I’ve had a Treo 650 for what seems like almost 3 years at this point and yes, Chewie, the volume sucks on my Treo, too.
I have been dutifully paying $7.00 per month for insurance on the phone. The idea being that if a $400.00 phone breaks, $7.00 per month is a bargain for a new one.
I went to cash in on the cell phone insurance this weekend when my Treo antenna broke off. Sprint acknowledged the phone could not be fixed and told me to call the insurance provider to get a new phone. I thought Sprint was providing the insurance but that’s not the point of this complaint.
I called the insurance company and found out that I would actually receive a refurbished phone and I would have to pay a $50.00 non-refundable deductible. I don’t remember reading anything about the deductible but I’m not saying it wasn’t stuffed in something somewhere that was handed to me when I bought the phone. Like I said, I never even realized Sprint was not the company handling the cell phone insurance so anything’s possible, I guess.
I have paid $84.00 per year in cell phone insurance for the last 3 years to find out that I would have to also pay a $50.00 deductible - a total of $302.00 (($84.00 x 3 years) + $50.00 deductible)) to get an old phone that someone else broke and Sprint refurbished.
A new Treo was selling for $249.00, $53.00 less than the total amount I could pay for an old previously busted up but now refurbished Treo from Sprint.
My biggest complaint about the whole thing is that I will now have to drive about 2 whole miles to get an iPhone from AT&T for less than $100.00 more than Sprint wants to charge me for an old phone refurbished replacement. That really pisses me off because it’s pouring down rain.
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insurance its a racket I tell you. You will never get back out of it what you pay into it.
mark on November 18th, 2007 at 1:15 am | Link
replacement of your phone for a broken antenna ?
I hope you were smart enough to buy another phone, palm treos are what ?? $250 -500 dollars, you can save 5 bucks a month in your savings to replace your phone when you want to.
Zin on November 25th, 2007 at 5:28 pm | Link
[…] Sprint Cell Phone Insurance | My Biggest Complaint Maybe Cell Phone Insurance isn’t what it’s cracked up to be, at least at Sprint (tags: Cell phone Insurance Sprint) […]
links for 2007-12-02 « Drew Butler on December 2nd, 2007 at 3:21 pm | Link
I hate sprint. Unfortunately my mother pays the bill and wont switch companies. I tried taking my crappy LG phone back to sprint and they told me about the 50 dollar deductible. I have gotten a new LG phone 5 times now. The first 3 times I NEVER had to pay any money. I just don’t get it.
Giggles on January 10th, 2008 at 7:47 am | Link
SPRINT IS A THIEF that is the same complaint I have with them I pay $7.00 per month and still have to pay a $50.00 deductible for an old phone. Can you believe those $%$#$#@#$R@$R
Isha on January 29th, 2008 at 6:19 pm | Link
unfortunately or fortunately for me my husband pays the bill otherwise I will be leaving them.
Isha on January 29th, 2008 at 6:28 pm | Link
hey just a quick thing, you guys gotta remember every cell phone carrier is the same when it comes to warranties and insurance. i’ve had or have now multiple phones through cingular and att now, verizon, nextel, and sprint and i’ve for one reason or another used the insurance from all of these and its all the same, some carriers can charge upwards of 100 for an exchange, a few of these even use the same insurance provider, and all phones are refurbished and all are used/returned, so don’t hate on sprint for this problem, now if your phone service sucks find someone who has service where you want to be and join that carrier, because sprint isn’t as impressive as verizon, at least in the north east. i’m partial to att myself, gsm phones are the future.
Ars on February 6th, 2008 at 9:42 pm | Link
its clearly stated in the fine print. you have to read.
duh on February 19th, 2008 at 10:43 pm | Link
I have a similar experience. I bought a Samsung A920 almost two years ago now and I have been paying the $7 insurance on it since. The reason why I bought this phone is because of the mp3 player. Well, the phone has been freezing and restarting, the screen is oozing out stuff, and it is just causing me problems. So I went into sprint about 3 months ago. They wanted to give me a razor phone to replace it. Since my phone is no longer made, I cannot get the same phone. I paid $150 under a new contract for my A920. I purchased the insurance so that if something happened, I would get a “comparable” replacement phone. The razor is not comparable, so I decided to put up with my phone.
Well, two weeks ago I got sick of it and went back into sprint. Well, my account was under maintenance for a week and it couldn’t be accessed. I went in a week later and ordered a new phone. I called today, a week and a day later and the phone was never ordered. The lady tells me that she was ordering me a phone today, the Samsung M500. I was so pissed that I told her to cancel it.
Not only am I going to get a refurbished phone, but they are giving me a less comparable phone. I have been a customer with sprint for 4 years now. My contract is up in June and I will no longer give them any of my money. Their insurance is a joke. They have made me so angry!
amy on March 4th, 2008 at 9:49 pm | Link
Sprint totally sucks. They lied to me on Fort Leonard Wood where I bought my palm treo and said I could do a one for one swap if it broke or was damaged. The insurance..is a scam and so is the deductible. I received a palm replacement last time, and it was broke as well. I had to get two replacements back to back, and the third phone has lasted only 3-4 months…
They suck, buyer beware…. Palm treo’s are crap and so is sprint.
