Tis the season for large purchases. Are you buying the new iPhone 4S? A new laptop for your teen? A camera for your grandma? A big screen tv for the family? Will you also be purchasing warranties for them?
For most, high tech gadgets are a major purchase that require a lot of thought and research, not to mention money. Many times, warranties are offered at the point of sale and you have to make a quick decision on whether you need it or not. You quickly weigh your thoughts — “Will I accidentally run this camera through the washing machine?” (Don’t laugh, I’ve DONE that!), “Will one of the kids get a little wild with the Wii controller and put it through the new big screen TV?” “What if I drop my iPhone in the toilet?” (I know someone that happened to!). We all want to protect our purchases, but at what cost? Square Trade, a third party warranty provider, offers an alternative to standard warranties. Their warranties can be purchased anytime and are nearly half the price of those offered at the point of sale.
Square Trade warranties cover things that other warranties may not, like if you drop your phone and crack the screen or if you spill your Gatorade on your laptop. The warranties come with a 5 day service guarantee, 24/7 online access to your warranty contract and protection from all mechanical and electrical failures. If you are making a purchase this holiday, consider protecting it with a warranty from SquareTrade. Prices vary by the length of the warranty and the gadget being covered.
I have my iPhone covered. The purchase process was amazingly simple- you guessed it, there’s an app for that! The warranty is completely paperless, though you can view and manage it online and print a copy if you wish. To keep things even simpler, email or fax a copy of your receipt and they’ll keep it on file for you so that should you need to file a claim, you won’t have to go searching for it.
The customer service is top notch. They even called me to make sure to answer any questions I might have had make sure I was a well informed, happy customer. They were friendly and knowledgeable and I’m confident that should I run into any problems with my iPhone, that they will be competent enough to handle it to my satisfaction.
Normally I take my chances and decline warranties but next time, I will consider SquareTrade. Visit www.squaretrade.com to get a quote on a warranty you are considering. You’ll save up to 70% and have the freedom of purchasing your electronics from anywhere. Make sure to get Accidental Damage Coverage if you are accident prone like me!
You can get $5 off a SquareTrade iPhone warranty this month and also be entered to win one of 50 iPad 2s!