By Randy Mac, Amy Corral and Richard Washington
That moment when you see your
precious cellphone or tablet fall to ground is enough to make anyone
stress out — especially if it ends in a shattered screen.
In that worst-case scenario, can cellphone insurance really protect you?
The answer is most often no.
Businesses like U-Break-I-Fix in Studio City specialize in cellphone and tablet repairs.
"We
see parents with their kids who dropped their iPads, that’s the most
popular one," said repair technician Landon Mirisciotti.
Salespersons
at many phone retail stores push insurance as the best way to pay
repair costs, but at an average of $7 dollars a month plus the
deductible you’ll pay, it may not be worth your money, Mirisciotti said.
"Most deductibles range from like $150 to $350," he said.
Julianne
Pepitone, senior tech writer with NBCNews.com, echoes Mirisciotti’s
skepticism about the necessity of cellphone insurance.
"Consumer reports generally does not recommend buying these," Pepitone said.
Cellphone repair data also shows it’s rare for new devices to have problems in the first three years.
If
it does break or malfunction, the fix is usually inexpensive.
Independent repair shops will replace broken screens for less than the
cost of insurance.
"You’re looking at like $89.99," said Mirisciotti, less than your average deductible.
Purchasing renters or homeowners insurance often also covers the cost of a stolen phone if it is taken from your home.
But if you happen to drop your phone frequently, your best insurance may just be a strong cellphone case.
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