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Assurant return concern

  • 6 December 2018
  • 24 replies
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M

I have heard about this happening to a lot of people, unfortunately I saw all the stories *after* I filed a claim. I will soon have to mail my damaged phone back. I contacted T-Force and they said that I cannot turn it in in-store since the Protection<360> stuff all goes through Assurant. I am scared they will lose my returned phone and then bill me for it, as has happened to so many other people.


Has anyone successfully done a return with Assurant? Any advice as to how I can protect myself - like getting a receipt and buying package insurance? I've also heard filming myself boxing the phone and sending the package is good, does that really help?
And what can I do if/when they lose my phone?
Also, has anyone actually had a *good* experience with Assurant or Jump? Literally all I am seeing is horror stories.

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Best answer by tmo_mike_c 10 December 2018, 22:09

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tmo_mike_c
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I haven't had to ship a phone back but normally it's done with UPS or FedEx. Both of them have the option to get a receipt and tracking numbers for items you ship so you know when it's delivered.

M

Thanks! They're having us send it back USPS now....I got a receipt with the date, weight & tracking number, so hopefully that will be enough if they lose it.
Also, I found some stickers with the IMEI and a bar code for my broken phone, so I sent it back with one of those stuck to the glass, hopefully will help them keep track of it at the warehouse.

tmo_mike_c
Rank
Userlevel 6
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Awesome! So glad you got the tracking info. Have you been able to use it to track where it is? Just wanna make sure you're feeling good about shipping back.

M
Userlevel 2

In the last 2 years I have had 2 warranty replacements and 2 broken screens.  The last one, a warranty replacement was lost in house by T-Mobile.  It was shipped UPS 3rd day with a provided label.  UPS confirmed delivery to Ft Worth and was signed for by T-Mobile.  Unfortunately, T-Mobile does not document the opening of received boxes and the only record they have is by scanning the phone for the IMEI.  Mine was never scanned so now I am charged $860.50 for their error and sloppy bookkeeping. It would have been no better if I requested a return receipt because that does not prove that the phone was in the box.  Also shipment is only insured for the minimum $100.  Of course, if T-Mobile loses the phone as they did in my case, it would not be covered either.   I talked to 4 “experts and 2 supervisors and the best they would do is knock off a couple hundred bucks.  I was told I should have returned the phone to a local store, however, when I made the claim, I was told I could not drop it off at a store. Next T-Mobile said that was done because the local store was closed, which was not true.  I Did drop by the store 1 mile from me to help transfer the data, but they were not permitted to touch a phone because of the Wuhan virus

 

I am disputing the charge and if that does not work, I will sue them in Small Claims Court.  I also contacted my Congressman who is considering consumer protection legislation for situations like this.

 

 

C
Userlevel 2

I want to join your lawsuit and make it a class action if it makes it that far...

1
Userlevel 2

I want in on the lawsuit too! There is something fishy going on. Im in a similar situation right now as well. They said they received the package but no phone was inside,but my tracking of the phone through usps says it made it there within 3 days and there wasn't anything wrong with the package!  Assurant says it was open and tampered with but they dont have any pictures to prove it. Its there word against mine.  I sent the broken phone. Why would I keep it? I've paid my deductible and returned it. 575 dollars they are trying to charge me. Im going to get in touch with a lawyer this week! This is extortion! 

V

I am in for lawsuit too. If the prepaid label was created they would have paid for the insurance as well for the package. 

N

It’s happening the Same to me they charging me for a device I sent three months ago it seems that was delivered but they don’t know what happened

U
Userlevel 1

I haven't had to ship a phone back but normally it's done with UPS or FedEx. Both of them have the option to get a receipt and tracking numbers for items you ship so you know when it's delivered.

Now Tmobile member what do you have to say in regards to what the rest of the people going through this same issue are saying. 

