Sprint's TEP going up. [Confirmed]

[JAJameson2010]

I dropped my insurance about a year ago and just keep old epic slide out models as back up. If one of our phones break we can activate those and wait for a replacement to be purchased on ebay

 

[drexappeal]

That is why I would never have insurance from ANY carrier. High premiums and deductibles.

I recommend BestBuy Black Tie Protection. I think it is about $9 a month, but there is ZERO deductible and you could in theory break your phone and get a new one every week (when I worked at BestBuy Mobile we actually had a guy go through about 6 phones the first 2 months he had it). It takes about 3 days for your replacement phone, but well worth the wait for a new phone, never a refurb.

What does Best Buy replace with when the phone is on EOL (end of life) and no longer being sold?

 

[Speed Daemon]

Yeah best buys insurance rules. You have to have purchased your phone from them though

I was so surprised that they really did cover all damage, no questions asked that I had to ask the guy to repeat it twice, and even read the fine print.

Most time of purchase warranties are a known ripoff that has become an institutionalized practice. This notion that all businesses should always see constantly increasing profits always, and that it's acceptable to do whatever it takes to gouge more profit everywhere they can is...unacceptable. I don't know how the Best Buy clerk managed to get to the point of mentioning that their policies are all-inclusive because I've become quite adept at brushing off the hard sell of stuff I didn't ask for. I wish I hadn't brushed off the warranty on a computer that I broke.

 

[sikclown]

Well I just received my official notice letter and new terms from Asurion with the price increases. They are currently charging me 11.00 per month but crediting me 3.00 per month until September. They also made me aware that I can get the ERP (Equipment Replacement Program) separately for 9.00 per month or ESRP (Equipment Service and Repair) for 4.00 per month (The TEP includes both of these at a 2.00 per month discount). Looking into what each of these are but I would think just doing the ERP would cover most of what I would need the insurance for.

 

[MissJennell]

That is why I would never have insurance from ANY carrier. High premiums and deductibles.

I recommend BestBuy Black Tie Protection. I think it is about $9 a month, but there is ZERO deductible and you could in theory break your phone and get a new one every week (when I worked at BestBuy Mobile we actually had a guy go through about 6 phones the first 2 months he had it). It takes about 3 days for your replacement phone, but well worth the wait for a new phone, never a refurb.

The "never a refurb" is wrong. Most that you get back from the black tie is a refurb. It's $9.99 a month if you choose monthly and then $170 for the two years if you do full pay.

Na, this is from asurion, asurion isn't sprint.

Exactly!!

Sprint is not going to go out of business.

IOWA hit the nail. due to insurance scams and such, Asurion has to increase their costs. they also need to make a profit just like any other FOR PROFIT business.

its a pretty steep change for sure and a lot of knee jerk reactions will happen from this.

i can afford the monthly insurance and the deductible, however Armageddon makes a good point about when the investment becomes a waste of money, so some may have to weigh their options for sure.

I've been on the brutal end of those knee jerk reactions today. I have been yelled at, cursed at and threatened.

If I understand what you are saying correctly - this new TEP change would include iPhones, and customers wouldn't have to waste $ on AppleCare?

You are stuck with apple care for an iphone.

wow really is this true??? cuz ill buy best buy insurance right now

Best Buy insurance is the best insurance as far as cell phones go. You have to have bought your phone thru them though.

Yeah best buys insurance rules. You have to have purchased your phone from them though

This.

What does Best Buy replace with when the phone is on EOL (end of life) and no longer being sold?

They usually have the phone thru your two years of insurance.

I was so surprised that they really did cover all damage, no questions asked that I had to ask the guy to repeat it twice, and even read the fine print.

Most time of purchase warranties are a known ripoff that has become an institutionalized practice. This notion that all businesses should always see constantly increasing profits always, and that it's acceptable to do whatever it takes to gouge more profit everywhere they can is...unacceptable. I don't know how the Best Buy clerk managed to get to the point of mentioning that their policies are all-inclusive because I've become quite adept at brushing off the hard sell of stuff I didn't ask for. I wish I hadn't brushed off the warranty on a computer that I broke.

