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manjaap

macrumors member
Original poster
May 9, 2006
73
0
I am thinking of getting a SquareTrade warranty with my iPhone 4. This is the first time I'm not doing Apple Care and thinking of a third party. How does SquareTrade work exactly and any thoughts (good or bad) about them?
 
Haven't purchased before, but will be purchasing when I get the iPhone 4. Covers accidentally damage, and is less than all other insurances. Worth it.
 
From my understanding, they won't just replace the phone like Apple does. Instead they just pay you for the device. The problem is, you buy the iPhone on a subsidized price, and if you buy a replacement, you get the unsubsidized price, but Squaretrade only pays you back for the subsidized price... which is a problem.
 
Well if they can't fix it they give you money for a new one. You have to do something crazy to it for it not to be fixable.. Well maybe drop it in water or something.
 
For 3Gs 16GB out of warranty replacement, Apple charges $200. Maybe SquareTrade will pay for that??? Not sure. Just a thought.
 
From my understanding, they won't just replace the phone like Apple does. Instead they just pay you for the device. The problem is, you buy the iPhone on a subsidized price, and if you buy a replacement, you get the unsubsidized price, but Squaretrade only pays you back for the subsidized price... which is a problem.

Not exactly. the warranty states, if the phone can't be repaired...

SquareTrade will give you a cash reimbursement - up to a maximum of $599 - for what it will cost you to get an iPhone with a new 2 year contract. The warranty will be considered fulfilled upon cash-out.​

So basically, they give you cash to replace the phone on a new 2 year contract, which in most cases will be $499.
 
Not exactly. the warranty states, if the phone can't be repaired...

SquareTrade will give you a cash reimbursement - up to a maximum of $599 - for what it will cost you to get an iPhone with a new 2 year contract. The warranty will be considered fulfilled upon cash-out.​

So basically, they give you cash to replace the phone on a new 2 year contract, which in most cases will be $499.
Ok, that makes much more sense.
 
From my understanding, they won't just replace the phone like Apple does. Instead they just pay you for the device. The problem is, you buy the iPhone on a subsidized price, and if you buy a replacement, you get the unsubsidized price, but Squaretrade only pays you back for the subsidized price... which is a problem.

Are you sure? Maybe I read it wrong.

I've used SquareTrade before and they've treated me well.

Either way I'd also like to point out that most insurance companies will cover your cell phone also. Mine says it's $25 a year and a $50 deductible for a $700 insurance policy on a personal cell phone. Just a thought.
 
I'm considering it...I have it on my iPad which to me, seems more likely to break if dropped because of the weight. For $99, it is probably a smart thing to buy.
 
Not exactly. the warranty states, if the phone can't be repaired...

SquareTrade will give you a cash reimbursement - up to a maximum of $599 - for what it will cost you to get an iPhone with a new 2 year contract. The warranty will be considered fulfilled upon cash-out.​

So basically, they give you cash to replace the phone on a new 2 year contract, which in most cases will be $499.

That's a little bit of confusing wording. As I read it, technically, an iPhone with a new 2-year contract is $199-299. They're not really saying that they'll give you the cost for you to get a replacement iPhone while you're already in a contract. Perhaps they're saying, "well, you can always get an extra line and start a new 2-year." Someone should really get a hold of SquareTrade to clarify. I'd sign up if it was clear.
 
From my understanding, they won't just replace the phone like Apple does. Instead they just pay you for the device. The problem is, you buy the iPhone on a subsidized price, and if you buy a replacement, you get the unsubsidized price, but Squaretrade only pays you back for the subsidized price... which is a problem.


Completely false, Squaretrade is actually a friggin awesome company. I bought it for my 3G, and last year when I decided to go swimming with it, I called them and they told me to go to a Apple Store and pay the $200 to have it replaced out of warranty. I sent them the reciept, and they paypalled me the $200. The warranty had coverage for 400, and I asked them about this and they informed me that the $200 was deducted off of that, and that I still had another $200. So basically that is 2 phone swaps with apple. Pretty cool deal IMO and it cost me $80 to buy.
 
Best buy has a $14.99/month total protection plan. Beat part is they just swap you out with a new iPhone in the store. Also no deductable.
 
Best buy has a $14.99/month total protection plan. Beat part is they just swap you out with a new iPhone in the store. Also no deductable.

Actually you do not get a new iPhone in store. They perform what is called an advanced replacement. They send your faulty iPhone off to a service center to be refurbished and you end up getting someone else's refurbished iPhone. The reason it is called advanced replacement is because once they input the information in the computer and create a service order a refurbished iPhone is immediately sent to the Best By store for you to pick up, you do not have to wait for your faulty iPhone to get to the service center first before they ship you the refurbished iPhone.
 
I am thinking of getting a SquareTrade warranty with my iPhone 4. This is the first time I'm not doing Apple Care and thinking of a third party. How does SquareTrade work exactly and any thoughts (good or bad) about them?
I'm a repeat customer with Squaretrade because I think it is a good deal. Their customer service is good. For a lot of fixes they won't give you the cash for the replacement phone, they will actually fix the phone itself. (Such as for a broken screen)
 
Just keep in mind that you can buy AppleCare for half price or less on Ebay or Amazon, and it's totally legit. Simply enter the code to register it and you're done.

That certainly seals the deal for me. One more year of coverage for around $35 is easy.
 
Just keep in mind that you can buy AppleCare for half price or less on Ebay or Amazon, and it's totally legit. Simply enter the code to register it and you're done.

That certainly seals the deal for me. One more year of coverage for around $35 is easy.

But AppleCare doesn't cover accidental damage, so I find it pointless honestly.
 
But AppleCare doesn't cover accidental damage, so I find it pointless honestly.

I'm on the fence about this. On one hand I can see buy a SquareTrade warranty for the nuts to bolts coverage.

On the other hand, I also plan on putting my phone in a otterbox case. So essentially I'm adding 'insurance' to my phone for accidental damage up front. Assuming the case does its job, the only other issue I'd have is anything that would be covered under applecare (assuming I don't dump my phone in the water).
 
I'm on the fence about this. On one hand I can see buy a SquareTrade warranty for the nuts to bolts coverage.

On the other hand, I also plan on putting my phone in a otterbox case. So essentially I'm adding 'insurance' to my phone for accidental damage up front. Assuming the case does its job, the only other issue I'd have is anything that would be covered under applecare (assuming I don't dump my phone in the water).

You already get one year of AppleCare free (hardware repair coverage). And you can always buy the protection plan to extend it anytime within that year. So if you aren't worried about insurance, then I don't think AppleCare is really necessary at this very moment.
 
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