Database Users

Insurance vs. Warranty replacements

Hello all
I have three days left to decide if I want to add insurance to my Evo. I am debating whether or not it is actually worth it.
I am not concerned with damaging the phone myself. I have had 8+ smart phones, and I haven't lost / broken / soaked any of them. The only reason I would be considering the insurance is for hardware defects. Based on experiences with my friends' Evo's, the two main things I am concerned about are
a) a future loose / malfunctioning charger port
b) blown earpiece speaker
For these two things, I am guessing that the 1-year warranty will cover them, correct? If so, how does that process work? Do I have to deal with HTC directly, or can I get all my exchanges, repairs, etc. handled at a Sprint store?
Thanks in advance.

I would just do it personally, just for piece of mind... Its not like its a crazy amount of money. You know how Sprint can get sometimes, what if your phone gets messed up and then they start giving you the run around? I would do it but to each his own, best of luck in whatever you choose to do.

oreoOozZz said:
I would just do it personally, just for piece of mind... Its not like its a crazy amount of money.
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...and thats how they reel u in. I did the insurance thing with my Touch Pro until I realized how big of a waste it was (thought it was only $50 deduct). I've never had an opportunity to use insurance and look at all those months of $7 I would have wasted. You'll be able to get NIB Evos off eBay for around $300 before too long.
Sent from my Evo...

awenthol said:
...and thats how they reel u in. I did the insurance thing with my Touch Pro until I realized how big of a waste it was (thought it was only $50 deduct). I've never had an opportunity to use insurance and look at all those months of $7 I would have wasted. You'll be able to get NIB Evos off eBay for around $300 before too long.
Sent from my Evo...
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300-100=200 / 7 = 29 months of insurance. I would go for the insurance for two years or until I'm eligible for another phone.

Why was I able to replace my g1 three times with no insurance?
Well because htc includes one year warranty. So when ever I had a defect or the phone does not turn on tmibile just makes sure no water damage and I get my replacement.
Does the evo not have the same warranty from htc?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

my wife and I don't carry insurance on our evo's. its a gamble that I'm willing to take.I'm covered within the first year warantee and after that, the phone is old to me anyways...her charger port came loose and we took it to a service center and they replaced it with a new phone. They said the charger port was a known issue and sprint honored the replacement. worse case scenario,i would've went directly through htc

So as long as you don't dip your phone in the toilet or run it over with your car, no need for insurance.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Ohhhh. And if they give me a hard time about any exchange I'll just call and make a corporate complaint.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Thanks for your input everyone.
I think I'm going to be dropping the insurance. I think that because my bill us over $69.99/month, I am eligible for an upgrade every 12 months, which will coincide nicely with the 1 year manufacturer warranty...

I'm somewhat new to Sprint, but I've noticed that with my other phones on my plan when there is a problem they always jump to insurance over warranty.
I've had 2* Samsung Moments have their USB ports go bad. First time they used warranty, second time they wanted me to use Insurance, but got the phone support to use warranty.
Another samsung moment the screen was shutting off on its own and they said there was something wrong with the ribbon on the inside of the phone and said it was physical damage and to use insurance to replace. How can it be physical damage on the inside?????
Every time they said to use insurance was in store, over the phone they use warranty.

Does anybody here have Best Buy insurance on their phone? I have it and was wondering if it as great as i here. They tell me if the phone breaks for any reason they replace it no question.

david279 said:
Does anybody here have Best Buy insurance on their phone? I have it and was wondering if it as great as i here. They tell me if the phone breaks for any reason they replace it no question.
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Best Buy would lie to its momma to sell her black tie insurance. I bought it for a game system several years ago and found out the hard way that they do ask questions. I got it replaced but it took a few hours for my blood pressure to come back down..

nebenezer said:
Best Buy would lie to its momma to sell her black tie insurance. I bought it for a game system several years ago and found out the hard way that they do ask questions. I got it replaced but it took a few hours for my blood pressure to come back down..
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Um figured something like that.

david279 said:
Um figured something like that.
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lol, ymmv
this was almost 9 years ago. I was a much bigger jerk back then so I'm sure my demeanor was a factor in the exchange..

Most people will complain about Bestbuys phone insurance, but I prefer it. I had the Hero, got it wet, it died, and they sent it out to be repaired. After a month (yes, took forever, but I did have a loaner from bestbuy during the time) they said it couldn't be fixed. Got store credit for the cost (retail, so $599.99 + tax), to get another Hero. I just got the Evo instead. They had no problem with it, since I was buying without upgrade or anything.
If it had been sprint they would have tossed me to asurion, and I would have paid $100...and still had the Hero.

as it stands, right now any warranty issues can be handled by Sprints S&R centers with or without Sprints ESRP or TEP plans. heard through the grapevine though that come October, customers that dont have ESPR or TEP will have to go through the Manufacturer for warranty, which the Manuf. wants you to ship the phone to them, they will determine if its covered or not, then send the phone back either fixed, replaced or the way you send it to them.

