Cell Phone Insurance?

[robinb]

I just replaced my DD21's Google Pixel 2 phone after 3 years with a Samsung S20. She is incredibly hard on her phones and cell phone insurance is a requirement. She *will* break it and she refuses to use a sturdy case like an Otterbox. I bought the phone (and got a great deal) but she's responsible for the insurance and the deductible when (not if) she breaks it.

I have purchased the manufacturer's insurance in the past, AppleCare for her iPhone and Preferred Care for her Pixel. Samsung offers Samsung Care+.

Do you have a third party cell phone insurance company that you recommend?

 

[DLgal]

She's 21? Make her figure it out.

 

[robinb]

She's 21? Make her figure it out.

Parenting advice was not requested.

In any case, she is busy studying for finals right now and I don't want her to spend her time researching insurance plans.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

I get Samsung+ for my ds's phone. The screen on his S9 recently cracked even with an Otterbox (just past the 2 year warranty, but it had already been replaced once!). It's a running joke in our house -- he either cracks the screen or loses his phones . Samsung tried to replace his previous broken phone with a refurbished one -- I chatted with them and they eventually replaced with a brand new one (just something to be aware of).

If you purchase your phone on the Chase Ink Preferred Visa (or pay monthly bills on it), they will cover your cell phone insurance (I believe there is a limit to the coverage -- not sure what it is); just make sure to keep your card active. The yearly fee is $95.00, which is a decent price for cell phone insurance!

Nice to know that ds isn't the only one who has (very) bad luck with cell phones!

 

[jen7233]

I don't have the card, but I have read about a Wells Fargo card having it, the Propel card, I believe. If that's still around. I think USAA insurance may have it, not sure. I use an Otterbox and have the same phone since 2015. Used to have insurance on only DDs phone back when she was on our plan (had to take her off for personal reasons), and it was through a third party on our AT&T and came out on the AT&T bill.

 

[starry_solo]

Square Trade is what people referred me to

 

[robinb]

I'll consider the credit card route if it's available for my plan. We have AT&T prepaid for my DD and I and pay about $72 per month for both of us. I usually pay with discounted gift cards which also allows me to skip on taxes. I end up saving about $5-$7 per month off the $72 that way. Samsung Care+ is $12.99 per month and Square Trade is $8.99 per month. I'll have to run the numbers. I also have a new phone (an iPhone 12 Pro Max) that I wasn't planning on getting insurance for me, so if I go with the credit card thing I would be insured too.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Whenever we get new phones, except for mine, we get insurance through AT&T for $9 or $10 per month until the monthly payments are done on the phone. This way if something happens after that, we just upgrade to a new phone. Our kids are not very hard on their phones. Ds23 lost 2 of them in 6th grade and that was it. They have to have a Otterbox as long as I'm paying the bill. Ds20 argued back in like 9th or 10th grade that they're too bulky. I told him when he has phone service in his own name and buys his own phones, he can do whatever he wants to them.

 

[jen7233]

It was about $13 when we had the coverage through our AT&T bill account, that was just for one phone, not sure what it would be if we covered more, and then, as mentioned, it was a third party through AT&T, so had to deal with them. Quite a few cards it seems carry various phone insurance coverages. I would research closely if going that route checking deductible and types of issues with a phone it covers, if you need to pay the bill with it, etc. I had no idea the Chase Freedom Flex had phone insurance, interesting because I was comparing that with my Freedom Unlimited and our regular Freedom. Here's an article apparently just came out.

Credit Cards That Offer Cellphone Insurance (thebalance.com)

 

[Disneyfan754321]

We use to use everthingbreaks.com.

When my son was in college we had a renters insurance policy to cover his laptop, cell phone and his bike. It had a $250 deductible and it was a 5,000 policy I think it was 10.00 a month and then we got a multi line discount and the car insurance dropped about 10.00.

 

[mjkacmom]

I get Samsung+ for my ds's phone. The screen on his S9 recently cracked even with an Otterbox (just past the 2 year warranty, but it had already been replaced once!). It's a running joke in our house -- he either cracks the screen or loses his phones . Samsung tried to replace his previous broken phone with a refurbished one -- I chatted with them and they eventually replaced with a brand new one (just something to be aware of).

If you purchase your phone on the Chase Ink Preferred Visa (or pay monthly bills on it), they will cover your cell phone insurance (I believe there is a limit to the coverage -- not sure what it is); just make sure to keep your card active. The yearly fee is $95.00, which is a decent price for cell phone insurance!

