WWBBD: Keep or drop insurance on smartphones?

[Elleshoodat]

DH and I carry insurance on our Verizon iPhones -- mine is a 2-year-old 4, and his is a 1-year-old 4S. It's running us about $16 a month, which isn't a huge sum, but I'm wondering whether we should drop that coverage.

We're trying to increase our savings where possible (we're also contemplating moving from cable to Apple TV), but I'm hesitant because with our luck, something will happen to one of the phones right after we drop the insurance. :-/

So what would the Budget Board do?

 

[disneylove69]

Wells fargo offers plan if u pay cell bill with automatic payments wells fargo will give free insurance.

 

[eliza61]

LOL. unfortunately I'm the klutz in my family. If it can be done to a smart phone, than I've done it. every thing from forgetting it's in my pants pocket and washing it, accidentally dropping it in the dish disposal while it was running, to running it over with my car.

So since I've had to replace 3 phones so far, I'm never without the insurance.

 

[HM]

We paid upfront for insurance on our son's phone but not our daughter's. It depends on how hard you are on your phone and how clumsy you might be.....

 

[ManyMinnie]

We dropped insurance on 2 iphones and non-smartphone after a few months. It wasn't worth it to us to pay the extra every month.

 

[Elleshoodat]

LOL. unfortunately I'm the klutz in my family. If it can be done to a smart phone, than I've done it. every thing from forgetting it's in my pants pocket and washing it, accidentally dropping it in the dish disposal while it was running, to running it over with my car.

So since I've had to replace 3 phones so far, I'm never without the insurance.

This is me, too! I've dropped my phone in the bathtub while bathing my son before, but luckily the rice trick worked.

We dropped insurance on 2 iphones and non-smartphone after a few months. It wasn't worth it to us to pay the extra every month.

This is what I'm leaning toward. At least one of us is eligible for an upgrade right now, so surely we don't need the insurance on both phones...

 

[darrius1st]

I guest it depends on who the Insurance is with. If it is with Asurion Drop it because the deductible is high at $120 to $150.

 

[mm1971]

DH and I carry insurance on our Verizon iPhones -- mine is a 2-year-old 4, and his is a 1-year-old 4S. It's running us about $16 a month, which isn't a huge sum, but I'm wondering whether we should drop that coverage.

We're trying to increase our savings where possible (we're also contemplating moving from cable to Apple TV), but I'm hesitant because with our luck, something will happen to one of the phones right after we drop the insurance. :-/

So what would the Budget Board do?

Buy an Otterbox and drop the insurance. The Otterbox cover will keep the phone safe, except water for 2 months of the insurance cost. I have dropped mine several times and have had no issues.

 

[ManyMinnie]

This is me, too! I've dropped my phone in the bathtub while bathing my son before, but luckily the rice trick worked.

This is what I'm leaning toward. At least one of us is eligible for an upgrade right now, so surely we don't need the insurance on both phones...

Get a good case like Otterbox and you should be ok. I have a commuter case for my iphone, but made DS16 get a Defender case for his. They have both been dropped multiple times with no problems.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Cobern]

We have otter boxes on both of ours. Also with the one that is not eligible for an upgrade go to the apple store and get their AppleCare put on it. We did this because my husband is very bad with his phones (lost in a ditch, ran over by a tractor, submerged in hydrolic oil) he works on a farm by the way . I think it is $99 and then around $50 each time he has damaged it. They are like the cell insurance though and you can only use it 3 times. Good thing is you don't have to ship phones and wait you get a new or refurbished one right there.

 

[wiigirl]

We paid upfront for insurance on our son's phone but not our daughter's. It depends on how hard you are on your phone and how clumsy you might be.....

My thoughts exactly.

 

[cluvsdisney]

If your phone is eligible for upgrade through Verizon, I would drop the insurance. At that point, you are able to purchase phones at the promotional price which is $0 for the 4 and $100 for the 4s.

 

[LJSquishy]

I would cancel the phone insurance and invest in decent cases for your phones if you don't already have them.

I've never paid for phone insurance and both my husband and myself have dropped our phones several times. Most recently, I dropped mine in the water while I was getting a pedicure! I snatched it out quickly, turned it off, took it apart and stuffed the phone and the battery in a bag of rice overnight. It still works fine.

Paying $16/mo is outrageous. I would look into a Squaretrade warranty instead next time around if you insist on having some sort of replacement coverage. My husband and I have done fine for several years without needing a phone replaced. We've had our smartphones for over 3 years and they still work great even with hitting the pavement and being dropped in water once, and our non-smartphones years before that never needed to be replaced.

 

[descovy]

Drop the insurance. If anything happens, buy a cheap flip phone at the store, so you can at least make calls until your plan is eligable for an upgrade.

Dh and I have iPhones from at&t. Our "insurance" is his old "dumb phone" in the drawer. In case of loss or damage, we will activate it instead.

 

[Elleshoodat]

I guest it depends on who the Insurance is with. If it is with Asurion Drop it because the deductible is high at $120 to $150.

It is with Asurion. Thanks for the tip; I had no idea the deductible is so high.

Buy an Otterbox and drop the insurance. The Otterbox cover will keep the phone safe, except water for 2 months of the insurance cost. I have dropped mine several times and have had no issues.

I have an Otterbox Defender. I think that's the only way my phone was able to survive the drop in the tub.

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I am going to cancel insurance on both phones.

 

[momof3ds]

You can insure new electronics through squaretrade for a one time fee.

 

[danygirl]

take that 16/month and put it in an emergency fund for phone replacement.

 

[Elleshoodat]

You can insure new electronics through squaretrade for a one time fee.

Good to know, thanks.

take that 16/month and put it in an emergency fund for phone replacement.

Great idea!

 

[Fire14]

If it is with Asurion Drop it because the deductible is high at $120 to $150.

It maybe for iphone but for phone I had to replace it was 20.00-25.00. I have insurance thru Best Buy for nephews phone I pay 9.99/mo and no deductable and they replace for just about everything.

 

[clh2]

You can insure new electronics through squaretrade for a one time fee.

Not if you live in Wisconsin...not bitter or anything about this - but it totally SUCKS.

My DD and I each have an I phone, and we did the $99 applecare program.

We had an issue with Asurion - and I would NEVER, NEVER, EVER go with a plan that involved them. EVER. They refused to pay a claim that should have been paid (and it was really related to a well-known documented problem with the phone) not abuse. WHAT A STINKING WASTE OF MONEY.

But - to answer the OP's question - I would drop the insurance - especially on the phone that could be upgraded. We always keep a couple of old phones around for "quick" changes if needed.