U
Userlevel 1

In the last 2 years I have had 2 warranty replacements and 2 broken screens.  The last one, a warranty replacement was lost in house by T-Mobile.  It was shipped UPS 3rd day with a provided label.  UPS confirmed delivery to Ft Worth and was signed for by T-Mobile.  Unfortunately, T-Mobile does not document the opening of received boxes and the only record they have is by scanning the phone for the IMEI.  Mine was never scanned so now I am charged $860.50 for their error and sloppy bookkeeping. It would have been no better if I requested a return receipt because that does not prove that the phone was in the box.  Also shipment is only insured for the minimum $100.  Of course, if T-Mobile loses the phone as they did in my case, it would not be covered either.   I talked to 4 “experts and 2 supervisors and the best they would do is knock off a couple hundred bucks.  I was told I should have returned the phone to a local store, however, when I made the claim, I was told I could not drop it off at a store. Next T-Mobile said that was done because the local store was closed, which was not true.  I Did drop by the store 1 mile from me to help transfer the data, but they were not permitted to touch a phone because of the Wuhan virus

 

I am disputing the charge and if that does not work, I will sue them in Small Claims Court.  I also contacted my Congressman who is considering consumer protection legislation for situations like this.

 

 

May I know how this is going for you? This happened to me too and I very upset about it. My bill is due today and I am not going to pay for a non returnable fee when I returned and mailed out the phone in its package that Tmobile provided to me. 

Z

Like many others, I returned a phone 2 Assurant in their return envelope. I found it kinda flimsy, so I reinforced it w/ extra tape. This return envelope was stamped thru USPS, & not UPS or FedEx. I received a bunch of text mssgs from Assurant saying that they REQUIRE me 2 mail back phone, then nothing- I assumed the Mail System was slowed by COVID 19, but they eventually received the package...3 months later, I see that T- Mobile is billing me 4 the phone I already sent back. They connected me 2 an Assurant Rep. who told me, like many of U that they received the envelope, but it was empty(???) I spoke w/ Rep. who only told me they couldn't do anything- I was liable 4 the phone. After reading several complaints that sounded like my EXACT issue, I contacted the Postal Service's Fraud Division 2 start an investigation. I took USPS's results back 2 Assurant, this time speaking w/ a Supervisor. I wanted 2 SHOW Due Diligence on my part, & I cited the complaints logged Here 2 make my Case. They R currently investigating, but I REFUSE 2 pay 4 a phone that I don't possess.

*Assurant Supervisor wouldn't admit or deny 3rd Party negligence @ the Pennsylvania Warehouse, so stay on them!

-Good Luck Everyone!

S

Like many others, I returned a phone 2 Assurant in their return envelope. I found it kinda flimsy, so I reinforced it w/ extra tape. This return envelope was stamped thru USPS, & not UPS or FedEx. I received a bunch of text mssgs from Assurant saying that they REQUIRE me 2 mail back phone, then nothing- I assumed the Mail System was slowed by COVID 19, but they eventually received the package...3 months later, I see that T- Mobile is billing me 4 the phone I already sent back. They connected me 2 an Assurant Rep. who told me, like many of U that they received the envelope, but it was empty(???) I spoke w/ Rep. who only told me they couldn't do anything- I was liable 4 the phone. After reading several complaints that sounded like my EXACT issue, I contacted the Postal Service's Fraud Division 2 start an investigation. I took USPS's results back 2 Assurant, this time speaking w/ a Supervisor. I wanted 2 SHOW Due Diligence on my part, & I cited the complaints logged Here 2 make my Case. They R currently investigating, but I REFUSE 2 pay 4 a phone that I don't possess.

*Assurant Supervisor wouldn't admit or deny 3rd Party negligence @ the Pennsylvania Warehouse, so stay on them!

-Good Luck Everyone!

