Monday, June 13, 2011

Paying for peace of mind

A few years ago, a very young Chickie dropped my cell phone in a bird bath.

It died.

Then several months ago, Zoodle dropped a different cell phone in the (full) bathtub.

It died, then came back to life, then died again. For good.

Considering my history with cell phones, I have been so nervous that my new Android phone (the LG G2X from T-Mobile) will break. I've considered buying insurance through T-Mobile, but I know it doesn't cover dropping, water damage, etc.

The other day, my mom emailed me about a warranty company that my dad has started using for all his electronics warranties. It's called SquareTrade.



My mom dropped my dad's Kindle e-reader twice, and it broke. They had purchased a SquareTrade warranty that covers ADH (Accidental Damage from Handling.) My mom submitted a claim online, and the next day she shipped the Kindle to SquareTrade with a prepaid label. The full purchase price was credited to their Amazon account that same day! (In fact, they got 5% extra by taking an Amazon credit instead of cash.) They didn't even have to pay shipping or a deductible.

I decided I wanted to look into SquareTrade for my new Kindle and my new cell phone. Then I was lucky enough to find a coupon code online. By using the coupon code "FATHER" I was able to get $30 off a 2-year cell phone warranty (making it $95 plus tax), and 30% off a 3-year Kindle warranty (for a price of $23.09 plus tax.) Both have ADH coverage (though there is a $50 deductible for the phone if I use the ADH coverage.)

I was hesitant on the cell phone warranty in particular--that's kinda pricey, just a little less than I paid for the phone! But I only got that price for the phone because I was eligible for upgrade. If I have to pay for a new phone due to an accident before I'm eligible for upgrade, it will cost me $400. Knowing my history with phones (and other electronic devices!), and knowing my kids play games on my phone, I figured $100 or so was a good investment. And $25 or so for three years of Kindle coverage is a great deal!

This isn't a sponsored post; I just wanted to pass along the information. Hopefully someone else will be thrilled, as I was, to find a great alternative to extended warranties from electronics manufacturers or retailers. Click here to check out SquareTrade.

And remember that great coupon code, "FATHER." (If it has expired, try some of the other SquareTrade coupon codes at RetailMeNot.com.)

6 comments:

Tiffany said...

Hmm...interesting....is this a new company?

C. Beth said...

Their website says they’ve been in business since 1999. They have 5 stars on NexTag and 4 1/2 stars on Epinions, and an A+ Better Business Bureau rating, and have sold 2 million warranties. That, combined with my parents’ great experience with them, gives me a very good feeling about them!

Their computer coverage is, of course, more expensive, but I may get it next time I get a new computer.

Linda said...

Thanks for the info, Beth. We don't usually buy warranties for our appliances/electronics, but after Pete had one cell phone driven over by a pickup truck and another by a tractor a few years ago, we started buying the insurance offered through the cell phone company. For his Droid smartphone, it's $8 a month, and has an $80 deductible. When we needed to use it recently (phone went through the wash), the company was excellent to work with; they sent a new phone by next-day air, and when that one was a dud, repeated a day later.

SquareTrade prices sound better; do they just refund the money for everything or actually send out a new unit for some items?

I'm going to look into this. Thanks for the info.

C. Beth said...

Linda--They keep the option to repair the item or to reimburse the purchase price (up to a certain amount...$600 for Android phones, I think.)

C. Beth said...

Actually for phones I don't think it's the purchase price since that's usually so low...I think it's replacement price or something. I know I saw $600 as the max.

C. Beth said...

I found the page just for Android phones. It is indeed repair, OR replacement cost (not purchase price) up to $600. Here is the info: https://www.squaretrade.com/pages/android-landing1