What Does Best Buy Geek Squad Protection Cover

Geek Squad accident protection plans cover mechanical issues, like the standard plans, but also include coverage for accidental damage. This is particularly helpful for items that get carried around, like cell phones, smart watches, or cameras.

what does best buy geek squad protection cover

When you purchase an Apple product through Best Buy, such as an iPad or MacBook, it doesn't qualify for Geek Squad protection. You'll still get the standard AppleCare limited warranty, but you'll have to find extended warranty coverage elsewhere. Luckily, Mulberry offers coverage for all Apple devices. When you shop online at Best Buy, you can add MulberryCare coverage to your Apple device purchase. Install the Mulberry extension so you'll receive alerts when your Apple devices qualify for MulberryCare coverage. You can learn more about how MulberryCare and AppleCare+ stack up here.

Purchase a Geek Squad protection plan: If one of the Best Buy plans provides the coverage you want and you don't mind paying a premium, you can go ahead and get the plan when you purchase your product.

Geek Squad plans range in price and coverage, but are generally pretty comprehensive if you're willing to pay for it. That coverage, of course, comes at a premium, so whether or not a plan is worth it to you depends on the product, the plan cost, and whether you end up having an issue, either mechanical or accidental. If you do end up having an issue, the cost of the protection plan will be less than paying for a repair or fully replacing a damaged item.

Whatever it's called, these warranties are usually limited in time and scope. Thus, you'll frequently find the item's reseller (sometimes the manufacturer) trying to (up) sell you on extra coverage. That coverage is called an extended warranty, or sometimes a "protection plan" or "service plan/contract." The latter are more accurate, as no one can really extend a warranty except the original manufacturer.

Getting a protection/service plan means you pay more upfront, depending on the item and the coverage. In theory, you do so to make sure you have even more time with the product should it break in that pre-set amount of time, be it a few months, a year, or a few years.

Signing up for a Geek Squad plan could be worth it, depending on the consumer and the piece of electronics they are looking to have covered. Generally speaking, Best Buy protection plans break down into three categories.

Best Buy Totaltech's most unique features include 24/7 tech support and an extended 2-year warranty on "most" products purchased at Best Buy. The latter also covers Apple Care on Apple devices. This could be an excellent perk for Apple fans given that Best Buy is one of our go-to stores for the best Apple deals.

Besides helping you with installation, there are services that also provide protection for your smart devices. Pocket Geek Home is a new service we are testing. It is owned by Assurant, a Fortune 500 company, and offers unlimited tech support and protection for all your smart home devices. Their monthly plan covers setup, connection, troubleshooting and repairs for your TVs, laptops, tablets, gaming systems, Bluetooth headphones and more. The smart devices covered are Wi-Fi routers, External hard drives, hubs, Light-dimmers, Door Locks, Thermostats, Smoke detectors, Video doorbells and Home security cameras. Their plan also covers mobile devices such as smartwatches, fitness trackers and and smart speakers, but it doesn't cover smartphone repairs.

Pocket Geek Home has a monthly cost for unlimited remote usage and coverage of your devices. Whether it's setting up surround sound or a smart thermostat, it costs only $24.99 per month with no long term contract. The company does offer In-Home service repairs by professional installers but this is an incremental cost.

So, it all depends on the type of support you need in your home. For users who need help with connecting devices, setting up your Wi-Fi 6 router or installing a new DIY smart home security system bought at Best Buy, a Totaltech subscription is a good choice. But if you plan to install new appliances or need help with your computer and appliances, you might want to go with Geek Squad. Their plan includes protection but does offer re more services which will fit your needs, and you can speak to a person. 041b061a72