I keep the insurance on it. When I got my Tour last year, there was a glitch in the system for a couple of days. I got the $7TEP for $3 on both my and my wife's phone. =)

nxtech3 said:
as it stands, right now any warranty issues can be handled by Sprints S&R centers with or without Sprints ESRP or TEP plans. heard through the grapevine though that come October, customers that dont have ESPR or TEP will have to go through the Manufacturer for warranty, which the Manuf. wants you to ship the phone to them, they will determine if its covered or not, then send the phone back either fixed, replaced or the way you send it to them.
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Warranty goes through manu, not Sprint or any agent, don't know where you heard that from.
I don't know what makes anybody think they are entitled to a "new" phone and not refurb after months of wear/tear and something happening to the phone. Nothing on this planet lasts forever and phones are not meant to last more than a year (haven't you figured that out already by the ONE YEAR MANUFACTURERS warranty?)
Just like any other insurance on the planet, anytime you make a claim you must pay a deductible, car insurance, health insurance, phone insurance, ANY insurance. If you don't pay a deductible I guarantee you, you are paying more monthly than the insurance that does have a deductible. Now, it all comes down to how much of a gamble you want to pay. $7 a month + $100/$50 deductible through Sprint which in worst case scenario (11 months) you ended up paying $177/$127 but covers lost/stolen, physical damage, water damage, etc. Or $10 a month which after 11 months is $111 but doesn't cover lost/stolen and water damage in which case, you're now screwed. Me personally? I don't use insurance, I take good care of my ****

DirtyShroomz said:
Warranty goes through manu, not Sprint or any agent, don't know where you heard that from.
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Sprint has covered any and all warrenty claims I have thrown to them at no extra cost. The shipping label says Sprint, not HTC.

We charge the manufacturer whenever we do service or replacement through warranty at our store so both of you win lol
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Buy insurance for your epic..no more instore warranty repairs/replacements

Not sure how many people are aware, but as of tomorrow sprint is changing its service and repair program thus stopping in-store warranty work, your phone will only get repaired/replaced at a service center if you have TEP, otherwise you will have to go directly through Samsung which has a 17 business day turn-around time. If you do have TEP physical damage will be covered (cracked screens ext.), batteries will be covered..everything short of water damage and damaged beyond repair (aka the main board is broken) with no deductable
PDF Flyer: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KUODMNAN

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Been gettting that message all morning trying to download it.

d94 said:
Not sure how many people are aware, but as of tomorrow sprint is changing its service and repair program thus stopping in-store warranty work, your phone will only get repaired/replaced at a service center if you have TEP, otherwise you will have to go directly through Samsung which has a 17 business day turn-around time. If you do have TEP physical damage will be covered (cracked screens ext.), batteries will be covered..everything short of water damage and damaged beyond repair (aka the main board is broken) with no deductable
PDF Flyer: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KUODMNAN
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You have it wrong. The main change is $35 charge. the average person will still used this less than once every two years. The insurance still doesn't make much more sense than it made int he past.
Sprint will treat non tep repairs for warrant issues exactly the same except for a $35 charge.
Sprint will replace phones for the same no deductible reasons as it did before with the exception of a $35 charge.
Paying the insurance still means all the odds have been figured and you are paying extra for insurance company profit, insurance company overhead, people who take inordinate risks with their phones, and people who game the system.
Insurance is always like playing against the house, insurance for losses that are not catastrophic rarely make sense

The huge benefit to the change now is that physical damage is now covered in store with no deductable. (Cracked screens, ex) which saves you 100 big ones.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

cognitivel0gic said:
The huge benefit to the change now is that physical damage is now covered in store with no deductable. (Cracked screens, ex) which saves you 100 big ones.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
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x2, now all the people that brick their phones can chuck their phone on the ground and get it replaced for free.
/fail

This is all well and good but I would like to see a few people go into the repair center with some cracked screens to see if they get fixed. The phrase that scares me is "not repairable damage". The leaves things very loose, I would hate to take the insurance off my phone, accidentally drop is and then have the person at the repair center tell me that this is not repairable. I don't take paying 7 a month extra as a bet against the house, its more like piece of mind that I would never have to pay $450+ dollars out of pocket for my phone if something were to happen.

scriz said:
x2, now all the people that brick their phones can chuck their phone on the ground and get it replaced for free.
/fail
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"a $50/$100 Claim via Asurion (Insurance Provider) for Damaged beyond repair devices such as ones with a damaged circuit board, liquid damage/corrosion, or a smashed device in 3 or more pieces. And anyone with a lost or stolen device will also get the same above $50/$100 Claim via Asurion."
"For those who are not under TEP and have such issues as a damaged circuit board, liquid damage/corrosion, a smashed device in 3+ parts, or a stolen/lost device they will either have to Upgrade or purchase a new device at MSRP."

