Smashed iPhone into a Million Pieces, now what?

September 2, 2016 12:50 PM

Things got a little heated, iPhone was a casualty. Was thrown intentionally and smashed terribly, beyond any state of repair. Can I tell this to insurance? Am I looking at paying full retail?
posted by kmr to Technology (9 answers total)

So, I don't know what sort of insurance you have, but assuming you have something that covers drops/accidental damage to a phone (like AppleCare+), it won't cover "intentional" damage like throwing and purposeful smashing (by you or by anyone else).

That said, they do not do like... intense forensic research on returned phones to determine the cause of any damage...
posted by brainmouse at 12:56 PM on September 2, 2016 [5 favorites]

I assume you're referring to the handset protection policy you got from your mobile carrier. This policy can vary, so you will need to read the actual policy you've purchased to see if it covers your situation.
posted by kindall at 12:57 PM on September 2, 2016

Is there a deductible? How much is that?
Am I looking at paying full retail?
The person who broke the phone might be, depending on a bunch of things, including insurance claim, friendly agreement or outcome of small claims case.
posted by sageleaf at 1:00 PM on September 2, 2016

Any chance this damage could have been due to "falling from a balcony" or "run over by a car?"
posted by Toddles at 1:08 PM on September 2, 2016 [5 favorites]

While I'm not advocating outright lying, I have accidentally dropped a phone and then, in an attempt to catch it, swatted it really hard across the room (I've also had this happen with an egg, which... sucked).
posted by NormieP at 1:15 PM on September 2, 2016 [9 favorites]

You can get an out of warranty replacement from Apple regardless of what caused the damage for in the $300 range (exact cost based on which model it was). Not cheap, but way less than full retail.
posted by Kriesa at 1:25 PM on September 2, 2016 [2 favorites]

If you got the phone as part of your contract with your carrier, call them and say your phone is busted and ask if you had insurance. (They'll know if you insured through them, and they should also be able to see if you have Applecare, but if they don't you should also check that.)

If they say no, figure out next steps. If they say yes, ask them what to do next.

As far as I know, nobody cares if it fell or was thrown, but there is no mechanism in the phone that can tell the difference. They can tell if it got wet, that's it.
posted by Lyn Never at 1:49 PM on September 2, 2016

Exactly what is smashed? If it's just the glass screen, that's a $130 fix at an Apple Store. If there's further damage, it might be more pricey.
posted by brianogilvie at 7:12 PM on September 2, 2016

Bummer, sorry! One thing worth knowing here is whether or not you're covered by AppleCare+. That's a $129 two-year coverage you might have bought on top of the price of the device. You can double check at Apple's site with your serial number what your coverage status is.

What matters far more than whether the damage was 'intentional' or not is the condition it's now in. A device that is:
- separated into multiple discrete pieces, or
- missing components
is classified as "nonreturnable" or "catastrophic" damage and hence BER (beyond economical repair). You're looking at a full retail replacement if that's the case.

If the device is under APP+ and is not BER, then you can get it replaced at an Apple or AASP store for the APP+ incident fee: either $79 or $99 depending on model.

If you don't have APP+ but it's not BER, then you are looking at up to $329 for a whole unit replacement out of warranty.
posted by churl at 10:09 PM on September 2, 2016