Insurance?

[Simon_y7]

Have you, guys, insured your Rezound? Had you insured your previous smartphones?

 

[humpagardengnome]

Have you, guys, insured your Rezound? Had you insured your previous smartphones?

Didn't until I found myself stuck in a situation I wished I would've had it covered. Haven't gone a day without it since. Unless, the Lord, told you no harm will come to your phone for the next 2 years, get it. You can't be sorry, until you are, and at that moment you realize how much it sucks to be without it. Unless, of course, you're Scrooge McDuck and can swim laps in your gold vault whenever the mood grabs you.

 

[idiotekniques]

i've insured every phone i've had for a decade now. first time i had to use insurance was on my rezound, whose screen cracked from a short drop on the third day with it as there was no case for the extended battery at the store so it was naked for a few while i waited for a case.

every phone i have had has taken abuse, this was the first time one broke because of it. i would definitely have insurance on any smartphone, all it takes is one unlucky bounce or defect and it's over.

also, i had a droidx that just two weeks after the one year warranty just went haywire. the volume up started always going up and making that ding noise, keeping the screen on. in general it just became almost impossible to use. two factory resets did not fix anything. i almost used the insurance on that phone but didn't want another droidx cause i really didnt like the phone much and i had an upgrade available to use instead.

 

[Dovahkiin]

I had insurance once upon a time. Then I realized it was a waste of money. It's been a few years without it, now. On my family plan, we've gone though 2 clamshells, 2 LG Chocolates, a DInc, OG Droid, Fascinate, and Rezound. We never needed insurance on any of them.

So quick math on how much money I saved in a year (on insurance):
4 Phones x $6.99 = $27.96/month
12 months of $27.96 = $335.52/year

Now multiply that by about 3 or 4 years or however long you go without it, and the savings add up.
Just buy yourself a sturdy case for $40 or so. You're still saving in the long run, and your phone will be protected.
But please, don't do weird crap like leave your phone on your lap when you're driving, or be around a swimming pool with your phone in your pocket, or hold your phone over a sink or toilet. I've heard ridiculous stories throughout the years.

 

[alphasigmookie]

My problem with the insurance is that it doesn't cover like half the possible ways to break or lose a phone. I'll take my chances with my 3 month amex damage protection and extended warranty, along with the fact that the off contract street price of my phone is likely to drop by half in 6 months

 

[smileeee]

No insurance for me. I think it's a waste of money. I've had two other smartphones (BB and OG Droid), and now the Rezound. I never needed the insurance. ($7/month) * (12 months/year) * (5 years) = $420. That could buy a semi-decent used phone from eBay if needed. Or a trip somewhere.

But please, don't do weird crap like leave your phone on your lap when you're driving

What went wrong here?

 

[MrSmith317]

I've insured every phone I've ever owned. At a few bucks a month, why not? I don't want something out of my control to force me to spend $800 to replace a phone I could've paid a $50 deductible on..

 

[Dovahkiin]

What went wrong here?

Back when the ban on cell phone talking & driving was started, a friend of mine decided a clever way to go about this was leaving his phone on his lap on speakerphone, so he could drive and chat without police noticing.
Apparently, he forgot he left his phone on his lap one day. He parks his car on his street and steps out of his car, and the phone flips from his lap and onto the asphalt.
This wouldn't be so bad in a normal car, but his SUV was about a foot too high off of the ground. His Blackberry Storm's screen looked like a complex spider-web from all the cracks.

 

[Simon_y7]

But please, don't do weird crap like leave your phone on your lap when you're driving, or be around a swimming pool with your phone in your pocket, or hold your phone over a sink or toilet. I've heard ridiculous stories throughout the years.

I had my BB for over two years without insurance and nothing happened. My brother, however, dropped his phone (not a smartphone) into a very busy public toilet in Venice, fished it out, dried it out, and it worked. I eneded up getting the insurance for my Rezound. It's the best phone I've ever owned and I love it too much. :-*

 

[JeffDenver]

Have you, guys, insured your Rezound? Had you insured your previous smartphones?

