Finding insurance and warranties for any device is challenging. But, nowadays, with phones costing over $1,000, many view protecting a phone as a must. As a result, phone providers often provide their own coverage options upon signing a contract, like AT&T Protect Advantage or Apple theft and loss coverage. Costing $14-$17 per month, AT&T Protect Advantage has various benefits, including a same-day replacement for lost or stolen phones, unlimited screen repairs and battery replacement, and more.
We will look at more of this plan’s offerings below.
Key Takeaways_
- AT&T Protect Advantage is an extended insurance plan that costs users between $14-$17 per month for single phone coverage or $45 for four phones.
- The protection plan offers same-day phone replacement, unlimited screen and battery repairs, and limited claims for theft, loss, and accidental damages.
- AT&T Protect Advantage charges between $25-$75 for all filed claims; the cost of the claim is determined by assessing the repair cost and the phone model.
What to Know About AT&T’s Protect Advantage
As you probably know, insurance is pushed every time you buy a big-ticket item. While most insurance will provide damaged screen coverage, some third-party services offer users unique benefits.
We will run through the selling points of AT&T’s Advance Protection coverage and help you understand if it’s right for you.
The AT&T Protection Advantage plan is a step up from its basic AT&T Mobile Insurance plan. It’s similar to other forms of extended coverage.
insider tip
AT&T insurance holders can check the status of their insurance claims by logging onto the online portal.
However, it only applies to connected devices on AT&T phone plans (unless you have the shared plan, then you can bring in devices outside the network.)
In addition, there are two different plans based on the number of lines that you have active.
- Single Phone Plan: $14-$17 per month (Cost depends on the device model)
- Shared Phone Plan (up to 4 Phones): $45 per month
If you go on AT&T’s website, they list the various benefits. To determine the cost of the coverage, AT&T has a tier list that determines what year and model the phone is; from there, they assign a price.
For either plan, the benefits only differ in the number of claims that can be filed. These benefits include:
- Unlimited Screen Repair
- Same-day phone replacement
- Unlimited battery replacements
- Unlimited out-of-warranty claims for malfunctions
- 3 Claims for Theft, Loss, & Damages (8 for shared plan)
- 2 Claims for Accidental Shipping & Handling Damaged (6 for shared plans)
It lists other benefits, like its expert service and support. Many of these benefits are listed right up front. However, additional details can be found when you expand the links, as they provide information on certain limitations and deductibles concerning the various policies.
Deductibles & Service Fees
When you file an AT&T insurance claim, you’ll need to pay a fee of $25-$75. These fees are non-refundable. You’ll need to file a claim to know precisely how much the deductible costs; the company will only then provide the price of the fee.
STAT: Around 45% of phone owners will damage or crack their phones on accident at some point. (source)
Cancellation Policy
AT&T states that anyone enrolled in the protection plan can cancel anytime without penalties.
Replacement Device
AT&T is clear that the phone sent to replace you is not guaranteed to be new. Most of the time, it will be a phone in a similar condition to your current phone. This can include refurbished devices or remanufactured devices.
warning
AT&T will not let you file an insurance claim if the damaged device costs over $3,500.
Enrollment
AT&T requires that users sign up for insurance within 30 days of activating their wireless service. They may not allow enrollment or charge a fee if you try to sign up after the period ends.
However, the company sometimes offers open enrollment periods for anyone looking to sign up for insurance after the fact.
ProTech Storage App
One feature of AT&T is its unlimited video/photo storage. The insurance comes with access to the ProTech Storage App, which allows users to back up and store any image-related content.
There’s no limit on how much you can hold, and data backups are conducted automatically.
