iPhone rent/own?

[kheiderman]

So what happens if your rented iPhone is broken, lost or stolen? Is it replaced? Or are you responsible for repair/replacement? If there is some kind of insurance with the rental/long term plans, this might be a mitigating factor. If you own your phone and it is lost or damaged, you truly are out of luck.

 

[chscag]

Insurance is the key here. Whether you rent or own an iPhone, it makes sense to have some kind of insurance coverage. If you have home owner's or renter's insurance it may cover losses due to theft or damage. You would have to check with your insurer first to see what your coverage is. You can buy separate insurance. Do some searching on the web and you should come up with several companies who will provide coverage.

 

[RustProofCorn]

Insurance is the key here. Whether you rent or own an iPhone, it makes sense to have some kind of insurance coverage. If you have home owner's or renter's insurance it may cover losses due to theft or damage. You would have to check with your insurer first to see what your coverage is. You can buy separate insurance. Do some searching on the web and you should come up with several companies who will provide coverage.

I agree with this statement as a whole. The only thing I would like to add is IMO a Renters or Home Owners policy would be an expensive way to Warranty a phone. Especially for theft. For the amount you will save by not using your policy will probably pay out right for a phone in premium.

With a Theft sometimes in some communities (ones with high theft rates) a single claim can cause cancellations and or premium spikes.

Applecare + is what i do.

 

[chscag]

Applecare + is what i do.

That's fine for damage but doesn't cover theft. Besides, there is a deductible. Home owner's and renter policies that cover theft may also have a deductible and sometimes that deductible may be fairly high.

Check with "SquareTrade" who offers policies on iPhone, Macs, PCs and many other high value electronic items.

 

[chas_m]

Is there some particular reason you didn't check with the carrier you're considering to ask this question? I daresay they've given the matter some thought and have probably printed a policy on this matter, which may well vary from carrier to carrier. Thus, I think that question is best directed at the company you're considering renting from, since there's no simple blanket answer.

 

[RustProofCorn]

That's fine for damage but doesn't cover theft.

Agreed. I guess i don't worry about lost or stolen phones much. Since in the 18 years I have had a cell neither has happened to me (you may remember my birthday a couple years back where my Ipad was stolen though). Not that it couldn't but since it is pretty much glue to me I don't see how.

Anyways I to will check out Square-trade.

 

[chas_m]

Happily, Apple has taken a number of steps to make iPhone stealing less attractive, including some features other manufacturers are finally adopting as well. California just signed a bill into law to make what is essentially the same thing as Apple's "activation lock" and "remote wipe" mandatory in all new phones, which should help a lot.