Greg on March 6th, 2008 at 2:50 pm | Link
i’ve had sprint service for the last 10-15 years. I have kept insurance on all my phones. I have never had a problem with either returning my phone while still under warranty (1 yr) and getting a brand new phone … or, using the insurance to replace it with a newer model. For instance, I had a i330 smart phone. with my insurance, i was able to upgrade to a Treo 600, and then to Treo 650. Each time i needed the insurance, my phone was no longer available, so they had to give me the upgrade. Once, I was unhappy with the replacement phone, called within the first week and then sent me yet ANOTHER replacement. Same model, but it was brand new. I currently have a 650 which I am getting ready to upgrade with my insurance. They no longer sell the 650, so i will most likely get a 750. If it’s a refurb, i’ll just complain and they will probably send me out a new one.
pm on March 25th, 2008 at 7:10 pm | Link
You people cant be serious…
For 7 bucks a month your getting a phone for 50 DOLLARS!!! Why are you complaining. Refurb phones statistically last longer than new ones…PLUS…had you not had the 7 dollar insurance you’d be paying FULL PRICE for whatever phone you have. And you’re gonna get an iPhone?? A phone that they dont even offer insurance on??
Come on people…your complaints are retarded. Especially since this policy is generally the same with all carriers.
Quis on June 18th, 2008 at 3:54 pm | Link
my treo just broke and the stupid lady at sprint told me i was gettin a treo 755 instead but the problem is my memory card is sd and the stupid phone takes mini sd!!!!!!
jonathan on July 1st, 2008 at 1:13 pm | Link
Your logic doesnt make sense here.
What is insurance?
Let say your phone died 2 months after you purchase it. Sure you can sent it back to the manuf. and let them repair it. Now you are without a phone. If you bought the insurance, then you get your phone quicker at the store (most of the time).
Now that is not fair if you have to pay $50 if there is no fault of your own.
It is also no fair that you bought a new phone and now have to get a refurb one. Then I wonder if the manuf. even give you a new one also.
Its life man.
Philip on August 15th, 2008 at 1:34 pm | Link
what do the homicidal psychopaths do when a sprint rep screws them with impunity? what goes around just aught to come around!
charlie baker on August 21st, 2008 at 9:30 am | Link
Ok I completely understand this one… I have an LG Rumor thru Sprint.. I just got the Original phone in March and the screen went out by June.. I got a refurb phone thru the insurance company and within the first week it had started freezing up where I would not be receiving any phone calls, texts, emails, etc… u would have to turn the phone completely off and turn it back on and wait and usually u would get overloaded with all ur missed alerts… then it hasnt even been a full two months with this refurb phone and the screen had already gone out again in this one… tell me why I have to pay another 50 deductible to get yet another crappy refurb phone when I did absolutely nothing to cause this one going out at all… very aggravating
amanda on August 24th, 2008 at 8:42 pm | Link
You dont have to pay the $50 if the phone died naturally and its not your fault and you didnt drop it or go thru water.
Philip on August 25th, 2008 at 6:41 am | Link
Thanks Amanda! That is good to know!
erikw on September 5th, 2008 at 1:24 pm | Link
The Insurance is only worth it if you are like me.. In the last 2 years I have went thru 14 phones and if i didn’t have the insurance I would have been out alot of money.. and the only ones I had to pay the $50 on was lost/stolen and water damage.. Guess Insurance isn’t for everyone but it is for me
Corey on September 15th, 2008 at 4:52 pm | Link
i have the sprint LG Rumor this is my fith fone sence febuary 08 now im getting the Srint Palm centro
Shayna on September 17th, 2008 at 3:25 pm | Link
SPRINT is by far the worst cell phone service I have ever experienced. They are unprofessional and insensitive to anyone and everyone. I am a business owner myself and would NEVER think about conducting business the way Sprint does. I am going to make sure that I tell everyone about how horrible they treat their paying customers and how they surreptitiously handle business.They are legit thieves and anyone affiliated with Sprint and their disgusting business should be ashamed of themselves.
ryan on September 26th, 2008 at 8:08 pm | Link
I can definetively see both sides of the argument; however, I believe more should be done to protect the customer of shark-like corporations from their unreasonable fees and added costs. Of course, this responsibilty (REGULATION) falls squearly on our incompetent politicians. Unless they get serious in regulating phone companies and provide them with a framework in which they can operate, we will always have to pay for corporation’s insatiable greed!
JC on September 28th, 2008 at 6:12 am | Link
I hate sprint…My charge port mysteriously broke and sprint tells me I have to file an insurance claim so I bought a new phone which cost me over $600 then that phone starts acting up the next day so I returned it and filed the claim and they offered next day delivery so I paid extra now the dumb incompetent delivery driver delivers my phone to the wrong address and I have to wait to Monday so they can call me and work something out with me now who knows when I’ll have a new phone in the mean time my battery will die leaving me with no phone
Tenita on October 18th, 2008 at 11:28 am | Link
Hey slappy do you have medical insurance? If you don’t get sick or hurt for 3 years then all of a sudden you break your leg do you cry like a woman when you have to pay a deductable? Wah wah wah thats how insurance works so get over it. I wish it wasn’t like that but unfortunately that’s how this country f’s us all in the A. So you had your treo for 3 years? Did you realize that they probably have come out with 2 upgraded models since then and all thats most likely left in their warehouse is refurbished models, prolly not. How bout you quit the waterworks and upgrade to a newer model or just take your business elsewhere and shut your mouth.
