Manufacturer Warranties and Protection Plans

[tmett3]

I recently purchased a Droid Incredible, and the salesperson recommended the black tie protection plan which she said, "covered everything...dropped, submersion--not total, but water damage, everything....repair or replace on the spot." I also talked to another salesperson who was installing my screen protector and I asked him about rooting my phone.  He said, "got the black tie protection? Root. It's covered if you brick it."

And then I read on the forum here about all the loopholes and bad experience people have had with black tie coverage...So I am not reallhy sure what I am paying for now.

[massam]

I purchased the black tie protection 2 years ago when I bought the Touch Pro and was told the same things you were... replace on the spot blah blah blah.

I was one of the first people in the area to get the phone.  It finally died this July (volume up key acted like it was stuck event though it wasn't).  I took the phone to Best Buy to see about the warranty.  First they tried to get me to renew my contract to get a new phone instead of even using the insurance.  They sent my phone off to a repair center.  The loaner phone they tried to give me was even less of a feature phone then the spare Samsung Rant I had at home so I just used my own loaner phone.  4 weeks later after going through several phases of "repair" on the geek squad site I got notification that they would replace the phone.

I stopped back in at Best Buy to pickup my replacement.  They looked up my phone and told me it was equivalent to Samsung Intercept, not an Evo like I was expecting.  The Touch Pro was top of the line when I bought it, actually cost even more to buy, so I expected it to be replaced with top of the line, not a middle of the road "feature" phone like the Intercept is. 

I was told I would be given credit towards a new phone equivalent to what it would cost to buy the Intercept outright, $480.  I plan to get this amount converted over to store credit, since I'm on the waiting list for an Evo and my position hasn't moved in almost 2 weeks now.

In my mind, the insurance isn't worth the hassle.  If you got a spare phone that you can hang onto you can always use that for a few months while you save up to get a different phone.  I will never buy Best Buy's insurance again.

[Mbrguy Emerging Expert]

---

massam wrote:

I purchased the black tie protection 2 years ago when I bought the Touch Pro and was told the same things you were... replace on the spot blah blah blah.

I was one of the first people in the area to get the phone.  It finally died this July (volume up key acted like it was stuck event though it wasn't).  I took the phone to Best Buy to see about the warranty.  First they tried to get me to renew my contract to get a new phone instead of even using the insurance.  They sent my phone off to a repair center.  The loaner phone they tried to give me was even less of a feature phone then the spare Samsung Rant I had at home so I just used my own loaner phone.  4 weeks later after going through several phases of "repair" on the geek squad site I got notification that they would replace the phone.

I stopped back in at Best Buy to pickup my replacement.  They looked up my phone and told me it was equivalent to Samsung Intercept, not an Evo like I was expecting.  The Touch Pro was top of the line when I bought it, actually cost even more to buy, so I expected it to be replaced with top of the line, not a middle of the road "feature" phone like the Intercept is. 

I was told I would be given credit towards a new phone equivalent to what it would cost to buy the Intercept outright, $480.  I plan to get this amount converted over to store credit, since I'm on the waiting list for an Evo and my position hasn't moved in almost 2 weeks now.

In my mind, the insurance isn't worth the hassle.  If you got a spare phone that you can hang onto you can always use that for a few months while you save up to get a different phone.  I will never buy Best Buy's insurance again.

---

You don't have to worry about buying Best Buy's insurance again because Best Buy doesn't sell insurance.  They do, however, have Protection Plans for select items including mobile phones and computers.

[JM]

---

tmett3 wrote:

I recently purchased a Droid Incredible, and the salesperson recommended the black tie protection plan which she said, "covered everything...dropped, submersion--not total, but water damage, everything....repair or replace on the spot." I also talked to another salesperson who was installing my screen protector and I asked him about rooting my phone.  He said, "got the black tie protection? Root. It's covered if you brick it."

And then I read on the forum here about all the loopholes and bad experience people have had with black tie coverage...So I am not reallhy sure what I am paying for now.

---

It sounds like there was some misinformation in regards to the Geek Squad Black Tie Protection plan.

Firstly, drops, water damage (not total submersion, however, as you're aware), as well as other various defects and issues, etc, is covered by the Geek Squad Black Tie Protection. However, usually the phones are repaired via a contracted service called Touchstone. Loaners are provided via deposit, and if phones cannot be repaired, they will be replaced. I do not have the direct Terms and Conditions handy, but that is the overall gist of the plan, as you are aware in some of the cases.

However, rooting, or any intentional software-related damage of the phone is not covered.

Hope this helps clarify a bit more. Rest assured, however. A Community Connector will address your concerns further within the next several business days. Your patience is much appreciated during this time.