So do you guys think the TEP is still worth it?
I had it for a year on my TP2 and never used it.

fastmikey1969 said:
So do you guys think the TEP is still worth it?
I had it for a year on my TP2 and never used it.
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The cost to service is less for a non Tep customer than the deductible. Unless you are prone to lose or water damage your phone the choice seems clear.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

For me it's been worth it. Over the last year, my wife has had her Moment stolen twice, and my son ran into the ocean with his Blackberry. Without TEP, I would have had to buy 3 phones at full price.

I'll never get rid of TEP. I've saved so much money from replacing phones. I seem to be cursed with bad screens, hinges, screens going white, etc... Alot of it happens out of warrenty.
I love TEP!
Sent from my bathroom, with toilet paper.

fastmikey1969 said:
So do you guys think the TEP is still worth it?
I had it for a year on my TP2 and never used it.
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To me, it's just like a concealed handgun license. Better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it.

AmnChode said:
Better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it.
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That is an extraordinarily irrational attitude toward spending. Why not then buy a second phone to: "have it and not need it"?
The fact is the insurance companies have already figured out whether you will "need it." They have the data and statistics. They figured out the odds, built them against you, added profit, overhead, fraud etc
And again this entire post relative to non TEP holders is for phones bought after Oct 25, sprint can't retroactively change existing purchases and charge for what they specifically advertised for as free when n those purchases were made. Sprint specifically said warranty work would be zero cost without TEP to people buying before last week.

aero1 said:
That is an extraordinarily irrational attitude toward spending. Why not then buy a second phone to: "have it and not need it"?
The fact is the insurance companies have already figured out whether you will "need it." They have the data and statistics. They figured out the odds, built them against you, added profit, overhead, fraud etc
And again this entire post relative to non TEP holders is for phones bought after Oct 25, sprint can't retroactively change existing purchases and charge for what they specifically advertised for as free when n those purchases were made. Sprint specifically said warranty work would be zero cost without TEP to people buying before last week.
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No its not irrational. Would you rather walk in the store and walk out knowing your free replacement will be here the next day, or would you rather walk in the store, spend $35 and have it delivered?
Your attitude towards it would be like not having car insurance. I've had full coverage insurance on both of my vehicles since I've owned them, yet have not had any accidents or had to file any insurance claims..should I just not have insurance just because I haven't "needed" it?

scriz said:
No its not irrational. Would you rather walk in the store and walk out knowing your free replacement will be here the next day, or would you rather walk in the store, spend $35 and have it delivered?
Your attitude towards it would be like not having car insurance. I've had full coverage insurance on both of my vehicles since I've owned them, yet have not had any accidents or had to file any insurance claims..should I just not have insurance just because I haven't "needed" it?
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I'll save the couple hundred dollars I'd spend total with TEP, pay the $35 and wait a few days.
I'm a single dad with two kids...the money's more important than the phone.

scriz said:
Your attitude towards it would be like not having car insurance. I've had full coverage insurance on both of my vehicles since I've owned them, yet have not had any accidents or had to file any insurance claims..should I just not have insurance just because I haven't "needed" it?
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No it isn't. Car liability insurance protects you from loses in the millions, loses that do NOT decrease over the lifetime of your ownership.
Your phone goes from $600 to ~$200 in a year. The $600 phone I bought 18 months ago sells for $50 ebay.
scriz said:
Would you rather walk in the store and walk out knowing your free replacement will be here the next day, or would you rather walk in the store, spend $35 and have it delivered?
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You are confused about Sprints coverage in order to rationalize an irrational purchase. Last time I walked into a sprint store with a non functional phone -- and I have NO TEP or insurance with them, I walked out with a new in box 20 minutes later and paid no fee whatsoever.
You can't argue against the math. That it is not worth it and costs the average user more than benefit is an objective fact. If it weren't, it would cost more.
Please don't call the math irrational, when it is purely rational and the basis for profit of insurance companies, who employ better mathematicians and statisticians than NASA.
Al;so you are incorrect about the $35, that fee only applies to customers who purchased after Oct 25. (and even so it is worth it.)

