After reading an article on Woot about extended warranties I thought it would be a great idea to see how everybody felt about cell phone warranties. Personally the limited warranty from RIM has always been just fine but I tend to shirk all warranty offers especially from pushy sales reps. Especially after reading articles like this one on BankRate listing 10 reasons why you should not insure your cell phone. On the other hand I know quite a few people who pay about ~$5 a month for the added cell phone coverage from their carrier. I also know a few people who purchased 3rd party warranties for their devices.
So I have to ask. How do you feel about cell phone warranties/coverage plans? If you feel like I missed an option in the poll feel free to suggest it in the comments.
[poll id=”7″]
oakie Not Registered
Posted: August 20, 2008 at 11:21 AM EST
i buy phones with my credit card since my Visa offers an extended warranty coverage program for free on all purchases. i get an automatic 2 years of additional coverage with no deductible on electronics.
check with your credit card provider for details.
oakie Not Registered
Posted: August 20, 2008 at 11:37 AM EST
my credit card offers free extended warranties on purchases, up to 2 years beyond the manufacturer’s warranty. granted, i dont keep a mobile for 3 years, but it’s there if i need it.
Greg Myers Not Registered
Posted: August 20, 2008 at 12:00 PM EST from my BlackBerry 8310
Sorry for the 2 polls in a row readers. One of those tech gliches. (I didn’t read the upcoming articles).
Kind Regards
Greg Myers
DARIO Not Registered
Posted: August 20, 2008 at 2:14 PM EST
mmmm 1 year is ok because at least here in Ecuador the carriers always said if there is a little crash then warranty not applied =S
RedNightHawk Not Registered
Posted: August 20, 2008 at 4:43 PM EST
Some carrier warranties are pretty good and will cover a fair bit and I might be inclined to get one if I got a new phone (my old phone really isn’t worth covering).
A lot of the third party warranties are by warranty companies that actually cover very little (one extended warranty only covered manufacturers defects which should really be apparent in the first few weeks so there’s no point getting a 3 year warranty), and even when they do cover things will only cover up to a certain amount vs a full replacement. You have to be really careful and read the fine print to find out if what you’re buying will actually give you the protection you want.
Tim Not Registered
Posted: August 25, 2008 at 6:26 AM EST
My verizon warranty coupled with the MFR warranty is all I need. It’s comprehensive and affordable. Anyone who needs to file more than two claims a year should not have a cel phone IMHO 😉