Our phones are our lifeline to everything that connects us to each other, which means that a broken phone is far more than just an inconvenience. Adding carrier or manufacturer insurance can be expensive, and that’s why ZAGG Protect might be worth considering as an alternative. At just $99 per phone per year with a $49 deductible, ZAGG Protect won’t replace your lost or stolen phone, but it does include coverage for drops, liquid damage, cracked screens, and more.
ZAGG Protect is an insurance policy that Safeware administers. Once you’ve purchased coverage, you’ll follow ZAGG’s instructions to verify that your phone is in good working condition at the time of coverage. You’ll have to tell them your phone’s make, model, and serial number for their validation process, and you’ll be given instructions for a diagnostic application that you’ll have to run as part of the validation process.
Once you’ve bought your policy and the waiting period is over, ZAGG Protect will cover:
- Cracked or accidentally damaged screen
- Liquid damage
- Battery failure (limited to one battery replacement over the life of the plan)
- Power failures (charging shorts, internal connections)
- Touch screen failure
- Camera breaks or failure
- Headphone jack or input failures
- Audio/speaker failure
- WiFi or connectivity failure
- Bluetooth failure
It’s worth noting that your Accidental Damage from Handling¹ coverage will begin 30 days after the day you pay for the insurance (which is basically a waiting period); when you have a claim, you’ll need to take your phone to one of their approved repair locations.
As far as phone insurance goes, at first glance ZAGG Protect lands on the more affordable side; on top of that, during February, ZAGG is sweetening the deal when you purchase ZAGG Protect with $75 credit for use on their site.
There are a few downsides to this particular insurance policy to consider, though. ZAGG Protect won’t cover theft or loss of your phone, and nothing in the terms and conditions indicates that they have to provide manufacturer-approved parts for replacement.
An issue needing a bit of clarification about the ZAGG Protect Terms and Conditions popped up while we were looking at the ZAGG Protect purchase page, where it said ZAGG Protect does not cover failures where the screen protector or protective case were not in use.
The full Terms and Conditions say that “This Plan covers Products, that are in good working condition at the time of purchase of this Plan and that are protected by a screen protector and/or case purchased by You from the Selling Retailer.”
And finally, let’s go over this bit about ADH Coverage and what it does or doesn’t include.
¹Accidental Damage from Handling Coverage (ADH Coverage): ADH Coverage augments Your Plan by providing protection against sudden and unforeseen accidental damage to Your Product, provided such damage was in the course of regular use of the Product by You, subject to the exclusions below. ADH is also subject to the Limit of Liability as stated on Your POP. This Plan will provide coverage for up to TWO (2) ADH claims over a rolling 12-month period.
ADH Coverage does not provide protection against wear and tear, theft, mysterious disappearance, misplacement, viruses, reckless, abusive, willful, or intentional conduct associated with handling and use of the Product, cosmetic damage and/or other damage that does not affect unit functionality, or damage caused during shipment between You and Our service providers.
Protective items such as covers, carrying cases or pouches, etc. were provided or made available for use with Your Product; it is expected that You will continually use these accessories for protection against damage to Your Product. “Abuse” is defined as Your intentional non-utilization of protective items during the use of Your Product, or Your treatment of the Product(s) in a harmful, injurious, or offensive manner that may result in its damage. Any resultant damage from this type of treatment is NOT covered by ADH Coverage.
That wording seems a little bit ambiguous — for ZAGG Protect to be in full effect, does your phone have to have a ZAGG case and protector, or not? We reached out for clarification, and ZAGG replied:
No, you do not need to use a ZAGG screen protector or case as a prerequisite. This language was erroneously included in the terms and conditions as a holdover from preliminary conversations about the plan – it has already been identified with our provider and will be refiled to remove that provision.
We’re expecting this to be updated on the website in the next day or two, but definitely can understand the confusion as it stands right now.
The note about cases and screen protectors pops up in the FAQ section as well, and we followed up again with ZAGG. This was their second response:
To answer your questions, there is no need for a case or protector of any kind. That’s part of the language that was incorrect and we’re in the process of updating. The phone can be completely naked before and during coverage.
They also said they expect to see the language updated in the next 24 hours, but the old language is still in place on the website as of this writing.
It should also be noted we went through an Asurion policy to compare the language, and Asurion does say this can disqualify a claim: “Failure to Mitigate: Failure to do what is reasonably necessary to minimize the loss and to protect the Covered Property from any further loss.” However, that doesn’t specify that you need a case, just that they expect you to treat your phone as a breakable item and not a replacement for the ball in your next football game. We will update and compare the language between the two policies when ZAGG updates theirs.
Another important item to note: Asurion’s policy coverage begins the day you sign up for the policy through your carrier, so there is no 30-day waiting period as there is with ZAGG. Depending on your carrier and wireless plan, Asurion may be more expensive, but that’s another difference.
One last item to consider is what happens if your phone is completely destroyed. ZAGG caps your payment to $500. So if you’re using a cheaper phone, or your phone is older, that should cover the replacement cost. But if you’re financing a $1,000 phone across 24 months, you’re still on the hook for any remainder above the payout cap.
This isn’t a bad policy (assuming ZAGG updates their policy language). However, if you’re using an expensive phone, or if you’re financing through your carrier, you should do some serious cost comparisons with ZAGG, Asurion, and even your own personal insurance policies.
A broken display or something similar is going to make the ZAGG policy look quite cheap, but if your phone is lost or beyond repair, you don’t want to end up on the hook for finance costs on a phone you no longer have!
So check the fine print, and if you do opt to purchase it, read EVERYTHING you’re sent and make sure you’re receiving a policy that fits what ZAGG is describing!
Note: As of now (2/2/2022), the terms and conditions indicate you must use a ZAGG screen protector and/or case for the insurance to be valid. We’ve been told over email that is NOT a requirement, and the T&C will be updated to reflect that, but if you purchase the ZAGG Protect insurance before the new terms and conditions are in place, keep a close eye on your communications from the company to ensure you are held to the correct requirements.
I didn’t know they offered this. I’ve always loved buying their glass screen protectors, they have saved my screen many many times
Seems like a good plan.
Sounds interesting! I’m going to look into it!
This is probably good for some people (like my teenage neighbor), but I’m apparently in the rare few who’ve never had these issues within a few years of buying an electronic device.
Nice to have the option if you go for expensive phones. Nothing worse than living with a cracked screen for a year.