question about insurance

[Enrodreher]

hi guys i have a question, i went to sprint to activate a line with an evo and they told me i should add insurance which is 7 dollars a month. they told me that there was 100 dollar deductible and i had 3 claims per year. my question to you guys: is this really true? it sounds too good to be true, wouldn't shady people just claim that their phone is lost or stolen pay 100 bucks and turn around and sell it on ebay? and they can do this 3 times!!!!

 

[Tempusfugit]

hi guys i have a question, i went to sprint to activate a line with an evo and they told me i should add insurance which is 7 dollars a month. they told me that there was 100 dollar deductible and i had 3 claims per year. my question to you guys: is this really true? it sounds too good to be true, wouldn't shady people just claim that their phone is lost or stolen pay 100 bucks and turn around and sell it on ebay? and they can do this 3 times!!!!

You can't sell a phone that's been reported lost or stolen... The person buying it won't be able to activate it.

 

[dan330]

yes.. it is true..
yes.. you can do as you said..
yes.. I am sure others have...
yes.. it can not be used on sprint's network, but there are other networks.

NO.. you should not do it.. used to be $50 deductible....

 

[Enrodreher]

so dan you dont think is worth adding insurance?

 

[MissJennell]

I have insurance on my line. It is absolutely worth it to me. I have used it 3 times in 18 months. Once I sat on my phone and broke the screen. Another time my daughter (2) threw it in the toilet. The next time it was stolen. I have phones that cost $400+ to replace so to only have to spend $100 to replace it is much better.

 

[Rigmaster]

I bought the insurance for one reason - Evo was a first generation phone using new parts (wimax radio and others) coming from a maker that previously has had quality problems. I'm less concerned about lost/stolen and more about whether the phone will get damaged or simply stop working for any other product reliability reason.

I had one Evo that had to be replace due to broken charge port, but Sprint did not charge me for it and replaced it with a new Evo because they were out of refurb replacements and did not want me to be without my phone while waiting on a refurb by mail that could take up to a week. I use my phone for business so that would have been painful.

Is it worth it? It never feels like it is until you have to use it. I've could have been forced to use it. I'm glad I had it. I'm glad the good people at my Sprint repair center didn't force it on me even though they could have.

 

[CarrieK]

I have the insurance on my EVO. I just feel better with it. Life happens

 

[RiverOfIce]

the other reason for insurance is sprint used to repair/replace manufacturers defects in store, now they are going to start to send you back to the manufacturer, except when you have insurance. For things like broken screens, damaged housing, broken ports, and other user damage in which the motherboard is still working, they will only charge you 35 dollars to repair it, instead of 100. This does not include water damage.

If your phone is lost or stolen, then you just pay 100 dollars to get it replaced. The question about insurance is simply this, do you think you would use it? If you think that in the next year you would use it, then by all means get it. For me, a phone is a tool. I dont baby them, I dont cuddle them, I dont care if they have a bad day. I really dont care if they look like they got hit by a truck after a year. For me, the insurance is worth it. Even though I could afford to get a new phone if the one I have broke, I really dont need anything more then the evo. So 184 dollars vs 400 dollars is just simple math. After you past the upgrade date, I usually drop the insurance, because if the phone breaks, you can just upgrade to another one.

I have use the insurance 6 times in the last 4 years. Total cost out of pocket for 6 phones, $1104 dollars. Total cost out of pocket if I did not have the insurance would be, $3194. For me, 2 grand is 2 grand. If you dont plan on using the insurance, then don't get it. Take the money, place it in a account for 2 years, by then you will have 300 bucks which will cover the next upgrade. I really don't see myself making it through a year with out using the insurance. Now before you guys start to jump down my throat, it really depends on where you live. In some states, if you intentionally break your phone they have to replace it, regardless of fault.

 

[Enrodreher]

thanks to all of you guys yes i will be getting insurance with all 3 of the evos, now im getting them through amazon, can i add the insurance through amazon or do i need to call sprint and add it then?

 

[dan330]

i think it is through sprint....

should you get it... that is your call. some should because they know they have a high chance of needing it.

i dont.. because I have an old phone sitting around that I can use.. till my next upgrade in 1 yr...
but now that the 1 yr is gone.. I might have to rethink it.

or...
($7 x 12 month) + $100 deductible = 184
if I need to.... can i get a phone on craiglist for $150 -200???
for you... (3x$7x12) +$100 deductible = 352... your call.


I have been with sprint for 5 yrs. never had insurance. never need to replace a phone through damage by me.
5yr x $7 X 12months = $420 i did not have to spend.

