61. dude! i fucking hate asurion! when i broke my first phone they claimed that they no longer made my phone (bs) and sent me some piece of shit lg phone which broke a couple months later .. i was then sent the same phone.. well kinda this second phone didnt have any name on it. no LG no model number .. nothing! and that sack of shit broke in the same exact spot as the first replacement. i really hate those people.

Posted at 2:21PM on Sep 10th 2007 by k

62. I came across this forum when I was seraching for the Asurion contact phone number. After reading the first couple posts I was quite surprised about all the negative expedrience, and then noticed that these posts were over 2 years old. Maybe Asurion has taken this feedback into account because I have had great experiences with Asurion. I am a T-Mobile customer and have always had the sidekick line of phones (1, 2, and 3)... I have made 3 claims so far in my history with Asurion and each time my claim was processed very quickly, i had the correct replacement phone within a week at most, and if it was refurbished or not I couldn't tell because they always worked perfectly.
I actually need to file another claim today because during my birthday party this weekend, a LOT of beer got spilled on my SK3 and now its fried. I don't anticipate any problems and obviously expect to pay a deductible, but thats nothing compared to the $300 price for a new phone without a plan.
I will update this post after I file my claim later today.
Insurance is always an industry with mixed experiences, but with an expensive phone that I use so often (and not always in the most delicate manner) I have found Asurion invaluable.

Posted at 4:52PM on Sep 18th 2007 by Mariano Mumpower

63. I just canceled my Arurion insurance (through Alltel) after getting rejected for a claim on a lost phone. That is all there is to it, I have paid all the premiums, but there is no joy when trying to get the product.

My transgression was not knowing I had to file for the claim within 30 days of the loss. Wife lost it, just slow to deal with it. I can't figure out what difference that makes except to provide a way to not pay a claim.

I never did see anything on the policy becasue I bought the phone and insurance in a phone call to my provider Alltel. I naively thought the policy would be a simple thing and that there was a will that I have a good experience on the part of Alltel. They are brokering this junk so I hold them responsible to an extent. At any rate some years a go I got a replacement for a failed phone no problem so I was thinking this would be easy.

Regarding the economics of this, I should never have bought the insurance to begin with, but I hadn't done the numbers.

The policy is a $50 deductible policy. Since I don't have any use for the bells and whistles, I can get a used replacement phone, probably with more junky features for that amount or less. So right off the bat I am ripping myself off, but thinking it will be more painless to deal with the insurance company. But I pay them $60 a year just so I can pay $50 up front for a replacement. How dumb is that?

My old phones are no longer compliant so I guess it is go get another one out of pocket. At least next year I will have the $60 and even if I buy another phone I can get a bottle of wine to drink while reprogamming it.

There is another aspect to this that stinks. When you call the Asurion call lines it sounds like you need to just go away until you have a police report number to give them. There is no other option unless you just keep wandering around and don't answer all their questions. I wonder how many people this discourages? Call the police to your home over a lost cell phone?

Anyway, I did it. Fortunately the deputy sheriff didn't have anything more important to do so he drove to my house, wrote some notes and gave me a file number. I am sorry I wasted his time. But the file number got me to a person at Asurion who could make it clear that I was screwed and that I should stop bothering them.

I wonder if everyone actually did call the cops every time they lost their phone how long this mess would last?

Posted at 4:27PM on Oct 30th 2007 by Mike

64. Just an FYI for those of you who want to just use the warranty and bypass insurance, I tried to get a new phone thru T Mobile and they told me my phone has water damage. Which is impossible, because I've never dropped it in water. So I tell them this and they told me it can get damage from SWEATING. So, be careful not to sweat into your phone people or you're stupid sticker will turn red and you'll get charged more to file a claim with the company. Now I have to go thru Asurion and am not looking forward to it. Those water damage stickers are just another way to rip you off.

