Amazon Protection Plan 2023: What‘s Covered, How to Make Claims, and Is It Worth the Cost?
As an expert Amazon seller, I often get asked about Amazon protection plans. Consumers want to know if these plans are worth buying when making big purchases on Amazon.
In this detailed guide from a seller‘s perspective, I‘ll explain everything you need to know about Amazon protection plans for 2023. You‘ll learn:
- What Amazon protection plans cover
- Instructions for purchasing plans
- How to make claims if your device breaks
- Tips for getting refunds on plans
- An analysis of whether protection plans are really worth the cost
Let‘s start with an overview of what Amazon protection plans are and how they work when you make purchases on Amazon.
What Are Amazon Protection Plans?
When you buy products on Amazon, especially more expensive electronics, you may see options to add a protection plan at checkout. These plans extend the coverage beyond the manufacturer‘s warranty.
According to Amazon‘s policy, protection plans cover defects, accidental damage, theft (for select plans), and breakdowns after the manufacturer‘s warranty expires.
If your product breaks or gets damaged, the protection plan saves you from paying costly repair or replacement fees.
As an Amazon seller, I think protection plans provide valuable peace of mind. For expensive smartphones, laptops, TVs, and other electronics, they can really pay off if you need repairs down the road.
Now let‘s dive into the details on the most popular protection plans sold by Amazon and third-parties.
Types of Amazon Protection Plans
There are a few main types of protection plans available on Amazon:
Amazon‘s own protection plans
- Amazon Expert Protection Plan – For smart home devices
- Amazon Protective Plans – For furniture and mattresses
Third-party protection plans
- Asurion – Electronics, appliances, jewelry, furniture
- SmartGuard – Appliances, electronics, furniture
I‘ll compare the key differences between these plans below.
Amazon Expert Protection Plan
The Amazon Expert Protection Plan covers:
- Accidental damage
- Technical support by phone or home visits
- Repairs or replacement of defective devices
- Smart home devices from Ring, Echo, eero, and Lennar
This plan starts on the activation date and continues for 2 or 3 years depending on the device. It‘s a good choice for getting extended peace of mind with more accident prone smart home gadgets.
Asurion Protection Plans
Asurion offers plans with different coverage periods:
- 2 years – Electronics and appliances
- 3 years – High-end electronics
- 4 years – Laptops and tablets
These plans cover:
- Accidental damage
- Technical support and troubleshooting
- Repair costs or replacement of defective products
Asurion offers protection for a wider range of products compared to Amazon‘s own plans.
SmartGuard Protection Plans
SmartGuard has plans for major appliances, electronics, furniture, and mattresses. Their plans include:
- Repairs for mechanical and electrical failures after the warranty
- Free shipping on repair claims
- Access to technicians for troubleshooting
- Replacement if repair not possible
- No deductibles or service fees
Overall, SmartGuard offers fairly standard protection plan coverage. It‘s a decent option for furniture and mattress warranties which are typically more limited.
Now that you know about the main protection plan types, let‘s go over exactly what they cover.
What‘s Covered Under Amazon Protection Plans
While specific coverage varies, most Amazon protection plans include:
Manufacturer defects: Repairs of defects after the original warranty.
Accidental damage: Damage from drops, liquid spills, surges, cracks, etc.
Technical support: 24/7 troubleshooting help by phone, chat, or home visits.
Parts and labor: 100% of parts and labor costs to repair defective products.
Replacements: New or refurbished replacement if not repairable.
Cancellation refunds: Cancel anytime for a prorated refund.
Power surge protection: Coverage for electrical power surges.
No service fees: No deductibles or fees to have covered repairs done.
Aggregate claim limit: There is a total claim value amount allowed over the term of the plan. For example, $2,500 total for a 2 year plan.
Theft coverage: Select plans cover replacing stolen items with proof of police reports.
What‘s not covered?
Most Amazon protection plans do NOT cover:
- Intentional or cosmetic damage
- Normal wear and tear
- Improper installation or use
- Commercial/business use
As you can see, protection plans provide fairly comprehensive coverage against defects and accidental damage. But they aren‘t a total replacement for having care and common sense.
Now let‘s go over how to actually purchase protection plans on Amazon‘s site.
Buying Protection Plans on Amazon
You have two options for purchasing protection plans on Amazon:
1. Add It During Checkout
When buying an eligible product, you‘ll see an option to "Add gift options" before checkout. Click this and you can add a suggested protection plan to cover that item.
