Boris 's profile

Re: Beware of the new cell phone insurance deductibles!

Scam Alert! Beware of the so called "protection" plan offered by NCOA (National Cellular Owners Association). Their services usually being offered when you purchase online through "Wirefly", "Inphonic, Inc.", "Cellular Chioces" and probably some other major online retailers. They lure you by relatively low cost of $49 a year and "no deductible". Here is what happens in reality. I have purchase 2 brand new cell phones Motorola E815 through Wirefly in June 2005 along with the "protection subscription" from NCOA. In year 2005 everything went all right with the phones and in June 2006 I have renewed my protection with NCOA for another year. When 1 of my phones suddenly stopped working properly (the main screen went blank. After obtaining approval from the NCOA I have sent it to their repair facility in MI. Needless to say that few weeks later I was notified that my phone has a "water damage" (wonder where that came from?) and therefore can not be repaired or replaced under the existing protection plan. Since I needed a replacement phone from some other source that the insurance company I went to the website of the retailer who sold me the phones. On their website they have a Q&A page specifically about how NCOA coverage works, and one of the questions specifically answeres: WHAT IF I CHANGE MY WIRELESS DEVICE? The answer is that I simply have to notify NCOA and they will extend the coverage onto the new cellular phone. Keeping that in mind I then purchased a brand new LG-VX8300 from the same service provider as the previous one (Verizon Wireless) and in a couple of weeks after the activation I sent an e-mail to NCOA (by the way, e-mail is the only way you can communicate with them. Isn't that nice?!) just to formally let them know about the changes and requesting the extention of the coverage onto new cell phone. In a week!!! after my couple of e-mails to them I finally was informed that transfer of the coverage is not possible. When I referred them to the abovementioned Q&A from the online retailer they told me that they have nothing to do with it and bear no responsibility for their website. And now here I am with my new phone without any protection. Verizon can only offer one through Assurion that can only be purchased within 15 days from the activation, which I missed while exchanging e-mails with NCOA. I also found out that NCOA doesn't want to have anything to do with me after collecting my money for practically nothing. I hope this posting will prevent others from repeating my mistake and allow everybody to understand that NCOA=SCAM. By the way, those who promote their services are their accomplices since they give you false information.