News
AT&T to offer iPhone insurance for $14 a month?
AT&T is preparing to offer insurance plans for iPhone users, with pricing set at $14 per month, according to a new report. The Boy Genius Report has posted photos showing internal AT&T documents outlining the new service, which will be called MobileProtect and will be activated by downloading an app from the App Store. According to the report, the plan will be run by Asurion, with monthly charges billed through the app to the user’s iTunes account. In addition to the monthly charge, the plan will also include deductibles ranging from $99 for an 8GB iPhone 3G to $199 for a 32GB iPhone 3GS, and must be activated within 30 days of upgrading or purchasing a new iPhone.
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1
Of course, they decide to offer up an insurance plan AFTER they brick the WiFi for hundreds of thousands of 3g users who updated to the 3.1.3 OS… Ummm how about Apple start to acknowledge that they accidentally (i hope it wasn’t on purpose) released an update that broke the wifi in 3g units and start FIXING the problem instead of ignoring it. Someone said that it costs Apple less to ignore the problem than to fix it. I dont know about the validity to that statement as it is still unclear if an update will fix the problem or if the hardware got burnt out (once again apple needs to answer) BUT I know this. I was looking forward to June’s announcement but if Apple’s poor customer service about matters such as this continues, I will become an android adopter….
Posted by Miles PO on May 28, 2010 at 2:24 PM (PDT)
2
Of course, they decide to offer up an insurance plan AFTER they brick the WiFi for hundreds of thousands of 3g users who updated to the 3.1.3 OS… Ummm how about Apple start to acknowledge that they accidentally (i hope it wasn’t on purpose) released an update that broke the wifi in 3g units and start FIXING the problem instead of ignoring it. Someone said that it costs Apple less to ignore the problem than to fix it. I dont know about the validity to that statement as it is still unclear if an update will fix the problem or if the hardware got burnt out (once again apple needs to answer) BUT I know this. I was looking forward to June’s announcement but if Apple’s poor customer service about matters such as this continues, I will become an android adopter….
Posted by Miles PO on May 28, 2010 at 2:25 PM (PDT)
3
$14.00 per month with a $199.00 deductable? Lemme see…$168.00 per year, so two years into it you’ve got $336.00 into the insurance and if it breaks, another $199.00 for a total of $535.00? Are they nuts?
Posted by John Graser on May 28, 2010 at 2:42 PM (PDT)
4
@3, exactly my thoughts. This is such a shameless money grab that has no business calling itself insurance. Even assuming that the unsubsidized value of an iPhone works out to $600 on average, this plan would still be profitable for AT&T with no deductible even if 2.3% of “insurance” subscribers broke their iPhone each month.
Posted by Code Monkey in Midstate New York on May 28, 2010 at 3:04 PM (PDT)
5
Cheaper to get coverage from Squaretrade - $96-$144 for two years of coverage depending on model
Posted by Xeno on May 28, 2010 at 5:21 PM (PDT)
6
Comment #3….. Most people also upgrade after there 2 year agreement so if you choose to accept this insurance it’s like paying full price for the iPhone with the two year agreement. There is no point having insurance at all because if the iPhone breaks go out and pay full price for a new one. With that insurance you are paying the same amount. At least with no insurance I have a chance not having to pay that additional $336.00 every two years when I upgrade!!
Posted by Digital Shooter on May 28, 2010 at 7:09 PM (PDT)
7
What a complete ripoff.
Posted by Chris on May 28, 2010 at 10:15 PM (PDT)
8
SquareTrade won’t cover your phone if you got it at Walmart. You’re better off going to Mission Repair.
Posted by surfer870 in Northwest Arkansas on May 29, 2010 at 3:01 AM (PDT)
9
wayyy to much money i think. *
Posted by mike m on May 29, 2010 at 12:18 PM (PDT)
10
This is absolutely ridiculous! No WAY am I paying an extra $14/mo! AT&T sucks so bad!
Posted by hikernks on May 29, 2010 at 3:32 PM (PDT)
11
@AT&T: Try giving your faithful iPhone customers a better 3G network…FOR NO ADDITIONAL FEES!
Posted by RodC on May 29, 2010 at 5:39 PM (PDT)
12
Try Protect Cell… I did. I accidentally destroyed my iPhone 3GS, and they sent me a check for $700 to get a brand new phone. I think we paid $96 for two years on my iPhone and my wife’s Samsung phone. The plan does have a drawback, you must wait at least 30 days after signing up to use the insurance and you have to send your phone to Michigan so they can try to fix it.
Posted by ProtectCellUser on May 31, 2010 at 12:05 PM (PDT)
13
Don’t forget, insurance gets you a replacement in-kind…which means, that if you need to use it after the new iPhone comes out, you don’t get an upgraded phone…just a refirbed version of what you’re already using. If I’m paying almost $600 over 2 years, you better believe that I’m getting the latest and (supposedly) greatest version. This is a complete rip-off.
Posted by Herb August on June 1, 2010 at 8:49 AM (PDT)