that is the easiest way to commit insurance fraud.
Click to expand...
Most don't because they don't cover lost or stolen phones. The one (or two) that do require you to file a police report for lost or stolen and a notorized affidavit that it was stolen. Filing a false police report can land you in jail.
 
Spink10

Spink10

Suspended
Nov 3, 2011
4,261
1,020
Oklahoma
What is the official $150 apple replacement?

What would be the different between an applecare replacement and a ST replacement done at the apple store?
 
K

kevink2

macrumors 68000
Nov 2, 2008
1,842
294
I may have made the mistake with ordering Applecare+. But with the home button problems I had with the 4 (though I was lucky and able to finally fix it with alcohol), I decided that I wanted at least 2 years of coverage.

The mistake might be because I decided to buy a case that is more robust than my previous one. So hopefully I don't ever need to use the Applecare.
 
boomhower

boomhower

macrumors 68000
Oct 21, 2011
1,570
56
TB07-NJ said:
With ST you still can go to Apple and get their "official" replacement for $150 or whatever it is then ST will reimburse you. You don't have to have them "repair" it.

----------

 Most don't because they don't cover lost or stolen phones. The one (or two) that do require you to file a police report for lost or stolen and a notorized affidavit that it was stolen. Filing a false police report can land you in jail.
Click to expand...

You can't file a police report for a lost phone. There is no crime against losing something. I have people wanting to do it all the time. It's surprising how difficult of a concept that is for some folks to grasp.
 
dontwalkhand

dontwalkhand

macrumors 603
Jul 5, 2007
6,377
2,866
Phoenix, AZ
boomhower said:
You can't file a police report for a lost phone. There is no crime against losing something. I have people wanting to do it all the time. It's surprising how difficult of a concept that is for some folks to grasp.
Click to expand...

My department allows you to, I don't know why yours doesn't. They won't really do anything, but it gives you something to give to your insurance to get a new phone.
 
boomhower

boomhower

macrumors 68000
Oct 21, 2011
1,570
56
dontwalkhand said:
My department allows you to, I don't know why yours doesn't. They won't really do anything, but it gives you something to give to your insurance to get a new phone.
Click to expand...

It's not that the department won't allow us, it's just not possible. Very first thing is what crime is committed. What crime was committed? There was none. An incident report is a report of a crime, it's just not possible to write one without a crime. Not to mention neither the city council nor the state would care for us making something up that increases crime statistics so phones can be reported as lost.

Typically we'll just type up a log that says joe came and said he lost his phone. All that prints out is a sheet with a time/date on it that says just that. Don't know how the insurance companies react to them.
 
P

phil1995

macrumors member
Aug 4, 2008
80
0
I have had ST on my Iphone 4 and have never filed a claim with them. But I can tell you this. If they promise you anything promotional, make sure it is written on your paperwork.

When I bought my warranty, they had a promotion going that they would buy back the phone at the some percentages that Best Buy was offering with the purchase of a warranty.

I called them this week to see what the value of my phone was, and everyone there suddenly had amnesia about the buy back promotion. I even did a Google search and showed them article after article from last March detailing the buy back program. They refuse to acknowledge that the program ever existed.

I no longer trust them with anything they tell me.
 
Arnezie

Arnezie

macrumors 65816
Oct 10, 2011
1,317
115
Boiler said:
Sounds like square trade over apple care

But I prefer no warranty insurance for cost savings
Hoping that my accumulated savings can pay for emergencies
I'm careful and haven't dropped an iPhone or needed replacement
*knocks on wood
Click to expand...

Can't wait to read your I dropped my new iPhone 5 opening the box thread :rolleyes:
 
A

appswipe

macrumors 6502
Aug 18, 2012
282
0
I got AppleCare+ on my iPhone 4S and iPad and SquareTrade on my MacBook Air. hat I learned is this.

AppleCare+
+ Geniuses seem to treat you better when you use AppleCare
- Doesn't extend to peripherals like with Macs (My smart cover fell apart and Apple refused to cover)
- No prorated refund (Using iPhone 4S w AC+ for trade in to 5 but it just goes to waste since they value it as $0)


SquareTrade
+ Cheaper, more incidents
+ Prorated refund. Sold my Air after 6mo and got most of my SquareTrade cost back
- I'm always scared of reimbursements. What if they deny it?

I'm not sure which I'll do with the iPhone 5 but I'm leaning on going SquareTrade.
 
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