aero1 said:
Al;so you are incorrect about the $35, that fee only applies to customers who purchased after Oct 25. (and even so it is worth it.)
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Just to put it out there, I am a technician at a Sprint corporate store and we definitely charge the $35 even for those phones purchased before the date.

ramsestut said:
Just to put it out there, I am a technician at a Sprint corporate store and we definitely charge the $35 even for those phones purchased before the date.
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Thank you. I was about to post the same thing.
People, it doesn't matter when you purchased your phone. If you do not have TEP you will be assessed a $35 charge. And now, at least at my store, if a person comes in wanting to have their phone looked at under the manufacturers(sp) warranty, we provide them with the phone number to the specific manufacturer, andvise them of the 1-3 week wait period and inform them once again about the benefit of TEP. The only bright side is that after the initial $35 charge you now have 30 days in the event you do want to add the TEP to prevent any future hassels.

[Q] TEP vs ERP

I just picked up two new phones, an evo and an epic, and I was considering getting ERP for each phone. Should I get TEP instead since Sprint changed its repair policy and no longer honors the manufacturer's warranty?

Y do ppl keep saying they don't honor the many warranty?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Not sure what Sprint does but HTC will obviously honor the warranty. Send it to them and they'll fix it for free as long as its covered under the free one year HTC warranty.

Yeah, send it to them at your own expense, and wait 5-10 business days to get it back.
It also better be in pristine condition, or they won't cover it.
As far as getting TEP vs ERP. If you don't have TEP, it's 35 bucks in store. So based on how often you think you will be in the store for repair or replacement, you should make a decision.

clamknuckle said:
Yeah, send it to them at your own expense, and wait 5-10 business days to get it back.
It also better be in pristine condition, or they won't cover it.
As far as getting TEP vs ERP. If you don't have TEP, it's 35 bucks in store. So based on how often you think you will be in the store for repair or replacement, you should make a decision.
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Yeah, I figured sending it to HTC isn't an option--I can't wait that long. I guess I'll just roll w/ ERP and pay the $35 if I need to. Does anyone know if it's $35 per repair visit or $35 per thing repaired? For example, is it $35 if I get 2 things fixed at once or will it be $70?

sorry but about the warranty is this only with HTC or all the brands? and what is the difference TEP and ERP, I pay $7 at month, what am I paying for?

I sent mine to get repaired (broken digitizer; section of the screen didn't respond to touch) I had the hairline power button crack as well as a bunch of dings on the corners from dropping it. Guy on the phone said it might not be covered because of the hairline crack but it ultimately was. Cost $6 to fedex it to Texas, 6 days later it was on my doorstep with a replaced screen as well as a new black trim piece that had all the dings. If it isn't covered by the warranty they charge you the $35 in addition to repair costs. I only paid shipping on the way out and that was it. 6 days wasn't too bad of a wait, thought it felt like forever.

mylasthope said:
Yeah, I figured sending it to HTC isn't an option--I can't wait that long. I guess I'll just roll w/ ERP and pay the $35 if I need to. Does anyone know if it's $35 per repair visit or $35 per thing repaired? For example, is it $35 if I get 2 things fixed at once or will it be $70?
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It's $35 total. If you had 2 things it's still just $35.

DirtyShroomz said:
Y do ppl keep saying they don't honor the many warranty?
because they used to just service the phone under warranty and issue replacements from the manufacturer right at the store. now u have to go direct to the manufacturer. sprint is only dealing with ERP n TEP.
dmora01 said:
sorry but about the warranty is this only with HTC or all the brands? and what is the difference TEP and ERP, I pay $7 at month, what am I paying for?
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im not certain, but i think ERP is only for repairs. what ur paying for is Total Equipment Protection (TEP) which covers repairs and loss/theft.
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mynigman said:
DirtyShroomz said:
Y do ppl keep saying they don't honor the many warranty?
because they used to just service the phone under warranty and issue replacements from the manufacturer right at the store. now u have to go direct to the manufacturer. sprint is only dealing with ERP n TEP.
im not certain, but i think ERP is only for repairs. what ur paying for is Total Equipment Protection (TEP) which covers repairs and loss/theft.
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i work for sprint, ERP is ONLY for loss/water damage through asurion, 100 dollar deductible. ESRP is for repair only through sprint, which doesn't cover water damage or loss. each are 4 dollars, but you can get them both for 7 dollars, which is called TEP
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Jeffmon,
If I bought my evo on eBay I am still covered since I have the $7 coverage, right...
Sent from my froyo using the xda app

lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

Ive got TEP for 7 dollars....Iver replaced 2 screens and and external speaker in store for nothing. took about 30 min each time. The first screen was from water damage and the second was because I literally used my Evo as a hammer and shattered the screen. They never asked how or why or even flinched in fixing it. Sprint is by far the best customer service Ive encountered in the cell phone world. Ive only been with sprint since the Evo came out.

