Equipment Protection - 7 Day Window
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I recently called T-Mo customer service to activate equipment protection on my new Blackberry only to find out that as on 6/14 T-Mo changed their policy. It seems now, unless you arrange for equipment coverage within 7 days after activation they will no longer sell you equipment protection. According to the customer service rep they were experiencing too many fraudulent insurance claims and their insurer, Asurion recommended placing this policy in place. I've been unsuccessful with both customer service and my corporate T-Mo rep to have this policy reversed.
COME ON T-MO!! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR CUSTOMER ORIENTED BUSINESS?? This one is gonna piss off alot of people.
I recently called T-Mo customer service to activate equipment protection on my new Blackberry only to find out that as on 6/14 T-Mo changed their policy. It seems now, unless you arrange for equipment coverage within 7 days after activation they will no longer sell you equipment protection. According to the customer service rep they were experiencing too many fraudulent insurance claims and their insurer, Asurion recommended placing this policy in place. I've been unsuccessful with both customer service and my corporate T-Mo rep to have this policy reversed.
COME ON T-MO!! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR CUSTOMER ORIENTED BUSINESS?? This one is gonna piss off alot of people.
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Oh yea....I hadn't even completed my first billing cycle when I made this request
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I'm sorry that this an inconvenience for you, but I have to say that the policy is a good idea. You have to believe that people were abusing the hell out of this before. I wonder if you could make the argument to somebody that you were told when you activated that you would be able buy insurance later on, and it's not your fault that the policy changed...
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I understand that T-Mo needed to stem fraudulent claims, but there must be a better way to go about this. My voice phone is through Verizon who will let you add insurance at any time. I've already made my case known to our corporate rep and the fact that I was never told that I only had 7 days to get the insurance. This decision must have been made at the highest levels, because the reps and managers I talked to wouldn't or had no luck getting any waiver from their higher ups. Other than that I love the service and the Blackberry. It would be very difficult now to live without.
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I wouldn't be surprised if this policy starts popping up with every carrier, since after all they all use the same two companies. Asurion and Lockline are the ones who get screwed, not the carriers, so I bet they will pressure all their partner carriers to adopt some sort of policy like this.
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I am glad that they changed the policy. Customers would lose their phones or they would end up stolen, then come waltzing into the store to get Equip. Protection just so they wouldn't have to pay the replacement price. I think this might be a trial period to see how the new policy goes. I mean you do make a valid case but I am sure once customers like yourself give suggestions, a common ground might be found later on. But trust me, there is no way of getting around the new policy.
I have always advised my customers to get Equip. Protection at activation because you never know.
I have always advised my customers to get Equip. Protection at activation because you never know.
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Bingo! People were calling up with "uh, I didn't lose my phone or anything, but I suddenly for no reason decided to add Equipment Protection..." then two days later, voila! the phone is lost! And of course, a month later, they cancel the equipment protection feature. Net gain to Asurion, 3.99. Loss, the full retail price of a phone minus a 75.00 deductible, woo. I'm not surprised the hammer came down, I just really hope it loosens a bit to allow the feature to be added when the handset is upgraded. That would be fair, I think.
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Yeah I think it should be added only with new activations and whenever a customer does an upgrade.
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Sorry its not that we wont its that if the feature was added as soon it was known to asurion you would get a letter saying that you do not qualify for the feature and it would be removed and you would be given the credit the for the time it was on your account.
Besides it was a headache when some had isurince on a account that was 2 years old and they tried to file a claim and they would call us and say that we need to provide them with the recipt or proof of payment and sometimes this is with handsets that are over a year old. now how many people have the box or recipt from a phone that over a year old?
Besides it was a headache when some had isurince on a account that was 2 years old and they tried to file a claim and they would call us and say that we need to provide them with the recipt or proof of payment and sometimes this is with handsets that are over a year old. now how many people have the box or recipt from a phone that over a year old?
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I know this new 7-day policy stinks. I work for T-Mobile, just upgraded my phone, and can't have the ftr. But if you think about it, you could go 2 years without any loss or damage to your phone, and you've paid $96 for Equipment Protection (which is the cost of some phones outright). Retail & Sales Representatives are supposed to be on the ball and offer this feature when you're signing up for service...MOST do, but some don't, and the whole of T-Mobile can't be held accountable for this. As for existing customers, the feature was available for quite some time, and I'm sorry you either weren't informed (even though we sent out bill inserts for every market), or just chose to forgo the option at the time it was offered. We at Customer Care ...
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Yeah, the whole concept of insurance is basically a wager--will I spend more for the insurance than I'm likely to claim on it... I don't have equipment insurance because I have a cheap phone I don't commonly lose or break stuff, so it doesn't make sense for me, but if I'd just upgraded to a spendy camera phone or PDA I'd be kinda ticked off if I couldn't insure it!
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