cell phone insurance

I’ve heard from a few different people that certain credit cards offer you cell phone insurance for free as long as you pay your cell phone bill with that cell phone. Is this is legit and a new life hack? Or is it one of those things that’s too good to be true and the hoops they make you jump thru aren’t worth it?

I have had good luck with cell phones over the years but still usually carry insurance for about a year after buying a new phone. That insurance is somewhere around $10-$15/month, so it’s one of those things that adds up over time. Looks like my chase freedom flex covers $800 per claim. Anyone ever heard of this or tried using it?

I just went through that joke.
When I bought the plan it was $4 a mo for insurance.
I just learned it has been $14mo for some time now by not watching my bill.
So, my $150 phone had been paid for several times… damn it.
It is beyond me why anyone would pay several hundred much less $1k for a damn phone…

IMHO Ins is not worth it at the rates they now charge.

Can’t answer your exact question. But, we run insurance on our business phones. Recently had one with a cracked screen. Set up the repair appt through AT&T. They come to you which we thought was convenient. First time they (3rd party repair outfit) messaged a few hours ahead of time and said they were overbooked for the day and that we’d have to reschedule. Rescheduled the repair for a couple weeks later and the same thing happened again. We ended up purchasing a new phone.

That would be cool if the credit card you use covers some or all of insurance. Otherwise I’d say it’s not worth it IMO. In my cell phone using life I’ve had two instances where I would’ve maybe used it. One was a badly cracked screen and I ended up going to a cell phone repair shop and they replaced it for $130. I probably would have paid at least that much in insurance.

Last fall I lost my phone (and it was subsequently stolen, which is a whole different topic for lessons learned) and I ended up having to pay off the old phone and pay for the new one without the benefit of any special offers for trading one in.

Still, in my estimation, I’ve come out ahead in my cell phone using life by not ever paying for their insurance.

I haven’t heard of that specific deal, but definitely worth looking into. AT&T gives you a monthly discount on your wireless bill if you sign up for auto-pay (any payment form) and paperless billing. The discount covers the cost of phone insurance so it’s kinda like getting the insurance for free then.

Now whether or not phone insurance is worth it for you is a personal choice. For me, I’m a bit of a klutz and I know I’ve dropped my phone more times than I can count so I’ve opted for phone insurance. I’ve only had to use it once that I recall when my phone died. Something malfunctioned with the operating system and it was in a constant state of reboot. This was several years back and I think I got a new phone for about $150 out of pocket (plus my monthly insurance fee) and that is a much better deal than dropping $1000 out of pocket on a new phone.

mark-bruzek wrote:

It is beyond me why anyone would pay several hundred much less $1k for a damn phone…

Depends on the phone and how you use it. Many smartphones are being used for so much more than just a telephone for making calls – texting, emails, GPS and maps, hunting apps that tell you land info, banking apps, managing your fitness info, games, social media, watching movies or podcasts, reading apps, you name it! It’s like a hand-held computer for some people and well worth $1000.

Gitchi Gummi wrote:

I’ve heard from a few different people that certain credit cards offer you cell phone insurance for free as long as you pay your cell phone bill with that cell phone. Is this is legit and a new life hack? Or is it one of those things that’s too good to be true and the hoops they make you jump thru aren’t worth it?

I have had good luck with cell phones over the years but still usually carry insurance for about a year after buying a new phone. That insurance is somewhere around $10-$15/month, so it’s one of those things that adds up over time. Looks like my chase freedom flex covers $800 per claim. Anyone ever heard of this or tried using it?

Yes you are covered on a visa:
When you pay your monthly wireless bill with your covered Visa Signature® card, your cell phone can be protected for the next calendar month. So you can get reimbursed if your cell phone is stolen or damaged ($50 deductible).Certain terms, conditions and exclusions apply. In order for coverage to apply, you must charge your eligible cellular wireless bill to your covered card.

If you have a visa signature card check into there terms