Posted at 7:05PM on Oct 31st 2007 by Kelley

65. Just thought I'd say a few things in Asurion's defence, contrary to the motif of this blog... Although you people have had, unfortunately, bad experiences with the company, if you only knew the work that goes on behing the scenes te ensure customer satisfaction, you'd be astonished. There is department after department full of hundreds of emplyees and execs that each work 40 hours a week to make you happy.
I don't know anything about T-Mobile, but I know that for AllTel and Verizon claims, there's seriously nothing to it. You call, go through the automated system, speak to a rep, and as long as you've had your phone and insurance a month, your claim is automatically approved, AllTel and Verizon both used to require police reports to prevent fraud which were both removed because it was a hassle to the customer.
It is true that in many cases we don't carry a specific phone anymore, and granted, nobody wants an LG AX8600 when they just paid $300 for a motorola KRAZR, but that's just one of those things we have no control over. If you phone is no longer produced, it's no longer produced. CSR's do not have the ability to pick and choose phones, nor does Advanced Customer Care... We have a list we can choose from, which is very limited.
Contrary to popular belief, Asurion employees do not get paid per call, or work on commission in any way. Nor do we have a maximum call time. Also against popular belief, Asurion isn't out to get you. Are you telling me you've never gone to a restaurant and gotten the wrong order? The world isn't perfect, and thus, Asurion alike is not perfect, but if you can find me a better insurance company, I'd be amazed. Additionally, have you ever had to file a car insurance claim?... A claim with Asurion, assuming you read your 1 paragraph contract, typically takes abuot 2 minutes or less... As long as you know the make and model of your phone and your phone number, you wont have a problem.
The only complaint that I can justify that I've read is the comparable model thing, but you have to realise, if CSRs could do anything about it, they would just give it to the customer, make everyone happy and be on with their lives, BUT THEY CANT. There are rules, people always say "It's all about the money to you guys." Well no joke... What did you think Asurion is in business for? The letterhead?
Look back at what you all are upset about, paying a deductible that's outlined in the brochure (if you didn't receive it, its the store's fault for not providing it to you, do you expect us to call our 6 million subscribers every week for a chat to discuss their phone?)... Over 30 day void (or 60 days in Verizon). This is only to prevent fraud. Same as the waiting period. They are pretty much just their for the other. The waiting period means you need to wait 30 days before your insurance becomes active (so you cant add insurance just because you broke your phone) to prevent fraud. The 30 day void is so people who did add insurance to they damaged phone cant file the claim because the damage happened over 30 days ago.

Posted at 12:40AM on Nov 10th 2007 by Nick

66. I read through all of the negative comments about Asurion, but I have to disagree with all of it. I have used the Asurion insurance plan twice in the past 3 years for damaged Treo 650s. Both times, I have talked to a VERY skilled reps. Both times I have received a brand new (read NEW IN BOX) replacement phones. Both times I received the replacement phone overnight. For a $50 deductable and a small monthly charge, it is well worth being covered. If you speak with a rep in civil tongues and very as informative as possible, you'd be surprised what can happen.....

Posted at 4:36PM on Nov 16th 2007 by Rory

67. Assurion is a crap service. I was swindled into purchasing it as a hassle free, no questions asked insurance policy for lost, stolen, or broken phone. I kept it for 3 years and kept all my phones in good repair. Last month I needed them. Someone stole my phone. I filled out my claim, spoke with a claim agent and wow - I would be getting an upgraded phone in a week. A month later nothing showed up. I called and they said I haven't paid my $70 deductible yet. This is the first time I have heard that word. I told them that had I known their deductible was half the price of the phone I would have never signed up. I assured them that I was never told about any deductible by any one. He said go to the T-Mobile store and look at our paperwork. I went to 3 T-Mobile stores and no body had any brochures that spelled out the insurance. This is crap, a rip off, a racket. Those phones cost nothing for these people. What a shitty way to do business.

Posted at 12:10AM on Nov 27th 2007 by John

68. It's the nature of the beast. Insurance, by definition, is only active in two modes: (1) you pay premiums - unhappy thing, and (2) you process a claim - unhappy thing.

I don't like the fact that they push a reconditioned phone on you on the first claim, but the people I talked to were INCREDIBLY courteous and accommodating. When I got my replacement reconditioned RAZR and it failed in two days, they overnighted a NEW (not reconditioned) phone, and again were very courteous. I do not like this, but I get that they are trying to run a business and if the reconditioned phone would have worked for me, they were ahead of the game. I was grateful that, WITHOUT ASKING, they were done with that and sent me a NEW one.

It could be that they are reading these and other posts and are making changes to their business model based on what is said here and there, which would make them an exemplary company.

At the end of the day, I got a brand new working phone at the expense of being inconvenienced for two days and 50 bucks, and talked with two different representatives that were really good at what they do, and probably grateful to have the job.

