My thoughts on Square Trade and asurion

Question

Great looking deal up front...but in the end ?????
I am speaking total loss in theory only..and only if your are thinking about buying ins(if you dont want it then this read isnt for you)..I believe in coverage so. I am also a very active person and things happen. My son is 16 going on 30 so he gets covered...
So I been researching the two, going back and forth on which to get.. with the asurion ins plan you pay 9+ bucks a month and a 200 dollar deductible  up to 2 times a year( or 1500 dollars)... If I just break the screen I will pay to have it fixed and save ins for major... but again talking total loss so stay with me
say I drop it in the toilet, its fried...I call asurion, I pay 200 bucks they overnight me a new or refurbed phone...say I lose it in the park three months later.. I call asurion they send me new/REFB device and I pay another 200.. up to two times a year and I assume (haven't checked) it starts when you buy or activate, and not when you first make a claim..
pretty costly but compared to nothing 
So math time....you would be out 400 (2 200.00 deductibles) plus months paid, say it happened month 11 and 16, that is cost per month, round up to10 x16 is 160 or total 560 for 2 phones replaced...or if you just wrote it off that is 1500 for two with out replacement coverage...
Not to mention I get to talk to folks right here in good ole TN, most times I have called asurion and someone in the US OF A everytime I have called... so big plus in my book
Now for SquareTrade
I called Squaretrade to get some answers to a couple questions I had
Coverage limit  which =599
 did they replace the device should it be totaled or did I?  a plus in my book, they send check to you so you can buy....more on in a min though..
deductible= 50 per time, except on warranty issues. For  warranty repairs under apple they send you to the apple counter for repair (fine that is what I would do anyhow), when the apple warranty is up they charge you 50 bucks, you send them the phone or they tell you where to go and they pay the bill???not sure how that works either way your phone is fixed and your out 50 bucks in the end..
so far pretty good ..... in a nutshell with them it's
Basically  90 bucks right now up front, no monthly, and 50 deduct for none warranty (not covered by apple ) repairs... Its on top of apple warranty though and extends it to two years. Cheap....
but lets throw in the mind games
say you drop it in toilet...it can't be fixed.... you pay a deductible of 50 bucks and they send you 599 to replace your phone...two choices..try to find one on ebay and hope its not locked, or buy new from apple for 700, or new from vzw for 750.  I know where I am going.....wait did you see that?  look again!
here is what I see!
 if you need it replaced they basically give you 550 to replace it and you pay 700 to get a new one.  so your 50 dollar deductible just went to 150.  well  your still 50 bucks to the good right....wrong... you have to buy another squaretrade warranty(if you want coverage again) which by that time may be 90 or it may be normal cost of 120... so your back at the same cost  as the bucks per month for asurion.... again in my mind
Oh but wait!!!!
you were at the park and lost your 2nd phone with asurion....  Square trade probably will give you your unused warranty money back, but that is it. they dont cover lost or stolen phones.
Sure chances are low and I probably missed some numbers, and that was worse case....  but have you called Square Trade.
I am sorry but I have a hard enough time explaining myself to folks that speak and understand English. See above gibber gabber!!!!!!
I felt Like I was talking to HP for that 10 mins of my life on the phone with SquTrade...if you ever been there you know what I mean.
I think I will go asurion and just pay for screen replacements during the warranty period and fix them myself after the warranty period...
sorry if this doesn't make sense I am sorry, I haven't took a lot of time figuring this out. It is how my head plays it so
and no I wont be buying the 1.99 warranty  or the 10 whatever WAP(asurion) and extended Warranty bundle  just the 9+ dollar a month asurion INS policy and hope I dont ever need it. 
sorry if you feel I wasted your time, but we have got two or three days to play around right..MONDAY will never get here

Answer 1

SquareTrade doesn't always send you the check for the item insured if it needs replaced - many times, they charge you the deductible, fix the item or send you a refurbished/new unit. And the $50 deductible doesn't apply for things like battery/normal use issues - which is the number one complaint for ALL phone owners. You only have to pay the deductible for accidents. I have a SquareTrade warranty for my iPod Touch (2nd gen) and I've had a few battery issues as well as a screen issue - they sent me a new item everytime.
And - no, you don't have to buy a new warranty once you get a new iPhone, if your last iPhone couldn't be repaired. The policy transfers to the new unit no matter what. Which should be no problem, since SquareTrade will most likely just send you a new/refurb unit anyway.
This is taken directly from their site:
Coverage Details
2 years of coverage: The SquareTrade iPhone warranty covers your iPhone for up to 2 years, starting on the date of purchase.
Covered Issues: Both accidents (e.g., broken screen or other damage through drops AND liquid damage including full immersion) and out-of-warranty normal use failures (e.g., battery no longer charging or other hardware failures) are covered. We do not cover loss, theft, willful damage or damage occurring through gross misuse.
Deductible: There is a $50 deductible when claiming on an accident (e.g., drops, spills). There is no deductible for a normal use failure (e.g., power issue).
How it works: You can file a claim online or on the phone. Depending on the issue, we will either fix your iPhone or arrange for a replacement. To fix your iPhone, we give you free overnight shipping to-and-from our depot and 80% of iPhones are fixed the day of receipt. If you prefer the convenience of your local Genius Bar, you can take it there and we will reimburse your repair costs.
Repair or Replacement: Based on what happened to your iPhone, we will let you know if it's suitable for repair, otherwise we will arrange a replacement option.
Older iPhones: This coverage is restricted to iPhones purchased in the last 30 days. Older iPhones can still be covered through the SquareTrade iPhone application (available in the App Store).
Our 5-day service guarantee: We will replace OR fix and ship back your iPhone within 5 business days of receiving it at the depot. If it takes longer, let us know and we'll be happy to refund the cost of your warranty.