Boost Mobile offers handset insurance

For the most part, we don’t see many prepaid carriers offer insurance on their handsets. This is for a number of reasons, not least of which being the general quality of the handsets. If a phone costs $40 there’s little reason to buy insurance on it. Hence, no insurance offering from carriers like Tracfone that specialize in the lowest of the low-end handsets. But we’ve seen a few expensive options hit prepaid in the past year or so. For the most part if you break the phone outside of the warranty period there’s not much you can do other than buy a new handset. That’s something Boost Mobile has addressed. I’m not sure when this was introduced, but a Howard Forums user points to a Boost insurance plan that can protect your device.

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As you can see, each plan costs $5 per month. Your deductible and per-claim limit then depend on the handset you use. Of course the more expensive phones — the Motorola i9 and i1, and the BlackBerry Curve — have a $100 deductible. Most of the handsets, though, have a $25 deductible and $150 per-claim limit. If you’re especially clumsy and drop your phone often, this might be something to consider. Each individual, of course, will have different needs, and not everyone will need insurance. In fact, I’m willing to bet that most people do not need it. But having the option is nice.

The biggest downside that I can see is that if your phone breaks you might get a refurbished model as a replacement. If I’m paying $5 per month for a service that I might not even use I don’t think that receiving a refurbished model is a fair trade-off. But that’s just me. They do say that you can get your replacement within 24 hours, which is nice, though again something I expect if I’m paying $5 for what might amount to nothing.

If you want more information about insurance for your Boost Mobile phone, you can download the brochure (PDF) — and this one covers the state of New York. If you want to purchase insurance for your handset, dial 888-266-7848 within 15 days of your activation.

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5 Responses

1. Rosie Says
   

   It’s not a bad idea but I am with Tracfone and my overall cell phone savings are so great that I could easily replace a lost or stolen phone without incurring any extra expense!

   
   Posted on September 8th, 2010 at 11:01 am
2. Chris Says
   

   Tracfones are so awesome and this just proves it even more. In addition to insurance, Tracfones receive great service as well as low international rates. Great buy and I would definitely recommend.

   
   Posted on September 13th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
3. ChrisL Says
   

   Hey insurance on expensive phones is cool. No two ways about it. Especially because that phone goes everywhere. It does however rile me slightly that I had depserately moved away from contract to my current tracfone, partly to get away from all those friggin extra costs. Fair, it might be very wise to insure your plus $300 phone…but there you go again raising that monthly budget, when what you were doing by going to prepaid in the first place was to save money. And, I concede you will probably still save money, but what Rosie says is right – tis cheap enough to just replace the damn thing.

   
   Posted on October 3rd, 2010 at 5:17 pm
4. danisha newman Says
   

   can yall put a warranty on my boostmobile handset

   
   Posted on November 4th, 2010 at 8:30 am
5. Virgin Mobile offers phone insurance | Prepaid Reviews Says
   

   [...] in the year Boost Mobile made something of a splash by offering handset insurance. Most prepaid carriers do not offer this, so it was novel at the time. Now it appears that [...]

   
   Posted on December 1st, 2010 at 8:31 am

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