DECEMBER 2014 ;e Costco Connection 55
WHEN TED ASTUDILLO of Rancho
Cucamonga, California, bought an Apple iPad
Air at his local Costco warehouse in October,
he didn’t even think about protecting his
investment. But a few days later, when he was
back in the warehouse for routine shopping,
he noticed the coverage by SquareTrade
offered in the electronics section. Though he
had never bought a warranty before, he
decided to do it, “just in case.”
It paid off. “A few days later I was trying to
put my iPad Air into a case,” Astudillo explains.
“I happened to be downstairs, where there’s tile
flooring. It slipped out of the case, fell and
cracked the screen.”
He called Square Trade to file a claim, and
was given several options to have his iPad fixed or
replaced. He could mail it to Square Trade’s repair
facility and get it back within five days, or he could
take it to a local repair provider or an Apple store
and get reimbursed.
Astudillo, a health-care worker who uses
his iPad for work and at home, opted for the
Apple store because that was the most conve-
nient choice for him. He says the
entire claim and reimbursement
process with Square Trade was very
smooth and that he would buy
another Square Trade plan on future
electronics purchases.
Astudillo has the peace of mind
that millions of other Costco members
have enjoyed through SquareTrade.
“Costco partnered with Square Trade because
they have simplified the claim process and
have figured out how to deliver great cus-
tomer service,” says Mark Woodrich, a Costco
electronics buyer. “In short, they do protection
plans Costco-style.”
That means if you buy any new Apple
iPad at Costco, you can get two years of cover-
age for drops and spills for $74.99 with a $49
deductible, compared with AppleCare+,
Apple’s warranty plan, for $94.99 with a $49
deductible.
Costco also offers Square Trade protection
plans on most electronic devices.
TVs. Five years of coverage for $29.99,
$59.99 and $89.99, based on the purchase
price of the TV. These warranties provide an
additional three years beyond the two-year
TV warranties already offered by Costco.
Computers. Three years of drops and
spills coverage for $69.99 or $99.99, depending on the price of the computer.
Android tablets and cameras. Three
years of drops and spills coverage for $29.99,
$49.99 or $79.99, based on the price of the tablet or camera.
Smartphones. Two years of drops and
spills coverage on any smartphone for $99.99
(with a $50 deductible per claim).
You’ll find Square Trade plans at your
local Costco, or search for “Square Trade”
online at Costco.com.—Will Fifield
IT’S WINTER. Here’s a list of apps that
can help you survive the cold, wet,
snowy, vacation-challenged period
between fall and spring.
•
7 Minute Workout (Apple),
a health and fitness app, features a dozen
high-intensity, body-weight-leveraging
exercises that take 30 seconds per exercise, with 10-second rests between them.
(A similar app is available on Android.)
• Weather apps like Dark Sky
(Apple), WeatherMob (Apple) and
mPing (Apple) provide real-time information instantly. Users can also stay connected and inform others by uploading
images and texts from the heart of winter storms.
• Fireplace (Apple) and Virtual
Fireplace (Android) provide a virtual
warmup, complete with crackling noises.
• Sunrise Sunset (two apps with
the same name, on Apple and Android)
let you know just how much daylight
occurs on any day.
• Inspirational and Motivational
Quotes (Apple; Inspiring Quotes on
Android) can help you keep your chin up.
• Seamless (Apple and Android),
lets you instantly order take-out food,
without having to make a phone call,
from a variety of restaurants in 40 U.S.
cities, including Boston, New York and
Washington, D.C.
• EpicMix (Apple and Android),
developed by Colorado-based Vail
Resorts, allows you to track the number
of vertical feet you’ve skied, download
and share info and photos, and earn digital pins for reaching different milestones.—Mark Cardwell
Protecting
your tech
special section electronics
Cool winter apps
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©MORRISON77/SHUTTERSTOCK Square Trade warranties protect your gadgets against life's mishaps.
