Sprint Stores Forcing Insurance Extremely Disappointed

[boilerdown]

I went to go buy an Evo 4G on walk in at the Sprint Store in South Park in Charlotte, NC (4717 Sharon Road Suite 2a, Charlotte, NC 28210, (704) 367-1600)

The store is requiring everyone to buy the $7/month insurance plan with the phone. I think this is an insult. I spoke to the store manager about this fee and also about waiving the activation fee and got fed a line of BS of how the Evo is so expensive to replace. If they want to be a hard ass on getting an activation fee waved that I can understand. But forcing insurance on everyone is inexcusable. I politely told the manager that I wasn't interested and walked out. I tried to stay polite but firm during the conversation but was frankly disgusted. I honestly am thinking about getting the iPhone 4G (current iPhone 2G user) or the Droid Incredible instead. The VZW folks were much friendlier and immediately offerred to wave the activation fee. I like the Evo 4G but was really turned off by this.

 

[Cory Streater]

I was under the impression the first 30 days were free and you could cancel it. Maybe I misunderstood the Sales Rep.

And don't give Verizon too much credit - I love them to death - but they aren't always all that friendly about waiving activation fees. Don't even get me started about AT&T. Ask them if they offer a 30-day trial with a full refund if you're dissatisfied. They nail you (they did me anyway) with restocking fees and make you pay for everything you've used.

 

[machjuan#AC]

That sucks, but cant you just have the insurance removed by calling. I know Ive been able to do this before through there site. I don't know if they removed that option with this phone.

 

[reynoldsrobbie]

from experiences with my Pre, Ill take the insurance. It was never offered to me when I got the Pre and wish I had it. Now I have a beautiful phone thats insured.

 

[elder_shawn]

from experiences with my Pre, Ill take the insurance. It was never offered to me when I got the Pre and wish I had it. Now I have a beautiful phone thats insured.

I totally agree. I replaced my Pre a handful of times along with everyone else on my plan. This insurance paid for itself in spades.

 

[storino03]

Yeah, the $7 insurance is as painless as ever, considering the devices are pretty fragile. I had to replace my Pre so many times, and it was as easy as walking into a sprint store.

 

[reynoldsrobbie]

good riddance to the Pre. So much for the iPhone killer. EVO=King!

 

[boilerdown]

While I understand the insurance policy bring many people peace of mind I can't make the financial arithmetic work.

The deductible is $100 to use the policy. Let's assume halfway through your contract you break the phone. You can pay $100 deductible and get the same phone. You paid 12 x $7/month + $100 deductible at a total outcome of $184 to get a replacement Evo.

If you hadn't have bought the insurance, you would not have paid $84 in premiums and then you could pay the pro-rated ETF of $120 (Early Termination Fee) and have much better options. You could buy any new modern phone on new contract from Sprint or another carrier. Am I missing something here?

 

[storino03]

You don't always pay the deductible... just depends on the type of damage

 

[elder_shawn]

You don't always pay the deductible... just depends on the type of damage

I've never had the pay the deductible. All of our replacements have been with design flaws of the phone rather than dropping it in the toilet or having it stolen.

 

[storino03]

Yeah. I even had cracks by the USB port, along the edges, touchscreen stop working, earpiece not work, etc., and I got it replaced for free.

 

[Devobail]

I've NEVER paid a deductible on a broken phone, mines have all been repair or replaced free of charge. The only time I've paid a deductible is when the phone is lost or stolen.

 

[storino03]

I've paid a few deductibles, but it was my fault, because I didn't want to deal with a sprint store at the time.

 

[kcbacon4pb]

While I understand the insurance policy bring many people peace of mind I can't make the financial arithmetic work.

The deductible is $100 to use the policy. Let's assume halfway through your contract you break the phone. You can pay $100 deductible and get the same phone. You paid 12 x $7/month + $100 deductible at a total outcome of $184 to get a replacement Evo.

If you hadn't have bought the insurance, you would not have paid $84 in premiums and then you could pay the pro-rated ETF of $120 (Early Termination Fee) and have much better options. You could buy any new modern phone on new contract from Sprint or another carrier. Am I missing something here?

if you make it through an entire year with the phone you are eligible for an upgrade at the new contract rate due to the plans you have to be on to use this phone! so paying the ETF would be a waste of money, the insurance is for if you wash, drop, lose, or get ur phone stolen, because then you would be out somewhere around 500 dollars if you wanted the EVO back again, and since it is such a hot topic, it has the potential to be stolen. If you dont have insurance then you have to do the ETF thing, and spend another 200 plus all the activation fees to get the phone again, either way u look at it the insurance is cheaper. Now Best Buy offers their own insurance, its $9.00 a month covers everything except for a lost or stolen phone, and does not have a deductible.

 

[curthibbs]

I always had to pay the deductible with my Treo 700p.

 

[jazmatician]

The Sprint deductable is $200, not $100. Also, it doesn't cover water damage. I went with the best buy insurance, It's $10/month, but no deductible and covers ALL physical damage. As long as you can get the carcass back in the store, you get a new phone.
If you got a replacement due to a defect and paid no fee, that was under warranty, not insurance. I'll keep the insurance at most one year, then cancel once I'm eligible for an upgrade.

 

[bensEVO]

I'm all for the insurance over here. My wife has washed 2 blackberries, my 2 year old son broke a BB screen by biting it, broke the BB camera by dropping it, and he also brought a samsung something or other in the bath with him. Only the liquid damage ones required deductibles but we have definitely benefited from the $14 (2 phones) a month. A guy at my work wasn't paying attention to what he was doing and was talking with his hands and knocked my vogue into a bucket of H2O, and just this past week when I was going to sell my TP for $100 to someone at work, help me get the EVO cheaper, the accelerometer decided to crap out and stay in landscape mode. Picked up the EVO on my wifes line from Best Buy, went to the Sprint store and dropped the TP off to a tech he came back and said we will have to order you a new one. He said possibly Sat no later then Mon for the replacement. After that claim was filed with the TP being the covered unit I had them switch the EVO to my line and put the wifes ESN for her blackberry back on her line. I'm hoping that they drop me a TP2 since the TP is old and hopefully no longer being circulated so my boy is going to get himself a sweet new refurb rather than my 1.5 yr gently used one. The replacement for the TP also cost me nothing so I'm glad as hell I have insurance. Most of these H2O damage ones were when the deductible was only $50 so that was good. My EVO will basically cost me $30.00 when it's all said and done. I Called Sprint before I re-upped and they gave me a $70.00 discount off of my bill, I bought the phone from Best Buy so I could get it for $199 (no mail in rebate there) plus the $100 for the TP. BALLER! By buying it through best buy I didn't need to have the phone active on the wifes line until the dumb rebate check came to us. So after an hour and a half story about insurance hopefully you can tell I think it's a great investment.

 

[RizNette]

from experiences with my Pre, Ill take the insurance. It was never offered to me when I got the Pre and wish I had it. Now I have a beautiful phone thats insured.

My fiance has a Pre and he never got insurance but they always fix his phone for free & have given him a replacement no questions asked.

 

[beret9987]

Stupid move by the manager, but seriously, just get the phone, and call *2 and take off TEP. I upgrade frequently enough that I don't have it.

 

[uh60james]

That's pretty bad if the manager was making it a requirement to get the phone, that's not his/her place. My store politely recommended it, along with with many accessories, after all that's there job. I told them I would like the insurance and body glove case and that was that.

The Sprint deductable is $200, not $100. Also, it doesn't cover water damage.

The deductible is either $50 or $100 depending on the device. I just read it on there website because you had me second guessing myself. I believe they cover water damage as well.