Why should I keep Asurion?

[FunN4Lo]

I have always kept insurance on all of my phones. A few days ago the car my daughter drives exploded and burnt to the ground. Thankfully she was ok, but the car and contents which included her phone is gone.

I submitted an Asurion claim for the loss. They approved, but were out of her phone (Ally) and offered a Devour. I wanted to check specs before I agreed. In the mean time I checked Best Buy. The Ally is now free. They have a few more free Android options including D1 and (Friday) the Incredible. She likes the physical keyboard so I got her another Ally at Best Buy free. An Asurion replacement would cost $50.

Why pay a monthly fee to pay another $50 for a replacement when you can have several free choices at Best Buy?

 

[LtKen]

Usually those prices are promotional (temporary) and require a new line activation.

I keep my insurance because $6/month and a $80 deductible is cheaper than buying a new $600 phone for my wife when she drops it down the stairs.

It's a personal choice to have insurance -- I don't have it on my line. Just keep in mind that free smartphones and $50 smartphones happen extremely rarely, if at all.

 

[Vulcan1600]

FunN4Lo - the only way you got that phone from Best Buy for free was either add a new line or upgrade one of your existing lines with 2 year agreement. If you're not quite aware of that, you might want to check your receipt.

I carry Asurion because I don't have an eligible line and I don't feel like paying full retail price for a new Android phone.

 

[FunN4Lo]

Usually those prices are promotional (temporary) and require a new line activation.

I keep my insurance because $6/month and a $80 deductible is cheaper than buying a new $600 phone for my wife when she drops it down the stairs.

It's a personal choice to have insurance -- I don't have it on my line. Just keep in mind that free smartphones and $50 smartphones happen extremely rarely, if at all.

All that used to be the case, but free Android smart phones seam to be the norm after following Best Buys adds over the last several months. The ads all say new or upgrade free. I just got the Ally on her line without adding a line. It seams new phones drop to free within weeks any more. Heck the Droid Pro is all the way down to $50 after starting at $179 less than a few weeks ago

 

[spaz33g]

Right but you had to sign a new contract right?

Sent from my DROID2 using DroidForums App

 

[LtKen]

All that used to be the case, but free Android smart phones seam to be the norm after following Best Buys adds over the last several months. The ads all say new or upgrade free. I just got the Ally on her line without adding a line. It seams new phones drop to free within weeks any more. Heck the Droid Pro is all the way down to $50 after starting at $179 less than a few weeks ago

But that's with a contract. You have to sign a contract for a new line to get that benefit.

If you're outright replacing a phone, and you have no upgradeable line, you will pay full retail price.

 

[FunN4Lo]

Spaz and Vulcan

Yes you do extend your 2 year agreement. But I do not plan on giving up cell phones, and where do you find a better network than VZW?!?!? Besides, I have been with VZW since before they were VZW, so why do I care if i extend my contract?

LTKen

But that's with a contract. You have to sign a contract for a new line to get that benefit.

If you're outright replacing a phone, and you have no upgradeable line, you will pay full retail price.

Not the case. I JUST GOT A FREE PHONE. No upgrade, no line addition, just a free outright replacement by extending for 2 years

 

[spaz33g]

Ya but my problem with extending my contract to replace a broken phone is that I want that discount for a new model. I would still keep asurion cause what if the phone breaks again and you aren't eligible to renew your contract, then you would have to pay sticker price. Just my two cents.

Sent from my DROID2 using DroidForums App

 

[LtKen]

Spaz and Vulcan

Yes you do extend your 2 year agreement. But I do not plan on giving up cell phones, and where do you find a better network than VZW?!?!? Besides, I have been with VZW since before they were VZW, so why do I care if i extend my contract?

LTKen

But that's with a contract. You have to sign a contract for a new line to get that benefit.

If you're outright replacing a phone, and you have no upgradeable line, you will pay full retail price.

Not the case. I JUST GOT A FREE PHONE. No upgrade, no line addition, just a free outright replacement by extending for 2 years

You must have been near to your contract end, or have an upgrade available.

No cell provider or retailer will continually extend your contract in order for you to get the phone at a subsidized price -- there's no money in it.

You asked about insurance. At the end of the day, the deal you just got is not going to be around in 6 months when your daughter/son/wife/husband drops the phone down a sewer in a parking lot. If it was, we'd all have the latest and greatest all the time, because we'd simply extend our contracts when a new toy came out.