 

[Enrodreher]

thats true also, what i might do is not add it to all the lines maybe just one. do you know if i add it to one line but the other phone breaks could i replace it under the other lines insurance since they will all be evos?

 

[BenChase7]

thanks to all of you guys yes i will be getting insurance with all 3 of the evos, now im getting them through amazon, can i add the insurance through amazon or do i need to call sprint and add it then?

I have had pretty good luck with Sprints $7 insurance. I have used it twice and both times I had a new/referbished phone airmailed and on my door step the next day. The nice thing about Sprint's ins is that it covers everything.. lost, stolen, and any damage. Some of the other offers (such as Best Buy) do NOT cover as much as Sprint does.

You can add Sprint's insurance by calling Sprint within 30 days (i think) of purchacing the phone.

 

[Enrodreher]

Thank you guys, does anyone know: what i might do is not add it to all the lines maybe just one. do you know if i add it to one line but the other phone breaks could i replace it under the other lines insurance since they will all be evos

 

[Rigmaster]

thats true also, what i might do is not add it to all the lines maybe just one. do you know if i add it to one line but the other phone breaks could i replace it under the other lines insurance since they will all be evos?

The insurance will be applied to the specific line so you can't just say for whichever phone breaks/breaks first.

Evo's been out long enough and has shown enough gaps in reliability that I wouldn't buy without it. That said, once my phones reach upgrade status, I'd be willing to drop the coverage if there's anything Evo-topping by June.

With 3 Evos, perhaps your best insurance would be to do them initially for up to 6 months to make sure the actual Evos don't break down from poor manufacturing and can stand up to how you use them, then instead of carrying coverage maybe the price of used ones will come down. At $21/mo, you should be able to pick up at least one used one at the 7 month timeframe without the ongoing carrying cost.

3 breaking down at the same time or in short succession is unlikely.

 

[dan330]

sorry buddy...

the line and insurance is tied to a unique ESN of that phone...

 

[BenChase7]

^^
but, if the EVO "breaks" within 6 months from "poor" manufacturing, it will be covered under the manufactures 1 year warranty thats included with all devices. In such a case, you wouldn't even need/use insurance.

 

[dan330]

yes.. yes yes.. true.. 1 yr warranty.

if you have to send it off... to htc for repair.

get a $30 phone on craigslist for the wait time. this also can be used again and again.

 

[Enrodreher]

thank you rig i keep forgetting that i am leaving att and the simplicity of sim cards will be gone if its like you say where insurance is LINE SPECIFIC then i will add it to all the lines for the first 6 months. thank you.

 

[Enrodreher]

thanks to all of you guys!

 

[RiverOfIce]

^^
but, if the EVO "breaks" within 6 months from "poor" manufacturing, it will be covered under the manufactures 1 year warranty thats included with all devices. In such a case, you wouldn't even need/use insurance.

Maybe. If they company is willing to call it poor manifacturing. The turn over on phones are not like cars.

When you have a defect with a car, it takes months for the company to admit it was wrong. When the average phone is turned over ever 18 months, it is very little time for the companies to admit fault.

But for example. HTC has stepped up with the charger port breakage. They said that it was covered.

Still, today, after 3 years on the market, blackberry still insist that it is user damage for the exact same issue.

So if you trust the manufacture to cover you, then great, dont get it. But htc still refuses to admit the screen lifting is a defect.

 

[Rigmaster]

^^
but, if the EVO "breaks" within 6 months from "poor" manufacturing, it will be covered under the manufactures 1 year warranty thats included with all devices. In such a case, you wouldn't even need/use insurance.

True, but mailing your phone off to HTC to have them proclaim "oops, our fault" isn't proving to be what's happening on more than a few occasions. If HTC was US-based and there was a stronger mechanism to enforce individual claims, I'd feel better. The HTC process takes time. If it was a toaster, I'd live without toast for as long as necessary. But it's a bit challenging to try to reroute biz calls and live without the primary communications device for any length of time outside vacation.

 

[Enrodreher]

So if you trust the manufacture to cover you, then great, dont get it. But htc still refuses to admit the screen lifting is a defect.

screen lifting? that sucks. i didnt know that was a common problem

 

[dan330]

look for light leakage and screen lifting... there are some phone that have that.
but i will say.. of course you will her more of the issues on forums like this.. people come here to rant or look for fix to issues.

if you happy.. most will never say a thing here!
and my guess.. for every complaint.. there is over a 1000 that are happy.

 

[RiverOfIce]

screen lifting? that sucks. i didnt know that was a common problem

I have 8 evo's, 1 has it.

 

[Enrodreher]

I have 8 evo's, 1 has it.

damn river lol i thought i was bad going through 5 iphones and 7 xbox 360's lol.