[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/passive-income\/cash-back-and-rewards\/credit-cards\/amex-cell-phone-protection\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/passive-income\/cash-back-and-rewards\/credit-cards\/amex-cell-phone-protection\/","headline":"Amex Cell Phone Protection: How I Used It in 7 Steps","name":"Amex Cell Phone Protection: How I Used It in 7 Steps","description":"This is my broken iPhone: And this is the check I just got from...","datePublished":"2023-01-26","dateModified":"2023-04-07","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/author\/logan-allec\/#Person","name":"Logan Allec, CPA","url":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/author\/logan-allec\/","identifier":4,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6e74dd0453a5871d1dcfde6d40d9494765ca8bfdb01927cefee4564d4bee9075?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6e74dd0453a5871d1dcfde6d40d9494765ca8bfdb01927cefee4564d4bee9075?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Money Done Right","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Money-Done-Right-Personal-Finance-and-Investing-Blog.png","url":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Money-Done-Right-Personal-Finance-and-Investing-Blog.png","width":488,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/amex-cell-phone-protection.jpg","url":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/amex-cell-phone-protection.jpg","height":460,"width":1900},"url":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/passive-income\/cash-back-and-rewards\/credit-cards\/amex-cell-phone-protection\/","video":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zxd4MYIFDXc#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zxd4MYIFDXc","name":"Hunter's 3rd Birthday! \ud83e\udd73","description":"In this family vlog, we celebrate Hunter's birthday! Happy 3rd Birthday, Hunter!\n\n\ud83d\udcc5 YESTERDAY'S VIDEO:\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/JjSeBgUgljo\n\n\ud83d\udcc5 VIDEO FROM A YEAR AGO:\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/y0CDy_MYQ1g\n\n\u27a1\ufe0f SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UgCA3Jg7eUCBPsjX13X7kTW1hQ?sub_confirmation=1\n\n\ud83d\udc76 ABOUT HUNTER: Hunter is a 3-year-old happy toddler boy and Carson is an eleven-month-old healthy baby boy!  They are both a quarter Mexican, quarter white, and half Korean.  Sometimes half-Asian babies are called hapa babies!\n\n\ud83d\udccd LOCATION: Santa Clarita, CA\n\n#familyvlog #familyof4 #birthdayparty","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/zxd4MYIFDXc\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/zxd4MYIFDXc\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/zxd4MYIFDXc\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/zxd4MYIFDXc\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/zxd4MYIFDXc\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2022-05-04T18:00:30+00:00","duration":"PT10M26S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zxd4MYIFDXc","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC3Jg7eUCBPsjX13X7kTW1hQ#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC3Jg7eUCBPsjX13X7kTW1hQ","name":"The Allec Family","description":"Hey all!  We're Logan, Caroline, Hunter, Carson, and Joan Allec, and we're excited to share our life with you!  We live in a relatively sleepy suburb of Los Angeles called Santa Clarita.  Logan is a CPA + personal finance blogger\/vlogger, Caroline is a stay-at-home-mom + special events hair and makeup artist, Hunter is a preschooler, Carson is a toddler, and Joan is a baby!  We enjoy exploring Southern California (especially its many BEACHES)!","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/VI4zN42WM1lOObJ58m2fyDahpl6vnCT_vO7AbSzXO2geJH3p8o1BJGVHTfopcy497wlu_b5Dwg=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zxd4MYIFDXc#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zxd4MYIFDXc#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zxd4MYIFDXc&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zxd4MYIFDXc#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":239}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zxd4MYIFDXc#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":44}]},"commentCount":"1","comment":[{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/passive-income\/cash-back-and-rewards\/credit-cards\/amex-cell-phone-protection\/#Comment1","dateCreated":"2023-07-15 14:33:29","description":"Did the repair location charge you for an estimate? If so does the insurance also cover the estimate cost. My experience most repair are changing around $40-80 estimate cost which they will give back if you repair the phone with them.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Chris","url":""}}],"about":["Credit Cards"],"wordCount":1068,"articleBody":"This is my broken iPhone:And this is the check I just got from AIG Claims, Inc. \u2014 the insurance company that handles Amex cell phone protection \u2014 for $551.16:Yup, they covered the full replacement cost of my iPhone ($601.16) less the $50 deductible that’s explained in Amex’s cell phone protection terms.And it wasn’t a hassle at all.\u00a0 So I thought I’d tell the tale of how I qualified for Amex cell phone protection and how I submitted my claim to ultimately get paid.Important: The card I used to file my claim is the American Express Business Platinum card.