TEP and you: How not to get boned.

[chappy]

I've seen more than a few threads around here with people being told they have to pay $50 dollars, even though they have TEP, or what's going to happen in the store. I'm a repair rep for Sprint, and I thought I might be able to help. I'd like to give back a little and help you guys not spend money when you don't need to.

First, there are three layers of equipment protection.

TEP (Total Equipment Protection) is $7. It covers you in store for anything short of lost, stolen, damaged beyond economical repair, or liquid damaged. Screen cracked? Covered at no additional cost. Earpiece out? Covered. One of your keyboard buttons has come off? Covered. If your phone is lost, stolen, DBR, or Liquid damaged, you would be required to make a claim with Asurion and pay $50 dollars.

ESRP (Equipment Service and Repair Plan) is $4. It covers you in store for anything short of lost, stolen, damaged beyond economical repair, or liquid damaged. Screen cracked? Covered at no additional cost. Earpiece out? Covered. One of your keyboard buttons has come off? Covered. Does not cover anything else. You are responsible for finding a replacement phone at your own cost if the phone is deemed DBR, or if you lose it.

ERP (Equipment Replacement Plan) is $4 (notice how you save $1 a month if you get both). If your phone is lost, stolen, DBR, or Liquid damaged, you would be required to make a claim with Asurion and pay $50 dollars. You can pay for repairs at the Sprint store, at the MAXIMUM cost of $55 plus tax. Or you can just say your phone is lost and have a new one ordered.

A couple of things to consider. With ERP only, there is absolutely no way to get a phone that day through Asurion. It will normally be a reconditioned model, and it will come in 3-5 business days. You also only get 3 claims a year. With ESRP or TEP, you can usually plead your case to a sympathetic technician or manager and get your phone swapped out same day, it's even easier if you are open to taking a recon device. There is no limit to the number of times ESRP can be used.

For those of you with ERP only or nothing at all, you are not resigned to simply buying a new phone.

Most issues can be resolved at a repair location for a nominal fee, especially for a PPC. You will be paying $35 or $55 dollars, MAX, to get your phone replaced or repaired. Most of the time it will be a replacement, as PPC's arent repair models, although some techs will harvest parts from returns to fix the device, rather than swap it.

You will be charged $35 if you have issues with your Audio Components, such as headset jack, earpiece, or microphone. Other issues such as buttons not working properly, keypad missing buttons or completely not working, also command a $35 charge.

You will pony up 55 big ones (plus appliciable sales tax) if your phone is DOA (this doesn't apply if it's just a bad battery) or anything at all is wrong with your LCD. Still, not a bad deal for a phone that retails for $550 and is on ebay for around 250.

Any other service and repair questions, feel free to ask.

[Ph33zy]

I currently have TEP and an SD corruption problem with my phone. I think its due to the fact that I have an early revision of my the Touch. Two of my friends do not have this issue but bought it later after me. I was wondering if I have to go to Sprint Repair Center or can I just go to any Sprint Store? Will they try and repair it or just give me a new phone on the spot? I have hard-resetted and tried many custom and roms and nothing seems to solve the problem.

[chappy]

Your best bet is a repair store if you actually want them to try and resolve the issue. If you just want it swapped, you want to find an advanced exchange location, or call into care and tell them whats going on.

They will order you a phone and you either go back to the store and swap it or send it back via pre paid package.