I guess you can call me a laggard when it comes to staying up-to-date with technology – I’m one of those people who keeps items until they’re hanging on their last lifeline; I’m never in a rush to have the latest and greatest. Back in 2011, I caved in and bought myself an iPhone4 because I was tired of dealing with the ball on my Blackberry constantly getting stuck and driving me to frustration (remember those days?). Despite my initial fears of touch-screen, I was hooked on my new iPhone – it was a start of a new love (once you go Mac, you never go back…).
Fast forward 2+ years with the launch of the 4S and the 5, my humble iPhone 4 was still kicking – no plans for me to let go of this baby. Then it all happened – I jinxed myself. I started to noticed that my phone was operating at much slower speeds than the phones of my high-tech friends. I also noticed that my display screen was slowly fading away. It was time… and luckily I was able to sell my precious 4 on Craigslist for $150.
At the end of June, I drove myself to my local Verizon store and got myself a pretty little white iPhone5. Since I had an upgrade in place, the phone only cost me $200 and change. Of course the bargainista in me wanted to keep the cost as low as possible, so I proudly denied AppleCare and insurance. After all, AngelinaCare (I’m cheesy) kept my iPhone4 alive for so long that I was confident that my 5 would have the same future.
Or so I thought.
Within just 10 days of owning the phone, I opened my car door and my phone went from my lap to the sidewalk – a drop that measured a whole stinkin’ 12 inches. To my horror, the precious glass screen was in a million pieces! Oh no!
My first instinct was to go right back to Verizon, hoping that there was a 30-day warranty or something. Nope.
Next, I frantically posted on Facebook asking for advice – what do I do?!
Well there was a hero in the crowd, and you might know him. Gary Leff (View from the Wing) commented saying that the same thing had happened to him in the past. He suggested I looked into what credit card I had used and to look into filing a purchase protection claim. Brilliant!
Since I’m naturally on the prowl for the most points as possible with every transaction, I remembered that I used my Ink Plus card to earn 5x on my phone purchase. Luckily the Ink cards come with an incredible 90-day purchase protection plan. I called Chase immediately.
After a painless phone call explaining what had happened, Chase sent me a claim form to complete within 90 days. The refund of the repair would be issued in the form of a check if it was a valid claim.
I took my phone over to my local Apple store and had the screen replaced in less than 30 minutes for a final price of $159. I was delighted that my phone looked brand new again, as it should.
The story doesn’t end there, however. Only a few days after this whole ordeal, it happened again – can you believe it?!
The second time I was at a points and miles meet up in NYC. I was telling my story enthusiastically to a bunch of other points and miles junkies. I was raving about how awesome it was that Chase had my back… and… clunk… a nice 5 foot 2 inch drop (yes, that’s my height). The whole crowd gasped as they saw what had just happened – another shatter. Seriously, what the hell?! I even had a pretty expensive impact-absorbing case “protecting” my phone!
I was mad at myself – a broken phone not once, but twice – all within 2 weeks. What is wrong with me?
This required another visit to Apple. The employee pitied me, but not enough to repair my phone for free. I even tried batting my eyelashes (kidding). Another day, another $159 out of pocket.
Well, Chase was truly hero in this case. After submitting my claim to Chase and faxing over all supporting documents such as original receipts, statement copies, and repair invoices, I was delighted to find out that they offered to pay for both repairs. Wow!
Aside from all of the great points and miles benefits that come along with the card, knowing that they truly had my back in a hassle-free process really makes me smile. Hey, I might even pay the $95 annual fee once my free year is up! ;)
Have you ever had a similar experience with a successful purchase protection claim? If so, I’d love to hear about it!
Aloha, Glad Chase took care of that for you. I have the American Express Extended Rental Coverage. (Not sure the exact name). It charges $24.95 per rental no matter the length of your rental. I had a Van that was smashed while parked on the street. Got a police report and called AMEX from Enterprise. They handled everything from there. Although Enterprise tried to charge loss of usage, etc. Amex handled all documentation and kept me informed of all the steps that they were going through. The $4,000+ in damages were covered and I knew it was settled 2 weeks before Enterprise called to inform me that it was taken care of. The total cost to me was the $24.95 fee. I also found out that if you have the coverage on one card that it attaches all your AMEX cards! Needless to say I was one Happy Hawaiian!
Heartening to hear that Chase is such a great card; my Ink Bold plus is my favorite card.
A friend of mine’s husband left his iPad on a plane; Amex covered the loss. I love my Amex cards too; hope I never have a situation I need to test my cards with!
I wish I had used the ink card or Amex card to purchase my husband’s iphone. He dropped his phone shortly after buying his. My son used my United Explorer Card last year to pre-order his and my husbands phones. I tried to cancel the order and repurchase them for this very reason. I called after he dropped the phone and the United Explorer does not cover accidental breaks such as the screen. UGH!
I personally like Amex coverage better. I dropped my phone and shattered my phone screen front and back after a year and half of owning it. Filed a claim online and Amex credit my account what I paid for the phone along with taxes. Close to $220 within 3 days!
And you’re not blond? Shameful.
Next time, buy a decent screen protector. Your stupidity ccosts the rest of us $.
Ironically I went blond a few days ago – it looks great. Lighten up – accidents happen.
My screen broke within a year of having my phone, so I brought it into Verizon and was told it would cost over $100 to fix. I then brought out the 1 year warranty that came with the phone, and showed them that no where in the wording did it state that cracked screens were not covered. They ended up fixing the phone for free.
I understand you’re always looking for a deal, but shame on you for selling your iPhone 4 to someone for $150 knowing it was breaking down.
I would never ever shamefully sell something to someone without being 100% transparent about it. Why make assumptions? My ad stated everything that I stated in this very blog post. I reset the phone to factory settings, included original box, and met with the buyer to show them why I was selling it. I showed them the screen that was fading in the corner and told them it wasn’t operating as fast as it was 2 years ago. I even told them they could call me if they had any problems.
Wow, this is great to know Angelina – thanks so much for posting!
So Ink Plus is good for 90 days and OP @MSPDeltaDude said he got Amex coverage a year and a half after purchase. I wonder how long the Amex warranty lasts? And if CSP is better than 90 days since it’s a personal card?
Thanks again!
Perhaps something you should state in the blog post, that you were indeed transparent, otherwise readers will make assumptions. The way it reads lends itself to others making an assumption. You go from fading screen to “luckily I sold it on CL for $150.” Anyhow, it’s good to hear you were 100% honest.
Bought five Motorola Atrix cell phones at Costco w/my AmEx Gold Card. All covered for 1 year under manuf warranty. Of course after 1 year was up, three of the phones had various problems which made them inoperable. AmEx Gold Card provided a extra 1 year of warranty coverage. Submitted my claims for each cell phone online, and AmEx credit my AmEx Gold account for the cost i paid at Costco within couple days.