Like most things, we as consumers get to assume some of the risk of the things we do, and I consider Assurion a partner with me in limiting that risk.

Posted at 9:08AM on Nov 29th 2007 by Randy

69. Just thought I'd let everyone know that Asurion no longer requires police reports for the AllTel product. ALSO, I just want evereyone to know, Particularly 'mike' that all policies, the 30 day policy, the deductible policy, the replacement policy, the old police report policy, ALL of them are decided by AllTel, asurion just provides customer service and legalizes the insurance aspect of it. Asurion covers a number of different wireless providers and policies are different in every case, Asurion just follows the rules that the wireless providers pay them to follow.

Posted at 8:38PM on Dec 2nd 2007 by Nick

70. Nobody expects too many of you to be smart enough to actually READ and find out what you are paying for since the average american isn't known for their intelligence or literacy. The rep on the other end of the phone does not deserve to be yelled at and should not have to argue with you because you didn't read the brochure, I mean c'mon people it's not even like they try to hide the $50 deductible from you it isn't in the fine print or worded in a sneaky way. So here are some things to know:
1) There is a $50 deductible for each and every claim no if's and's or but's. EVERYONE HAS TO PAY IT, SAME AS CAR INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLES. YOU NOT KNOWING ABOUT IT BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T SMART ENOUGH TO READ OR ASK A COUPLE QUESTIONS IS NOT A GOOD ENOUGH EXCUSE TO TRY AND GET OUT OF PAYING THE DEDUCTIBLE. Do not ask "if I have to pay $50 what is the sense of having insurance I thought that's what the $4.99 a month paid for." For anyone who is even thinking about asking that stupid question, don't. I'll explain it to you right now. Your monthly payment is what enrolls you in the insurance program to give you the opportunity to get your phone replaced for $50, don't like it? Fine. Go pay retail price without a contract then.
2) No they cannot "add the deductible to your bill or account". They are not verizon, they do not have access to your verizon account or billing information. There are 3 methods of payment and only 3, credit card, debit card, cheque by phone, and COD, THAT IS IT.
3) Know the make and model of your phone, if you don't know it call verizon and ask "I have the chocolate one" is not enough, well is it the lg vx8500? vx8550?, so many of you complain about getting the wrong phone and 95% of the time it is because you did not know and gave false information.
4) Know what happened to the phone, know the exact date that the incident occured to the phone, especially if it was lost or stolen because if you give the wrong date it will void out the claim in some cases and look as if you are attempting fraud or that you are just plain old vanilla flavored stupid. Remember people, this is an insurance claim, all information you give needs to be accurate, if you were calling Geico because you had an accident you wouldn't tell them "duhh I dunno I forget whether he hit me or I hit him and I think it might of been 12 days ago or so".
5) When you do get someone on the line don't take it out on them because you are pissed off about talking to the automated system and not a human right off the bat, it isn't going to change anything. Don't you think there are hundreds of other people that have the same complaint all day everyday, it will never change, nothing you say or do will help, all you're doing is making the rep you're talking to hate you, it isn't in that reps authority to remove the automated system that basically every major call center has in one form or another. Shut up already.
6) The amount of time you are on hold is not the reps fault either. Again, Shut Up.
7) The following is for all you people that like to ask for a supervisor when things don't go the way you want them to during a call: It is useless, all that happens is you ask for the supervisor, the supervisor comes on the line and tells you the exact same thing the Rep just told you, it doesn't matter how high you escalate the call, go to the CEO he will tell you the same. For those of you that haven't worked in a call center before I'll fill you in on what happens at all of them. The supervisor comes on the line, tells you how it is and you realise no matter how much you complain or how angry you get policy is policy, it isn't going to be changed just for you. After the supervisor gets off the line with you the rep asks what was said (but most of the time there is usually at least 1-3 other people listening in giggling and telling all the people who sit in that area what a moron you are and how idiotic you sound), then everyone agrees you are an idiot and that is the basic rundown. I think some people actually believe they have the power to have a rep fired because the rep told you there is a $50 deductible and you didn't want to pay it so you asked for a supervisor.
8) For you people that call and are used to getting what they want when they want, also known as adult spoiled brats, don't bother either. The "I've been a customer for blah years and I'm special and the world revolves around me in my little microcausm of an existance, so I want my new phone/my problem solved now, today. When a rep tells you it may take up to X number of hours to proccess, fill, fulfill, access, determine, or whatever the case may be, that is the absolute fastest it can be done, do you think that they just sit around lazily procrastinating doing things when they feel like it? NO. Or when you're told it will take X amount of time for something to be delivered to you, that is the fastest it can be delivered, there are people in line ahead of you, you dolt. You are no more special than anyone else. Don't blame people for things that are out of their control. Did they call you a dumbass or incompetent for losing or breaking your phone (even though they probably muttered it under their breath)? No. so don't bitch and complain when it might take 2 days for you to get your phone. It isn't their fault you set your phone on the toilet seat while brushing your teeth and it vibrated and fell in. Or when you set the phone on the top of your car and drove away. Or when you somehow dropped your phone into a glass of water.
9) Telling the rep or making it obvious that you are a doctor or lawyer doesn't work either, wait in line.
CSR: "May I have your first and last name?"
Knob: "yeah my name is Dr. John Smith M.D"
CSR: "okay so J-O-H-N S-M-I-T-H"
Knob: "yeah M.D"
CSR: "Whatever."