Nice to know that ds isn't the only one who has (very) bad luck with cell phones!

I thought all plans gave refurbished phones? We insure through Verizon and one of my daughters goes through 3 a year. She’s almost 18 and getting better. My kids know that if their phones get damaged, they are paying the co-pay.

 

[easyas123]

They have to have a Otterbox as long as I'm paying the bill. Ds20 argued back in like 9th or 10th grade that they're too bulky. I told him when he has phone service in his own name and buys his own phones, he can do whatever he wants to them.

More than fair. If as the parent, I'm footing the bill, I should think a perfectly reasonable request wouldn't be a issue.

 

[MrsPete]

she refuses to use a sturdy case like an Otterbox

I agree with the above posters, this is not a reasonable choice. If you see a problem, you take steps to correct it. An Otterbox runs $30-40 once, making it the cheapest insurance you can buy.

Parenting advice was not requested.

Well, in all fairness, we were all thinking it.

It was about $13 ... that was just for one phone

Is that per month? If so, that's $156/year to insure one item.

I suspect you could do better by calling your regular homeowner's insurance and adding a specific rider. Your insurance company will insure pretty much everything.

 

[robinb]

I am still researching credit cards and the ability to use them on a prepaid plan. I’ll probably go with Samsung Care or Square Trade for a couple of months until I get payments in place.

My DD wants a Case Mate case that claims to have a "10 foot drop protection", whatever that means. I also bought her a sparkly clear Otterbox case for her consideration.

She’ll be paying for the insurance if I can’t get it for free and she’ll pay the deductible when she breaks her phone. I consider it an expensive learning experience if she rejects the Otterbox case.

 

[jen7233]

Is that per month? If so, that's $156/year to insure one item.

I suspect you could do better by calling your regular homeowner's insurance and adding a specific rider. Your insurance company will insure pretty much everything.

Yes, that was per month. We don't carry phone insurance any longer, as I mentioned we used to have it. For those in the house currently, we don't think it's necessary. Don't have homeowner's insurance, but perhaps that is advice for the OP.

OP, there are other cases that are pretty good if she doesn't like Otter Box. I'm the only one that likes and uses the Otter Box in my house. DH used Lifeproof (waterproof) and now uses an i-Blason with his iPhone 7, son has one of those cases, also, and likes it. They look a little more streamlined than the clunky Otter Box.

 

[pigletto]

We’re Canadian but really do a good look into what your credit card provides just in case . My 5 siblings and I all went in together for Father’s Day and bought my dad a very large very expensive tv. While he was setting it up he knocked it over and smashed the screen . My brother had used a card with really good purchase protection insurance and we were completely honest about what happened when we made our claim . They refunded us 100% and we were able to repurchase the tv for dad ( and we set it up this time !) . I put all our larger tech purchases on a similar card now.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I have been using Asurion with ATT for my entire family and have been satisfied with a number of issues over the years. USAA homeowners and college rental insurance doesn't cover phones, I discovered the hard way.

 

[MillauFr]

Best insurance you can buy is an Otterbox case.

 

[robinb]

I have an update.

My DD ended up signing up for Samsung's Care+. It is more expensive per month than Square Trade, but the cost for repairs is less than the yearly difference. I will revisit the decision in January and when I have time to look at credit cards for their insurance. She rejected the sparkly Otterbox case. Oh well. Insurance and repairs are her responsibility.

 

[kristenrice]

I used to pay for the insurance on my daughter's iPhone because she is tough on the screen. Then, I realized that the cell phone store down the street would repair/replace the screen for $80. The insurance cost me $13/month and if I ever needed to replace the screen, it was a $50 deductible. I realized that the insurance was really only going to help me out if the phone was lost altogether. I decided to drop it and just pay OOP if and when the phone needed repair. When my daughter broke her screen, I paid the $80, waited 2 hours and got her phone back with a nice, new screen on it. I've had to do that three times in 2 years, but I am still ahead. I would have paid $462 WITH the insurance ($13/month x 24 months, + $50 deductible x 3 events), but instead, I paid "only" $240...saved almost 50%. My other daughter still loves her iPhone 6S and refuses to upgrade. She took advantage of the Apple battery replacement offer ($29) a few years ago, but that one went bad this year and she needed it replaced. We don't have insurance on her phone, but the cost to replace the battery was only $40 so, again, we saved way more money by simply paying OOP than relying on "insurance". I will say that the ONLY reason I would rely on insurance is if I could not afford to REPLACE the phone if it were lost/stolen.