« June 2007 | Main | September 2007 »

August 2007

Accidents Happen...

Iphone_insurance We've just released the biggest update to our Care Plan program since... well, since there's been a Care Plan program. We used to be a one-product company, but not anymore.

Which is another way of saying we're now offering Accidental Damage Protection on our warranties.

We, as a species, carry around more sophisticated electronics wherever we go than ever before, and it's a rough world out there. At any given time, Joe Average might have upwards of $500 worth of gadgets on his person, and that's before he starts taking his laptop to work, his camera on vacation, or his GPS on the road. One bad spill can turn that into one expensive day.

A few months ago, we polled a hundred people, buyers and non-buyers, and there were a few consistent reactions across the board. One was a very real need for a warranty that guarded against honest accidents... spills, drops, breakage from handling... the kind of thing we've all experienced and kicked ourselves over. Another was the belief that accidental damage wouldn't be covered by any warranty again in their lifetime. At least, not in a way that made sense.

Well, at SquareTrade, we love to defy low expectations. And we live to make things make sense.

I'll be honest, here. There is a deductible. It does cost extra. It's not available on everything. You might not even need it on everything. But now it's an option for when you really do need it on the gadgets that are most at risk.

And that's no accident.

Heard an interesting rumor this morning...

A1320793 Here we were, just trying to wake up and finish our corn flakes when busy, busy Rob Burman over at IGN UK pulled an interesting quote from Warwick Light, Sony's New Zealand sales and marketing manager.

"We're also hoping next year... to release a digital tuner for the PS3, turning it into a programmable TV recorder."

So while there's no official confirmation from Sony yet, it seems like the PlayStation 3 wants to muscle in on TiVo's territory. Looks like it will be rolled out for the UK's Freeview digital provider around March... probably as test market for an expansion into the United States.

If this becomes a reality, that would make the PS3 the only device on the market able to single-handedly play video games, Blu-ray DVDs and music, surf the internet, and record live television in Hi-Def. That $500 price tag is starting to look a little more reasonable now, isn't it? And if you buy it new, $50 will keep it safe for the next three years, too.

Fan us on Facebook! Follow us on twitter Subscribe via RSS

About SquareTrade

Established in 1999, SquareTrade is the ONLY warranty provider consistently rated five stars by its customers. Find out more.

only 5-star warranty

Get an Instant Quote

track