Sprint to Launch Total Equipment Protection Plan for iPhone on January 25

MacRumors · Jan 17, 2013

Engadget reports that Sprint will finally begin offering its Total Equipment Protection (TEP) plan for the iPhone beginning January 25. The TEP plan offers coverage not only for device failures that occur outside of Apple's standard warranty but also loss, theft, and damage.

The TEP plan consists of two parts, an $11 monthly fee for the service and then a significant $150-$200 deductible for cases where the phone requires replacement due to loss, theft, or physical damage. Consumers have 30 days from the date of purchase of their device in which to enroll in the program.

AT&T offers a similar program, although it costs $6.99 per month with a $199 deductible for all iPhone, iPad, and iPad mini models. Verizon's Total Equipment Coverage carries a special higher rate for iPhone compared to other devices, with the monthly fee set at $9.99 and deductibles ranging from $169-$199 depending on model.

Article Link: Sprint to Launch Total Equipment Protection Plan for iPhone on January 25

kwags · Jan 17, 2013

Ok, I don't get it... AppleCare+ is $99 plus $49 for each of up to 2 replacement iPhones.
Why are people using these outrageous carrier plans?

AppleGuesser · Jan 17, 2013

kwags said:
Ok, I don't get it... AppleCare+ is $99 plus $49 for each of up to 2 replacement iPhones.
Why are people using these outrageous carrier plans?

Exactly! AT&T has their own "protection plan," but I would rather have AppleCare+ myself

After all, Apple is the company that makes and fixes my phone. Why would I expect a carrier to do the same? Thats like asking Comcast to fix my TV if it breaks. That doesnt make any sense?

If someone can explain this to me, by all means, I'd love to know

Carmenia83 · Jan 17, 2013

Any of the carriers insurance plans are a rip off. If you don't want to get AppleCare fine, but even without it apple will replace a broken out of warranty iphone for a flat fee. $149 for iPhone 4 and older, $199 for a 4s and $229 for a 5. Why would you pay $11 a month to pay the same deductible as the apple store charges for a new phone? The only benefit the carriers offer is if the phone is lost or stolen, but if you haven't enabled Find My iPhone by now you're an idiot and aren't responsible enough to have a $600+ phone.

http://support.apple.com/kb/index?page=servicefaq&geo=United_States&product=iphone

AppleGuesser · Jan 17, 2013

Carmenia83 said:
Any of the carriers insurance plans are a rip off. If you don't want to get AppleCare fine, but even without it apple will replace a broken out of warranty iphone for a flat fee. $149 for iPhone 4 and older, $199 for a 4s and $229 for a 5. Why would you pay $11 a month to pay the same deductible as the apple store charges for a new phone? The only benefit the carriers offer is if the phone is lost or stolen, but if you haven't enabled Find My iPhone by now you're an idiot and aren't responsible enough to have a $600+ phone.

http://support.apple.com/kb/index?page=servicefaq&geo=United_States&product=iphone

Pretty much!

powrman811 · Jan 17, 2013

Carmenia83 said:
Any of the carriers insurance plans are a rip off. If you don't want to get AppleCare fine, but even without it apple will replace a broken out of warranty iphone for a flat fee. $149 for iPhone 4 and older, $199 for a 4s and $229 for a 5. Why would you pay $11 a month to pay the same deductible as the apple store charges for a new phone? The only benefit the carriers offer is if the phone is lost or stolen, but if you haven't enabled Find My iPhone by now you're an idiot and aren't responsible enough to have a $600+ phone.

http://support.apple.com/kb/index?page=servicefaq&geo=United_States&product=iphone

Yeah, because Find My iPhone is foolproof lol

With TEP, even after the Apple Warranty is out, Sprint will replace the phone for free if the problem is a manufacturer defect.

kingtj · Jan 17, 2013

I agree ....

But I *think* these things are often purchased by businesses, simply because it's easier to place the cost under the "telecommunications" part of their budget than to have it eat away at part of their equipment budget.

Economically, they don't really make the most sense, in and of themselves.

kwags said:
Ok, I don't get it... AppleCare+ is $99 plus $49 for each of up to 2 replacement iPhones.
Why are people using these outrageous carrier plans?

goodcow · Jan 17, 2013

kwags said:
Ok, I don't get it... AppleCare+ is $99 plus $49 for each of up to 2 replacement iPhones.
Why are people using these outrageous carrier plans?

Theft.

avanpelt · Jan 17, 2013

powrman811 said:
With TEP, even after the Apple Warranty is out, Sprint will replace the phone for free if the problem is a manufacturer defect.

Ok, but doesn't AppleCare+ cover the phone for two years from the date of purchase against the same defects?

If anything happens to my phone after my two year contract is up, I'm either using it as an excuse to get a new subsidized handset or I'm switching carriers. These carrier warranties don't make any sense when it comes to Apple products. The carriers are just trying to take advantage of uninformed consumers who blindly walk into a carrier store and say they want an iPhone and who haven't done any research about what Apple provides in terms of extended warranty.

