Manufacturer Warranties and Protection Plans

[Raymond]

In June I purchased my 32GB iPhone 3GS with a Geek Squad Black Tie Protection Plan. About a month ago I had questions about my service plan and called Best Buy's Customer Service line; I was transfered to a mobile service specialist. One of the questions i asked her was "If I have a problem with my device can i get it fixed by Apple"  She then responded by saying "If you get service done by Apple just tell Best Buy so we can update the protection plan." On march 5, 2010 I visited the Genius Bar at a local Apple Store. The iPhone was replaced immediately due to "Foreign material inside the display and the volume button is stiff and occasionally unresponsive".  Later I then remembered to contact Best Buy about my service plan. Yesterday i called customer support and was transfered again to Mobile Service, I told them I had received a replacement iPhone from Apple and wanted to transfer my insurance to the new phone. He told me go to the mobile counter at any Best Buy, they will need to delete the protection plan from the old phone and create a new one for my replacement. Ten minutes later I'm at Best Buy Store 599; I go to the mobile counter and tell them my problem he directs me to Geek Squad. I ask some one about my phone and he tells me to wait on line for customer service. I finally get to the counter and after telling the woman my issue she pages the mobile department.  After waiting several minutes the manager for the mobile department arrives at the counter. I now tell him, and he says that he is unable to do it. When asked why he can’t he says that because the iPhone’s SKU wasn't from Best Buy there is no way to transfer the protection plan. I asked if he can talk to customer service for me he agreed to so I dialed the number from my phone and waited on hold for about 7 minutes. I was connected and told yet another person my problem with the protection plan. He asked to speak to someone in the store so I hand my phone to the mobile manager after several minutes speaking to him he hangs up the phone and gives it back to me. The mobile manager than explains to me that “this isn't the first time this has happened” apparently he has seen it happen twice before at this location.

This is where I come to the Best Buy Community forums in hopes that a moderator will see my post and assist me with my protection plan and possibly use my story to help train customer service representatives about the policies of the Geek Squad Black Tie Protection Plan.

[Nokia]

As long as you have the same model, it should be OK. The GSBTP plan isn't attached to any specific serial number until you actually file a claim.

[Raymond]

 the manager said its associated with the serial id and the imei number 

[Nokia]

It's definitely not attached to your serial. BB doesn't even have that number stored. Your IMEI is on your receipt, but they're not going to check that before sending it off to service. Besides, if you had already done a Rapid Exchange, your IMEI would be different.

[starhelper2587]

Nokia is right.  As long as the sku on the replacement phone is the same as it was for the original phone, you're fine.  The warranties are only associated w/ the product skus.  The only reason the skus wouldn't be the same would be if the new phone was a different color like the white iPhone instead of the black one.  Or if you went from the 3G to 3GS the skus would be different as well.  If neither of these scenarios are true to your situation, you're fine! 

[Nokia]

Well, it's a 32GB, and the 3GS only comes in that, so that's not a possible scenario.

[Raymond]

So are you saying that the Protection plan doesn't have the imei number attached to it?

[Raymond]

If what your saying really is correct what's stopping a  household with multiple iphones of the same model to go ahead and get the service plan on one phone and having all of the phones covered?

[Nokia]

Honestly? Nothing. However, if two phones break at the same time, you're in a pickle...

[hacteck]

As soon as you fill the first claim to your BTP, the system will attach that plan to the Serial of your iPhone, not the IMEI. So, you can have multiple iphones with only one BTP Plan, but it ONLY will cover the first one that would need a service.