Pissed off Sprint Rep on October 19th, 2008 at 8:58 am | Link
I got a better one……….My son looses his phone 3 times this year and Sprints insurance company DOESN’T WANT TO PAY.. SEZ Loosing it 3 times in one year is 1 time too many..they don’t want my 50 bucks,, just tell me to get LOST.. ha ha.. I’ll get lost,, my monthy bill with all my phones is 450. I don’t need them.. they need me.. THAT’S $5400. a year !!!!!
Marti on October 29th, 2008 at 8:14 pm | Link
I was told that you get a new phone. If I get a refursbished one I am going to be pissed.
2. The sprint rep that posted on here on 10/18 is unprofessional and those are the employees that lie to you and state you get 25% off and end up only getting 15%.
I think the Blackberry curve is awesome and my service has been pretty great, however, I better get a new phone.
MARY on November 14th, 2008 at 1:24 pm | Link
You usually do not get new phones past 30 days.
It is always refurbished.
Philip on November 17th, 2008 at 8:25 am | Link
the people from asuriance gave me a real hard time about
sending in photo ids. you would think this could be verified by
computer and not snail mail. just a major example of
customer non-service.
badbeagle on November 19th, 2008 at 6:21 pm | Link
putos de sprint solo joden a la jente con su puta insurance de mierda
jerry on November 30th, 2008 at 5:32 pm | Link
I think we should all get together and sue them!
James on December 14th, 2008 at 12:22 pm | Link
The best thing to do is get a 600+ phone and then “loose” it every 12 months… that way you will always have a fresh phone that will last a LONG time if you keep doing it. That way the 7 a month and the 50 make sense.
Robert on December 20th, 2008 at 7:49 pm | Link
SPRINT SUCKS I HAVE BEEN WITH SPRINT SINCE 2003 AND HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. FOR THE MOST PART THEY FIX WHAT THEY CAN, BUT I JUST RECENTLY LOST MY PHONE I CALLED THE CUSTOMER SERV. REP TO SEE IF THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO DEACTIVATE THE PHONE BUT LEAVE SERVICE TO THE LINE SO THAT I WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO RECEIVE VOICEMAIL.
THEY TOLD ME THAT WAS WHAT THEY WOULD BE DOING. I WAS WAITING ON SEVERAL IMPORTANT CALLS WITH IT BEING AROUND THE HOLIDAYS AND ALL. I TRIED TO CALL TO CHECK MY VM LATER THAT DAY AND THE MESSAGE I HEARD WAS MY PHONE WAS NO LONGER IN SERVICE. OK NO BIGGIE, I LATER CALLED BACK TO FIND OUT IF I WOULD BE ABLE TO GET A LONER SINCE THE SAID I WOULD HAVE WAIT 5-7 BUSINESS DAYS TO GET MY PHONE. VERY RUDE CSR INFORMED ME THAT THEY DON’T OFFER LONER PHONES. NOW THIS IS A PHONE NOT A CAR WHY AM I PAYING INSURANCE IF I CAN’T US A TEMP. PHONE UNTIL I GET THE OTHER PHONE. US CELLULAR WOULD NOT DO THIS TO THEIR CUSTOMERS AND THEY ARE ALOT CHEAPER THAT SPRINT HELL TMOBILE WOULD NOT DO IT EITHER. SPRINT NEEDS TO GET IT TOGETHER.
REESE on December 22nd, 2008 at 4:11 pm | Link
Doesnt take an Einstein to say you lost the phone… in which case they overnight a new phone to you for $50.
They say you could get a refurb but word is they send new phones….
Pay the 50 and save your self the gas, headarchs, etc….
Rob on December 22nd, 2008 at 4:15 pm | Link
I think too many people in this country are just big whiners and complainers. You think that since “the customer is always right” in the business world, you should get your way, and if you dont, you figure that bitching and moaning might get it for you. I work in customer service, and trust me, I’m always willing to treat people with respect and help them as much as I possibly can as long as they are willing to behave like decent human beings. You think things are unfare, leave this wonderful country, I have lived outside of the country for 3 years, in two different countries, and trust me, we are so much better off here. Life isn’t fair, never has been, never will be. If you don’t want to take the time to read the fine print, you have no right to bitch about it, your the one at fault, not sprint. DEAL WITH IT. Grow up guys, 90% of the posts here sound like immature teenagers who haven’t learned the realities of life yet. I’m not here to defend or to complain about sprint, I’m just sick of seeing the way this country is headed in recent years. Grow up, worry about important things, like maybe how you could help somebody else, insead of being so freaking self-centered. If you want to keep posting complaints, thats fine, go for it, keep proving to all of that you are immature idiots.
Spencer on January 3rd, 2009 at 1:11 pm | Link
I actually have benefited alot from the insurance and I have never had to pay the $50 deductible. In my 9 years with sprint I have gotten at least 7 replacement phones. Every time I go into Sprint I just have to make sure that I did not cause the problem with the phone directly, or at least make it look like I did not. Typically if my phone would fail their diagnostics test, they would come out and say, “I’m sorry your phone failed our diagnostics test and we are going to have to order you a new one.” Then I act really sad and just say, “oh ok…” Everyone who knows me knows that I probably caused the problem cause I like to throw my phone around and I’m really not careful with it at all, but I don’t care cause if I find the slightest problem with it I know I can just get a new one if I complain enough
I’m very good at complaining, clearly.