I'm sure the carriers manage to sucker quite a few people in with these warranty gimmicks. Sprint didn't add the option because it "knows accidents happen" and wants to look out for their customers. Sprint added the option because they ran the numbers and it was apparent that warranty sales would be a good source of revenue from uninformed iPhone buyers.

Even in loss and theft cases, total up what you've paid for the insurance for, say, a year and a half. If the phone gets stolen 19 months after you bought it, you likely would've been better off saving the money you gave to Sprint every month especially when you couple that with the $150-$200 deductible, it really doesn't make sense. Save that money and use it to pay the ETF to get away from Sprint!

spb3 · Jan 17, 2013

sprint sucks.

AlphaVictor87 · Jan 17, 2013

The only upside i see to any of these carrier plans is that it covers theft and loss.

If you damage your iPhone out of warranty you go to the apple store and pay out of warranty replacement cost which last time i checked was the same as buying the phone with a new contract. So to replace an iPhone 5 if you broke it out of warranty would be $199.

Scams for money, thats it.

BillyBobBongo · Jan 17, 2013

powrman811 said:
Sprint will replace the phone for free if the problem is a manufacturer defect.

$132 a year...doesn't exactly sound free to me.

TheMacBookPro · Jan 17, 2013

kwags said:
Ok, I don't get it... AppleCare+ is $99 plus $49 for each of up to 2 replacement iPhones.
Why are people using these outrageous carrier plans?

AppleCare+ won't give you a replacement iPhone for $49 if you lose it.

AppleGuesser said:
Exactly! AT&T has their own "protection plan," but I would rather have AppleCare+ myself After all, Apple is the company that makes and fixes my phone. Why would I expect a carrier to do the same? Thats like asking Comcast to fix my TV if it breaks. That doesnt make any sense?

If someone can explain this to me, by all means, I'd love to know

No, a better analogy would be 'why do I need homeowners' insurance if I have an accidental damage warranty on my TV?'.

The insurance/the carrier's protection plan provides protection against theft or loss. The accidental damage warranty/AppleCare+ provides protection against manufacturer's defects and any damage you cause on the product.

Carmenia83 said:
Any of the carriers insurance plans are a rip off. If you don't want to get AppleCare fine, but even without it apple will replace a broken out of warranty iphone for a flat fee. $149 for iPhone 4 and older, $199 for a 4s and $229 for a 5. Why would you pay $11 a month to pay the same deductible as the apple store charges for a new phone? The only benefit the carriers offer is if the phone is lost or stolen, but if you haven't enabled Find My iPhone by now you're an idiot and aren't responsible enough to have a $600+ phone.

http://support.apple.com/kb/index?page=servicefaq&geo=United_States&product=iphone

Right, because Find My iPhone will be so useful if the thief turns off the phone, pulls out the SIM card, turns on airplane mode or restores the phone.

And even if you track it down, what will you do if FMI shows the phone as being in an apartment building? Are you going to knock on every single door and ask everyone, hoping for an honest answer? (hint: thieves usually aren't going to tell you what they stole)

AlphaVictor87 said:
The only upside i see to any of these carrier plans is that it covers theft and loss.

If you damage your iPhone out of warranty you go to the apple store and pay out of warranty replacement cost which last time i checked was the same as buying the phone with a new contract. So to replace an iPhone 5 if you broke it out of warranty would be $199.

Scams for money, thats it.

That's a whole lot more useful than an accidental damage warranty when it comes to iPhones. $700 for a new iPhone if you lose it, only $200 for an OOW replacement.

foodog · Jan 17, 2013

kwags said:
Ok, I don't get it... AppleCare+ is $99 plus $49 for each of up to 2 replacement iPhones.
Why are people using these outrageous carrier plans?

Go tell Apple you lost your iPhone and want a replacement.

bassfingers · Jan 17, 2013

foodog said:
Go tell Apple you lost your iPhone and want a replacement.

Or, for the $430 that plan would cost me with one replacement, I'll just go buy a new phone. Unless I plan on loosing a phone EVERY YEAR, it is a significant loss of money. BAD INVESTMENT.

Anyone here with any sort of decent financial background (or has any reference for what is or isn't financially viable) will tell you up and down that carrier plans are a *waste of money*

spb3 · Jan 17, 2013

bassfingers said:
Anyone here with any sort of decent financial background (or has any reference for what is or isn't financially viable) will tell you up and down that carrier plans are a *waste of money*

yep. house always wins.

Tiger8 · Jan 17, 2013

Carmenia83 said:
Any of the carriers insurance plans are a rip off. If you don't want to get AppleCare fine, but even without it apple will replace a broken out of warranty iphone for a flat fee. $149 for iPhone 4 and older, $199 for a 4s and $229 for a 5. Why would you pay $11 a month to pay the same deductible as the apple store charges for a new phone? The only benefit the carriers offer is if the phone is lost or stolen, but if you haven't enabled Find My iPhone by now you're an idiot and aren't responsible enough to have a $600+ phone.

http://support.apple.com/kb/index?page=servicefaq&geo=United_States&product=iphone

Thank you! You are so right! I keep telling family and friends NOT to buy any of the extended warranty crap (Apple or otherwise and definitely not carrier ones), and with Apple's half price replacement you describe, I think it's worth the risk.

ghostface147 · Jan 17, 2013

kwags said:
Ok, I don't get it... AppleCare+ is $99 plus $49 for each of up to 2 replacement iPhones.
Why are people using these outrageous carrier plans?

