SquareTrade – Must-Have Protection for your Stuff

You save, you scrimp, you drool and then you buy.  Whether it is an iPhone, the newest Samsung Galaxy, a tablet, a laptop, a television or some other high priced can’t-live-without gadget, you don’t want your recent purchase to fall victim to a drop, fall or splash.  These things cost too much to buy and way too much to repair.

You COULD buy that pricey, limited insurance policy from your local big box store (I’m looking at you Best Buy) or you could upgrade your protection AND reduce the cost of an insurance policy for your tech.  Years ago, I found SquareTrade warranties and I haven’t thought twice about who I would trust with my gadget protection.

Why SquareTrade?

My friends and family are actually sick of hearing me harp on them about this, but why would you trust your iPhone or other device to the likes of AT&T or Best Buy? After all, they are in the business of making money and they do so by getting you to buy more (ha – that makes me think of Chuck).  Their warranties cover drops and falls, but have you read the fine print.

• – Do they cover spills and water damage?
• – Is there a deductible?
• – If you’re paying monthly, what does the coverage come out to over 1 year, 2 years, etc?
• – How many times will they repair or replace your item during the life of the policy?

SquareTrade promises the following and backs it up with #1 protection plan in the business. (that’s ratings from Apple, Amazon and Google)

• – Zero-Hassle Claim Service, Available 24/7
• – Same-Day Genius Bar Service or Next-Day Replacement for iPhones (this is a new service that I didn’t even know about until I wrote the article)
• – You’re Covered for up to Four Repairs or Replacements
• – You Choose Where to Fix It

The Perks

In addition to the basic things you would expect from a protection plan, SquareTrade offers some pretty awesome perks that I have seen in action over the last 4 years (going back to the original policy that I took out on my Playstation 3)

• Coupons – sign up and they will send you deals that I’ve seen go up to 40% of a two year plan
• Referrals – tell a friend, co-worker or family member, get them to sign up and you’ll get a referral bonus for your next purchase
• Transfer Policies – don’t worry if you decide to sell your last-generation iPhone so you can upgrade, SquareTrade will let you transfer the warranty or even end it early for a prorated refund
• Online Account Management – buy all your warranties from SquareTrade and have 24/7 access to them online, see when they expire, etc.

Full disclosure, this article was NOT sponsored or paid for in any way by SuareTrade.