Mobile Insurance For Modern Vacations: #AsurionSaves

*** This post was created in partnership with Asurion, but all thoughts are my own.Content or other value provided by Asurion, personal images copyright Momma Told Me Blog 2013.

Momma Told Me: Don't let fear ruin your fun.


Between Jay and I it's a miracle we aren't over our heads in debt. These days it seems like the more expensive device you buy, the more risk you are taking financially. With all of the fancy automated technological gadgets, the more screen protectors, extended warranties, specialized cases, and instructional classes are needed to simply operate them. The modern cell phone handset retails for $450 today; and, with the recent switch to contract free service plans, that's often out of pocket up front. I don't tote my personal laptop around, so why would I do that with a cellphone of nearly the same value? We have been conditioned to overlook the practicality of such heavy usage, and the risks involved with constant mobility of such a device, in exchange for the amount of convenience these phones offer (size, speed, connectivity)- but that doesn't change the fact that the modern smartphone is a major financial investment for the average consumer.

Just this year Jay misplaced his wallet for nearly 2 weeks; we considered it long and gone, replacing IDs and cutting financial losses with gift cards and cash, until it was found wedged between the dresser and our bed. Late last year he also walked out of a very crowded Punk Rock Bowling tournament without his phone, which has been, presumably safely, resting in his pocket the entire time. Unfortunately, on a pre-paid plan, and never to be seen again, Jay was out of pocket several hundred dollars and left phone-less until he could afford a new handset. On a daily basis Sabrina (10) walks into walls, trips flat on her face, and plays with yo-yos inches from our flat screen. We leave pizzas on top of car roofs, sunglasses on fast food counters, and personal items in hotel rooms while on vacation. In our household we have 3 tablets, 2 laptops, 2 digital cameras, 2 smartphones, and 1 basic cellphone. We are your average American family.

I freely admit I'm a worrywart. I panic over any and everything. I'm a sufficiently over-cautious driver (and yes that can cause issues of it's own), I always try to have back up contingencies, and on any given day I'll tell you I'm going to die of something I shouldn't have eaten. (Hey, I never said I was perfect!) But living your life in fear of the worst case scenario is no way to live at all. As licensed drivers we are required to carry insurance for our vehicles, primarily because the operation of such can result in property damage and injury to others. Then there's dental, vision, medical, and homeowner's insurance; all optional in most cases. But how do you ensure your Summer isn't ruined by the simple act of having fun? Do you leave your iPhone at home? I truly doubt that. Are you buying $50 waterproof baggies to store your tech in, while out exploring? And what do you do if someone with sticky hands decided to slip that new Google Tab out of your purse while you're grabbing soft serve at the pier?

Mobile insurance covers just about anybody from just about any mobile device relate catastrophe. Just like any other insurance policy customers pay a small monthly fee (in comparison to unit value), to add a little extra peace of mind while out kayaking and splashing in the waves. Asurion mobile insurance has over 150+ million customers with a business rating of 4.5/5, and is easily accessible online. Much like the insurance plans you'd purchase through your contract mobile phone provider, Asurion will cover most all cases of loss, theft, and accidental damage. That means no more rice bags! In some instances claimants have been able to have a replacement device in hand in as short as a 24 hour turn-around (depending on time and date of report), and that's priceless peace of mind when you're away from home. Don't let mobile catastrophe ruin your Summer, invest in mobile insurance.

What Daughter Says: Keep your sanity in tact with the peace-of-mind of quality mobile insurance.

How Mobile Insurance Can Save Your Summer

****Content or other value provided by our partner Asurion. I will receive an incentive for sharing my honest opinions and thoughts regarding the following topic.Visit Asurion to learn moreThis post was created in partnership with Asurion, but all thoughts are my own.

Momma Told Me: If you lose it, I'm not buying a new one!

Technology is amazing, isn't it? I've talked time and again about the vast developments I've watched evolve through my lifetime, so far; but I suspect every generation feels a little overwhelmed by the speed of progress. I still recall my parent's first Polaroid Spectra, circa 1987, which originally retailed for $249 (an even bigger gulp 20 years back), and targeted towards the professional photography community. However, as most technology goes, if you wait long enough, these items are soon fine tuned and developed for the retail consumer at a lower cost. Still, technology can be quite a financial investment; few recent developments outlining this more than the modern mobile phone. An electronic do-all wonder that has connected consumers internationally via instant communication and online browsing. Think I'm being a little over-dramatic? Consider the, currently in Beta, Nokia Lumia 1020 with a shocking 41MP camera; that's 3x the strength of my current 'business' digital camera!

