Accidental insurance for Google Nexus on T-Mobile

[fuzzybabybunny]

I think I might be completely screwed. My Google Nexus is less than a month old. I enrolled in the T-Mobile's accidental damage insurance plan (just add $7 a month to my regular pre-paid $30 a month plan).

Today I slipped and fell into a pool of salt water by the ocean. Extremely likely phone is completely hosed.

Between this and getting my diving gear stolen today, it's been a very expensive (-$1000), bad day.

I went to a T-Mobile store and they said they might not cover phones not purchased through T-Mobile? I bought my Nexus from the Google Store. I'm not sure what Asurion is going to say tomorrow. I checked their website and the Google Nexus does not pop up as one of the phones they have a deductible for. This is beyond stupid. I would think that any legitimate insurance company would want to have on record the make and model of your phone *before* they start covering you.

Right now I'm using a backup Samsung Captivate. Since the SIM card is now on the Captivate, could Asurion just say that they cover the Captivate, but not the Nexus?

 

[soulcougher73]

I bought the Nexus from google as well, but when i went to a T-Mobile store to activate it on the same $30 plan she initially asked if i wanted the $7 insurance and i asked her if it would cover the Nexus since T-Mobile doesnt actually sell it plus i bought it from Google and she said "no". So i didnt get the insurance.

You may be screwed. But maybe they will hook you up and be nice about it.

 

[Insomniator]

Common sense tells me they wouldn't cover a phone not bought through your carrier... but maybe I'm missing something.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

You know, there are a lot of possible downsides with going the Google Nexus / carrier independent route that I hadn't thought about before signing up. This little accident (if it's not covered) basically makes the $30 a month plan the most expensive, cumbersome plan that I've ever purchased.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Common sense tells me they wouldn't cover a phone not bought through your carrier... but maybe I'm missing something.

Asurion is the insurance company. It would be like saying that Geico won't cover a perfectly good brand new Toyota Camry that wasn't purchased through one of their partners.

The thing that strikes me about Asurion is they never even asked what make/model my phone was before allowing me to add the extra $7/month to my T-Mobile plan.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Asurion is the insurance company. It would be like saying that Geico won't cover a perfectly good brand new Toyota Camry that wasn't purchased through one of their partners.

The thing that strikes me about Asurion is they never even asked what make/model my phone was before allowing me to add the extra $7/month to my T-Mobile plan.

Well if they deny you tell them you want your money back for the warranty since they won't honor it. If they balk, you threaten to file a claim in small claims court for the cost of the phone that they insured but now wont cover.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Well if they deny you tell them you want your money back for the warranty since they won't honor it. If they balk, you threaten to file a claim in small claims court for the cost of the phone that they insured but now wont cover.

I hope this doesn't happen. It would be like buying insurance for your car and when you crash it they refuse to cover it and instead just refund your monthly premiums since it's cheaper for them. Totally misses the point of insurance.

 

[shortylickens]

I hate insurance. Its all a big scam. Their business is to make money. how can they possibly do that if they are paying out? Obviously they have to screw some people. I find it funny they would insure a product they had no intention of covering. You may be able to sue and get your money back, but obviously 7 dollars is a lot cheaper than a lawyer.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

How does Asurion work? As far as I can tell they don't require any knowledge of your device to get insurance.

I simply go into my T-Mobile account and add the $7 a month protection plan. The phone that's listed is "unknown." And yet I'm still able to buy the insurance for it. Would they even know if I bought some random demolished Galaxy S3 off the street for $10 and then told them that I broke it to get a refurbished GS3 for a $130 deductible?

It almost seems like the insurance is attached to the plan, not to the phone. As long as you have a plan with the insurance they would replace any phone, regardless of whether it was used on the plan or not. There simply are no checks to determine what phone was used on what plan. What am I missing here?

 

[Strk]

You know, there are a lot of possible downsides with going the Google Nexus / carrier independent route that I hadn't thought about before signing up. This little accident (if it's not covered) basically makes the $30 a month plan the most expensive, cumbersome plan that I've ever purchased.

Squaretrade has accidental insurance

 

[zerogear]

SquareTrade/Ensquared/ZaggSafe and a whole bunch other offers insurance for this type of things, and way cheaper. Really should've done some research before, but kind of moot right now. If you used AX, you might be able to claims something.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Which is better? SquareTrade or Ensquared?

I've used Asurion for years and never had a problem. I was just going through the motions - get a phone and add insurance to it (I mean, I'm being charged monthly for insurance. Any reasonable person would assume that that does in fact mean I'm insured. You know, since they're taking my money and all.)

 

[vshah]

Which is better? SquareTrade or Ensquared?

I've used Asurion for years and never had a problem. I was just going through the motions - get a phone and add insurance to it (I mean, I'm being charged monthly for insurance. Any reasonable person would assume that that does in fact mean I'm insured. You know, since they're taking my money and all.)

remember, the wireless industry is always out to screw you. i don't spend a single cent without knowing what I'm getting in return.

 

[Uppsala9496]

Do you have a copy of the insurance policy? Insurance is a contract. If you are paying a premium for insurance, you have a contract. Not sure if you can download one or not (unfamiliar with this type). What's the policy say?

 

[Uppsala9496]

http://www.phoneclaim.com/documents/T-Mobile/General-Program-Info.pdf

There is your plan document. Time to read through it.
Page 9 looks to be the important one - covered property.