How to insure unlocked Iphone4 from apple?

timeforachange

Hi everyone,

I'm aware that this question has been asked many times before, but I've been using the search option to find similar threads and I can't find any that answered my question.

I'm going to buy an unlocked iphone4 from apple. I am with meteor PAYG at the moment and think I am going to move to O2 PAYG.
Does anyone know how I can go about insuring my iphone? Would O2 (or maybe meteor) provide insurance even though I will be PAYG and haven't bought the phone from them? Or do I need to look into actual phone insurance companies?

Does anyone know of any options they might have used themselves? Can anyone give me any guidance regarding prices?
I'm pushing the boat out at the moment buying the iphone straight up from apple so want to save as much as possible on the insurance. Would love an option of paying out right an annual fee to rather than a monthly fee, but will conisder all options!

Thanks

snappieT

Only thing I can point you towards is the crowd that do 3's insurance - fonesure.

timeforachange

Thanks for that, have just been looking at them actually €10 a month seems a bit steep, I know if you get their insurance through 3 its only €6 a month but I might just have to weigh everything up and just suck it up and pay it.

Maybe others here can offer some of their own experiences?

I considered the idea of not insuring at all but I would just die if I spent €600 on it and then had it stolen !!

snappieT

In all seriousness, with 3's deal on at the moment (free i4 @ €40/mo x 24 months), you're getting 2 years of calls, texts and data, along with the phone for €960 - that certainly beats €600 out of pocket in my eyes.

(Of course, if you hate 3 or will be swapping SIMs across countries, I completely understand)

timeforachange

snappieT wrote: »

In all seriousness, with 3's deal on at the moment (free i4 @ €40/mo x 24 months), you're getting 2 years of calls, texts and data, along with the phone for €960 - that certainly beats €600 out of pocket in my eyes.

(Of course, if you hate 3 or will be swapping SIMs across countries, I completely understand)

I totally agree that its a great deal for most people. I need unlimited texts though, even with their free webtexts it wouldnt be enough for me. Hence why I want to stay with PAYG.

LukeS_

Does anybody know if I pop in to three and ask to get a PAYG SIM off them can I sign up for the cheaper insurance straight through 3? I won't use the SIM as I'm happy ad I am with my iPhone 4 on Meteor but just asking would that work even if I never top up that SIM and get a new 083 number so I'm not switching networks or is that possible?

timeforachange

LukeS_ wrote: »

Does anybody know if I pop in to three and ask to get a PAYG SIM off them can I sign up for the cheaper insurance straight through 3? I won't use the SIM as I'm happy ad I am with my iPhone 4 on Meteor but just asking would that work even if I never top up that SIM and get a new 083 number so I'm not switching networks or is that possible?

Are you asking if you can get insurance for your iphone through 3 even though you didnt buy the phone with them? Sorry I don't fully understand your post so maybe I've misunderstood this?
If so, I'm afraid the answer is no because I contacted 3 about this myself. Unfortunately they won't insure a phone that wasn't bought off them.

So basically it looks like I've got to pay lots for insurance if I choose to buy off apple...

ironclaw

LukeS_ wrote: »

Does anybody know if I pop in to three and ask to get a PAYG SIM off them can I sign up for the cheaper insurance straight through 3? I won't use the SIM as I'm happy ad I am with my iPhone 4 on Meteor but just asking would that work even if I never top up that SIM and get a new 083 number so I'm not switching networks or is that possible?

Most insurance plans are only available on Pay Monthly, can't be sure on that. €10 per month is steep, its the same on Meteor (Who won't cover the iPhone) To put it in perspective, it would be a third of my bill to insure the phone.

Also by the time you upgrade to the next iPhone say in 18 to 24 months, you'll have spent the depreciation in insuring it. As harsh as its sounds, if you can't afford to replace it, don't buy it. And when I say afford, I'm not sitting on a big pile of money, but I wouldn't have a €600 phone that I couldn't afford to lose i.e. Financially and afford the risk that it could happen.

timeforachange

I find the whole insurance thing so annoying! I'd be prepared to pay up to €80 up front for insurance for the phone for a year but its just getting very steep expecting €10 a month I think. When you put into perspective that my car insurance was less than €400!!


Technically I can financially afford to replace it if I loose it or its stolen etc. but I just physically couldnt bring myself to lol I might keep searching to see if I can find any better deals on insurance!!

LukeS_

Oh well guess I'm just going to have to rely on mobile.me then.

Can I not take it out on the house insurance? I've had all my other phones/iPods on it so I'm guessing I can before I ring up?

timeforachange

LukeS_ wrote: »

Oh well guess I'm just going to have to rely on mobile.me then.

Can I not take it out on the house insurance? I've had all my other phones/iPods on it so I'm guessing I can before I ring up?

Oh yeah you can do that for sure, I don't know details about that though I'm afraid because its not an option for me

ironclaw

timeforachange wrote: »

Technically I can financially afford to replace it if I loose it or its stolen etc. but I just physically couldnt bring myself to lol I might keep searching to see if I can find any better deals on insurance!!

I looked for a good few months as I wanted to insure my MacBook and iPhone. I could never get cover for the iPhone. It just didn't make sense to do so. €10 a month was the cheapest I could get it. As for the house insurance, the iPhone and MacBook could be covered, but only from theft. It also covered theft from the car and it had to be from a locked boot etc etc.

Accidental damage isn't covered too widely any more as apparently reps and business ex's we're "breaking" laptops on a 6 monthly basis to upgrade. Ulster Bank used to do a Laptop and Phone insurance system but the claims we're just skyhigh apparently.

Frankly, just not worth it given the depreciation these things go through.

timeforachange

ironclaw wrote: »

I looked for a good few months as I wanted to insure my MacBook and iPhone. I could never get cover for the iPhone. It just didn't make sense to do so. €10 a month was the cheapest I could get it. As for the house insurance, the iPhone and MacBook could be covered, but only from theft. It also covered theft from the car and it had to be from a locked boot etc etc.

Accidental damage isn't covered too widely any more as apparently reps and business ex's we're "breaking" laptops on a 6 monthly basis to upgrade. Ulster Bank used to do a Laptop and Phone insurance system but the claims we're just skyhigh apparently.

Frankly, just not worth it given the depreciation these things go through.

Thanks for that. I've decided to just buy the phone through 3 because they offer the best insurance for €45 for the year! I can get it unlocked then for €25 if I need to.