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The Best Extended Warranties for Cell Phone Repair

Smartphones that cost hundreds of dollars are a far cry from the $10 flip phones you probably started out with. When you drop $700 on a computer or a TV, you expect a warranty. And there’s no reason you shouldn’t expect the same on a gadget that sees a lot more miles than most other electronics. When you buy that phone, who is going to do the best job of repairing or replacing it when something happens? While just about every new phone comes with a manufacturer's warranty, those are usually for their mistakes, not yours. Here’s a look at what you’re getting when you purchase an extended warranty from retail stores, online companies, or your phone company.

Note: While every company is going to offer a different warranty for their products, this article focuses strictly on the bigger, or more convenient names, in phone purchases.

Best Buy and Walmart

When you buy from a retailer, you can sometimes get double the eggs in your basket. Not only will you get the warranty that comes with the product, but for an additional fee, you can tack on another extended warranty that’s going to do a lot more for you. Best Buy and their infamous Geek Squad offer extended warranties on cell phones for a payment at the time of purchase that extends for 2 years, or you can pay about $8 per month. This warranty covers drops, spills, cracks, battery replacement, normal wear and tear, mechanical failure, and accessories. Plus, the warranty is transferable if the product is given away. For an extra $3 a month, they’ll protect you from loss or theft, as well.

Similarly, Walmart allows you to purchase their Product Care Plan at the time of purchase or as an afterthought online. Walmart’s PCP covers defects in the original purchase (basically doubling up your manufacturer warranty); drops, spills, and cracked screen glass; pixel failure; damage from dust, heat, or humidity; and mechanical failure (even from normal wear and tear). They also cover shipping charges when sending your phone to a repair center, and they also allow you to return the warranty in the first 3 months. What they won’t cover, however, is spilling liquid on it, repairs from any "unauthorized" electrician, or essentially anything that happens from using the product “incorrectly.”

Amazon and NewEgg

The unfortunate side effect of lower prices is that you truly never know what you’re getting until it shows up in the UPS guy’s hands. This makes it ultra-important to read the fine print and extend menus very carefully when you’re purchasing something from one of these places. Since NewEgg traffics specifically in electronics, you may have a little more luck when you’re looking for help compared to Amazon.

Both sites offer return policies, of course, but extended warranties get a little tricky when you factor in the third-party sellers. You may be paying a cheaper price because you aren’t really getting a warranty, much less an extended warranty. You can, however, purchase a variety of different warranties—but you have to go out of your way to do so. Amazon includes a one-year limited warranty, but that has very little coverage for cell phone repairs.

NewEgg, on the other hand, provides the chance to purchase an extended warranty on most of their products in the form of an insurance plan through AIG and/or Accidental Damage from Handling coverage. Again, when you purchase from NewEgg, you may be getting a third-party warranty or a manufacturer warranty, and NewEgg offers a standard return policy on their products.

AT&T and Verizon

Choosing an extended warranty from your carrier can be a little bit pricier, but it also tends to be more comprehensive. Rather than warranties, AT&T and Verizon both offer phone protection that tends to be something more akin to car insurance for your phone. You can get multi-line insurance for a set rate or protection for a single device that will depend upon the device in question.

Verizon offers Total Equipment Coverage, Wireless Phone Protection, or an Extended Warranty. The unfortunate side effect of having “phone insurance” is that, just like your car, you have a deductible. But, just like your car, you also have the reassurance of same day service or a rental until it is fixed. For $9 a month, they’ll help you with your lost, stolen, or broken smartphone. Their Wireless Phone Protection is $7.15 a month and makes roughly the same assurances. Their extended warranty is $3 a month, with no deductible, but is strictly limited to defects after the warranty. This will be of no help if you lose your phone or cause any self-inflicted damage.

AT&T offers Multi-Device or Mobile Protection Pack or Mobile Insurance. The protection pack is $30 a month for up to 3 devices, or $11 for one, while the mobile insurance is $8. All of them come with deductibles that become lower the longer you go without a claim. Coverage includes loss, theft, damage, or malfunction protection; same-day cracked screen glass repair; and potentially next-day replacements. Protection comes with tech support: things like a lost phone finder and online tutorials. You may find that you have fuller coverage from your service provider because retail companies want you to buy a new phone, but your phone carrier wants to make sure you simply own one.

Last Updated: April 06, 2017