|
 Now that the new iPhone 5 has been
introduced, millions have pre-ordered the phone through Apple or their cell
phone providers. In fact, 2 million
people ordered it in the first 24 hours, according to Apple. That's a lot of phones and a lot of chances for those phones to be dropped or lost.
Replacing a Phone can be
Costly
Most cell phone carriers now offer insurance that covers theft, cracked
screens and even water damage. According
to cell phone companies, one in three phones will become lost or broken. Buying
a new phone can cost you hundreds of dollars.
Do You Have Insurance on your Cell Phone?
People carry their cell phones with
them everywhere which increases the opportunity for risk of damage from
dropping the phone to getting it wet.
Cell phone providers offer insurance,
usually through third party vendors and Apple just recently introduced an
insurance plan known as AppleCare+.
You must enroll in a plan within 30
days of purchase but no two plans are alike, says Cyrus Sanati on
MintLife.com.
Read the Fine Print
"If you don't know what is and what isn't covered by your plan,
then you might be giving yourself a false sense of security." says Sanati. "If
you want to cover stuff like shattered screens and water damage, then you need
to get a plan that specifically covers accidents." He also suggests checking
with your homeowners or renters insurance plans to see if they cover your
phone. In many cases they will.
Some insurance plans cover loss or
theft. "For example, if you lost
your phone in a cab or it drowns out at sea, and you don't have an insurance
plan that covers those unfortunate mishaps," says Sanati. ".... you'll get
nothing - nada, zilch."
So take heed of that fact before you
take your phone on your next deep-sea fishing adventure.
Charges and Fees
Make sure you know how much the insurance will cost you and how you will be paying it. Most cell phone providers add it to your
monthly bill.
Find out if and when you can cancel your coverage. With some plans,
you can cancel anytime with no penalty but other plans may cost you a
cancellation fee.
Is there a deductible? "If you ever need to make a claim,
each insurance plan makes you pay a fee," says Sanati. "Deductibles can range wildly from as low as
$49 to as high as $199 - plus sales tax."
Is there a limit on the number of
claims? "Some (plans) limit you to
two or three claims per year, while others limit you to two or three claims for
the life of the insurance contract." says Sanati.
"So if you are particularly accident
prone, you should go with a plan that allows you to make as many claims as
possible." he suggests.
Compare Different Plans
"It is important to
compare the out-of-pocket costs of insuring your iPhone against the cost of
buying a new unsubsidized iPhone." He says. "For some consumers, paying for insurance
doesn't add up."
Read the full story
at MintLife.com
 photo credit: whitefield_d
Posted on September 19, 2012 14:30:45 by  IPTV.Boyz
|
XML Feeds
Posted in 