[Mbrguy Emerging Expert]

To give you a better idea of what is covered and what isn't, you may read the Terms and Conditions here: https://www.productassist.com/tandc/July_12_09_82693_Revised_English.pdf

I hope this helps.

[Aaron-BBY Community Connector]

Greetings tmett3,

I’m not sure why there would have been any confusion regarding our service plan policies, but I’d be glad to provide you an overview of your Droid’s coverage.

Your GSBTP plan provides coverage for damages due the following causes:

• Hardware failures
• Factory defects
• Built-up dust
• Internal overheating/condensation
• Power surges

It also provides coverage for damages that might occur over the course of normal use, such as those caused by liquid spills or falls from furniture.

On the other hand, your GSBTP plan does not provide coverage for damages due to the following:

• Accidental loss
• Biological contamination
• Complete immersion in water
• Extreme environmental conditions (heat or cold)
• Insect infestation
• Misuse/Abuse
• Rodents
• Theft
• Unauthorized repairs or modifications

This list is by no means all-inclusive, so I’d encourage you to check out the link Mbrguy provided for additional information.

As far as seeking service is concerned, JM is correct: repairs must first be sought through one of our off-site service centers.  In the event that repairs cannot be completed – or if your phone meets the requirements of our No Lemon policy – your phone would then be replaced with either a brand-new, technologically comparable model or store credit.  Some models may also qualify for our Rapid Exchange program, a program that provides customers the option of receiving a refurbished model within a few business days instead of waiting for their original unit to be repaired.  For full details on this program though you’ll want to speak with a Best Buy Mobile associate at your local store.

Let me know if you have any other questions!  You can send me a private message by signing into the forums and then clicking on the letter icon in the upper right-hand corner of the page.

[massam]

It may not be insurance but to an average Joe it sounds like it. When somebody buys a phone and the BB employee says, if your phone breaks we'll replace it, that sounds a lot like insurance... which I believe is where a lot of the issues stem from. Based on what has been posted about the protection plans coverage any issue could be denied by claiming misuse by the owner.

[Lita]

We just bought some phones at Best Buy today and were told many things about the protection plan.  Specifically, that we could run over the phone with a car, and it would be covered.  And that we could leave it in our pocket and jump in a swimming pool, and it would be covered.  I thought it seemed too good to be true, so said we would research it more and get back to them within 30 days.  From what I am reading here, it sounds like that info was, indeed, incorrect.  So now I have 3 more question about what we were told.  1) Is it true that Blackberry phones will be replaced with a new model on the spot? (and not sent in to be repaired).  2) Is it true that you can have the phone replaced multiple times during the 2 year period, if necessary?  3) Is the insurance monthly...you can opt out of the protection plan at any time?  Thanks.

[Melissa-BBY Senior Social Media Specialist]

Hi Lita,

When buying a service plan, it is important to get all of the details up front. I was very disappointed to read that when you tried to do this, that you received such incorrect information. I’ll be happy to provide any clarification I can and answer the questions you have regarding the plan.

I honestly do not know why the representative indicated that the Geek Squad® Black Tie Protection (BTP) plan would cover a mobile phone being ran over by a car or submerged in a swimming pool. This should not be happening as our store representatives are provided the correct terms and conditions of our plans and trained how to properly present them. As you may have read on our forum, the BTP will cover manufacturing defects and accidental damages that occur to the phone during the BTP term. Accidental damage is usually considered what would happen during the normal usage of the phone, such as a drop or a liquid spill. Full submersion is not covered however. For the full terms, you can visit the link Mbrguy provided a few posts above.

In regards to your first question, with a BTP, service should always be considered first with any product. At this time however, Blackberry does require us to replace their phones rather than repair them. If their policy changes however, service may be considered in the future.

The number of replacements received during a BTP term, will actually depend on when it is replaced and under what terms. If the phone were replaced under the manufacturer’s warranty then the BTP would carry over. If the phone were replaced with a new one however, under the BTP, the plan would then be considered fulfilled.

Lastly, with any of our service plans, you can opt out at any time and cancel the plan. You do have 30 days to return any of our service plans for a full refund. After the 30 days, since the mobile BTP is a monthly plan, it can be cancelled and the payments will be stopped. Any of our other plans would simply be returned for a prorated refund.

I hope this helps explain the plans better. If you do have any additional questions regarding our plans, please don’t hesitate to ask!

[bbowser]

yeah cause everyone reads those....

stupid us i guess, for actually believing the words that come out of your employees mouths.  Maybe the employees should read the T and C, and not misquote it to make sales.