Cell phone insurance usually covers the basics, like your phone taking a swim in a pint of beer. But ProtectCELL thinks insurance should be more comprehensive bang for your buck, with buyback offers and even identity theft protection plans!
I keep a lot of information on my cell phone. Between banking apps, email, Facebook, and photos, you could recreate most of my life from my cell phone, and I am sure most people could say the same thing. I’ve always felt like cell phone insurance was a waste of money, but I am intrigued by the pitch I received from a company called ProtectCELL — their cell phone insurance is peace of mind with a twist!
What makes ProtectCELL special are the extras their plans offer. There’s accidental/water damage, but that’s pretty common. However, I bet that accidental protection plan you have doesn’t offer plans that will buy your phone back for a set trade-in value (50% the first 12 months, then 25% for 13-24 months). That’s pretty creative since as long as your 50% value is significantly better than the cost of the insurance, you can upgrade after a year without eating ramen for a week. It’s a very clever twist and one that is bound to attract early adopters!
But here’s what really caught my eye: ProtectCELL has plans that team up with Lifelock, an identity theft prevention service. So if your phone gets stolen, with all your passwords, banking apps, emails, etc, Lifelock can help you make sure no one uses that information to buy $20,000 worth of iPads under your name. This is a pretty smart idea, and while it is not something anyone likes to face, it is a reality of the world we live in that we all need to be aware of these things. A “Complete” ProtectCELL plan promises to cover your phone (which you might swear has your whole life in it) and your identity (which really is your whole life!)
These plans range from $29.99 to $199.99, and from pricing coverage on my phone (Lumia 928), I assume the $199.99 is for two years of complete coverage, as $139.99 was two years for the Lumia. It’s not cheap, but even with deductibles, it’s still cheaper than a new phone out-of-pocket, especially when you consider the Lifelock and buyback programs.
For more info on ProtectCELL and to price your coverage, check out their website.