The next best thing to iPhone insurance

UPDATE:  9/25/08  -- SquareTrade for iPhone 3G

 Alright, so you got an iPhone 3G.  And you probably love it.  Either that, or you're still working on getting used to it and you'll love it in a couple of days.  But love it or kinda love it, the fact is, you just parted with a huge chunk of change for the little device. 

Take a look at it.  It's flawless and sleek and wonderful.... and fragile.  That's probably why AT&T has excluded it from insurance availability and AppleCare won't cover accidental damage.  And if you bought yours from Best Buy, they'll charge you a whopping $360 for two years of phone insurance.  That's probably more than you paid for the phone in the first place!!  So, we started thinking:  iPhone insurance, hmmmm....

We've put our heads together here at SquareTrade to come up with a plan that makes sense.  One that won't rip you off.  One that you can count on to be there in case that slippery sucker winds up face down on the sidewalk or in a puddle of coffee on your desk.  No $360 iPhone insurance for our customers, that's for sure! 

Here's what we put together:

Price:

$77 for two years of coverage -- that's only $3.20 a month!  Best Buy is charging nearly FIVE TIMES as much!  Woah.

What's Included:

-  Manufacturer defects and device failures are covered for two years.

-  Accidental damage from handling -- damage caused from dropping, cracked screen, spilling on the phone etc. -- all covered.

-  5-day Service Guarantee.  If we can't fix it by then, we'll pay you CASH for the full replacement value of your phone (which would amount to even more cash than you shelled out for your phone in the first place).

- Top-notch customer service and a hassle free claims process.  Check out our reviews on epinions, NexTag, and ResellerRatings for proof.  (Note:  We know most people despise the whole claims process and think it's a huge pain, so we've committed to never giving SquareTraders the run-around.  We work hard at giving the best customer service and that's why we're so proud of how much our customers love us.  Like, beaming, my-kid-made-the-honor-roll proud.)

-  Online warranty management.  You don't have to deal with a bunch of paperwork.  Just enroll online and you're done.  You can view your contract, make a claim, view history, etc. right from the SquareTrade Warranty Management Tool.  Nobody else offers that convenience. 

 

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And for those of you deciding on iPhone insurance or considering AppleCare vs. us, here are your options:

Option A: A SquareTrade CarePlan.

 

SquareTrade has been in business since 1999. Our warranties are financially backed by an A rated insurer and we’re the leading provider of extended warranties on eBay. We’ve even got an online management system for you to manage your warranty. Long story short, we know what we’re doing, and we’re good at it.

Updated 9/21/08:  Our new iPhone warranty with ADH plan is a great deal, starting at $77.  For a little more than AppleCare, you get two years of protection against drops, spills and other accidents from handling.  Our data shows that 80% of iPhone failures come from these types of accidents - they're slippery suckers, if you haven't noticed!  In addition, you get hardware coverage equivalent to that of the AppleCare warranty. If something does happen, we’ll either fix it, or pay you the full replacement price of the iPhone – All within 5 days. Guaranteed.

 

Option B: An AppleCare Warranty.

 

Apple offers an AppleCare Extended warranty. It basically extends their 1-year warranty for an additional year for $69. Simple, safe, but it won’t cover your accidental damages – and it is expensive.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any good solutions to protecting yourself from losing the iPhone. The best advice is to hang on to the phone, and be conscious of where it is at all times.

Comments

[Cody]

I don't see anything on SquareTrade about "enhanced CarePlan's." That must be something new this company is coming out with just for the iPhone.

[Jimmy]

Thanks for your comment Cody. Our enhanced CarePlan will be a new feature that we're providing consumers with. The added coverage will be available, and meant for all types of newly purchased items, including the iPhone.

[Sug]

I'm really interested in your enhanced CarePlan for iPhone. Do you have ETA? Is this insurance going to be transferable, same as regular CarePlan?

[Jimmy]

Hi Sug,
I'm glad you're interested in the enhanced CarePlan as well. It is currently slated for a launch in the first week of August. It is also transferable; just like the regular CarePlan. Personally, I can't wait till the launch date.

[div]

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[Harpo]

Soon you will be seeing a new company that will offer I Phone and I Pod loss and replacement. I know because I am starting it.