Hmm, my next question is, how does this affect those of who bought Evos before this policy change and can no longer enroll in TEP, since 30 days have passed?

mylasthope said:
Hmm, my next question is, how does this affect those of who bought Evos before this policy change and can no longer enroll in TEP, since 30 days have passed?
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Click to collapse
Get buddy buddy with someone at the sprint store and they can add it to your account.
Right now, I'm getting TEP for $4/mo =).

I wouldn't worry about it - TEP really only covers you for 2 things: 1, an insurance claim - water damage, lost/stolen, physical damage, phone won't power on at all, etc. This didn't change with the new policy, so if you were OK with taking this risk before I assume you're OK with it now. and 2: Repair at the service center (pretty much anything other than what has to go to the insurance company. Sprint will still repair your phone, it's just that there's a $35 flat rate for that now (before it was free in the first year, then $119.99 after that). So you might get stuck with the $35 repair cost, or the new policy might actually save you $84.99 if your phone breaks after the warranty is up. Either way that's cheaper than the $4 / month for ESRP unless you expect your phone to break more than once every 9 months.

I had my Evo replaced from Sprint with no insurance and was not charged a dime.
Because they can't fix software issues......
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

rdub4nd said:
Ive got TEP for 7 dollars....Iver replaced 2 screens and and external speaker in store for nothing. took about 30 min each time. The first screen was from water damage and the second was because I literally used my Evo as a hammer and shattered the screen. They never asked how or why or even flinched in fixing it. Sprint is by far the best customer service Ive encountered in the cell phone world. Ive only been with sprint since the Evo came out.
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Click to collapse
T-mobile is the best...
I call them and told them my g1 won't turn on,and I tried different battery. They mailed me a replacement and I sent the bad one back no cost to me
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Sprint Total Equipment Protection. Is it a must have?

Hello,
I do not know if I should take the equipment protection that sprint offers. Is this the only option or is there any other ?
Any suggestion/help is appreciated.
Broadcasted From HTC Evo 4G

It just depends on how you are with you phone. Plus it's only $7 I think now? If something does happen to your phone, paying $100 for a replacement is better than paying $500 for a brand new one. Let me tell you though, Asurion sucks. They are one of the most stingy companies I've ever had to deal with, with both my Moment and my Epic.

Yes... worth it. Asurion wasnt a problem to deal with in my opinion when I went swimming with my Pre in my pocket. I had issues with billing amounts and mishaps but excusable in my opinion.

$35 at the sprint store to fix it if you drop it. (Unless you drop it in water I guess)
At $7 a month, you would need to drop your phone more than once every 5 months. If you are careless with your phone, buy the TEP. If you take care of it like I do, the $7 a month is a waste.

dills2214 said:
$35 at the sprint store to fix it if you drop it. (Unless you drop it in water I guess)
At $7 a month, you would need to drop your phone more than once every 5 months. If you are careless with your phone, buy the TEP. If you take care of it like I do, the $7 a month is a waste.
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stuff happens, i recently dropped my evo.
i have TEP and its deffinetly worth it.
if you get it you might never use it, but if you dont get it and something happens, $500 down the drain

I have insurance through Best Buy, 7 a month and it covers pretty much everything except theft. Does TEP cover theft as well?

Berat said:
I have insurance through Best Buy, 7 a month and it covers pretty much everything except theft. Does TEP cover theft as well?
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If its Lost/Stolen you will pay a $100 deductible on top of the 7/month to get a new/refurb EVO.

In the long list of phones I've had over the years, the only ones I've ever had break met their demise in water/beer. So I consider it a must have. Also, after dealing with plenty of customers who didn't get TEP and lost or had their phone swiped, and want to rip my head off when I say a new one is $400-500.. I'd say it's well worth the $7 a month.

Tpe is worth it in my opinion.
I had a motoq 9c before upgrading to the ego and swapped it for wear and tear issues beforehand.
Probably give it to my kid as book reader/mp3 player... any other ideas?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

The cost of a lunch, for a $35 repair, or $100 replacement Pay the $7, well worth every cent.

