SquareTrade Warranty Blog

Fall Sale! 30% off, First 1000 Customers Only!

Heads up fans: First 1000 customers to use Coupon Code FALL09 get 30% off their next SquareTrade warranty purchase!

Coupon FALL09 is valid for a warranty for an item purchased from any retailer (like Wal-mart, Best Buy, Apple etc)  - online or not. Coupon also valid on eBay warranties too!

Hurry: 30% off is only valid for first 1000 customers! (max $50 discount, through 9/22) After that, coupon code is good for 20% off through October 4th.

The iPhone is an Accident Magnet, but SquareTrade Covers Clumsiness!

Thanks to our fans, word is getting out about how we help save your money and your gadgets! SquareTrade was featured in Gizmodo Friday: SquareTrade's iPhone 3GS Warranty Covers Clumsiness, Stupidity, and Human Nature

....and our updated iPhone study has been featured in TechCrunch: iCrack: The iPhone Is An Accident Magnet

 

The study has generated quite a buzz! You can view the full study or check out coverage in the news.

Independence Day Sale: with 30% off bonus till 6pm Today!

More Summer savings! Use our special Independence Day coupon code JULY04 and save 30% off on your next warranty purchase (max $50 discount, through 6pm PST 6/23).

After that, coupon valid for 20% - up to $50 on your next warranty purchase through July 5th.

You can use the discount on a warranty for an item you buy from eBay or any store (like Wal-mart, Best Buy, Apple etc)  - online or not.

iPhone failures from moisture - beware of sweat and shower fog!

There has a bit of noise in the news lately about Apple’s policy towards iPhones with moisture damage.   A lot of complaints have been surfacing on twitter, forums and blogs that iPhones are so sensitive to moisture damage that a sweaty hand at the gym or a few episodes of being in the same room as a steamy shower can trigger the moisture sensor and cause a manufacturer’s warranty claim to be rejected by Apple.  Not good.  I bring my iPhone to the gym with me all the time, and I typically bring it into the bathroom so I can hear it when I shower. 

If you treat your iPhone the way I do, you have reason to be concerned.  Until recently, Apple’s policy towards such claimants was “simply ‘too bad’” - requiring customers to pay the full $399/$499 replacement cost of their phone, according to Amy Davis at Click2houston.com. But with Apple’s new policy, “Customers whose iPhones were damaged from moisture can now purchase a replacement iPhone for the reduced price of $199” – with that $199 getting you a refurbished iPhone.

Still not a great deal in my book, since you can now get a refurbished iPhone from AT&T’s website for $99/$149 for the 8gb and 16gb models, respectively (with new 2-year contract).  But at least it's another option, where you don't have to renew your contract.  It's maybe worthwhile if you just want something to last out your current contract, but if you’re anything like me, you won’t be switching from your iPhone in the foreseeable future!

For all of you that purchased the SquareTrade iPhone warranty, you’re in luck.  Moisture damage is covered by our Accidental Damage from Handling (ADH) policy.  Since AT&T still doesn’t offer insurance for the iPhone, it’s really the only way to protect yourself against moisture damage.  And we’ll also reimburse you for $399 or $499 (8gb / 16gb) minus a $50 deductible if it’s water damage, so you can get a brand new iPhone (with 2 year contract) instead of having to settle for a refurbished model.

We’ve in the process of preparing an update to our research report on iPhone failure rates from last November, and we’ve found water damage to be a significant factor in iPhone ADH claims.  It’s something that we’ll discuss in more detail in our report update.   But for now, I’d encourage anyone who is buying a new iPhone to consider the SquareTrade iPhone warranty to protect against moisture damage and other accidents that aren’t covered by the manufacturer’s warranty!

Oh, by the way:  Our Current Special:  20% off an iPhone warranty.

iPhone vs. BlackBerry: the debate continues.

We wanted to see for ourselves just how the two compare, so we took a look at claims information for over 15,000 BlackBerrys, Palms, and iPhones.  Here's what we found out:

-  In the first year of ownership, iPhones give their owners fewer problems than the other two phones.  Its malfunction rate is 5.6% in year one, as opposed to 14.3% for BlackBerry and 21% for Treo.  Solid.

-  When iPhones do have problems, it's usually the touch screen.  Kind of the best part.

-  iPhones are accidentally dropped, cracked, spilled on, etc. more often than the other models.  I now hold onto mine with a death grip.

You can view coverage of our report on TechCrunch, CNBC, LA Times, InternetNews, Ars Technica, PC World, SlashGear, Cult of Mac, or the Unofficial Apple Weblog.

Or, if you want to dive right in, you can download the report and draw your own conclusions.

Cell phone insurance: scary. SquareTrade has a better option.