[Gary]

The first week of August has come and gone - no news of enhanced care plan for iPhone on SquareTrade. Any news when this will be available?

[Jimmy]

Hi Gary, Thanks for your post. We're now proud to be offering our enhanced Care Plan for the iphone: http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/warranty-buy-now

The enhanced Care Plan option will be given to you on the pre-checkout page. This enhanced Care Plan is only available for selected items (iphones included) that were bought in the last 30 days.

For more information about our enhanced Care Plan with accidental damage protection, please call us at 1-800-649-5307 M-F 6AM to 5PM, or visit our FAQ's section here: http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/buyer-faq/care-plan-advantages

[Bill]

"This enhanced Care Plan is only available for selected items (iphones included) that were **bought in the last 30 days**."

This is very disappointing for iPhone purchased who bought the phone June 29 (iPhone launch date) and have been waiting for CarePlan with ADP!

How about an exception for iPhones? Maybe a "bought within the last 90 days" rule for iPhones, at least for a while?

[John]

I agree with Bill, I bought my iphone June 29th when it first came out and now I am unable to buy the enhanced care plan that I have been waiting for. I find this unfair and very disappointing. I believe there should be an exception for the iphone until August 30th due to the fact that the ADP was inducted on the 1st of August.

[Dave]

I also agree; I bought an iPhone on the 2nd day (June 30th) and having a 30 day exclusion for enhanced Care Plan is a big disappointment; I would almost certainly have bought into this. There's nothing wrong with my iPhone! What's the point of having a "last 30 days" exclusion (or, in fact, -any- time-limited exclusion?) Someone could buy an iPhone tomorrow, drop and crack the screen a week afterwards, then immediately buy into enhanced care and ask for warranty coverage. The point is, if you're trying to avoid claims like this, you need new warranty purchasers to sign a document indicating that at time of enhanced care purchase, their iPhone is in good working order and the screen is not damaged. (Perhaps even submit a dated photo of the iPhone as proof/reference).

[duncanelliott]

Hi,

I found this page from searching for “iPhone Insurance” from Google, here in the UK, and I am sure there will be other UK viewers seeing this, looking for iPhone insurance, struggling to protect their new iphone. I just wanted to let you all know – there is now cover available at

http://www.2u.co.uk/iPhoneInsurance

FYI – It’s for UK customers only - sorry

[neotheone]

Hey Folks,

Looks like there is a insurance company that is finally offering accident coverage specifically for the iphone. Even if you have already had it for a while. I got coverage for both my 4gb iphone and my 30 gb video ipod.

Check it out: http://www.icoverpro.com

[Krzyhydro]

I agree with neo, there. The coverage that iCover provides is pretty good, and the fact that they cover even 1st gen iPods is amazing.

[mackenzie]

Hi,
I just got an iPhone about 2-3 weeks ago, I would like to get the extended Careplan, but i cant seem to find or figure out how to get to it on sqare trade.
were should i go after..http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/warranty-buy-now

[Tebo]

I have also seen others mention on other sites that State Farm offers personal article protection insurance for about 40 bucks a year. I will look into this as Well

[Jill]

It's easy to get now! Just go to:

www.squaretrade.com/iphone

Jill

[Charlie B]

This company protects you from losing your iPhone. Sometimes that's even worse than breaking it. Check it out www.RewardingReturn.com

I lost mine twice already and they got my iPhone back in my hands within days. And they paid for all the shipping.

I love them.. seriously

[Charlie B]

That's also not to take anything away from Square Trade. This is a great care plan. People that value their iPhones should really sign up for both. Then you're protected against loss/theft and damage. Cover all your bases

[Toes]

Does this plan also cover refurbished iPhones bought from AT&T?

[Antonia Short]

Can you tell me if you are insured if you lose the phone with this insurance??

[Jill]

Hi Antonia,

The SquareTrade plan for iPhone does not cover loss or theft for the phone, but it does cover accidental damage from handling.

Jill

[Shanti]

does this plan cover lost or stolen phones?

[Shanti]

nevermind, I just looked up...

[Stu]

Does this plan also cover refurbished iPhones bought from AT&T?