For those of you considering 3rd party warranties for the iPhone4s, Worth Ave is out.

wyajbb17 · Oct 13, 2011

I just thought I would give everyone a head up that if you are thinking about purchasing an insurance policy for your brand new iPhone 4s, the Worth Ave Group is not the way to go. Just got a response from their customer support stating that they only offer up-to $600 in coverage. The iPhone 4s 32GB is priced off contract at $750 I believe. So that's a $150 difference in coverage and cost of phone + $50 deductible + $174 (Worth Ave's 2-year price) = $374, and they don't cover lost or stolen devices when the the carrier's plan through Asuriondoes.

Just wanted to make sure people didn't get screwed over if something happened to their phone and they thought that all they would need to pay is the $50 to Worth Ave. NOT TRUE!

Hell, even though the carrier's insurance through Asurion, though pricey, covers lost or stolen devices. Granted at $10.99/mo over two years and a $199 deductible, you'll end up paying $462 for your first replacement, but they cover lost or stolen devices.

Anyone else think AppleCare+ is the way to go here. Applecare+ also fails to cover lost or stolen devices, however their plan for 2 years of extended coverage is only $99 with a $50 deductible, and they cover the cost of the entire phone not just a portion of it, while providing technical support over the phone for the life of the plan. Total to replace is $150, a savings of $124 over Worth Ave's plan, $312 over Asurion's.

Anybody else have any alternatives to the ones lister here? I have shopped around and found some others, but many of them are extremely new companies, and there is something a little sketchy about trusting a 2-year commitment to a company that literally just formed a couple months ago.

Worth Ave Group · Oct 31, 2011

My name is Aaron Cooper. I am the Director of Marketing at Worth Ave. Group.

I would like to clear up a couple of misconceptions and dispel a little bit of misinformation.

Worth Ave. Group offers up to $800 in coverage for the iPhone 4S 64GB and $700 in coverage for the 4S 32GB.

Please SEE HERE for pricing. I apologize if someone in customer service misled you regarding the coverage options. We are experiencing quite a bit of growth and it's likely a new employee still catching on. We strive to train them to know the coverage inside and out however it's somewhat understandable that they could have been confused given the recent release of the new 4S. I will make sure and cover this topic with all of our staff tomorrow.

Also, it's quite possible the coverage was not activated on the website when you called in, but other than a few short periods for bug fixing, as far as I know it was available on the day of release.

Some additional things to consider:

While our price is for ONE year of coverage, please consider that we are a traditional insurance company. We are sending you out a check to replace your phone. and of course you will still retain your coverage during your full policy term, unlike most 3rd party warranties, that offer only one replacement and then you must purchase a new warranty.

Additionally, many so called "insurance" companies will send you out a replacement phone. That means for one, you are stuck with whatever kind of phone you have. Secondly, maybe you want to buy a new type of phone, a droid maybe? With our plans, you can do just that...or you can spend it all at the race track. It's your choice! If you don't happen to spend all of your insurance money and you do choose to buy a new phone, just call us and give us your new serial number and you'll have coverage on your new phone.

AppleCare+ is a good plan as far as having coverage with the company that sold you the product in the first place. Apple is absolutely great about taking care of their customers so you can't go wrong with a plan like that if you aren't worried about theft or multiple "losses".

Also, we do not cover "lost" phones, however we most definitely cover stolen phones. If you leave your phone at Starbucks, and 20 minutes later return to retrieve it and is not there and no one turned it in, then it has been stolen. You simply file a police report and submit your claim to us.

I would not recommend a 3rd party warranty, however that is my personal preference. Apple Care comes free for the first year. So while they may be selling you two years of coverage, you're really paying for a year you've already been given free with your new device courtesy of Apple. It's a great "marketing spin" though, isn't it

.

I think I answered most of your concerns however I would be more than happy to field any other questions you might have about any of our products and services.
I would also be happy to provide my phone number at the office, xxxxx removed phxxxxx (Just ask for me) however I am currently working from home with a broken tibia and fibula and likely will be out for a few more weeks!

We are all about customer service, and pride ourselves on treating our customers like family. I am open, honest, and will respond candidly and sincerely to any questions you have about Worth Ave. Group.

bogatyr · Oct 31, 2011

Looking at their site, it seems like a good deal - especially if they send a check since that allows you to get a new phone over a refurbished unit. I'm on the fence right now between them and AppleCare.