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Lets talk insurance Apple care + or through your carrier?

M

mellofello

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 1, 2011
1,258
556
Preordered a 6+. I have come to terms with the fact that at some point in the not to distant future I will be looking down at my smashed phone. I think the curved glass will turn out to be an achilles heal. Anyway even if it does make it, I am one to hedge bets so here is the dilemma.

Options are:

A: do nothing

If/when I shatter the screen I will be out $300 for a replacement from Apple, or will need to deal with the shady phone shop at the mall to replace my screen.

If I lose my phone retail replacement will be $800 + tax

Total cost over 2 years = $0

B: Apple care plus

If/when I shatter my screen I can stroll into the Apple store, and stroll out with a fresh iphone 6 plus, for the reasonable price of $50. Coverage lasts 2 years, but lets be honest I will move on to the 6S Plus Plus whatever before then.

Caveat is if I lose my phone goodbye $800 + tax

Total cost over 2 years = $100

C: ATT protection plan

These guys are crooks, and tough to deal with. However when my note 3 was caught in a wave, and utterly destroyed they came through, and I had a new phone overnighted to me. Ran me $200, but retail on note was $750 or so at the time. I have heard the hoops you need to jump through for a lost phone are a PITA, but better then nothing. Cost is about $10 per month, and $200 deductible.

If/when I shatter my phone I'm out $200, and need to wait for them to ship me new one. If this happens on the last day of my contract I will have paid $450.

If I lose my phone I file a police report jump through hoops, pay $200, and they (begrudgingly) ship me a new one. As someone who has lost a few phones in the past this makes me sleep easier, but then again it really adds up pricewise, and if it is a year from now I can always just bite the bullet on a new phone, or run my note 3 for a few months.

Total cost over 2 years $240

what are you guys going to do, and why?
 
I, for a lack of better words do both. I have the AT&T protection plan. Except I only pay 6.99/month. They try to bulls**t you with a 3 dollar fee added on that is "advance technical support" with iPhones you have that for free with apple so there is no point to pay it with AT&T. I have the AT&T insurance for the lost/theft especially since my new phone is gonna cost me 949 off contract.

I have the AppleCare+ for the simple fact if I break the screen, or accidentally take it swimming with me I can get a brand new "refurb" phone for 80 bucks. Even though it is 100 dollars to sign up.
 
probably just do applecare. I never lose my phones or drop them but if something happened it would be dropping and 50$ replacement isn't bad. ATT charges what 150-200 for a replacement? When you can pay 250 at apple with no coverage on a broken phone and they will swap it for you. The insurance coverage through att seems not worth it at all.
 
Big x factor is if you lose your phone though. Looking at almost a $1000 for a new one. That $10 per month wouldn't seem so steep in that scenario. Pretty much would have to Pay a mortgage payment for a new phone/rock a inferior phone/or join ATT next. None of those are appealing to me. I will be moving to a new phone in 12 months so it is really costing me $120.
 
I'll probably get Applecare +, I'm pretty careful of where I put my phones down, so losing it (read stolen), is less of a risk for me but being so big I am worried about accidental damage.
 
mellofello said:
Preordered a 6+. I have come to terms with the fact that at some point in the not to distant future I will be looking down at my smashed phone. I think the curved glass will turn out to be an achilles heal. Anyway even if it does make it, I am one to hedge bets so here is the dilemma.

Options are:

A: do nothing

If/when I shatter the screen I will be out $300 for a replacement from Apple, or will need to deal with the shady phone shop at the mall to replace my screen.

If I lose my phone retail replacement will be $800 + tax

Total cost over 2 years = $0

B: Apple care plus

If/when I shatter my screen I can stroll into the Apple store, and stroll out with a fresh iphone 6 plus, for the reasonable price of $50. Coverage lasts 2 years, but lets be honest I will move on to the 6S Plus Plus whatever before then.

Caveat is if I lose my phone goodbye $800 + tax

Total cost over 2 years = $100

C: ATT protection plan

These guys are crooks, and tough to deal with. However when my note 3 was caught in a wave, and utterly destroyed they came through, and I had a new phone overnighted to me. Ran me $200, but retail on note was $750 or so at the time. I have heard the hoops you need to jump through for a lost phone are a PITA, but better then nothing. Cost is about $10 per month, and $200 deductible.

If/when I shatter my phone I'm out $200, and need to wait for them to ship me new one. If this happens on the last day of my contract I will have paid $450.

If I lose my phone I file a police report jump through hoops, pay $200, and they (begrudgingly) ship me a new one. As someone who has lost a few phones in the past this makes me sleep easier, but then again it really adds up pricewise, and if it is a year from now I can always just bite the bullet on a new phone, or run my note 3 for a few months.

Total cost over 2 years $240

what are you guys going to do, and why?
Click to expand...