They don't cover EVERYTHING. People do get turned away. Mostly water damage. The phone isn't supposed to be fully submerged in liquid.

 

[drexappeal]

They usually have the phone thru your two years of insurance.

So, black tie is only for 2 years? Can you buy more years if you go past that timeframe?

 

[Speed Daemon]

They don't cover EVERYTHING. People do get turned away. Mostly water damage. The phone isn't supposed to be fully submerged in liquid.

Thanks, that's good to know.

I'm not terribly worried about water, though. I paid attention in science class, so I know that water doesn't have any magical abilities to create high voltage sparks and other movie special effects in the real world. I know that it's not the water itself that does damage, but stuff dissolved in or carried in by the water. I've revived countless electronic devices by rinsing them thoroughly with distilled water, then letting them try out for a good long time.

My #1 fear is accidentally leaving the phone on the carpet, and crushing it with a heel as I walk around in the dark.

 

[MissJennell]

So, black tie is only for 2 years? Can you buy more years if you go past that timeframe?

It is just 2 years.

Thanks, that's good to know.

I'm not terribly worried about water, though. I paid attention in science class, so I know that water doesn't have any magical abilities to create high voltage sparks and other movie special effects in the real world. I know that it's not the water itself that does damage, but stuff dissolved in or carried in by the water. I've revived countless electronic devices by rinsing them thoroughly with distilled water, then letting them try out for a good long time.

My #1 fear is accidentally leaving the phone on the carpet, and crushing it with a heel as I walk around in the dark.

If you try to use black tie after the phone has been fully submerged in a liquid though they will deny your claim.

 

[Speed Daemon]

If you try to use black tie after the phone has been fully submerged in a liquid though they will deny your claim.

Yes, I understand that. What I meant to say was that I probably wouldn't need to make a claim if all that happened was that it got submerged.

 

[MissJennell]

Yes, I understand that. What I meant to say was that I probably wouldn't need to make a claim if all that happened was that it got submerged.

I get that. But if you broke it 2 months after it was submerged they would deny it. They can tell by looking at the inside of the phone if it was fully submerged or not.

 

[Mr. Ed]

Just a note on this...Sprint is still only slightly higher than other carriers, and the only one that offers in store repair locations all over the place

that is the one thing that truly sets them apart now that all carriers pretty much use Assurion. (keep in mind the deductible only applies to Assurion claims..phones repaired or replaced in store require no out of pocket $$)

Black tie is hit or miss...I quit using it.

 

[drexappeal]

It is just 2 years.

Not sure I like that. Even though I've been upgrading consistently upgrading every year, who really knows if the OEM will be keeping up the pace of creating a "new" or "updated" superphone every year. If, for whatever strange reason, I decide to keep my phone after 2 years...that means it won't be protected? That kinda sucks. Or, say I decide to switch that phone over to one of my secondary lines...no coverage. I'm going to keep searching. There are some that have mentioned 3rd party insurance providers that have decent fees.

 

[drexappeal]

Just a note on this...Sprint is still only slightly higher than other carriers, and the only one that offers in store repair locations all over the place

that is the one thing that truly sets them apart now that all carriers pretty much use Assurion. (keep in mind the deductible only applies to Assurion claims..phones repaired or replaced in store require no out of pocket $$)

Black tie is hit or miss...I quit using it.

So, as long as it's deemed that the phone doesn't have to be replaced by Asurion, am I understanding that Sprint will just go ahead and replace in store, if they can? That sounds like exactly how it has been for me, ever since I've had Sprint insurance.

I think the raise in pricing is throwing everybody off as far as what Sprint actually covers and what lengths Spring goes through, until it is deemed that a customer must use Asurion to cover the phone.

Any way to make that more clear?

 

[verngator]

All of this is why we went to Square Trade for my SG3. Found a 30% coupon and have 2 years of coverage for about $100 with tax. I have a spare Photon so if for some reason I needed a backup, I have it, so if the phone can't be fixed locally or is a complete loss, I get the $$ to buy a new one at retail.

