cell phone insurance

It really depends on how accident prone you are. I work in a marine setting, on boats frequently and on sandy beaches. Did I ever drop my phone in the ocean? No. Did i ever get it so covered in sand that it stopped working? No. Did I ever drop my phone in the toilet? Yes. Did I ever leave it in a bathroom in the Miami airport? Yes (separate incidents). Did I drop it and shatter its face at a civilized wedding at a country club in Boston? Yes.
I don't have insurance. But I probably should.

Doesn't the warrenty on a new cell phone cover some of this?
I have never had insurance on a cell, including after the one my dog ate when she was a puppy.
(she chewed on it a bit but luckily did not ingest it)

I just called, told them what happened, asked if they needed me to return the phone to them (I had Sprint at the time) but they woman just laughed, said "no need" and sent me a replacement. Never did insure any of my phones, just never left them on the coffee tables with puppies in the house.

Some providers will do that for you. Others not so much. Verizon will only replace if it manufacturing defect or broken during shipment.
I agree though, it all depends on how well you safeguard your phone. In 14 yrs I have never had insurance on my phones, and have never lost or broken one.

Google around. There are other ins co's that specialize in cell ph ins and have much better rates. I've used them.

With a new Iphone AT&T wanted $6.00 month for insurance. If it needed to be replaced my replacement cost with the insurance would be $199.

Also be aware if your phone gets wet a built in moisture detector will change colors permanently and your warranty will be void. Moisture isn't a defect but an owner problem. Wife ruined a phone when it got damp from condensation from a glass of ice tea on the table near where she had set her phone.

With insurance, losing the phone , water damage and other types of owner stupidity and bad luck are covered.

Thanks everyone! When it comes to my phone, I'm very careful with it. In the past 15yrs that I've had cell phones, I've only had to replace one because of dropping it in the water. Luckily I was eligible for an upgrade at the time anyways. Other than that, I haven't had any incidences where I've damaged/lost a phone.

I think I will probably take my chances and not get the insurance. I've never insured my phones before and have been fine. I guess I was just concerned about how environmental factors like the constant moisture in the air would affect the phone.

Thanks again!

Beware of dog drool! Seriously, you should be fine. I have had mine for years and never dropped it in water,toilet, off the dock, overboard, on the floor, spilled anything on it. It fact, I still have my old Sprint phone and that's in great shape, too. Good luck to non accident prone-ness!

On St John, it is not always easy, cheap, or convenient to replace a cell phone quickly. Having played this game before, I would say that, far more valuable than insurance, is having an extra phone around so that worst case, you just have to replace your SIM card ($35 or so) and you are back in business fast. (Best case, your SIM isn't damaged and you can just swap and go.) A spare phone doesn't have to be the latest and greatest, but if your phone is your lifeline (as it is for many), a $50 backup phone can save you lots and lots of headaches when you don't have several days to wait for a replacement, or time to travel to St Thomas to get a new phone, or $$$$ to pay what ADM is asking for one on St John (assuming they have any in stock)... etc.

Probably the best advice so far. (tu)

I've had cell phone insurance in the past and have use it.

Definitely helpful for people like me who tend to misplace things and have a lot of mishaps.

On St John, it is not always easy, cheap, or convenient to replace a cell phone quickly. Having played this game before, I would say that, far more valuable than insurance, is having an extra phone around so that worst case, you just have to replace your SIM card ($35 or so) and you are back in business fast. (Best case, your SIM isn't damaged and you can just swap and go.) A spare phone doesn't have to be the latest and greatest, but if your phone is your lifeline (as it is for many), a $50 backup phone can save you lots and lots of headaches when you don't have several days to wait for a replacement, or time to travel to St Thomas to get a new phone, or $$$$ to pay what ADM is asking for one on St John (assuming they have any in stock)... etc.

fdr, excellent advice!!!!! Thank you! I do still have my previous phone. It was just a simple basic phone and still worked perfectly fine. The only reason I stopped using it was bc I switched to AT&T since they have better service on the island and to reduce some of my current monthly bills to be able to save up more $$$ for my pending move. I will definitely hold onto that phone as a back up. Thanks again for the great advice!

Depending on what kind of phone, it may be "locked" to use only Verizon's network. It is possible to get a phone unlocked to use on another network, but Verizon may have to do it for you if you don't have the code to unlock it yourself. Check it out before you get here. 🙂