I insured my Droid 1...never used it.

Part of the reason why is because in addition to a monthly fee of $7 or $14 (I forget which), it includes a deductible. Thats right...if you cash in the insurance, it will still cost you. I think mine was $100. So insurance doesnt mean a totally free phone. It also doesnt mean you will get a new one...it is very possible (likely?) that you will get a refurbished one instead.

That being said, I imagine if you destroyed your phone a month after you got it and the warranty didnt cover it, you might feel good about getting insurance. But I am really careful with my phones...I dont think I will be insuring my Rezound.

One other potential benefit is that if they cease production on your model it might mean you will get a better phone than your original. They were replacing Droid1s with Droid X's and Droid 2s at one point, because they ran out of Droid 1s.

 

[JeffDenver]

No insurance for me. I think it's a waste of money. I've had two other smartphones (BB and OG Droid), and now the Rezound. I never needed the insurance. ($7/month) * (12 months/year) * (5 years) = $420. That could buy a semi-decent used phone from eBay if needed. Or a trip somewhere.

Yeah, another reason I will skip the insurance is that I have my Droid 1 as a backup now...when I had my Droid, I had no backup at all if it ever died. I'd have to use a (gulp) feature phone or something.

My skin crawls just thinking about it.

 

[Postoid]

I'm in the insurance boat... When I got the Rezound for 1? using the AMEX card <lol> I thought hey, they will extend the 1 year manufacturers warranty so there's 2 years. Double-checked with AMEX over the phone and yep, it's an electronic device so it's covered for the extra 12 months. And since I moved over from Sprint to VZW, I also decided to add on the $6.99 'everything' coverage in case I happen to get a lemon or it grew legs and wondered off. If I paid full price or $199 @ amazonwireless or Verizon's new customer price, I think I would have still purchased the insurance just to be safe.
Still totally happy with the price ... and the phone

 

[dpham00]

I used to have insurance a long time ago for a short time and just dropped it. I have 4 lines of service and have had cell phone service since the 90s, and have had NO phones replaced under the insurance. If it has a mechanical or electrical problem, it should be covered by Verizon for 1 year, and AMEX for the 2nd year. I have saved thousands by not using insurance over the years. Even if my Rezound broke down due to my fault, I can fall back to my tb. Even if I didn't have a back-up phone, I can buy a CPO for maybe $300-400 direct from Verizon with warranty (you have to call in from what I have heard). Of course, warranty is worth it for some people who tend to break phones, but I just didn't really find a need myself.

I've insured every phone I've ever owned. At a few bucks a month, why not? I don't want something out of my control to force me to spend $800 to replace a phone I could've paid a $50 deductible on..

Who do you have insurance through? Asurion (Verizon) and squaretrade both have a $100 deductible for most smartphones which applies to the Rezound as well. I think the maximum deductible for a smartphone on Verizon is $200 (for select phones, not the Rezound).

 

[lobolocojo]

I always insure my smart phone. I also insure my house, my cars, and my motorcycle. The argument that you never had to make a claim so insurance isn't worth it is bad logic. Insurance insures you in case of an accident or loss or theft. Things that aren't covered under manufacturers warranty (nor covered under amex extending the warranty). I dropped my OG droid while pulling it out of my pocket, and had it replaced under warranty for $50 (after 6 months of use). Fast forward another year and I dropped my OG again (it was sitting on my lap and I stood up). For another $50 they replaced it with a brand new Droid 2 Global. I tend to upgrade once every year or two, and I like to have my phone last that long. Imagine buying the Rezound and cracking the screen and being SOL. I'll pay the meager $7 bucks a month and the now $100 deductible. I could not replace the phone (and it's covered accessories) for that much in case of loss, theft, or accidental drop so it is totally worth it to me. I use Asurion and I love the fact then when I call to make a claim the phone is overnighted to me. I only go without a phone for a few hours at most.

 

[idiotekniques]

it's worth it to me because a sudden $600 expense is too much to handle.

if i was wealthier i would probably not have insurance on my smartphone.