Make sure to pick the right plan duration for the coverage you want.
Plan Length | Best For |
---|---|
2 years | Smaller electronics and gadgets |
3 years | High-end electronics |
4 years | Laptops, tablets, phones |
2. Purchase for Recent Orders
If you forgot to buy a plan at checkout, you can still add protection for orders within the last 30 days:
- Go to Your Orders and find the product.
- Check for an "Add Protection Plan" link.
- Choose the right plan for your item.
Make sure to add the plan from the same account used for the original purchase.
Once purchased, you‘ll get a confirmation email from Amazon with your protection plan details and coverage information. Keep this for reference in case you need to make a claim down the road.
Next, let‘s go over how the claims process works.
Making Claims on Amazon Protection Plans
Making a claim on an Amazon protection plan is straightforward:
Step 1: Contact Amazon
You can reach out by:
Going through Your Orders and selecting the plan → "Contact us about this plan"
Calling or chatting with Amazon customer support
For some plans, contacting the manufacturer first
Step 2: Troubleshoot the problem
Amazon will first try to walk you through fixes over the phone or chat. If that doesn‘t resolve the issue, they‘ll arrange for a repair or replacement.
Step 3: Repair or replace
For a repair, a technician will come to fix the item. For a replacement, you‘ll get a refurbished or new model shipped to you in exchange for any defective parts.
If the total replacement value meets your protection plan‘s aggregate claim limit, the plan coverage ends.
You can make as many claims as necessary during the term of your plan, as long as you don‘t hit the total claim value amount.
Now let‘s go over your options if you want to cancel your protection plan.
Getting Refunds on Amazon Protection Plans
The great thing about Amazon protection plans is that you can cancel and get a refund at any time. Here‘s how it works:
Cancel anytime: Reach out to Amazon by phone, chat, or your account to cancel.
Full refund: If you cancel within 90 days, you get a full refund.
Prorated refund: After 90 days, the refund is prorated based on the remaining time minus any claims.
For example, if you had a 2 year plan and canceled after 1 year and 1 claim, you may get 50% of the price minus the claim value back.
So don‘t hesitate to cancel and get your money back if you change your mind or no longer need the protection plan coverage.
Now let‘s dive into the key question – are Amazon protection plans really worth the money?
Are Amazon Protection Plans Worth the Cost?
Whether or not an Amazon protection plan is worth it depends on a few factors:
Consider the product type and value
Smaller electronics: Probably not worth it due to low repair costs.
Laptops: More worthwhile for expensive models.
High-end TVs: Protection plans are recommended for peace of mind.
Look at failure rate data
According to surveys, product failure rates within the first 3 years are:
- Laptops – 21%
- Smartphones – 10%
- TVs – 15%
- Tablets – 10%
So protection makes more sense for devices with higher failure rates.
Compare plan cost to potential repair/replacement
Is the protection plan price reasonable compared to the potential repair or replacement cost?
For a $2,000 laptop, a 3 year $200 protection plan can be worth it to avoid a $500-$600 repair bill.
But for a $300 smartphone, a 2 year $60 protection plan doesn‘t provide as much value.
Consider your habits
Are you prone to cracking screens or dropping devices in water? Then protection could give you more peace of mind.
On the other hand, if you take very good care of your electronics, protection is less worthwhile.
Read the fine print
Carefully check what is and isn‘t covered under any protection plan before purchasing.
Many plans have limitations, deductibles, service fees, and aggregate claim limits that reduce the value.
Think about resale value
Having an active protection plan on an electronic device can boost the resale value if you decide to upgrade and sell it later on.
Weigh the convenience factor
Protection plans make getting a repair or replacement very convenient. So for gadgets you rely on daily, protection can be worth it.
My general advice is to strongly consider protection plans for laptops, high-end tablets, plasma/OLED TVs, and other electronics over $500 in value. The peace of mind is worth the cost for expensive devices that would be a big headache to replace.
But for less expensive gadgets and devices you take great care of, protection plans provide less value.
Conclusion
Hopefully this detailed guide gave you a seller‘s perspective on Amazon protection plans. Here‘s a quick summary of what we covered:
- Protection plans extend coverage beyond the regular warranty
- Plans cover accidental damage, theft, technical issues, and defects
- Options include Amazon‘s plans and third-parties like Asurion
- Claims are straightforward – just contact Amazon for help
- You can get a full or prorated refund when canceling
- Protection plans are worth it for high-value electronics prone to damage
Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to share my expertise on shopping successfully on Amazon.