Geek Squad Mobile Insurance

Sylvester

Buying a phone for someone from Carphone Warehouse website and they offer insurance from geek squad, but I have read bad reviews about them.

Could we insure the phone with another company after purchase and if so, any recommendations? Or is geek squad the only choice as it's the insurance that Carphone Warehouse?

Cheers

expatriate

There are insurance policies that can be added after you have purchased the phone, the common on being your bank.

However if making a purchase from Carphone Warehouse their Geek Squad insurance will come with a one month free offer if you purchase it over the phone (not available in store) and it is the only insurance CPW offer.

What i would suggest is take their insurance and then you will have a month to look around for cheaper alternatives and can weigh up their benefits, you also have a 14 day cooling off period with Geek Squad. Just remember if you do find something cheaper don't forget to ring them back up and cancel the policy.

Sylvester

Sounds like a good plan to take the free month and look around at the same time.

Will also make a note to cancel if a better insurance is found in the meantime.

Cheers

expatriate

Sorry just noticed that you were purchasing a phone, is this going to be made as a PAYG or on contract? Quite important as the free month is only valid on contract phones, however both policies will have a cooling off period.

If it is PAYG select the monthly payment option as it will then be a monthly rolling contract so if you happen to find an alternative later down the line you can still cancel.

Sylvester

Yes, it's PAYG. So it will be a monthly rolling contract for the insurance and can cancel within the 12 months? Sounds reasonable.

I guess after 12 months you could insure again without having to commit to doing so with geek squad? i.e it's not a recurring 12 months.

bubblesmoney

Check if your existing bank account or credit card or Home / contents insurance covers phones for no additional charge. Also read small print, some policies may not cover theft under some conditions or water damage etc. See excess applied. Also some give refurbished similar phone as replacement and not new same phone in case of claim. So see if you really need the insurance.

Sylvester

I'll get her to check her bank account and home/contents insurance and read the small print in all insurances she or I look at. I'll also read something I have just found - MSE's mobile phone insurance article.

Cheers

Endora_2

Having just upgraded my mobile through CPW yesterday I have opted to try their recommended Geek Squad insurance at £7.99 per month, I am on monthly contract and decided that as the phone I'm getting is quite expensive to replace it might be a good thing to do. Was told the 1st month was free and that I get a 14 day cooling off period if I decide not to go with it, not sure if that 14 days starts from the day I agreed to go with it or when I get the policy details through which I was told could take up to 10 days, otherwise I will only get a few days to look through the policy and decide? Took a look at a review site today regarding Geek Squad insurance and not a lot of happy people out there so am having second thoughts now about even starting it. Took a look at MSE's mobile insurance article and looked into CUSC insurance at £4.99 so may decide to go with them instead but will check my household insurance first to see what type of cover mobile phones have under that policy, I may not need to take out a separate policy depending on what that says. Was not told my CPW sales rep on phone as to what the excess on a claim was, he just told me I get a replacement phone of exact same model if it gets lost or stolen and if it needs repairing I will get replacement phone to use whilst being repaired. Excess on CUSC insurance is £25 which doesn't seem too bad. He also said I would pay on a month by month basis so not signed into a 12month contract, can cancel at any time??

Andrewr

I took out an insurance with Geek Squad and wish I hadn't. I won't go into the details here but I found the service poor and they don't offer anything that isn't offered with cheaper policies.