Berat said:
I have insurance through Best Buy, 7 a month and it covers pretty much everything except theft. Does TEP cover theft as well?
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Best Buy insurance is not 7, it's more like 10. Also, where Sprint can do repairs in house, Best Buy has to ship our phones out for weeks at a time.If I could do it over, I'd get the Sprint TEP.
Sent from my HTC EVO using XDA app

Berat said:
I have insurance through Best Buy, 7 a month and it covers pretty much everything except theft. Does TEP cover theft as well?
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Click to collapse
They don't cover theft and you forgot to mention they don't cover loss either.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Bestbuy warranty's are a Rip off!

Berat said:
I have insurance through Best Buy, 7 a month and it covers pretty much everything except theft. Does TEP cover theft as well?
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Click to collapse
I had to pay 10 for best buy, 7 was never an option
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Also, I would argue that it depends on how often you upgrade. I usually upgrade once a year, and most phones (I know for a fact HTC's) carry at least a 1 year manufacturer warranty. Won't help you with stuff like water damage, theft or the like, but it will with defects. If you're careful with your phone, the manufacturer warranty is free and should cover you. I got mine replaced for the power button crack and some weird hot spots on my screen, through Sprint, for free.

johnylovejoy said:
stuff happens, i recently dropped my evo.
i have TEP and its deffinetly worth it.
if you get it you might never use it, but if you dont get it and something happens, $500 down the drain
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How is it $500 down the drain?
Take it to your nearest sprint store. $35. Fixed and out the door. Like I said, unless you drop it on a regular basis, I just don't see how it is worth it.

chris66 said:
The cost of a lunch, for a $35 repair, or $100 replacement Pay the $7, well worth every cent.
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Wrong.
$7 TEP - fixed or replaced for free (Minus water damage/board damage)
No TEP - Fixed for $35 at sprint store or $100 for replacement if in several pieces, water damage, etc.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=819504&highlight=TEP

chumpysv said:
Best Buy has to ship our phones out for weeks at a time.
Sent from my HTC EVO using XDA app
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Exactly which Bestbuy keeps on a very down low while selling consumers.
Bestbuy geek squad forums have purchasers posting everyday that phone has been out for service over a month and when they received it back repair was crap.
This leaves consumers with bad choices - send it out for service again deal with another long return time or deal with crappy repair.
Oh lets not forget loaner phones , their very scarce and suc.
Bestbuy extended warranty of any type are a scam.

I would say its only worth it if your very rough with your phone (or work in an adverse environment, etc) or plan on keeping it over a year. I went through 9 feature phones in a 3 year period because I was so careless with them (fell in fire, dog chewed one, toilet, beer cup, ran one over, lost etc etc.), and considered the couple bucks worth it. Smart phones? I'm as careful as can be. Dropped my launch day Evo once since release, on carpet from about a foot. When it crapped out for unknown reasons at the end November, I just brought it to Sprint and they replaced on the spot for $35. Saved a little over the TEP and a good amount over BestBuy's blacktie scam.
Apparently they're supposed to send yours in and order a replacement when you warranty replace one, but the rep just asked that I give him a good rating on the review call and gave me a new one. Easy enough. *****ing about driving 30 miles in driving snow to the nearest Sprint store with Evos in stock probably helped. Granted he didnt know I find every excuse possible to rip around in a snow storm, and would have been driving around pulling people out of the ditch anyways.

I have TEP and pay the $7/month.
First, my bottom LED flash stopped working. I walked into the Sprint store, and it was taken care of for free.
A few days later, I lost it while out. $100 and I had a phone 2 days later. And BTW, they're not giving out refurbed EVOs (at least not as of 3 or so weeks ago). My replacement was BNIB. Compared to what it would cost me for a new one, I am a-okay with $7/month.
I'm not someone that drops my phone, and I generally take very good care of my items, but sometimes, stuff (like losing it) happens. It's a gamble, but in the long run, I feel I got my $ worth, and for what the EVOs cost, the $7/month is well worth the peace of mind.
It all boils down to this being a gamble, no different than carrying comp/coll on your car/truck.

Sprint replace EVO WITHOUT charging a deductible?

So, In December I gave away my EVO, and picked up an Epic 4G Touch. Temporarily, im going back to the EVO (my moms) and plan on selling my E4GT to get as much money as I can for it now. My Epic is in pristine condition. And, its going to suck going back to an EVO, especially a beat up one. I do have full insurance. What are the chances that Sprint replaces it? Buttons stick. Maybe cracked in a few places. Do they still give out EVO's as replacements?

Insurance is not through sprint, it's through asurion. Sprint only deals with warranty claims, and since the damage on your phone is physical damage, your warranty is void, so you have to go through insurance.
And the chances of getting a replacement from Asurion without paying a deductible? Absolutely ZERO. Not sure why people think they are entitled to things for free...
And they may still have evo's, and they may not, it's pretty much week to week. If they don't have evo's you will likely get an evo 3d.