Anyways just follow those simple rules and guidelines and you won't sound and look so simple and ignorant in the future I hope this comes in handy for most of you. Cheers!

Posted at 6:17AM on Dec 31st 2007 by Aboot

71. Being an employee at Asurion I found the previous post rather humorour, mind you I wouldn't be that rash about it, but maybe Aboot's been there a while longer than I have? I don't work strictly Verizon but do log into that queue when necessary. I really wish we DID have the ability to alter the automated message prior to speaking with a representative, because I would record, in hillbilly-comprehendable terms, of course, what was said in the last post.

Just realise the reps you talk to are human and are not out to ruin your life (unless of course you are unnecessarily rude to them.) From personal experience, I have helped a customer more than I'm allowed to because they were actually a normal human being and not some red neck who has more fingers than teeth that thinks by yelling incomprehensable slurs he's going to somehow offent you [when in reality, by the time he gets mid-sentence, he's on mute and on speakerphone while all the reps are listening, eating popcorn and laughing at him]. There have been times where genuinely, the customer may have been a day outside a certain stipulation and I broke the rules for them and got them a phone, or if there was some hold on the account that was going to take such and such time, I would request the verifications reps supervisor and get things straightened out for them. **Read this carefully: I interact with customers. If they are nice, I am nice, I converse, I do my job, I'm friendly, and by God, I do my damndest to get them on their way as fast as possible. If you think by being stuck up and making your self sound important to me will help you, think again, I have absolutely no problem telling you to call back in three business days, and will not waste my time to make sure you get the best product possible. IT'S CALLED HUMAN KINDNESS. TRY IT, SEE HOW IT WORKS. We aren;t the ones who make the rules, the company we work for doesn;t even make the rules. Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, CricKet, AllTel, Amp'd, etc.. make the rules, Asurion follows those rules. A normal claim takes about 2-3 minutes and phone ship out overnight or second day for all service providers. It's not our fault you broke/lost your phone, we're here to help & the company is here to turn a profit. Do you really think being yelled at makes our day better? I would LOVE IT if everyone I spoke with could just pretend to be friendly, it would make their experience more pleasant, make their representative FAR more inclined to help them and get them what they want when they want it.. All we ask is that you just take a couple minutes and read the small brochure you get that tells you your deductible and tells you that you have 30/60 days in which to file a claim depending on your provider and state of residence. There's no fine print in the brochure and there's no hidden fees, in fact everything is free except your phone.. We ship overnight accross US which costs approx. $12-15 per order, we pay return shipping, we provide a 1 year warranty, we provide free technical support for all phones we ship out, we provide free accessories for phones we ship out if they were also affected... All you pay is your premium and deductible. And in 98/100 cases, you save money, whether it be $10 or $100 you still save money and I hate it when people say "I could have just saved my $5/month that I paid for 2 years and my $50 deductible and bought a new phone". Chances are, your $120 you spent on premiums over 2 years and your $50 deductible would get you a very crappy phone, and yes, sure if you were psychic you would be able to predict that 2 years down the road the insurance may cost you $5 in the long run, but would you rather spend $305 on a $300 phone and pay $50 to replace it, or not pay a premium and have to fork out the $300 for your Razr? And not to mention, it's very rare that someone pays premiums for 4 years and files one claim...

