posted
I am normally not a big fan of extended warranties. Basically, I prefer to pay more for quality in the first place and so feel rather put-upon when/if the item I purchased fails to live up to expectations.
But I have learned the value of having a homeowner's warranty and I have learned the hard way that some devices (like expensive laptop computers) should be covered as they a) tend to break when I'm near them and b) are costly to replace or repair.
So, when I called to change my cell phone to a TX account, I was torn between my belief that my Nokia phone was essentially indestructable and my concern that it might not be. The clincher was when they said I could get a new phone even if I lost my current one through bone-headed carelessness. That sounded familiar.
So...I opted for the insurance.
Now, this insurance has several levels and I decided I really did need the top level since the most likely scenario is me leaving my phone on an airplane or in a hotel room, and you don't get loss coverage except at the highest level of coverage.
The funny thing is, my phone isn't lost. I almost wished it was. It's worse. It stopped ringing or vibrating. It lights up when a call comes in. Not completely useless, but close. I've missed several calls in the day and a half since this happened.
Fortunately, I had my insurance in effect for the required number of days (more than 15 -- bought the insurance 25 days ago ) and even more fortunate, this kind of phone death is covered under a special clause.
The end result...
I get a brand new phone for $5 instead of the $35 deductible I would've normally had to pay.
That's right!
I haven't even been billed for the insurance yet and it has paid off wonderfully!
I should have a new phone no later than Monday.
I've never actually had an insurance transaction work out so well in my favor.
1) Cell Phones. I left mine at work one weekend. It was not there the next Monday. I finally got around to replacing it, and paying the fee. The first thing I did was check my voice-mail.
There were four calls from 3 young ladies all making dates with the phone's new owner.
I hate it when an appliance I own has more fun than I do.
2) Insurance: While in India I had my camera bag stolen. It had a six month old digital camera in it. The insurance company sent me a replacement. The replacement was smaller, with more memory and better features. Seems they didn't make the "old" one any more. I was stuck with the better one.
Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
Sort of off subject, but my dad had a cell phone (back in the day of the Brick Phone), he works construction and left it on one of the heaters that was heating his job-site. It was one of those heaters that looks like a miniature jet engine. Anyways, it melted! Completely. The phone looked like a nasty pancake. The relevance of the story is that the phone continued to function! When we called it, it rang, the only bad part was that the phone had melted so bad that we couldn't reach the 'send' button to recieve the call.
Posts: 1660 | Registered: Jan 2000
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