Dana on January 5th, 2009 at 3:46 pm | Link
Clearly, the majority of you don’t pay for car, homeowner, renter or medical insurance. Cell phone insurance works exactly like any other insurance. You pay the company a low monthly rate (while they hope you never make a claim), and in the event that you do have to file a claim, you pay a reduced rate to have the phone replaced. If you wreck your car, they don’t give you a new one. They fix it or give you the bluebook value of your wrecked vehicle. If you get hurt in said wreck, assuming you’re current on your medical insurance, you’re not responsible for the $12,000 medical bill, but rather a drastically reduced deductible. If you cause property damage in said accident, you’re not responsible for that total, either! However! In all these cases, your deductible and monthly payments will typically go up in each of these examples. Not so with cell phone insurance (assuming you don’t make more than 4 claims per year). I just recently broke my Blackberry Pearl that I’ve had for 1 year. At $7 a month and a $54 deductible ($138 total), I’m getting a new (or refurbished) Pearl at a significantly lower price than one used or new. There is, however, a time when the insurance is no longer worth the 7 bones. That is when you’re due for an upgrade and get $200 off a new phone. So, sure, insurance is a ripoff as long as you will never, ever need it. I’ve had a cell phone for 10 years (4 of which have been with Sprint) and I’ve never made a claim. But, I’ve spent, and will continue to pay, that $5 or $7 dollars a month every month in the outside chance (today) that I need to file a claim.
That said, before you start griping about petty tripe, I suggest you all sit down and think rationally about the alternatives.
john on January 27th, 2009 at 10:27 pm | Link
man you are right same thing with me but it always more then what you get from ebay or from some where else so I would rather suggest every body do not buy insurance from the sprint you are just wasting your money behind it I stopped insurance .
patel on February 17th, 2009 at 8:06 am | Link
I have the instinct by sprint and lost my cell. Called in the insurance claim and they sent a replacement with no battery. I called back in and they sent a new phone in the sealed box because they cant send replacement batteries. This is the only way to be sure u will get a new phone with no problems. I sent the old one back and have not had any problems with my new instinct except texting is with it is crap
Buffy on February 18th, 2009 at 12:44 pm | Link
I’m still not sure if it’s worth it or not.
PLUS, in March the deducible for smartphones like the Palm Pre (and the Instinct, too)
Curtis on February 22nd, 2009 at 1:21 am | Link
In March the deducible goes up to $100 for smartphones.
Curtis on February 22nd, 2009 at 1:26 am | Link
I agree that Sprint (and likely other carriers) insurance program is a scam. I just received notice from CNA (the insurance company that backs the program) and I have been notified that the non refundable deductible has increased to $100.
HOW MANY OF YOU KNEW YOU HAD A DEDUCTIBLE TO BEGIN WITH? CONVENIENTLY, THAT IS NEVER PART OF THE SPRINT SALES PITCH. THIS IS A CLASS ACTION SUIT IN THE MAKING.
I understand how insurance works. However, when you purchase home insurance or auto insurance, one of the first component you agree to is the deductible. That is how you as the consumer can measure the risk and return.
$100 deductible on a $200 phone? are you kidding me? I will be canceling my insurance coverage today but I am not going to stop there. THIS IS A SCAM.
Ben Odenborg on March 6th, 2009 at 8:53 am | Link
The Deductible goes up April 19, 2009..it all depends on what phone you have….It will either be 50 or 100 dollars.
Nancy on March 7th, 2009 at 3:00 am | Link
i hate my rumor this is my 4th one i hate it
joseph on March 15th, 2009 at 10:11 am | Link
I worked for Cingualr/ ATT for over a year and listened to this same whinning. People it’s in the fine print!!! Complaining is not gonna work. Everyone knows every company does this. It’s life. I understand your complaints trust me but understand mine. I hate using insurance because I know all of this is true. But at least it’s there kwim? What if you are broke and you can’t even pay 150 for a new cheapo phone… You’d wish you had the insurance to only pay 50! Don’t hate me now lol
Brandy on March 23rd, 2009 at 8:37 am | Link
WOW!!! I love reading people blog about their ignorance. How many insurances do you know that don’t have a deductible? Doctors…oh they call it a “co-pay.” Auto? I believe their is one there $250 - $500…home owners? You get my point. Bottom line, you need to ask yourself, “Can I afford to buy this phone twice in one year at full cost? I know the phone is FREE right now, but I am also “smart enough” to know that the FREE phone actually has a cost. You can no longer play the stupid card…I get sick of walking into Sprint stores and listening to people cry about obvious realities in life. If you get your phone wet, call insurance. If you chanced it and they caught it, quit bitchin. To the poster that recently blamed Sprint for the raise in insurance costs, your complaints must be directed toward Asurion…the insurance company…you know, the one that SENT you the letter. You didn’t read then and made it obvious to all that read here that you didn’t read it now… ***NEWS FLASH*** This just in…if you check it out you will realize that Asurion covers ALL the companies***…your gripe at Sprint will be the same gripe at whomever you activate with! The thing I like about Sprint is that when they say it’s “liquid damage,” you can ask to see it. AT&T and T-Mobile just tell you and charge your account with absolutely no need to prove it to you. The other part of the new rate increase with Asurion is inpart to get it to you by next day!!! Also I want you to walk into your local Cricket or Pocket or whomever the local prepay cell phone company is intown and thank them for raising your insurance rates. Companies that don’t require a contract are able to “flash” your stolen phone for their personal use…which creates fraud…which created more claims than normal…which creates higher deductible rates on PDA’s or the Instinct. Thank them and quit bitching at Sprint, They don’t make the phone, they put their service on a product that other companies make. People like you will bitch wherever you are at…do us a favor and slap yourself after reading this! You deserve to for wasting our time reading your ignorant posts!!! YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!! ***
Jack on April 13th, 2009 at 8:57 pm | Link
curious if you purchased it on your i phone
ochman on April 29th, 2009 at 12:13 pm | Link
Yes, every other type of insurance fequires a deductable to be paid, but with the other insurers at least you have a guarantee of quality. Heck, my auto insurance has a guarantee that if I were to total my car in the first year, they will replace it with a brand new one. Hmmmm $45 a month to insure a $30,000+ car with a guarantee of a new one if I were to total it and a guarantee of the repair being right otherwise, then you have $7 a month to insure a $300 phone and they send you someone else’s broken junk if you file a claim. I can see where the so called “whiners” have a valid complaint here.