BlkHammer said:
I, for a lack of better words do both.
Click to expand...

Me, too! I thought I was the only one. And I do it for the same reasons. Also for peace of mind and since I don't use cases.

However, Asurion has lowered their deductible depending on the number of claims. If you none in 6 months, it's $150 and none in 12 months, it's $100. So, a lost/stolen phone replaced for $100 is pretty good. I haven't had had a claim in over 2 years.
 
Applecare + and add a rider to your homeowners or rental insurance for Loss & Theft. That is what I do.

I went the carrier insurance on my kids phones one time and I had a hard time getting any actual coverage.

Had applecare + the first time on my 5 and the one time i used it (kids dropped the phone) it went very smooth, made an appointment at the local apple store and walked out with a fresh white box replacement phone very easy.

----------
thatoneguy82 said:
Me, too! I thought I was the only one. And I do it for the same reasons. Also for peace of mind and since I don't use cases.

However, Asurion has lowered their deductible depending on the number of claims. If you none in 6 months, it's $150 and none in 12 months, it's $100. So, a lost/stolen phone replaced for $100 is pretty good. I haven't had had a claim in over 2 years.
Click to expand...

IMHO Asurion is crap. Used them on two of my kids phones and it was a joke.
 
I was scratchin' my head over this too and decided on Applecare +. It's the cheapest option and I'm not worried about theft.

If I was still gettin' pissed up in bars and that sort of thing then yeah, I'd probably go for carrier full on cover instead.
 
AppleCare+ only.

Thanks to Find My iPhone, losing one's phone is less of a concern.
 
I made an extensive thread about this 2 years ago, but haven't been back to it in ages. Here it is.

I have read many complaints about Asurion insurance through VZW & ATT, but have no firsthand experience with them.

SquareTrade is a reputable alternative and quite popular.

Many credit cards also offer protection for major purchase, so that's worth considering as well.

For me, putting a rider on my Homeowner's insurance wouldn't be worth the trouble or the negative mark for filing a claim, but that's just me.
 
the amount of duplicate topic threads on this site makes me want to drill holes in my eyes.
 
Just add your iPhone to your home insurance, its cheaper in my experience. I'm covered for damage and loss when out and about on my policy, not that I've ever had to use it. I think it was an initial tenner but make sure the word 'iPhone' is used in the small print as they might have an exemption. :)
 
Don't know why anyone would complain about Asurion (other than the price). Been through several replacements with them and it's always been a breeze. Last time (a few months ago) I filed a lost phone claim they made me send a copy of my ID but that was it.

Anyways, Wells Fargo will also cover your phone for theft and damage if you pay your monthly service bill with their card.
 
Couple thoughts on this since I've done some extensive research:

- Some homeowners insurance won't accept phones onto their policy since they are higher risk of claims.

- If you have Wells Fargo consider paying your cellphone bill through your Wells Fargo Credit Card as they have Cellular Phone Protection Services. I believe its two claims ($25 each claim) and they give up you to $600 toward replacement of your new phone. However, what they payout for "accidental" damages vs. actual damages isn't as clear when I was looking through their fine print. I think the claim has to be for something to where you physically cannot operate the phone anymore and I believe a cracked screen could have been a grey area of whether you can submit a claim. My only suggestion if you go with these guys is if you damage your item, make sure its toast. I'm also not sure how the claims process works, but I think you need to submit a claim to Wells Fargo, then get your new phone, then they reimburse you.
https://www.wellsfargo.com/credit-cards/features/cell-phone-protection/

- Applecare Plus deductible is $79 per claim, not $49 anymore. However, its still a pretty good deal.

I'm going to do both the Wells Fargo coverage (by paying my cellular bill through my credit card) and get Applecare Plus. Really the Wells Fargo coverage costs nothing, so its just extra peace of mind on top of my Applecare Plus, and since I'm going naked this time, I'll probably need it.
 
I'd like to hear more experiences from people who have used warranty extension through their credit cards. I believe at least one of my cards offers that.

One aspect I'm curious about...if I buy a $650 phone with a 2-year contract for $200, and something happens to it, how does the credit card company reimburse me? Hopefully not just for $200.

Edit: Thinking this through...I imagine that if my phone gets damaged, I would bring it in for a genius to give me a repair estimate and would then file a claim with the credit card company for that. Lost/stolen items would be covered via a different type of replacement policy which a particular credit card may or may not offer.
 
