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Brightstar Changes - Y tho?

stevero33
I'm a participant level 1
I'm a participant level 1

So, here's the thing: 

 

I purchased device protection for my Samsung S7 when I signed my two-year contract in April 2016. I've been faithfully paying for the insurance since then, which has cost me a total of $330. With Asurion, I paid $200 for a replacement, which was shipped to me while I held onto my broken (and still usable) phone, and I shipped the original phone back after I had recieved the replacement and swapped the SIM; I had zero downtime. I paid the $200 "processing fee" (it's a deductable, and I don't know why we're not calling it that) and was happy to do so because of the age of the phone (a mere month at the time). 

 

I'm coming up on two years with my phone and it's got some wear-and-tear. The battery doesn't hold a charge, the screen has some scuffs and the charger doesn't make great contact anymore. I'd like to get a replacement and assumed that the same tiers of replacement fees would apply as they did with Asurion - namely, the older the phone, the lower the replacement cost (this makes a lot of sense); at two years, with Asurion, the "processing fee" for a replacement would have been $50, according to my best memory. 

 

With Brightstar, however, this does not appear to the be case; the cost is $200, regardless of the fact that my phone is now two generations old and regardless of the fact that I have paid into my insurance plan for two years already. This doesn't make a lot of sense to me - why wouldn't I just buy an off-contract, unlocked S7 from Kijiji or eBay (for a little more than $200) and then I'd have the Freedom (see what I did there?) of moving to another carrier, too? 

 

Please help me understand why (1) I paid for this insurance (2) how a $200 replacement fee for a two-year old phone is justified and (3) why I should even bother staying a Fido customer at this point? I feel the change of insurance providers was a downgrade that wasn't communicated very well at all; I also feel I've been a sucker for paying for the insurance this long. 

1 REPLY 1

FidoAmanda
Former Moderator
Former Moderator

Hey stevero33!

 

Welcome to the Community!

 

It's unfortunate to see that you feel this way about our switch over to Brightstar and that you're thinking about leaving us. We definitely wouldn't want to see you go!  

 

I just wanted to point out, first, that our Premium Device Protection provides extended device and accessory replacement in case of damage, loss or theft (replacement for theft not offered in QC) and our partnership with Brightstar only enhances that experience by offering new features like:

 

- First screen break repair for no extra fee

- Option for repair (via Mail in, Walk in, Mobile technician visit) over replacement with 50% lower processing fees compared to replacement processing fees

- Enrollment within 45 days of device purchase vs 15 days

 

That said, the Premium Device Protection plan is not meant as a means to replace a device that is simply showing wear and tear from regular use as it ages and the replacement fee doesn't appear to decrease as the device ages, but, rather, it's based off of the value of the device at full price. Premium devices are priced higher than other devices. I have checked with Asurion and they still list the replacement fee for an S7 at $200. 

 

From what I can tell, it sounds like you're due for an upgrade. You can check out your upgrade options when logged in to My Account on Fido.ca or you can get in touch with customer service to look over your options with a rep. Alternately, we could send you a PM here as well. 

 

Hope this helps!