I've never been one to chase brands, or technology trends for the sake of showing off; but I also am not one to buy the bottom of the line. I pick and choose my bells and whistles, and invest in devices with the help of valuable insight from friends and family, and Consumer Reports. When I finally make the plunge to invest in a new smartphone it's likely no longer the hottest thing, but quite a big deal for me. After all, what's all the deciding and the wait if I can't enjoy my device once it's in my hands? And, while I tend to baby these devices, I, sadly, cannot protect them from the outside forces that may blow through and past; kids, pets, vacation destinations, theft, and significant others. I literally cringe when Jay asks to borrow my phone simply to call and locate his. Prime example; he has already misplaced his smartphone in the first place, to require the use of mine- visions of catastrophe dance in my mind as I idly sit by, helpless.

Few events can be as threatening to the security as your mobile device as Summer and vacation. Case in point a little personal tale from 3 1/2 years back, when I had just inherited my very first smartphone. I'd saved up 5 months for this non-contract device; meaning I didn't have the option upon purchase to opt into any sort of extended warranty or insurance. And it just so happens I activated my brand new phone just 2 weeks prior to driving up the Western US Coast to visit Momma in Oregon. It had a beautiful purple finish, with web capabilities, talk to text (a big deal at the time), and a full color 2.5" screen with flip keyboard, and on the day of it's demise, just 19 days after it's purchase, it still had the protective plastic on the screen from it's original packaging.

I'm not a penny pincher- but I do have a strong sense of the value of time and money. I have worked hard my entire life, so far, for everything I have, and cannot stand to see that hard work go to waste over carelessness, or needless accidents. As I watched my brand new smartphone crash some 200 feet below the ledge of the Haceta Head Lighthouse, on the Oregon Coast, I felt my throat lump up as I gasped for a forlorn 'Noooooooo!' My, now, ex-husband had borrowed my phone to take a picture, as he'd left his digital camera back in California, and his own phone battery had died. I'd been so excited by the breathtaking view I handed it over without an ounce of concern in hopes of capturing the view and the moment. Well, I captured the moment all right, with a 5 day out-of state trip, phone-less, and a $200 bill for a new handset!

Ever since that fateful Summer day, I've held my breath at every request to borrow my phone, and treated friends and family like they had the same haphazard tenacity of the Tazmanian Devil. I'm not proud of it, but I've lived in fear of being unexpectedly disconnected by an accidental mishap; and Summer vacation is a plethora of smartphone risks; beach sand sneaking into unprotected data ports, (literal) pools of water abound, extra small hands reaching and grabbing to play apps in the back of the car on long road trips, and ample risky photo opps (just like the one above). Thankfully there are options for safeguarding your phone outside of turning into a living Gollum or suspending your device in an infinite safety bubble. Options once only available to those with secured contract plans.

Of course I'm talking about insurance in the form of Asurion mobile insurance for contract and pre-paid mobile devices. For just $5-$7 a month, on average, you can cover your mobile device from loss, theft, and damage with a minimal deductible. Services covered include major pre-paid phone plans, such as T-Mobile and Verizon, or the newer sub-plans, such as Walmart Family Mobile. All deductibles vary based on the device you are insuring, and are clearly stated at the time of the policy en-statement, so you never have any sticky surprises when it comes time to cash in on a lost or broken device. And, while I personally use a pre-paid service, Asurion is especially important for contract phone users, who typically receive their expensive handsets at a very minimal fraction of the retail cost, in exchange for signing loyalty service contracts. Many mobile consumers do not realize, until it's too late, that a lack of mobile insurance can mean paying the full $300-$500 for a replacement device, out-of-pocket!

Not only does Asurion cover a wide variety of mobile technology devices, without having to go through your provider, but this independent mobile insurance company can have your replacement device in hand next day, in most cases. With over 150 million customers, this is no small fry start up company, they're an established insurance broker with the added security of a 12 month warranty on all replacement devices. There is little Asurion won't cover, whether your 3 year-old has dropped your iPhone 5 in the fish tank, or your Nokia Lumia has quite literally fried sitting in the car during scorching summer heat; with an Asurion policy, you can have the peace of mind needed to enjoy your mobile devices, and your Summer break without loss or damage anxiety.

What Daughter Says: Protect yourself, and keep your Summer on track, with mobile insurance.