One of the most profitable categories for phone carriers as well as is flogging warranty and after sales care.
According to sources, one manufacturer who wanted to make consumers an offer that if their smartphone was damaged or had become inoperable they would “replace it” within the first 12 months with no questions asked was stopped by Telstra management on the basis that it would impact their ability to sell after sales care.
Telstra has not commented on the claim.
Overseas HTC is extending its Advantage warranty program with new benefits and a longer validity period. The new program is called Uh-Oh, and while the name is funny, the benefits it offers are nothing to laugh at.
Customers who sign up for Uh-Oh will receive a free one-time replacement if their One M9 or One M8 suffers a broken screen or any water damage. The coverage lasts for 12 months from the purchase of a device, and all users are automatically signed up upon purchasing a device. Like Advantage before it, the Uh-Oh program will be available in the United States only. It’s not clear yet if other devices besides the M9 and M8 will be included, but we know for sure that Desire series phones are not covered.
Both Samsung and Sony are also offering free replacement phones in some Countries but not Australia.
For carriers and Companies like Apple after sales warranty is delivering millions in profits with only a small percentage of smartphone owners making claims on their protection cover.
Apple is yet to announce how much its AppleCare+ warranty plans will work with their new Apple Watch however, insiders have suggested those opting for the top-end Apple Watch may have to fork over a small fortune in order to keep their watch safe from faults or damage for an extended period.
One plan seen by one media Company shows an AppleCare+ protection plan set to retail for a whopping US$999 or A$1,427
For their outlay, the extended warranty will give buyers a three years of tech support, plus coverage for two separate occurrences of damage. There’ll also be a 24/7 hotline set up especially for these folks, according to the report.
While the plan seems pretty steep, it’s probably not going to be all that significant for Apple Watch buyers splashing out upwards of $14,000 for the 18-carat gold smartwatch.
At the lower end of the scale the protection plans for a bog standard Apple Watch will be $65 while the Sport edition plan will be $100.
However, those customers will only receive the second year of support and won’t have access to the Genius hotline, the rumour claims.
According to 9to5Mac, even if an AppleCare+ customer needs their Apple Watch replacing, there’s likely to be a deductible.
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