I pay for the insurance every month. I remember once time i dropped my phone and the screen cracked. I brought it to sprint and they said they will fix it....I waited there for 20 minutes and they came back out with a new phone for me and said it will cost 30 bucks, i paid cashed and i didnt get any sort of reciept or anything. very odd, but what ever.
In the summer i dropped my phone again and cracked the screen. I had to go thru aurison and had to pay 100 bucks and send in my old phone. Although i paid 100 bucks, its better than paying 500 for a brand new phone!
I think its a little odd how sprint does its insurance. My mom had an issue where her phone wouldn't connect to wifi and sprint made her go thru aurison and pay 100 bucks. kinda dumb.

Warrior 3000 said:
I pay for the insurance every month. I remember once time i dropped my phone and the screen cracked. I brought it to sprint and they said they will fix it....I waited there for 20 minutes and they came back out with a new phone for me and said it will cost 30 bucks, i paid cashed and i didnt get any sort of reciept or anything. very odd, but what ever.
In the summer i dropped my phone again and cracked the screen. I had to go thru aurison and had to pay 100 bucks and send in my old phone. Although i paid 100 bucks, its better than paying 500 for a brand new phone!
I think its a little odd how sprint does its insurance. My mom had an issue where her phone wouldn't connect to wifi and sprint made her go thru aurison and pay 100 bucks. kinda dumb.
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I think the time you only paid $30 bucks, the guy pocketed that cash. Neither Sprint nor Asurion saw any part of that, but who cares, he fixed your phone and it cost you less than Asurion would have charged you.
I know guys at stores who do that stuff all the time. The no receipt is a dead giveaway.

Was about to say the same. I have had sprint replace the screen numerous times in the last 17mo. Never cost me a dime. Nor did the camera lens or speaker or bezel replacements they have performed in-store. I think you got hosed. I'd go ask for a refund if I were you, but alas, no receipt was given (first clue)
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium

My wife replaced her phone just a little while ago through asurion, they sent her a Evo Design. She likes it, I would be pissed. So it looks like they might be out of EVO's. Now, I'm sure there will be 3 or 4 people saying "Oh I just got an EVO from them" cause that's the way the internet works. All I'm saying is, that's what happened to me.
I also heard that you can find new Evo's for as cheap as $50. I didn't look, that's just what my coworker told me from the last time he went to the Sprint store.

sitlet said:
Insurance is not through sprint, it's through asurion. Sprint only deals with warranty claims, and since the damage on your phone is physical damage, your warranty is void, so you have to go through insurance.
And the chances of getting a replacement from Asurion without paying a deductible? Absolutely ZERO. Not sure why people think they are entitled to things for free...
And they may still have evo's, and they may not, it's pretty much week to week. If they don't have evo's you will likely get an evo 3d.
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Entitled for free? WE PAY for the fraud of a TEP program. Besides, Ive had my local Sprint store replace a phone ON THE SPOT.

Animus_3.0 said:
I think the time you only paid $30 bucks, the guy pocketed that cash. Neither Sprint nor Asurion saw any part of that, but who cares, he fixed your phone and it cost you less than Asurion would have charged you.
I know guys at stores who do that stuff all the time. The no receipt is a dead giveaway.
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Yeah i kind of figuared that when he said it will cost 30 bucks and i handed him my debit card and he said "cash only"

Has anyone had any experience with Best Buy's insurance plan?

cobmojo said:
Has anyone had any experience with Best Buy's insurance plan?
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They take your phone and are phoneless for x amount of days
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium

So my wife cracked her screen. So should I take it to a local store to see if they will fix it or just pay for the $100 from Asurion? Do you think they still have the Evo still in stock or do you think they will send her an Evo 3D? Just trying to see if anyone has sent one in lately basically.

doeboy711 said:
So my wife cracked her screen. So should I take it to a local store to see if they will fix it or just pay for the $100 from Asurion? Do you think they still have the Evo still in stock or do you think they will send her an Evo 3D? Just trying to see if anyone has sent one in lately basically.
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Is say take.it in or call and ask...as far as having a EVO I'm sure asurion has it but hard to say
Sent from my PG86100 using xda premium