 

[FunN4Lo]

Spaz and Vulcan

Yes you do extend your 2 year agreement. But I do not plan on giving up cell phones, and where do you find a better network than VZW?!?!? Besides, I have been with VZW since before they were VZW, so why do I care if i extend my contract?

LTKen

But that's with a contract. You have to sign a contract for a new line to get that benefit.

If you're outright replacing a phone, and you have no upgradeable line, you will pay full retail price.

Not the case. I JUST GOT A FREE PHONE. No upgrade, no line addition, just a free outright replacement by extending for 2 years

You must have been near to your contract end, or have an upgrade available.

No cell provider or retailer will continually extend your contract in order for you to get the phone at a subsidized price -- there's no money in it.

You asked about insurance. At the end of the day, the deal you just got is not going to be around in 6 months when your daughter/son/wife/husband drops the phone down a sewer in a parking lot. If it was, we'd all have the latest and greatest all the time, because we'd simply extend our contracts when a new toy came out.

You left out destroyed in a fire which was what happened here but wrong again. I got the phone in August for my daughters birthday. I just got another free Friday. I have 4 phones on my account. My D1 is the oldest from February. I do not have any upgrades. THERE IS NO OTHER CATCH. I have insurance on everything, thats why I am asking why insurance is needed. It was cheaper not to use insurance. Keep throwing them at me.

 

[LtKen]

You left out destroyed in a fire which was what happened here but wrong again. I got the phone in August for my daughters birthday. I just got another free Friday. I have 4 phones on my account. My D1 is the oldest from February. I do not have any upgrades. THERE IS NO OTHER CATCH. I have insurance on everything, thats why I am asking why insurance is needed. It was cheaper not to use insurance. Keep throwing them at me.

So lets assume that that's exactly what happened. At this point I'm not doubting you.

I can promise you, it wont happen again until you're up for a line renewal. From my point, the catch is that whatever happened to you is irregular, and not going to happen again, the next time something happens.

If it did, you would be right, there would be no reason for Asurion and cell phone insurance, because, yes $8/month for 24 months plus $80 is definitely more than the cost of a new subsidized phone. It is not, however, more expensive than a brand new phone.

 

[FunN4Lo]

Sundays ad... free new or upgrade (extending for 2 years). See page 19
Flash View of Weekly Ad Circular - Best Buy

I have been watching closely. Best Buy has been doing this for months. Droid Pro in this ad is $179. It is already down to $50 since Sunday!

 

[LtKen]

Sundays ad... free new or upgrade (extending for 2 years). See page 19
Flash View of Weekly Ad Circular - Best Buy

I have been watching closely. Best Buy has been doing this for months. Droid Pro in this ad is $179. It is already down to $50 since Sunday!

I understand what you did -- but I dont think you did. The Droid Pro you mention is $179 with a new 2-year activation. Any free phone you got is also with a 2-year activation. You cant just keep extending the same contract. So either you 1) added a new line to your existing contract for $10/month or 2) had an upgrade available that you didnt know about.

Back to your question about Asurion -- in 6 months, when something happens to the phone again, you will be unable to get the same deal that you just got. That's it. So Asurion turns your $500 retail Ally into a $300 phone over 24 months.

 

[Vulcan1600]

I'm with LtKen on this one. You say you're extending by 2 years. The most you can be extended is 24 months from the current day you get the phone, so in other words, you won't have a phone that is in contract any further than 12/6/2012. Lets say you got a phone on 12/6/2010 and a month later 1/6/2011 you go into Best Buy for a "free" or reduced priced phone, you will not be able to get it for the line you upgraded to on 12/6/10, and it will not extend your contract to 1/6/2014. It just doesn't work that way. You might want to sit down and really look at what you've been doing.

 

[y0manda]

Just like everything else, items depreciate over time. With electronic devices the process is much faster. I have insurance on my D1 and my wife's D1 since the day we bought it in Nov 09. Just the other day my daughter dropped my wife's phone cracking the screen. Asurian wants an $80 deductible for a replacement. Now how much can I get a D1 for? without looking too hard I'm sure I can find a new one for less than $100. Insurance should only be purchased if the value of the phone exceeds the deductible and the cost of the monthly premium. I will get a replacement phone from asurian for my wife, then cancel coverages for both phones.