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Warranties for electronics, especially phones, tablets, etc.

Discussion in 'Tilted Gear' started by Borla, Feb 14, 2015.

  1. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    Several years ago, when it first came out, I purchased an original Kindle Fire. Loved it, used it daily. Late one Saturday night I was walking through the house with it and it tumbled out of my hands, face down on the tile floor. The screen was spider-webbed. When I purchased the Kindle through Amazon, I also purchased a third-party warranty (in the same transaction, also on Amazon) through SquareTrade. I'm not usually an extended warranty guy, but I knew my Fire was going to see lots of travel and daily use, so I figured it was worth the $40 or $60 or whatever it was. The warranty was to cover any defects after the initial warranty, as well as any drops, spills, losing it, etc.

    So early that Sunday morning I made a claim online for my Fire. They said they would have me a replacement by Tuesday. I told them I was leaving on a business trip Tuesday, and politely asked if there was any possibility of getting it Monday. They said they could arrange that, and by 10am Monday I had my new Fire, and had the label and box to send my old one back. Quick, painless, and basically only 24 hours w/o use of my device. Again, that was maybe 3-4 years ago.

    Fast forward to last weekend. Saturday I dropped my iPad Air walking across a parking lot. Despite being in a decent case (which has saved it through multiple other drops), the screen cracked. Once again, I had purchased the device through Amazon, and paid for a SquareTrade warranty. I call up SquareTrade on Saturday afternoon and tell them what happened. Since the iPad Air is significantly more expensive than my old Fire, they don't do the same "we'll overnight you a new one, just send the old one back eventually" procedure. They gave me two choices. I could send them the iPad, and within 5-10 business days they will either send it back repaired, or send me a new device. Or, I could make an appointment at the Apple Store (or other repair shop, though I don't know how they'd verify the shop was legit and not my buddy faking an invoice for his home business or whatever), have the repair/replacement done, and they would reimburse me whatever it cost.

    Since I was passing near an Apple Store later that afternoon, and I use my tablet daily, I took that route. I made an appointment, and was promptly told that the display was too badly damaged to repair, that they wanted to replace the entire unit with a new one. So within 10 minutes they had a new Air for me, had moved all my data over, and had wiped the old/broken one clean. They emailed me a receipt for the $322 it cost, and I was on my way with a new device. I called SquareTrade that evening with the info. They mentioned that, by their standards, they believe the device could've been repaired for $240-250 instead of needing replaced. However, since I had documents from Apple saying it needed replaced, they had no objection to covering the entire loss. They gave me the option of having the money PayPal'd to me immediately, or mailing me a check. Since I didn't feel like sharing part of the money with PayPal, I opted for the check. It arrived yesterday for the full amount. Though a slight bit more involved than my Fire replacement, still an easy transaction.

    So, the moral of my story? SquareTrade is legit, easy to deal with, and I'd buy another warranty from them in the future. I am usually pretty good with my devices, but I am a heavy user of them. I travel weekly, carry them with me almost everywhere, and prefer sleeker cases that look stylish than big bulky bullet/water/child/shatter/earthquake proof cases. So, for me, the 20% surcharge for the warranty has already paid off, and I have a year's left of coverage left. :)
     
    • Like Like x 1
  2. Charlatan

    Charlatan sous les pavés, la plage

    Location:
    Temasek
    Fuck me, Borla. That's a great endorsement.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  3. mhannigan Vertical

    Yes. In my experience, Square Trade has been excellent. Nice little bonus - if you don't use the warranty, call them as soon as it expires and they will refund the entire price of the warranty. No stories needed - it is just their policy.
     
  4. A little tip, if you have an American Express business card, all purchases are covered for 1 extra year after the warranty expires.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  5. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    This is true for a lot of cards, not just Amex. It's important to read the little booklet that comes with your card. I get free travel insurance from one card and extended warranties from another.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  6. cynthetiq

    cynthetiq Administrator Staff Member Donor

    Location:
    New York City
    I can't believe you asked Borla to fuck you and we still don't have a video.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  7. Charlatan

    Charlatan sous les pavés, la plage

    Location:
    Temasek
    His camera was broken and the warranty on his video camera expired.
     
    • Like Like x 2