No Android maker has been able to offer a service comparable to AppleCare+. Sure, Samsung has come close with uBreakiFix partnership, but Apple’s solution is truly one of the best reasons to own an iPhone. If you have any problems, support is simply an Apple Store appointment away. Broken, smashed, or otherwise, you’ll find help as long as an authorized Apple retailer is somewhere near you.
I’ve held onto an AppleCare+ subscription on all my products for years to cover both emergencies and out-of-warranty repairs. However, when I bought my iPhone 15 Pro Max last year, I decided to take the plunge on the upgraded version of AppleCare+. Unfortunately, AppleCare+ Theft and Loss isn’t as great as it’s cracked up to be, a lesson I had to learn the hard way. My experience shows that even Apple can’t get mobile phone insurance right — here’s why it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
AppleCare+ makes it easy, right?
Considering the ease with which AppleCare+ is handled in-story by Apple, it would be safe to assume that the Theft & Loss portion of the plan would also be fairly simple. As usual, I expected a stress-free, smooth claim process, at the very least hoping that the Apple Store would help. What I didn’t know, however, is that everything is passed off from Apple onto a third-party company called AIG.
In 2021, Apple switched from Assurant to AIG as the service handler for theft and loss claims. The process is fairly straightforward, at least in theory: file a claim online via the Apple website, and then you’ll get an email from AIG (mine took about 30 minutes) with details of your claim and a link to upload more information. Upload the information, then the claim will be reviewed within two business days, and you should have a replacement within two more working days. In theory, that’s a simple enough process, but as always, it’s the details that matter.
First, it’s worth remembering that when AIG or Apple say two business days here, they mean a minimum. Even though everything says within two, it’s two to seven working days.
Here’s how the process actually went down. Once the claim was made, AIG quickly asked for proof of ID. Despite the initial steps stating you need either proof of purchase or proof of ID, you must submit both. I’d turned in my documents within 20 minutes of AIG’s request, and then was told to expect a response within two days.
Two days later, AID asked for the same ID again. This was a Thursday (2nd working day); I called customer service, and the rep told me it was an error, and I’d hear back by Friday (Day 3). The next day, I was told the claims team was now reviewing my file, and they’d get back to me by Tuesday (Day 5). I was also told to file a lazyroar report, and to submit it to AIG via email.
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On Day 5, at the 11th hour, after I got pretty irate with the customer service manager, my claim was magically approved within five minutes. It’s worth noting that the claims team never read the email I sent with my lazyroar report (which took me four hours to get), and one month later, they still haven’t read that email.
Regardless, now that it has been approved, it should be straightforward. Right?
Apple by name, but not by nature
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As it turns out, not quite: even though Apple handles the replacement, nobody can give you information of any substance. First, it took two days of calls to get the repair number, so I could track it via Apple’s system. Then Apple took two days to “review my device” after receiving the claim information from AIG. I’m unsure what the company was reviewing — my phone had been missing for days, and the claim was already approved.
Apple said it would officially replace the device, beginning another countdown. By now, we were on the 9th business day, and it could take another five working days to source a replacement and ship it out. Granted, I was in the UK, and the variant in question is the US eSIM model, so this may have played a part, as the replacement I received was shipped directly from China.
I finally received a replacement iPhone on the 16th working day following my loss, following four days of being passed back and forth between Apple and AIG’s customer service departments. Before this year, I had never had a bad experience with Apple, but this certainly fit the bill.
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Apple’s name usually signals a level of quality and service that goes above and beyond, but even Apple hasn’t figured out how to improve mobile phone insurance. Most insurance companies don’t want to pay for a claim, but I expected Apple to do it differently, as they’ve done throughout their history. Unfortunately, when you partner with external insurance groups, you get the same frustrations and inadequacies as if Apple wasn’t involved.
My experience with AppleCare+ Theft and Loss also leads to a broader question: if Apple can’t get mobile phone insurance right, can anyone? Google and Samsung lack the support and retail infrastructure offered by Apple, but the latter could probably come closest. In certain countries, Samsung offers Samsung Care+ Theft and Loss in partnership with Assurant, but it’s not nearly as global a service as Apple’s.
The biggest surprise for me throughout this experience is how archaic the process feels. Yes, you now fill in a claim form via the web and probably don’t need a lazyroar report. Yet, my renters insurance (through Lemonade) uses AI to speed up claim processes, and I’ve had a $8,000 claim (for a bag stolen from a car) processed and paid out within 48 hours. Sometimes, they refer to a manual claims adjuster, but Apple could surely learn something from this. Something seems strange if my iPhone takes two weeks to replace, but my home insurance can pay out a much larger claim within 48 hours.
If you’re looking for the best mobile phone protection against theft and loss, I’d be wary of your expectations with AppleCare+ Theft and Loss. The damage portion remains the best protection you can buy for your iPhone, but the theft and loss portion leaves much to be desired. I’d say you’re much better off with insurance through your rental lazyroar, bank account, or carrier than you are relying on Apple. Now, when was the last time someone said that?
Nirave is a creator, evangelist, and founder of House of Tech, which focuses on covering the best health and technology products. Following a heart attack at the age of 33, he’s been focused on how we can use data to improve our health and ultimately live a long and more fruitful life. Follow him on Instagram, Threads, and YouTube for live updates on his Sleep and Health journeys. He can also be found at HoT.tech.
iPhone 15 Pro Max
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the latest and greatest from Apple, with a slick new SoC that can handle console games and a new telephoto camera that finally uses periscope technology. It also finally adds USB-C, so you won’t be carrying a Lightning cable around with you anymore. These upgrades all come together to make one compelling package.