However I have found a more effective way of dealing with sprint, due to whatever factors business for them is not booming. I had a phone die and I didn’t have insurance on it so i called them and pretty much told them that the early cancellation fee was less than I would have to spend on a new phone so I was going to pay it instead then go to att and get a new phone for free…Suddenly the new phone was being overnighted to me. I guess the prospect of losing an 8 year customer was not appealing to them. Do the math if your replacement phone is going to be more than the cancellation fee that option is always there for you and even if they don’t give you a new phone you can still save some money switching carriers and getting a free phone. I have dealt with the insurance in the past and would not ever waste my money on it again.
Oh and to the original poster…. If you have had your phone for 3 years you are already entitled to a new phone every 2 yrs. Even if you dont need the new phone at the time it becomes available to you get it anyway so you have it as a backup.
Erika on May 8th, 2009 at 9:06 pm | Link
Im having major issues with sprint as we speak. They are unhelpful. I agree….their insurance is Bull****……The lg rumor phone sucks!
There customer service reps are by all means not on the same page.
I filed a report with BBB…
You can do it online.
I suggest those of you having issues with Sprint file a report also.
Im not waiting to hear from BBB.
Maybe they will help.
Jewlz on May 15th, 2009 at 4:47 pm | Link
hey guys you need to understand what are you pying in your insurance remember and if you read your contracts it does say it that the 7 dollars include phone repair progam plus insurance let me brak it down for you
Phone Repair Program = if your phone frezzes or stops working or anything that happens to the phone that not related to a PHYSICAL DAMAGE OR WATER!!!!! Damage their would be no cost for sprint to fix the phone if the phone can be fix it will be fix if not you will get a new one
Insurance= you pay 50.00 deductable for your phone if you drop it or smash it or send your phone for a nice swim they will charge you
and the price did not go up its still 50.00 bucks no matter what phone you have
Big R on May 27th, 2009 at 8:26 pm | Link
Same thing happened to me. I was told having to pay 7 dollars a month will protect me from purchasing a phone and I can have a new phone anytime I have a problem with my phone. You would think a company that charges you an arm and a leg for their services should replace your phone for free without an insurance has the nerve to ask us additional $50.00 for a refurbished phone as a deductable. God, where is this world heading? I am stunned by finding out the fact that they are not even the same company as Sprint and when you want to claim your phone, they just hand you a different phone number, but when they want to sell you the insurance they do not say a word that they are separate from each other. I am stuck with a bad phone, a two years contract and not much choices to choose from. Oh, on the top of it, they want you to upgrade and that means another two years of contract with them if you get a $ 150.00 rebate for a new phone to buy, it will bound you to another two years of contract. OMG!
Roz Mostaf on June 1st, 2009 at 6:28 am | Link
You know i’ve had the same problem too. I have the COMPLETE coverage plan under sprint. I pay them 7 dollars a month so if anything; ANYTHING happens to my phone I can get it replaced. My dad told me when i got the phone for my birthday that this was the case and there was no fee of any sort. So, a day ago when i was tanning and someone attacked me with the hose; not realizing my phone was sitting right there and got me and the phone soaking, I turned to the insurance that was supposed to cover this. Before I called the insurance I made sure to do everything in my power to save my phone. I set it in rice hoping it would soak all the water out and then let it air dry but it still didn’t work. So I finally called the insurance people. They tell me even though i pay them every single month for insurance, now i have to pay a 50 dollar deductible to get a new phone. This makes me mad seeing as I pay them to be able to replace my phone already and now I have to pay them again. I just gradauted high school and my new phone bill just came through so now I have to pay 100 dollars to get a new phone. Its bs. I tried to see if i could possibly get a better phone through this 50 dollar replacement bs. But they told me no. -sighs- I think i’m going to take my insurance off my phone and just put 7 dollars in a jar every month. This way IF my phone breaks or gets soaked again I can just take the money i’ve saved over the yr or w/e and go buy a new; nicer phone.
becky on June 6th, 2009 at 6:31 am | Link
I called Sprint tonight and talked to a customer service representative in the Phillipines. I could not understand her at all and when I asked to be sent to a supervisor she said why and I was never transferred to one. I finally talked to an American that could speak English and he helped. Why or why do you not have more American customer service reps. I am sure it is probably cheaper to farm the calls out to another country, but this is definitely hurting your customer service. I know I sound prejudice which I am not. I am just annoyed, shelley
shelley moress on June 19th, 2009 at 8:01 pm | Link
iPhone… smells a lot better than treo… =] anyways (good choice)
jaime on June 23rd, 2009 at 8:45 pm | Link
It IS $100. That’s what I just had to pay to replace my Treo…ugh. That’s how much I feakin paid for it when I got it and signed a 2 yr contract!
