Back-to-School Survey Finds that Parents Replace More Than One Mobile Phone per Child Each Year

With Retail Costs of Smart Phones Climbing to $650, Replacing Your Child's Phone Can be an Expensive Lesson

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Aug 27, 2012, 08:00 ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Asurion, the global leader in technology protection services, today released consumer data proving that mobile phone insurance is an A+ back-to-school "must have," as parents surveyed replace more than one mobile phone per child each year.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120827/DA62751-INFO)

According to Asurion' s back-to-school data, forty-eight percent of high school and college-age students required a replacement device in the last 24 months. The majority of broken or misplaced mobile phones occurred at school (27%), while incidents at home (24%), outside (15%) and at friend's houses (14%) proved similarly dangerous for a student's favorite mobile life-line.

Students lead active lifestyles, as shown in the laundry list of ways their mobile phones crossed over to the dark side, including running/playing (35%), near water (18%), cleaning (18%), sports (17%), watching sports (10%) and yard work (2%).

"Parents purchase mobile phones as a way to maintain direct contact while their kids are away from home," said Taylor Gibbs, a recent college graduate, guest blogger at Gotta Have My Mobile, and public relations representative at Asurion. "As kid's lifestyles become more active, the risk of losing or damaging their phone increases dramatically. Since asking kids to leave their phone at home is not an option, parents should consider insurance through their wireless carrier as a way to ultimately protect their pocketbooks."

Fifty-percent of students and forty-three percent of parents surveyed believe a replacement device costs less than $200; however, in reality, replacement devices such as the Apple iPhone 4S and Samsung Galaxy S III cost more than two and three times that, totaling $650 and $550 respectively.

In addition to protecting your active student's device with insurance, Asurion offers these, and other, helpful tips to keep mobile phones safe as well as being technologically prepared for the school year:

Invest in a good cover or case
Add a transparent film screen protector
Purchase mobile phone insurance when you buy or upgrade
Plug the phone charger into a surge protector
Go to GottaHaveMyMobile.com for more tips and tricks

Asurion is the cell phone protection company chosen by every major wireless carrier. The company insures the handsets of more than 95 million consumers, protecting their investments and quickly reconnecting them in the event of handset loss, theft or out-of-warranty damage, including liquid damage. When a claim is made by phone or online, replacement devices are shipped as soon as the next day, ensuring that customers are reconnected quickly. Asurion maintains an average post-claim customer satisfaction rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

About Asurion
Asurion, a privately-held company operating across three continents, is the global leader in providing consumer technology protection services. Asurion offers support to help customers derive optimum benefit from the usage of electronics; security to help ensure content privacy; and peace of mind through rapid replacement of lost, stolen, damaged or malfunctioning devices. As the premier technology protection provider, Asurion's 5,000+ employees specialize in fulfilling the needs of more than 95 million consumers through strategic partnerships with the world's top wireless and cable brands. Asurion's constant commitment to meeting customer needs has earned the company an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and an average post-claim customer rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. For more information about Asurion, including its customer service ratings and reviews that help drive continuous improvement, please visit www.asurion.com.

SOURCE Asurion