Last edited:
Petey-ed said:
- If you have Wells Fargo consider paying your cellphone bill through your Wells Fargo Credit Card as they have Cellular Phone Protection Services. I believe its two claims ($25 each claim) and they give up you to $600 toward replacement of your new phone. However, what they payout for "accidental" damages vs. actual damages isn't as clear when I was looking through their fine print. I think the claim has to be for something to where you physically cannot operate the phone anymore and I believe a cracked screen could have been a grey area of whether you can submit a claim. My only suggestion if you go with these guys is if you damage your item, make sure its toast. I'm also not sure how the claims process works, but I think you need to submit a claim to Wells Fargo, then get your new phone, then they reimburse you.
https://www.wellsfargo.com/credit-cards/features/cell-phone-protection/
Click to expand...
Nice. First time I've heard of this. I've always used my Wells Fargo card to pay all my bills including cellphone service (paid in full every month of course). Now I'm rethinking whether to get AppleCare+ or not.
 
Purchased apple care + just to be on the safe side, but it doesn't cover lost, not that i have ever lost any of my phones. But my cc American Express Platinum has purchase protection benefit, where if your device gets lost, stolen or damaged they will replace the full purchase price. Really hoping it never gets lost or stolen, but if it does, I'm glad its covered.
 
rui no onna said:
Nice. First time I've heard of this. I've always used my Wells Fargo card to pay all my bills including cellphone service (paid in full every month of course). Now I'm rethinking whether to get AppleCare+ or not.
Click to expand...

Just read the fine print first before you decide. I decided to do both so I have a backup to my Applecare Plus just in case I run out of my two "free" drops. I also like the peace of mind of just walking into Apple and they hand me a new phone same day.
 
hipnetic said:
Edit: Thinking this through...I imagine that if my phone gets damaged, I would bring it in for a genius to give me a repair estimate and would then file a claim with the credit card company for that. Lost/stolen items would be covered via a different type of replacement policy which a particular credit card may or may not offer.
Click to expand...

This is, essentially, what SquareTrade does. You either send it in to them for repair/replacement, or take it to Apple, and file the receipt with SquareTrade, if I am remembering correctly.
 
Asurion (carrier insurance) is crap. I ended up filing a complaint with the California Department of Insurance about their refusal to honor a completely valid claim. Luckily AT&T came through and replaced the phone for the same cost as Asurion's replacement fee. Long story short even AT&T admitted that Asurion's rationale for denial was complete bs.
 
evoneday said:
Purchased apple care + just to be on the safe side, but it doesn't cover lost, not that i have ever lost any of my phones. But my cc American Express Platinum has purchase protection benefit, where if your device gets lost, stolen or damaged they will replace the full purchase price. Really hoping it never gets lost or stolen, but if it does, I'm glad its covered.
Click to expand...

That coverage is only good for the first 90 days with AMEX, don't rely on it too heavily.
 
My insurance is through my bank. £10 a month (along with a few other benefits) and it costs £100 to replace the phone. Annoyingly, but understandably, only the iPhone carries this £100 fee. Every other phone is free to replace.

Anyway, had it for years and have never had to use it *touch wood*. Good to know it's there if I need it though.
 
i came up with a list of square trade vs applecare plus+

good things about applecare
----
free phone support
apple care on computers also covering time capsules and airport extremes
the limits on the airport devices are 2 years prior to buying the covered computer to 3 years of applecare coverage. , meaning you get a 5 year warranty on airport
$79 deductible, 2 claims max
applecare covers mice and keyboards bought with the device. s.t. probably does too.
no coverage limits
ipad deductible $49
they usually replace your items on the spot as long as you have it backed up






good things about square trade
----
3 year plans on iPhone
$75 deductible 4 claims max
you can mail in all computers to square for repair and not just laptops*
they are willing to cross ship you a new iPhone
full immersion in water.
only the iPhone has a deductible. they do not charge deductibles on other devices, like iPads. if you accidentally break a covered iPad, there is no deductible at all.
you can still go to the genius bar and have your item replaced
if an item cannot be repaired or replaced at all you are reimbursed the original purchase price of the unit.
you can get 30 % off coupons pretty easily for non iPhone plans. but sadly the 30 % off has $$ limit ($30 irrc)





square trades coverage limit
--
i don't know if all plans have coverage limits. most plans that i know of have a coverage limit. for example if you buy a mac pro for 1499, square trade will not pay more then 1499 in repairs over the warranty period. if the damage exceeds more then what is left in the repair fund , they send you a check for the balance.

I've been wondering if plans with deductibles also have the same coverage limit. when i asked square trade about the last incident with my iPhone and asked them how much was left, they said no money limit just 3 more claims

i don't know if thats true or not


find my iPhone on square trade
---
if you do not turn off find my iPhone you are charged $500


phone support
----
when you do not have applecare , you don't get free phone and chat support,but they do allow exceptions. and all you have to say is "i recently installed iOS 7" and they will not charge you for the call

*-
applrecare says that most computers are eligible for mail in service. when you call they tell you that "most computers" only means laptops, and if you have a mac mini they don't take mail ins
 
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