Jess on June 24th, 2009 at 10:05 am | Link
My wife just broke her Blackberry Curve. Same deal; have to pay $100 deductable to get it replaced. She was furious, and wanted to switch to Verizon. I called Sprint Customer service to check on when the contract expired, and the rep asked what the problem was. After I explained, NICELY, the problem, he credited my account $50, essentially making the deductable only $50. Better than a sharp stick in the eye.
Jason on June 24th, 2009 at 1:57 pm | Link
WHER DOES OUR $7.00 a month insurane money every month go to?
chuck on July 3rd, 2009 at 11:26 am | Link
if they try to make me pay 50.00 they can stick there phone where the sun dont shine
chuck on July 3rd, 2009 at 11:28 am | Link
It’s not just Sprint it’s all of the cell phone providers. I bought insurance on my daughter’s phone (US Cellular) and it was worth it because she went through cell phones like a street walker goes through shoes. She went through 3 phones in 1 year. I’ve never had it on any phones I’ve had until this last BlackBerry. I had it for almost a month and knocked it off into a sinkfull of soapy dishwater. I hurried up and cracked it open, blow dried it then put it in a bowl and covered it with rice. It’s working fine so far (cross my fingers), so I haven’t had to use the insurance but I’m kinda glad I’ve got it just in case.
Donna on July 11th, 2009 at 7:33 pm | Link
GREAT! I have insurance on my LG rumor through Sprint… I only agreed to the insurance because when I signed my two year contract the guy told me this: “Paying the $7 a month for insurance is well worth it. If something happens to your phone we’ll replace it with the same model for free, or if a new upgraded version of your phone has come out you’ll have the option of paying $50 for the newer version”… never once did he mention a $50 deductible unless I wanted to upgrade to the new version of the phone. Today I went into the same store I purchased the phone at because lately it’s been shutting itself off, sending messages to my drafts box instead of to whom I intended and I get there and all they did was a “master reboot” of my phone that they claim should help and then told me that if it doesn’t I’ll have to take it to a location about 25 miles away so a tech can look it over, or I can file the insurance claim… BUT I can’t file the insurance claim at the original store either, I have to drive the 25 miles for that too! I am kind of mad about this as it was my understanding that by paying for the insurance I’d get a new phone of the same model for free or have the option of paying $50 for the newer version of the phone, and also because never once did they mention that I’d have to go to a different location.
Kelly on July 20th, 2009 at 4:21 pm | Link
I personally am not mad about the insurance and what it covers what it doesn’t because in my opinion paying $7 a month for them to fix it, replace it, or charge me $50 for a brand new model is a heck of a lot better than paying full price for the phone so I don’t regret purchasing the insurance cuz in the end it’ll prove worth it. The part that makes me mad is the whole different location, 25 miles away crap.
Kelly on July 20th, 2009 at 4:26 pm | Link
To clear up the price confusion, it is $100 for a smart phone, still $50 for any other phone. I’m currently going through the process of replacing my Blackberry Curve. I’ve only had the phone for 3 months. But I paid $50 dollars for it and got back $100 in rebates through sprint and my employer. Luckily I had the insurance, but $100 plus the $7 each still seems ridiculous since I basically paid nothing for the phone initially. Other than the fact its a ripoff, the process was very easy online and I did so yesterday. They offer free express 1-2 day shipping, and the tracking says it will be here shortly, so I’m waiting for it before I go into work.
Dustin Full on July 29th, 2009 at 11:13 am | Link
All you people complaining about how Sprint is not the company insuring the phones are idiots. When you bought your car, did Chevrolet insure it? NO. When you bought your house, did the realty company insure it? NO. When you got medical insurance, was it your doctor who provided the insurance? NO. I have never paid insurance to the same company that I bought something from. Sprint is the retailer and cell service provider, that’s IT. And if you had actually read the terms instead of being an idiot and signing something without reading it, you’d know that.
Stephanie on August 2nd, 2009 at 10:14 am | Link
You all are a bunch of whiners. If you look at the cost of a new phone without contract. The new Palm Pre from Sprint retails at close to $750 without contract. The contract covers $550 of the new phone cost. The insurance is $100 and $7 a month. Yes the replacement phone is a refurb. If you buy a new one it is $750 or you have to break your contract.
Joe Cool on August 2nd, 2009 at 8:33 pm | Link
How about 10 bucks a month, no deductable - and full F#*&^*&^ing disclosure at the point of puchase — problem solved…
Gary on August 3rd, 2009 at 6:59 pm | Link
SPRINT ROBS ME MONEY EVERY TIME…… My plan is 89.99 And My Bill is 349.99!!! Dont Get it.. Then I Call to customer service And they Tell me that they will take out 100 bucks which is the maximum money they can subtract from an error that THEY DID!!! DONT GET IT… Im moving To Open Mobile here in Puerto Rico.. CAUSE SPRINT IS A THIEF!!!!!!!
Merlian on August 4th, 2009 at 12:29 am | Link
Wow– sorry man. you sound pretty upset, maybe that’s the best choice for the both of you–
Gary on August 4th, 2009 at 8:55 pm | Link
i am going through the same thing right now, except this insurance company just informed me that now the deductible for ‘high end’ phones is now $100. Such a rip off!!!