I had to get mine replaced due to a cracked screen in March,Sprint Corp Store said they won't do screen replacements any more,had to go thru Asurion.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA

cobmojo said:
Has anyone had any experience with Best Buy's insurance plan?
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Click to collapse
It's not that bad actually... No deductible, you can get a loaner phone... So if you can deal with an LG Optimus or the like for a few days... Its okay. Only caveats are no total immersion coverage... no coverage for theft or loss. If it's a warranty issue they still handle it the same. I took my design in because it went swimming in the toilet. It was operational but I didn't want a toilet phone... so I told them I spilled a beverage on it. Only problem was they didn't take out the sim card, as it's a world phone, and the replacement didn't have one. So i went to the sprint store and they gave me a new one.
I figured I've never lost a phone or had it stolen and I've broken screens on EVERY phone I've had... So i like the zero deductible.
Sent from my PH44100 using XDA

scottspa74 said:
Was about to say the same. I have had sprint replace the screen numerous times in the last 17mo. Never cost me a dime. Nor did the camera lens or speaker or bezel replacements they have performed in-store. I think you got hosed. I'd go ask for a refund if I were you, but alas, no receipt was given (first clue)
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium
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I've had the same experience, I've had TEP since the day I bought my phone in Aug. of '10. In April of last year I dropped the Evo onto a tile floor and the screen shattered like a spider web, terrible. I took the phone to a non-corporate Sprint store/repair shop and when they looked up info on their computer the young lady said, "Oh, no charge, you have TEP". An hour later I had my phone back with a new screen. I was given a receipt that showed I had insurance and under charges it said: $0.00.
In Jan. of this year my phone had another broken screen and again I took it to the non-corporate owned Sprint sales/repair store and again they installed a new screen, gave me a receipt that had charges: $0.00. I was very pleased with Sprint and the repair station.
On Thursday my phone was in a leather clip on case hooked to my pants pocket when the case with phone in it fell to the floor. I picked it up and saw there was a single, diagonal break-line in the lower half of the screen. The non-corporate store I had used two times before had closed so I went to the Corp. store where I make all my phone purchases. (Sprint customer for over 13 years now) The "salesman" looked at the phone and told me, "We can fix it, pay us $100 and the screen will be replaced". I explained to him about the two times before the screen had been broken and it was fixed under TEP for NO CHARGE. He acted like I was an idiot and told me Sprint has NEVER replaced broken screens without charging $100. I again informed him of the two times mine had been replaced and he acted like he didn't believe me then told me if it had been fixed for no charge the people screwed up. I called a Manager over and related the story to him, his only answer was to show me a brochure saying that Asurion charges $100 to replace screens with large breaks in them. (as an aside: what in the hell difference does it make if the screen has a 1/2" break in the center of a screen or a 3"? The screen has to be replaced either way)
I left that Sprint store and drove to a corporate repair/sales store. The guy at the desk gave me the same spiel, "Sprint has always charged $100 to replace a screen". By this time I was getting angry, I held my temper and told him when I get this straightened out I'd drop in to inform him how things work. Today I researched and found there is a single non-corporate owned Sprint repair center in this city. They are closed today but I'm going there tomorrow to see if they will work with me.
What bothers me deeply is you, Scottspa74 have had the same experience I have several times. The broken screen is replaced with no charge. I read on this forum and the Sprint Users forum over and over again, "Sprint charges $100 to replace a screen under TEP-Asurion, always been that way, read the brochure and you'll see". What I DO know just as you DO is that we've had screens replaced several times with no charge. There was no crooked deal where we were asked to pay cash and given no receipt. Both times I received a printed out receipt giving all my Sprint info that showed I had insurance, and the charges were $0.00. I learned about the "no charge" policy either on XDA or SprintUsers last year so other people besides the 2 of us have replaced for no charge.
If I seem frustrated I am. What's worse is Radio Shack had the Evo4G LTE on sale through Saturday for $100 and I had made up my mind to get one and give up my all time favorite phone, the Evo4G. Now I'm waiting as I've got to fix the Evo OG so I can sell it.
If you or anyone has any ideas please pass them on. As I said, I'm going to the privately owned repair store tomorrow if at all possible.
Thanks,
D

The only problem I see with bringing it in to a sprint store is you have to unroot, or go to a stock, but that all depends on who's fixing your phone
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium

jrollercoasters said:
The only problem I see with bringing it in to a sprint store is you have to unroot, or go to a stock, but that all depends on who's fixing your phone
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium
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If you were replying to me: The two times I took my rooted phone into a contracted Sprint repair shop they complimented me on my ROM and asked which one it was, so no problem there. When my screen become unresponsive in May I unrooted the EVO and installed the HTC Rom before taking it into the corporate store. The phone was exchanged with no charge as I said earlier. It was a malfunction of the phone hardware/screen and not a shattered screen problem.
best,
DC

It's 3$ for a digitizer on Amazon you can fix it yourself if you ever crack your screen