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Why does Verizon recommend Asurion insurance for Apple products?

I've been paying $9.99/month for the last 23 months to Asurion to insure my son's iPhone 4S.

He dropped the phone and shattered the display, so I contacted Asurion, assuming there would be a $50 deduction for replacement.

As it turns out, Asurion has a $169 deductible - how is this even possible - they are saying this is because the list price of the phone is $600 or something ridiculous like that (like they actually pay that amount).

For kicks, i also checked the VZW website - my son has a new-every-2 coming up this month - he can purchase an iPhone 4S for $99.

When I bought my son's phone almost 2 years ago, the Verizon rep strongly recommended that I purchase the insurance - so I did.

Why is Verizon recommending this awful company and the service they provide to Verizon customers?

I'm hoping to get a response from somebody in Verizon management. This should be stopped immediately and owners of Apple devices should be refunded at least some portion of this wasted expense (in the range of $230).

Comments

unknown

Certain devices have different deductibles. It is fully explained in their plan brochure they mailed to you.

Personally I never insure the device. its not a real good deal. especially for what you paid. A bank account with those premiums would be far better since paying a high deductible really negates the savings to you.

Did you try using your home owners insurance or renters insurance. in most cases they have replacement cost in place for a lost, stolen or destroyed phone. But you have to check with them if they will cover it or check your policy.

Also consider the phone is covered under a 1 year manufacturer warranty which verizon would replaced with a second hand so called like new device.

You also could have signed up at time of purchase for Apple Care which is far superior than Asurion or Verizon Wireless .

But we live and learn.

Verizon_Support

prenzi,

Thank you for reaching out to us. I am sorry to hear that your son has broken his phone. I am glad to see that he had the insurance option. The insurance is set up as somewhat of a gap coverage to cover any accidents that may happen between upgrades. Even after that point as well, since not everyone wants to upgrade right away. The deductible amount is a lot less then the full retail value of the device, which ranges from $550 -$750 depending on the model and size.

You do have the option to use an upgrade, which will extend the contract two years. However, the insurance replacement does not come with an extension. I am sorry if there was any confusion with the deductible amount, but I wanted to make sure that you were aware of all options available. Please let us know if we can be of anymore assistance.

Thank you,

Tony_VZW

Please follow us on twitter @VZWSupport

prenzi

Thank you for responding to my question.

I have to be honest that I find it a little insulting that both Aurion and Verizon continue to mention retail price. I've never paid retail for a phone and assume most other people don't either. i thought of myself as an educated consumer up to this point - but I honestly feel like this is a scam, and that's why I'm questioning Verizon's involvement. I really believe this was a waste of my money and don't intend to use the service.

Sent from Pete's iPhone

rcschnoor

If you son had broken his phone after 3 months instead of after 23 months, you WOULD have been paying full retail for the phone had you not had insurance if you wanted to replace it.

There are plenty of others who pay full retail for phones for the simple reason they do not want to be locked into a contract for 2 yrs. Elector from a previous post is one of those who choose to pay full retail. That is their choice, to each their own.

I agree with Elector, though, that insurance is not for me and prefer not to pay for it. That does not mean it is not a good choice for others who feel they need it for peace of mind.

One of your problems is not looking into what the deductible would have been before you decided to go with the insurance. It was easily available, but it appears you just assumed it would be much lower than it actually was. You only have yourself to blame for that mistake.

Finally, I agree with you that it was a waste of your money and waiting until your son is eligible for an upgrade is a much better way to go. Do you happen to have an old phone you can activate on his line until he is eligible? That would make the wait a bit easier.

Good luck.

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