Allison on August 6th, 2009 at 11:34 am | Link
Insurance is a government mandated business, first of all. For any business to provide insurance to their own products would be insurance fraud. Secondly, when you pay your auto insurance and file a claim after you wreck your car, you’re responsible for a deductible. Thirdly, when you wreck your car and pay the deductible, unless it is deemed a total loss, your car is repaired. Receiving a refurbished device is an expedited repair process. Your warranty does not cover you breaking the equipment. The insurance supplements the existing one year warranty in place by the MANUFACTURER of the phone, NOT SPRINT. Lastly, your device (or the upgraded model in your case as the 650 TREO is no longer retailed) may be on sale for under $250, but if you are still under contract, you are not eligible for sale pricing since you have not fulfilled your contract. The full retail price of the device you’re looking at is probably closer to $400.00. When you purchase a service, it is your responsibility to make sure you not only understand, but also accept the terms and conditions of the service. If you do not do your homework, it is no one’s fault but your own. Sprint has treated me unfairly in the past, but in your case, they are guilty of no wrong doing. You may not like the options provided to you, but ultimately you are the one who made the choice. Not Sprint. The insurance is a good value if you have a PDA or advanced device. Trust me. It is far better to receive a refurbished, warrantied piece of equipment than to pay full retail price or take your chances with an ebay phone which could very well have been stolen and useless to the purchaser. Please do not take it personal, but you have not been treated unfairly.
Megan on August 7th, 2009 at 7:37 pm | Link
So let me get this right, you are complaining because you were silly enough to buy something without reading what it was and without knowing who was selling it and when you found out that you ended up not getting a good deal you got mad at sombody else???….now the math with insurance works this way, If you lose or break it quickly, i.e. in the first month or two, you come out way ahead….that is why it is called insurance. If you never lose it or lose it after three years (which is betyond the 2 year life that most people recognise is the life of technology these days anyway), then you lose…but obviously if you arent going to take the time to read about whay you are buying, you probally wont take the time to do the math….I have some swamp land in FL to sell….its a good deal, you dont even have to look at it….interested?
I really dont mean to be insulting, but you should really take the time to figure out what you are getting and decide if it is worth buying. You can guess that the cost of phones will fall, as they have since they came out in the 1980’s when they were $1300 for a cell phonoe that size of a suit case. Insurance is a good buy in the first year, a very margional buy in the 2nd and a waste after that. So, you know the drill….did you buy insurance for your I-Phone?
csackler@comcast.net on August 14th, 2009 at 8:11 am | Link
It is insurance…. They aren’t in this to lose money on every customer. Would you rather pay 7 dollars a month or $250-$500 all at once? If you can cover teh lump sum payment then you are self insured, don’t buy the insurance. Just like millionaires don’t carry a ton of life insurance… Why pay for insurance on something you have no problem coming up with out of pocket.
Travis on August 17th, 2009 at 12:22 pm | Link
have sprint, have had it for years. i have found the only way you get answers or what you want is to call over and over and speak to the supervisors. i havd 6 new phones in a month, the store didnt want to help me. talk to a supervisor. they gave me a brand new blackberry for 99 cents. talk to the supervisor call over and over again, eventually they give in cause you annoy them, hope that helps.
tricia on August 25th, 2009 at 1:25 pm | Link
UGH, okay.
soo i see a lot of people who posted have the crappy rumor, like myself. i’ve also had the KRZR. [which is probably the WORST phone ever made] i went through two KRZRs; only paid 50$ for a “new” one (i think), which was a refurbished one, and it was even CRAPPIER. so, i got the rumor last year, and the keyboard has recently broken and they WILL NOT help me. they have opened it up, and replaced random stuff through out the phone. they decided the problem is the actual keyboard, and not what’s inside. so.. right now, im stuck with my stupid broken rumor. the keyboard is so annoying i hardly even wanna use it, and end up using the regular keyboard on the front of the phone.
what bugs me about this, is the fact that basically the ONLY thing i use on this phone is broken, and they don’t do anything about it.
my only solution at the moment [since i have to wait ’til june next year to get a WHOLE NEW PHONE] is to just throw my phone under the truck, and roll over it a few times. i’ll pay 50 bucks for a “new” phone. it’s better than having this broken keyboarded phone. if your phone breaks, you’ll pretty much ALWAYS be paying money to get another; no matter what service or phone. and if you dont, you end up getting a phone thats probably going to be in an even worse condition *cough refurbished*, or a cheapo phone that is pretty much useless. *cough RAZR*
i agree that sprint sucks,
but
GET
OVER
IT.
if it bugs you THAT much, go switch to at&t and buy a 500$ iphone.
Emily on September 4th, 2009 at 4:53 pm | Link
and don’t go to the stores! call in. it’s way more helpful.. and there’s a thing called lying.
(:
Emily on September 4th, 2009 at 4:55 pm | Link
All insurance does this. with every carrier. get over it
so does your car insurance
and your medical insurance
it is clearly listed on all sprint brochures
you are mad cause you just blindly sign anything and don’t read it?
you’re the idiot for not paying attention
Dale on September 8th, 2009 at 4:42 pm | Link
On Sept 8th I droped my Blackberry curve in the dogs water bowl I called the sprint insurance for a replacement phone and was told the new phone would be here in a day or two I called yesterday again and found ot the umit was on back - order and would not be avalible for a few days. I run a small bussiness and my phone is my life line I had to go back to a phone that has lest then the needed software to run my business And yes the are chargeing me $100 for the replacement phone and when I called them they offered me $25 for the inconvince they are causing me
Wolf1 on September 11th, 2009 at 8:48 am | Link
How does your car insurance work? If you never get in an accident, you never get your money back. Why would it be different for your phone? Think if you broke/lost your phone once a year. Your saving a lot more money for the insurance.