\u00a0 If you have a different card, some things may be different, but the gist of filing a claim will be the same.Table of ContentsToggleStep 1: Make Sure You’re CoveredStep 2: Determine if Your Loss or Damage Is CoveredStep 3: Document and Quantify Your LossStep 4: Open Your Claim Within 90 Days of Loss or DamageStep 5: Email Requested DocumentationStep 6: Look Out for Approval EmailStep 7: Cash the CheckStep 1: Make Sure You’re CoveredTo qualify for Amex cell phone protection, you have to pay the cell phone bill for the phone in question with your Amex card that offers cell phone protection.And your coverage doesn’t begin on the date you make your first cell phone bill with your Amex card \u2014 it actually begins on the first day of the month\u00a0after you make your first payment with the card.So let’s say you paid your cell phone bill with your qualifying Amex card in March; your coverage would then begin on April 1.And you have to\u00a0keep paying your cell phone will with your qualifying Amex card.Step 2: Determine if Your Loss or Damage Is CoveredLost and Stolen PhonesFirst of all, if your phone was stolen, and you filed a police report documenting this, you’re covered.But if you simply lost your phone or it “mysteriously disappeared,” you’re not covered.Damaged PhonesWhat about if you still have your phone, but it’s damaged?There are some other nits, but basically Amex says if the damage to your phone is merely “cosmetic,” it isn’t covered.\u00a0 Here are examples of damages Amex says is “cosmetic” and therefore not covered:Minor abrasiansScruffsScrapesDintsScratchesChipsOther superficial damages that do not fully break through, separate, or penetrate the phone’s display screen or casing and do not impact the phone’s functionality.So what about probably the most common damage experienced by cell phones \u2014 a cracked screen?You’re in luck \u2014 cracked screens\u00a0are covered.So basically, if your screen cracked, or your damage\u00a0isn’t merely cosmetic, you’re covered.In my case, my three-year-old son Hunter dropped my phone, and the back of the phone cracked.\u00a0 I was worried this would be considered merely “cosmetic” damage until the phone started not being able to make calls shortly thereafter and my iPhone flashed a message on my screen saying, “No SIM Card Installed.”That’s when I took it to the Apple Store to take a look at it so I could document my loss, which is the next step.Step 3: Document and Quantify Your LossThe next thing I did is document my loss at the Apple Store as quickly as possible.The “genius” at the Apple Store provided me with the document below, which established that my phone was experiencing SIM card failure and would have to be replaced.\u00a0 This document established that the damage to my phone was not, in fact, cosmetic since it impacted the phone’s functionality.Note: You can open your claim before documenting and quantifying your loss, but I did it in the order described in this article.\u00a0Naturally, the technician also gave me a quote for the repair, which served to quantify my loss.At this point, you can choose \u2014 like I did \u2014 to get your phone repaired or replaced on the spot.\u00a0 (I can’t really function without my phone.)Step 4: Open Your Claim Within 90 Days of Loss or DamageThe next step is to open your claim within 90 days of when your phone was stolen or damaged.You can open your claim by calling 1-833-784-1467.\u00a0 You will be connected to a representative from New Hampshire Insurance Company, which is an AIG company.This representative will ask you some basic information about yourself, your relationship with American Express, and what happened to your phone.At the conclusion of this conversation, the representative will open your claim and give you a claim number.Step 5: Email Requested DocumentationShortly after you open your claim \u2014 the same day, in my case \u2014 you will receive an email from aigclaimsdoc@aig.com with a list of additional information you need to email to aigclaimsdoc@aig.com in order for the company to process your claim.You must provide this information to AIG within 120 days of when your phone was stolen or damaged or your claim may be denied.Here’s the list of documents you need to email back to AIG:Three claims forms that AIG includes in their initial email to you (these are easy to fill out \u2014 just basic information)American Express statement for the month before your phone was stolen or damaged \u2014 this is because your coverage doesn’t begin until the first of the month after you pay your cell phone bill with the card.Cell phone bill for the month in which your phone was stolen or damaged as well as for the previous monthProof of eligible cell phoneReceipt for purchase of cell phoneRepair estimateStep 6: Look Out for Approval EmailFinally, after you email all these things back to AIG, you’ll stay on the lookout for an email from AIG notifying you that they have approved the claim.Personally, I submitted all my documents to AIG via email on December 7, and then I got an email from AIG on January 13 that my claim was approved.\u00a0 So it was a little over five weeks of waiting for me.Step 7: Cash the CheckShortly after receive the email from AIG stating that your claim was approved, you’ll receive the check in the mail.\u00a0 Remember, the insurance coverage has a $50 deductible.\u00a0 But when you receive that check, go ahead and cash!Source: American Express. Guide to Benefits for American Express Card Members: Cell Phone Protection. Accessed January 25, 2023."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Passive Income","item":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/passive-income\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Cash Back And Rewards","item":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/passive-income\/\/cash-back-and-rewards\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Credit Cards","item":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/passive-income\/\/cash-back-and-rewards\/\/credit-cards\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Amex Cell Phone Protection: How I Used It in 7 Steps","item":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/passive-income\/cash-back-and-rewards\/credit-cards\/amex-cell-phone-protection\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]