Is smartphone insurance a waste of money?

March 2, 2016

Today’s world solely depends on the smartphones as they keep us connected and informed during the hectic daily routine. Along with their impressive features smartphones come with a higher price tag. Damaging you smartphone can be expensive and hence insuring your phone is a smart investment. Smartphone insurance isn’t an exciting topic, but lots of people have questions about – is phone insurance a good investment? These questions do not have an easy answer. But one actually needs to explore the domain, if smartphone insurance is actually a good idea given your individual needs.

There are companies that do not sell insurance directly to consumers but work with big US carriers as their official subscriber of phone insurance provider. Though most of the terms are mostly consistent but the cost, deductible and the coverage vary from carrier to carrier. These companies generally cover loss, theft, malfunctioning and accidental damages, as these are the areas people generally file claims for. Once the insurance claim is approved, the insurance provider elects to either repair or replace the smartphone. The more interesting areas are the reasons for denial of claims which include damages caused while attempting to repair a device or if insects or ‘vermin’ affect the phone. In case of a claim for a lost or stolen phone, the case number or copy of the police report, need to be submitted.

need-of-smartphone-insurance-protection-plan

Is smartphone insurance a waste of money?

Some insurance providers have three deductible tiers 1, 2 and 3 with high end smartphones covered under tier 3 wherein the deductible amount is also more compared to tier 1 and tier 2. Mid-range smartphones are covered under tier 2 and low end devices get covered under tier 1. The monthly premium rate is also tied to the tiers. Some also offer cheaper plans but one needs to sign up for the plan within a certain time frame of the device purchase. The coverage terms vary with insurance providers as some give a bigger discount if you buy a 2 year policy as compared to a monthly policy. In such a scenario the warranty only covers accidental damage and malfunctioning. Some phone insurers do not deal with refurbished smart phones, instead they prefer to just pay off if they cannot repair your device. Another important step is to look out for reviews. Some companies have mixed reviews from policy holders as some companies have abnormally long turnaround time on claims.

There are no magic ways of getting fast, super cheap and all inclusive phone insurance. But the concept of phone insurance is a reality as lot of people drop, submerge or lose their $600 smartphone. Just to remember the phone insurance is a profitable business as companies take in more in premiums than they pay out in claims. That means most of the policies do not end up actually being utilized. Research has shown that one third of smartphone owners have damaged or lost their phones. Most Americas damage their phone during sporting events. An insurance plan can save your money over a new phone, but at the end one is likely to pay anything from $300 to $400 to get your phone replaced. So for any kind of insurance, it is a matter of weighing the risk against the cost of coverage. If you are in the fear of your smartphone being stolen or losing it, then in such a situation insurance will give you peace of mind. But the reality is one does need insurance as smartphone insurance is all about risk management!