Josh on September 14th, 2009 at 3:26 pm | Link
I bought a touch pro in approximately September of 2008 and it inexplicably died in November. Sprint look at the phone and could not figure out what was wrong, it wouldn’t turn or at all. At the time I believe the phone (without discounts) was over $500. After having paid about $14 in phone insurance, I was rewarded with a brand new Touch Pro (after having turned in my broken one) without any fees. I also did not have to go through any insurance company, they took care of it all in the store. I looked up the plan and basically if the phone is a lemon or is rendered malfunctional through normal use, they replace it for free, but lost, stolen or damaged means you have to pay a deductable. I’ve been to several different sprint stores, and while most have gone out of their way to be friendly and helpful, there are also those that either don’t care, or worse, seem to want to make you miserable. One strategy I would recommend is to try taking your issues to another store.
Chris on September 18th, 2009 at 9:39 am | Link
I have no beef with Sprint Service, all of them have areas that they are good and bad. Sprint by far has some of the best service plans out there unlike most of the others whom gouge the crap out of you for features. The only issue I have with Sprint is there communications infrastructure. They dont communicate with you or each other. Sprint is one of the few companies that if you dont like the answer, you have a good shot at simply hanging up and talking to someone who will help you or change the answer.
Where insurance is concerned I have no beef with paying a deductable, like the other post say, it is the way of things. My nightmare started when I had to replace my blackberry curve. Everything started out good, I made my claim, paid my 100 bucks and was sent a new phone in less then two days. About two weeks later I sent out my damaged phone in the envelope provided and I throught.. wow, that was easy, nothing with Sprint is usually that easy.
A month later, I get my bill and see that they have charged me for the phone that I sent back in. Great !!! The Sprint factor has now kicked in… so off we go. After an hour with customer support they tell me there is nothing that they can do and I have to contact the insurance company. That was like watching paint dry….. So be warned, when you send in your phone, make sure you keep the tracking information. They loose phones.
Tony on October 3rd, 2009 at 1:46 pm | Link
ALL this Carrier are suck! all they whant yor money - that all - what they want.
Stop Insurance Company’s - they are selling fear !
Insurance Fraud on December 8th, 2009 at 11:42 am | Link
dose anyone know how much is the deductible is for a renigade?
amanda on December 10th, 2009 at 6:02 pm | Link
I FEEL EXACTLY THE SAME WAY, ACCEPT I HAVE A HTC MOGUL AND IT COSTS $100 TO REPLACE THE PHONE ON TOP OF PAYING INSURANCE!! THIS IS RIDICULOUS! ESPECIALLY SINCE THE REFERBISHED PHONE, WHICH I RECIEVED, DOES NOT COME AFTER ONLY ONE WEEK!!!
Hasaunnie on January 12th, 2010 at 6:09 pm | Link
You people cant be serious…
For 7 bucks a month your getting a phone for 50 DOLLARS!!! Why are you complaining. Refurb phones statistically last longer than new ones…PLUS…had you not had the 7 dollar insurance you’d be paying FULL PRICE for whatever phone you have. And you’re gonna get an iPhone?? A phone that they dont even offer insurance on??
Come on people…your complaints are retarded. Especially since this policy is generally the same with all carriers.
Quis on June 18th, 2008 at 3:54 pm | Link
I agree!! Look at it this way…..You pay insurance on a car and when you get in an accident, you have to pay a deductible…regardless of the insurance payment you make every month…they fix your car and away you go. (and there could still be problems down the road that you still have to pay for) It’s the way the world works….also refurbished does not mean it was a broken phone. When a customer buys a new phone and they don’t like it and return it the next day, then it’s considered used and put back on the shelf and they may be the one that you get for the comparable make or model…it does not mean the phone is refurbished everytime. I think it all comes down to the store you happen to go to dealer you return to when trying to get a new phone.(if you don’t do it from the insurance company themselves). Some of those store rep’s are real assess!!! Like any customer would know..you have your good experience and your bad ones. But it does not mean the particular company you have service with sucks! J/M/H/O!
Lori on January 14th, 2010 at 10:49 pm | Link
I bought a samsung exclaim. It totally sucks as a phone but a Great paper weight. i bought it in august and had to get a new one or a “refurbished” one. It has given me nothing but problems. Tomorrow i’m planning to go to SPrint and tell them about problems, lack of service in areas, unable to email photos to my email w/o an error message. i just want to get a new (different) phone. I wonder what i can do.
Megan on January 26th, 2010 at 7:57 pm | Link
Wipe your sn****ch my friend. Learn to read the fine print and either way paying $50. instead of $300+ plus for new phone is still worth it. Regardless if its refurbished it has to work til you get sick of it an upgrade to a better one…. Smartnnn Up!!
omie on February 21st, 2010 at 4:24 am | Link
Phone insurance is just like car accidents insurance, you may never get into a car accident and yet, you still pay hundreds or thousands per year.
Try ‘losing’ your phone every few months (I think you can lose it 3 times per year). Get it unlocked (you can find people who do it in craigslist for cheap) and sell it on ebay
Serg on February 23rd, 2010 at 11:10 pm | Link
I wish i only had to pay $50 its $100 for me
Erica on March 4th, 2010 at 7:56 pm | Link