Posted at 8:11PM on Jan 5th 2008 by Ahem

72. P.S.
About the doctor thing, I am going to University for science and am enrolled in my M.D. Ph.D. program, and I really do admire doctors, but when doctors say "I didn't go to university for 15 years to be called mister", It really bugs me because I though doctors went to med school for 15 years to save lives, be a good person, make a hell of a lot of money and hey, maybe to buy a Ferrari, and by all means when I get a Dr. John Smith, I'm sure to address them by Dr. Smith out of respect and yeah, because they deserve the recognition. But if a claim comes up as John Smith, and I start the call with Mr. Smith and I get a the aforementioned lecture about the whole not going to school for such and such a time... Oh no, MISTER smith, unfortunately your phone is on backorder, you will be contacted within 3 days, and in the mean time, your wireless provider can offer you some shitty ass loaner phone that's been pressed up against some hillbilly baby-machine's sweaty face. Have a great day.

Posted at 8:19PM on Jan 5th 2008 by Ahem

73. Asurion made me call TMobile 3 times to get information on the make, model, color etc of my phones that were lost and then come to find out they had the info on file the whole friggin time and just for some reason thought it might be fun to send me back and forth through the mazes of phone tree crap to get to the info myself. SO FRUSTRATING and obviously designed to keep me from filing a claim for my legitimately lost phones. I've spent going on 3 hours now going through this process with still no resolution. FRAUDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted at 10:27AM on Jan 14th 2008 by Leigh Cowden

74. How is it their fault that you didn't know the make and model of your phones. It's kept on file, but needs to be verified for just that reason, they couldve said "So im showing a samsung U340" and the caller just says "yep" and oh look, we shipped out the wrong phone, need to ship it back, reship another one.... Of course you're expected to know the kind of phone you have....

Posted at 7:34PM on Jan 27th 2008 by Fraud?

75. Yo Asurion is str8 Bullshit for real...I had them and they tried to make pay $95 for a Moto Razr, a phone that's really not worth that much...the phone only lasted for about 8 months...so year I was like fuck that...I'll just get my own shit and that's when I switched to Alltel, toke my 95 dollars and bought a quality Lg Ax8600, and I haven't had a problem with that one since!

Posted at 6:53PM on Feb 2nd 2008 by Daniel

76. ....There's no such thing as a $95 deductible in Verizon.

Posted at 7:43AM on Feb 3rd 2008 by str8 up yo

77. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Ignore that post.

Posted at 7:54AM on Feb 3rd 2008 by str8 up yo

78. This service is awful--save your money!
I tried to put a claim in today and the customer service person was just playing games. I couldn't recall the exact date my phone was broken, but I have all the receipts, the actual broken phone and the bills to prove that I paid for (and still pay for) the insurance for my phones. And because I switched my SIM to an old phone, I couldn't make a claim for the phone I broke! What crap! I don't have a landline, my cell is my only phone, if I break it, I'll use a backup until I get a new one, make sense? Apparently not to Asurion! I gave the customer service person two dates that I could have possibly broken the phone and neither 'checked out', so I put a claim against the old phone and that 'checked out'(duh! it's the one I'm talking to the rep on) but now I had to go through a fraud check--even though I have all the evidence to prove everything is true.
F*ck this company. I am taking the insurance off of my phone plan (the money I spent in the last 12+ months towards the service could have been better spent towards a new phone). It's not worth the hassle. I was better off shelling out $200 towards a new phone and an upgraded one that I know isn't refurbished or defective! Shame on you Asurion! Your company should be held accountable for it's fraudulent practices.
And another tip, your customer service people should never say that the customer should be more responsible or take more responsibility--this is your service, you take some responsibility and do what you say you're going to do!

Posted at 2:38PM on Feb 3rd 2008 by Carlos A. Diaz

79. I've filed two claims for lost/stolen phones. In both cases the customer service was great and I received the phone within two days. If you're complaining about not knowing about the deductible or the 30-day claim period limit it's because you didn't read your policy and are an idiot. It's all clearly stated. Why would you purchase a policy without knowing what you were paying for?

Posted at 6:00PM on Feb 4th 2008 by Nate

80. Carlos,

All I had to do to find out the correct date to give to Asurion was call Verizon and ask them what date I last used my phone. Why didn't you just do that to get the correct date? Not that difficult.

Posted at 6:04PM on Feb 4th 2008 by Nate