Let me know what AppleCare or AppleCare + does for you when you've lost or had your phone stolen.

homeward · Jan 17, 2013

water

I got the AT&T plan because it offers to replace iPhones dropped in the bathtub, which happened to my daughter's iPhone 4s last week, but now I found out that Apple will do the same at the same replacement price of $199.

ConCat · Jan 17, 2013

TheMacBookPro said:
No, a better analogy would be 'why do I need homeowners' insurance if I have an accidental damage warranty on my TV?'.

AppleGuesser's analogy was far better.

AppleGuesser said:
Exactly! AT&T has their own "protection plan," but I would rather have AppleCare+ myself After all, Apple is the company that makes and fixes my phone. Why would I expect a carrier to do the same? Thats like asking Comcast to fix my TV if it breaks. That doesnt make any sense?

If someone can explain this to me, by all means, I'd love to know

TheMacBookPro · Jan 17, 2013

ConCat said:
AppleGuesser's analogy was far better.

Does Comcast offer an insurance plan for your TV if it gets stolen or lost?

drummingcraig · Jan 17, 2013

TheMacBookPro said:
AppleCare+ won't give you a replacement iPhone for $49 if you lose it.

No, a better analogy would be 'why do I need homeowners' insurance if I have an accidental damage warranty on my TV?'.

The insurance/the carrier's protection plan provides protection against theft or loss. The accidental damage warranty/AppleCare+ provides protection against manufacturer's defects and any damage you cause on the product.

Right, because Find My iPhone will be so useful if the thief turns off the phone, pulls out the SIM card, turns on airplane mode or restores the phone.

And even if you track it down, what will you do if FMI shows the phone as being in an apartment building? Are you going to knock on every single door and ask everyone, hoping for an honest answer? (hint: thieves usually aren't going to tell you what they stole)

That's a whole lot more useful than an accidental damage warranty when it comes to iPhones. $700 for a new iPhone if you lose it, only $200 for an OOW replacement.

Ok. So say I "lose" my phone one day...what hoops do I need to jump through to get my phone replaced? Surely it isn't as easy as calling them and saying "Hi, Jim Jimerson here and I lost my phone while playing in the park today. Please send me a new one".

Even if it is that easy, its still a game of odds. And those odds favor me keeping that $11/month in my pocket lest maybe I somehow lose my phone.

Arcsylver · Jan 17, 2013

The other problem with these "replacement plans" is that you do not get a new phone. You get a carrier refurbished phone.

I used to have Sprint's insurance on my old android phone and it isnt Sprint providing the replacement or coverage. It is a third party warranty company who will only send you a used, refurb phone that is not always in perfect condition. They replace outer shells and cosmetically inspect the phone a swell as do a function test.

The replacement phones I have gotten have often had issues with functionality as well. I do NOT recommend these warranties. Get a squaretrade one instead with the money or AppleCare+.

TheMacBookPro · Jan 17, 2013

drummingcraig said:
Ok. So say I "lose" my phone one day...what hoops do I need to jump through to get my phone replaced? Surely it isn't as easy as calling them and saying "Hi, Jim Jimerson here and I lost my phone while playing in the park today. Please send me a new one".

Even if it is that easy, its still a game of odds. And those odds favor me keeping that $11/month in my pocket lest maybe I somehow lose my phone.

Of course it's a game of odds, they rely on a number of people who sign up to never use the service in order to make money. Exactly the same way every single insurance or warranty company operates.

Furthermore, these carrier offered protection plans are generally underwritten by a third party company (in Sprint's case, Asurion).

While I have personally never used Sprint's TEP, I'd guess claims would be fairly straightforward.

Benefits
Getting a replacement is quick and easy!
With Total Equipment Protection, you’ll never have to worry about paying too high a price when you’ve suddenly got phone issues.

Whether your phone is lost, stolen, dying, or dead, our affordable, comprehensive service plan gets you a replacement phone fast. Replacement phones ordered by 11:00 EST/10:00 CST are shipped same day and delivered to you the next day.

Seems like you can just call in, pay the deductible and get a replacement phone sent to you. Someone who has actually used the service would be able to tell you more though.

somethingelsefl · Jan 18, 2013

kwags said:
Ok, I don't get it... AppleCare+ is $99 plus $49 for each of up to 2 replacement iPhones.
Why are people using these outrageous carrier plans?

Because AppleCare+ doesn't cover theft or loss, only damage and defect. It's a significant difference. (I personally prefer SquareTrade...which also covers theft/loss)

Sprint to Launch Total Equipment Protection Plan for iPhone on January 25

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