The Wireless SC Files: The self fulfilling prophecy

[Enjis]

When I bought my first smart phone (the iPhone 4S)two years ago I went right out and bought an Otterbox for it. (A friend demonstrated its usefulness to me by throwing his phone to the sidewalk, repeatedly, and watching me cringe.) It has come out of that case only once since then.
I also bought the one year extended warrantee (the Apple one) because I know that the risk of damage to a device that is held in my hands, dropped in my purse and passed around to other people is pretty high.
Absolutely nothing has happened to it in that time.
But you know, something COULD have...that's why it's called an accident.

The original SC was a jerk....and deserved what he got. I admit I don't like high pressure sales talk, as it makes me nervous, but the original poster was right; it really was for the customer's own good.

Have you folks seen the video of the first man to buy the new 6S when it came out? A news crew filmed him and asked him to take it out of the box so they could film it....and the poor guy promptly dropped it on the sidewalk, where it shattered. Argh.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Husband and I just got 6's. we're ordering cases, and not even thinking about opening the boxes till those cases are in our hands.

That's what I did when I got my 3GS (it was my first one.)

Ordered the phone online through Death Star wireless on a Friday morning

Went straight to my wishlist on Amazon - ordered my OtterBox case (already had it picked out and saved) not five minutes after I'd finished ordering my phone

Phone came on Monday, case on Tuesday.

Phone came out of the box on Monday and was plugged up to fully charge - I wouldn't even let my brother BREATHE on that phone at that point.

As soon as the case came in, the phone was unplugged and put into the case and THEN did I read through the nice little card sent by Death Star wireless that covered my activation steps.

So yep, been there done that. But after talking it over with my Mom this past weekend, I'm going to get the insurance when I do my next upgrade (next November.) The retail prices alone on the phones have gone stupid expensive ($949 for the 6 plus 128GB??? That's over 2 months' rent on my house! ) Hopefully by next year the price will come down (especially as fast as Apple introduces the new phone models, which seems to be every year now) and I can get a 6 plus (need bigger screen - I'm almost blind now.)

So you can bet your sweet ass I'll be getting insurance for that kind of phone.

[otakuneko]

Have you folks seen the video of the first man to buy the new 6S when it came out? A news crew filmed him and asked him to take it out of the box so they could film it....and the poor guy promptly dropped it on the sidewalk, where it shattered. Argh.

Otterbox doesn't make cases that fit my phone, but then again, I'm fairly certain my Galaxy Relay S would survive such a drop naked, so it doesn't need one.

[KiaKat]

So yep, been there done that. But after talking it over with my Mom this past weekend, I'm going to get the insurance when I do my next upgrade (next November.) The retail prices alone on the phones have gone stupid expensive ($949 for the 6 plus 128GB??? That's over 2 months' rent on my house! ) Hopefully by next year the price will come down (especially as fast as Apple introduces the new phone models, which seems to be every year now) and I can get a 6 plus (need bigger screen - I'm almost blind now.)

So you can bet your sweet ass I'll be getting insurance for that kind of phone.

The 6+ is too large for my hands and pockets. Even the 6 is about at my limit.

One note about insurance- the deductible is about the same cost as a subsidized new phone. So getting FruitCare is frequently a better deal. We ran the numbers, and given that we tend to keep our phones for 3 years, we pay out more in insurance than we would for FruitCare, for less coverage and a deductible.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

The 6+ is too large for my hands and pockets. Even the 6 is about at my limit.

One note about insurance- the deductible is about the same cost as a subsidized new phone. So getting FruitCare is frequently a better deal. We ran the numbers, and given that we tend to keep our phones for 3 years, we pay out more in insurance than we would for FruitCare, for less coverage and a deductible.

How would one go about getting FruitCare? Could I get that through Death Star wireless or straight through Fruit?

[aulocksmith]

How would one go about getting FruitCare? Could I get that through Death Star wireless or straight through Fruit?

You can get it straight from the Fruit.

[mathnerd]

How would one go about getting FruitCare? Could I get that through Death Star wireless or straight through Fruit?

Straight through Fruit. Actually, Deathstar wireless and I just had words over this. I upgraded my son's phone and told them specifically I did not want their insurance, even after being asked and subjected to high pressure sales pitches, I finally told them in no uncertain terms that I will not repeat myself and if they mentioned one more word about insurance I would take the sale to another store (I don't mind the first request, but I told them I went straight through Fruit to get FruitCare and expected it to be dropped at that point.) The sales rep didn't say anything else, but the next day I got the "Welcome to Cell Phone Insurance Company!" email, and nearly went through the roof with rage, since I very clearly and emphatically let it be known that I did not want it and she put it on there anyway.

[thatcrazyredhead]

I have a plain case that covers the back and sides of my phone, and I'm honestly not sure if it's insured. My husband, on the other hand, is on his second Otter Box and damn skippy that phone's insured. We paid almost twice as much for that stupid phone as we did for our computer, and he's really rough on stuff. I'm still using the first smart phone I ever bought from 3 years ago. But I'm an adult, and responsible for these decisions.

[mathnerd]

I have 15, 13 and 12 year old boys that carry iPhones (5s, 5c and 4s, respectively). You bet your ass those things are in the best cases I can afford (otterboxes) and insured.

[greek_jester]

The sales rep didn't say anything else, but the next day I got the "Welcome to Cell Phone Insurance Company!" email, and nearly went through the roof with rage, since I very clearly and emphatically let it be known that I did not want it and she put it on there anyway.

Is the fallout of this going to be posted in Sightings?

[roxtar]

I don't do cases, but I do insurance and screen protectors (the screen of my gs3 has never been touched by my fingers). I buy a thin phone because I want a thin phone... I don't want to double the thickness with some bulky case. My GS3 has a crack on the side and a scuff on one corner after more than 2 years, but the screen is still 100%.

missed a few pages of this thread, but I would have turned down OP on his sales pitch too. how many times does a person have to say "no thanks" before you stop badgering them for the upsell?
one of the main reasons I buy stuff online whenever possible.

[mathnerd]

Is the fallout of this going to be posted in Sightings?

Nah. I got ahold of my temper and called Deathstar wireless and once I got through the rep that answered the phone was extremely nice and helpful, and removed the extra insurance completely. Temper tantrums can't be posted when they're in the privacy of your own house and the only living thing that witnessed it is a parrot.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

Nah. I got ahold of my temper and called Deathstar wireless and once I got through the rep that answered the phone was extremely nice and helpful, and removed the extra insurance completely. Temper tantrums can't be posted when they're in the privacy of your own house and the only living thing that witnessed it is a parrot.

You got burned by a sales rep trying to boost his commission. The store guys get extra money for extra add ons and insurance is one of the most common. This is not strictly a death star wireless problem either, I get plenty of calls from people like you in the land of Red too.

[dalesys]

... the only living thing that witnessed it is a parrot.

Who is now channeling Monty Python.

[mathnerd]

Who is now channeling Monty Python.

While the bird may have learned some new words, unless he's figured out how to type, I think I'm safe from a sightings post.