I've posted this a few times on the forums...I'm not a SquareTrade employee and have not yet made a claim with them but I'm already very happy with them and here's why -

My daughter wanted an 4s iPhone. Found a 32GB in great shape at a good price for her on Craigslist. Learned about SquareTrade's iPhone app - bought the insurance through the app, same discount/coupon deal as above, about $100 with tax for 2 years of insurance. (That includes accident insurance but not theft...check out the web site.)

After purchasing the insurance we received email notice that they wanted us to scax/fax/email her retail receipt. I called Square Trade and explained that we bought the phone from a private party and did not have a receipt. The CS rep advised that they didn't usually insure phones purchased that way, so they would probably have to just give us a refund. Fair enough. The rep put me on hold for a moment and explained the situation to her manager...came back and told me they were going to 1. refund the money and 2. allow me to keep the insurance coverage as a courtesy. I thought she was kidding, but she wasn't. The debit transaction from the purchase was reversed the same day. So my daughter's iPhone is covered...and it was completely free of cost to us. I wasn't looking for free coverage at all, but dang!

Just to double check, I called them back later and inquired on the status of her coverage. The rep who helped me on the second call looked up coverage, verified it, and read the notes made by the manager to confirm that we had coverage on the iPhone and there was zero premium or paperwork due.

I was so happy with the customer service that I decided to use ST for my SG3.

Just another option...

 

[drexappeal]

All of this is why we went to Square Trade for my SG3. Found a 30% coupon and have 2 years of coverage for about $100 with tax. I have a spare Photon so if for some reason I needed a backup, I have it, so if the phone can't be fixed locally or is a complete loss, I get the $$ to buy a new one at retail.

I've posted this a few times on the forums...I'm not a SquareTrade employee and have not yet made a claim with them but I'm already very happy with them and here's why -

My daughter wanted an 4s iPhone. Found a 32GB in great shape at a good price for her on Craigslist. Learned about SquareTrade's iPhone app - bought the insurance through the app, same discount/coupon deal as above, about $100 with tax for 2 years of insurance. (That includes accident insurance but not theft...check out the web site.)

After purchasing the insurance we received email notice that they wanted us to scax/fax/email her retail receipt. I called Square Trade and explained that we bought the phone from a private party and did not have a receipt. The CS rep advised that they didn't usually insure phones purchased that way, so they would probably have to just give us a refund. Fair enough. The rep put me on hold for a moment and explained the situation to her manager...came back and told me they were going to 1. refund the money and 2. allow me to keep the insurance coverage as a courtesy. I thought she was kidding, but she wasn't. The debit transaction from the purchase was reversed the same day. So my daughter's iPhone is covered...and it was completely free of cost to us. I wasn't looking for free coverage at all, but dang!

Just to double check, I called them back later and inquired on the status of her coverage. The rep who helped me on the second call looked up coverage, verified it, and read the notes made by the manager to confirm that we had coverage on the iPhone and there was zero premium or paperwork due.

I was so happy with the customer service that I decided to use ST for my SG3.

Just another option...

Squaretrade still says there's a $99 deductible for all claims. Cheaper than Sprint's new deductible, but still pricey if it's all claims

Deductible: A $99 Deductible applies to all claims

:

Android Warranty - Android Phone Warranty - Android Insurance

 

[Mr. Ed]

So, as long as it's deemed that the phone doesn't have to be replaced by Asurion, am I understanding that Sprint will just go ahead and replace in store, if they can? That sounds like exactly how it has been for me, ever since I've had Sprint insurance.

I think the raise in pricing is throwing everybody off as far as what Sprint actually covers and what lengths Spring goes through, until it is deemed that a customer must use Asurion to cover the phone.

Any way to make that more clear?

it's pretty simple...

physically damaged beyond repair, water damage (corrosion), cracked screen= asurion

manufacturer defects and the like = in store repair/replacement.


my OPINION (i have to put that lol)

phones cost more now...thus the raise in pricing and deductible. Makes sense to me