Pardon the Interaction

Cellphone Replacement Insurance… Benefit or Scam?? December 17, 2007

Well PTIers it was bound to happen!  I was getting undressed, and my PPC 6700 fell off my belt clip and went crashing to the floor!  Disaster, right?  Well, not exactly.   Since I got the phone last year, I have been paying $7/month for replacement/loss insurance.  So I called the replacement center for Sprint, told them what happened and they were more than happy to take my $50 deductible and tell me that I would be receiving a brand new “refurbished” PPC 6700.   She even said that she would express ship it to me for an additioanl $15 bucks!  Now that’s service…right??  If it is such a great plan, why do I feel so wierd about it?

After hanging up the phone, I started thinking about this.   I got the phone last year September.  I have been paying $7 per month for insurance.   My math tells me that amounts to $98 bucks. Add on the $50 deductible and the $15 shipping cost, and I am out of pocket $163 bucks!   So I am paying $163 bucks for a refurbished phone that is not even in production anymore.  I guess one could say that I am ahead of the game, cause I could have been out a whole lot more if I had to buy the new HTC Mogul for more than $163 dollars… right?

Just wanted to see how PTIers feel about cellphone insurance.  How long do you pay before it becomes a bad deal?  Are there any strategies (i.e. maybe purchase insurance for the first 12 months for a new phone and then cancel after some break point)?   

 Not sure why I am feeling strange about this, but I am just telling it like it is!!!!  Sorta like the old tune from New Edition…. 

If it isn’t love, why do I feel this way? 

By the way, while I am waiting for my refurbished PPC 6700, I got Sprint to activate my first Treo!!!  Check it out, it actually is bringing back a lot of memories and it works great!!!