Last Updated on July 28, 2021 by Rupesh Patil
Xiaomi has been around for over 5 years now and it’s successfully known for its quality smartphones with top-of-the-line specs and price that’s hard to believe. It’s a Chinese electronics company but a brand that you can trust!
The most impressive thing about Xiaomi smartphones is its long lasting battery life, something that we’re all looking for in a smartphone. But remember, Xiaomi phones have a bigger display and are quite sleek and delicate. So not just buying but also protecting the phone with a good mobile phone damage plan makes sense. Wondering which plan to go with? We help you decide…
Xiaomi Protection / Protection Plan
Unlike most smartphone brands, Xiaomi offers insurance plans on its smartphones and not extended warranty or damage protection plans. So you have the option of protecting your phone with the Mi Protect insurance plan across India. Starting at Rs 275, this insurance plan helps you secure your device from accidental and liquid damage and offers free doorstep pick up and drop for repair, only after thorough inspection.
The Mi Protect plan subscriptions vary depending on the device. For instance; the Redmi 2 and Redmi 2 Prime smartphones can be covered with the Rs 275 plan, while higher-end models such as Mi 4, Mi 4i, etc will cost you Rs 499 to insure the device. This insurance plan comes with 1 year validity. In case, you’re unhappy with the Mi Protect plan, Xiaomi lets you cancel the plan within 30 days of activation and offers a full refund. This seems like a good plan but let us tell you that it’s an insurance plan, which means there’s no guarantee that your phone will be repaired.
Xiaomi repairs the device only after thorough inspection, which means a mobile phone insurance will cover your phone based on how and where the phone was damaged. Also, there are a lot of rules you’re expected to follow as an insurance buyer to protect your device, failing which your claim for damage could be rejected.
Not to forget, in an insurance plan, customers have to go through a long and stringent process for validating the claim. This may involve onerous requirement for documentation, telephonic/physical surveys, deductibles, and even after this there may be no service assurance.
On the other hand, an extended warranty or damage protection plan will cover your device irrespective of how and where the phone was damaged. For instance, if you have a mobile phone insurance plan and unfortunately, you damage your device while driving and talking on the phone, you have a reason to worry about.
Your phone will not be covered by Xiaomi under the insurance plan, as according to the company you are not supposed to be talking on the phone while driving. So that would not be considered as accidental damage. Instead, you will be held liable for the damage. Hence, we wouldn’t recommend buying this plan, as there’s no service assurance even after paying.
OneAssist Protection / Insurance Plans
Another disappointing thing about Xiaomi is that if you wish to cover your smartphone with an extended warranty or damage protection plan, Xiaomi sells it through a third party service company – OneAssist.
For your Xiaomi phone, you could choose the OneAssist 1 Year Extended Warranty plan that covers all the hardware defects that arise after the warranty period. The plan can either be purchased with the phone or within 90 days of purchasing the device and starts as soon as the Xiaomi warranty expires. The 1 Year Extended Warranty for a phone in the Rs 5,000 – 10, 000 range costs Rs 599, while the 1 Year Damage Protection plan that includes both, liquid and accidental damage costs Rs 699 (Prices vary depending on the price of the phone).
As far as the repairs go, OneAssist repairs Xiaomi phones at Xiaomi service centers across India. The good thing is, OneAssist also offers free pick up and drop service but what’s not good is, you’re only limited to two claims during the plan period. We’d say since accidents happen, it is best to stay prepared but only with the right plan that covers your device and gives you complete service assurance.
Onsitego Protection Plans
The ideal Onsitego plan for your phone would be the mobile phone damage protection plan, as it covers all physical and liquid damage as well as broken, cracked and shattered screens. The Onsitego Extended Warranty plan on the other hand, covers all the defects and malfunctions, as mentioned in the Xiaomi warranty. Both the plans have a 1 year validity. For instance, if your phone is under 1 year of brand warranty, you can buy the Onsitego 1 Year Extended Warranty or Damage Protection plan.
The 1 year Extended Warranty plan for the Rs 5,000 – 10,000 range costs Rs 499, while the 1 Year Damage Protection plan costs Rs 899. Onsitego also offers free pick and drop service and gets all the repairs done at Xiaomi service centers for Xiaomi phones. A plus point here is, there is no limit to the number of service requests you can raise against the Onsitego plan. Your device will be repaired till the total cost of all repairs does not exceed the value of the device.
Discussion about this post