Cell phone insurance? Now that's a spooky thought. At about $5-7 a month, plus deductibles that are usually more than 100 bucks, you might as well just buy a new one if something goes wrong with yours.  That's frightening, considering replacement costs are often much higher when you aren't signing up for a brand new contract with your carrier.

So, we thought and thought and thought some more about how we could offer you an option that makes sense. We went to the drawing board a few times, and we finally came up with a warranty that's sensible and meets you in the middle.  Here's why we think it'll work for you and your phone:

• It's cheaper -- just $2 to $4 a month, and you'll be covered against device malfunctions (for $2/month) or device malfunctions PLUS coverage for accidental damage from handling (for $4/month).

• Our deductible is tiny compared to the big guys.

• There's no disputing that our service is the best out there. No runaround. And there's NO WAY we'll send you a refurb as a replacement.  That would be lousy and cheap of us.  Even though our warranty prices are cheap, our service is totally top shelf.

Go here and see for yourself: www.squaretrade.com/cellphone

Oh, and on a somewhat related note this Halloween -- R.I.P. my old, rejected and recycled cell phones of years past.

2008 - Blackberry, death by broken J key.  A tough thing to work around when your first name is Jill.
2007 - Motorola Flip Phone, dropped and busted while running to catch a flight.  Expensive replacement!
2005 - Ugly Motorola Something-Or-Other, upgraded!  Made it two years without incident.
2003 - Old school Nokia, not sure what the technical term is - basically, the screen went funky.

New coverage for iPhone.

By popular demand...

We've fine-tuned our coverage options for iPhone to make it easier for you to protect the one you love. 

We're the only place you can get coverage for drops, spills, and battery issues --- Apple's warranty doesn't cover it and AT&T has excluded the iPhone from insurance. 

SquareTrade warranty coverage for two years, including coverage on accidental damage, is $89 for the 8GB model and $109 for the 16GB -- that's $3.70 or $4.54 a month -- way less than traditional cell phone insurance or other plans.  If something goes wrong with your phone and you have to make a claim, we'll fix it quickly or give you the full replacement cost for the phone ($399 and $499). 

Check out the SquareTrade iPhone page for details and to sign up.

You can also view our press release here.

You have options.

Lots of people have been asking for details, so here’s the full scoop on the SquareTrade warranty options that’ll be available for the new iPhone 3G:

For 12% of your iPhone’s retail price, you’ll get 3 years of coverage that comes with a 5 day service guarantee. Your phone will be fixed quickly, and if it’s beyond repair you’ll get cash for the full replacement cost so you can buy a new one. Or you can use the cash to buy a cheaper phone and spend the rest on snacks, extend a loan to an entrepreneur in a developing country, take up underwater basket weaving, or whatever.  No refurbs as replacements, no matter what.

So, here’s how it all stacks up. I threw in the specs on AppleCare too, because I know that’s what a lot of people will be considering since it’s the only thing available right in the store when you get your phone. But you have options:

If you think you might be accident prone or just not as lucky as this guy, check out Accidental Damage from Handling coverage. It’s a little bit of an extra expense, but it might end up saving you some heartache.

Personally, I’m really excited about the new iPhone pricing because I don't have AT&T yet... it only applies with a new 2-year contract with them.  So if you don’t get warranty coverage, you’re going to have to pay the full non subsidized price if you ever need to replace your phone (and make sure you type in the full replacement cost when you get a warranty quote so you’re eligible for the full amount of coverage). That’s $399 or $499 – a.k.a. a small fortune.

Update: Click here for most current information on SquareTrade iPhone coverage.

LG P300 ultra-portable laptop ships worldwide (except for U.S.).

Oh LG, why do you hate America?  Here we are, exporting all our Freedom, and you can't even throw us one little laptop.  You think it's easy being the world's policeman?  But no, the South Koreans got their LG P300 ultra-portable laptops in December, and now Europe is slotted to get them next.  We'll be third.  Third! 

When they  do deign to release them stateside - guaranteed, but unscheduled - we may finally know love as it was meant to be.  The P300's options range from cool to supercool, starting with choices ranging from a 1.83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor to a 2.2GHz processor, anywhere from 120GB to 250GB hard drive NVIDA GeForce graphics (8600M GS with 256MB VRAM or 8400M GS with 128MB VRAM), all behind an LED-backlit 13.3 inch screen. And yet, Vista is the only OS on offer.  Strange.

It won't out-thin a Macbook Air or a Lenovo Thinkpad X300, but at 32 mm tall and 3.6 pounds heavy, you won't have much problem hefting this thing around.  Though it might be prudent to have a laptop warranty on it, given the estimated $2400 price tag. 

Maybe the exchange rate will work in our favor when they finally bring them over...?

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