So this exact thing happened to me! I sent in my damaged phone 10/2 and Assurant received the box EMPTY 10/8. They said they can’t do anything about it and to file a report with USPS and threaten to involve the police since tampering with other people’s mail is ILLEGAL. I called USPS to file the report and they said that I would have to file it online but to also fill out the form for “lost goods” in case it had fallen out of the box. The women from Assurant said that it was good I dropped off the box at USPS, that way, security SHOULD have proof that I brought the box and dropped it off and also, if it was tampered with, the cameras should show that as well. I ALSO REFUSE TO PAY FOR A FULL PHONE THAT I HAVE NO POSSESSION OF. What should I do?? I was told I get billed 45 days past the return due date and the full price after 90 days. HELPPPP!!!

K

I am currently dealing with this situation. I returned my phone via the package through USPS in the Dropbox like it was specified. I have done this previously and never had any issues. Not this time! Nothing but a headache. I was told by Assurant that my package was received opened. I called and talked with a T-Mobile specialist and they said I would not be charged for the device since this is an ongoing investigation. Then I got charged for the device. I have not paid it and I've been working with a different specialist. We've contacted the warehouse and spoke with someone and as they were investigating it, mysteriously they hung up. I have contacted the local USPS where it was dropped off and they said to contact UPS or FedEx as they don't have the tracking data for it although I have a tracking number that says my package was delivered. I have filed a stolen merchandise report with USPS as well and have heard no response for at least two weeks. I am so confused as to what my next steps should be because I am not paying $500 for a phone that I returned. I will also be involved gladly take part in this lawsuit because the fact that so many phones are going missing from the company itself is ridiculous. I feel like some sort of fraud it going on. Any advice please?!

A

I have also had similar issue. I have been a customer for 15 years and will be finding a new provider after this con job. Received a new phone from them and mailed the old one back with the supplied return label. 3 months later I get a charge on my T-Mobile bill for a non-returned insurance claim phone. I tried contacting Assurant about this and after being on hold 30min, finally got through. They asked several questions to verify my account and identity and when they got to my billing address they said it was wrong. I told them they are wrong. They told me to look at my online account to verify. I did and they still said I was wrong. I then proceeded to attempt sending them a PDF of my bill to verify themselves and they said they can't receive any files; which is a lie, because I sent all my original return documents digitally. I then asked to speak with a supervisor and was told that they were busy and would call me back on Monday. It's been over a week and still no call back. This company is nothing but a scam. I went on reddit and found countless other people who have had the exact same issue with this company.

S

So this is the deal. When you claim your phone damage or lost, u pay the same deductible. So instead of telling them the phone is damaged, just claim it lost because if u do that, you won’t have to send them anything back and also you won’t have to pay for something you returned. I will rather keep the damaged phone and claim it lost than claiming it damaged and they charging me 100s of dollars. Not happening 

L

I'm in as well just checked my bill and there a charge is 750$ called assurant and they say package showed up sealed and empty gave me the tracking number and told me I had to investigate it problem with all of this is that I saw it coming when I sent it back in October so I called assurant In November talked with them after the tracking number had shown it delivered to them lady was really nice confirmed it arrived and told me not to worry and she would mark the phone as returned and now this miraculously 2 months later the same package is now empty this is ridiculous and I am in for a class action I will be switching carriers if this goes any further im not paying for something I don't have and I have been with tmobile directly or on someone else's plan for 2 decades

C

I'm definitely in on that as well. I put mine in a drop box outside of the post office. A month later I start getting letters saying they have not received my phone.  I figured it was delayed because of covid. I experienced this figured delay with some shoes I bought online and had to return. It took them about a month to get back to the company I had bought them from. But that is not the case with my phone. And now I have a $500 charge on my bill. I went to the post office and spoke to the manager about it and she wasn't much help. She just told me to go online and do a lost package request.The assurant customer service dont do much of anything as well. I'm sure whoever emptied the drop box probably just stole my phone. There is no tracking info for it at all. I've been with this company for over a decade and have been very pleased with them up to this point. 'm sure this situation is not going to be resolved easily but there is no way in hell I'll be paying for a phone i don't have!!!

S

 So here is my story. Filed a damage claim in November. Realized when i got a letter in january that i screwed up and forgot to send the old phone back. Called Assurant let them know i was dropping it into the mail. Took it to the post office on Jan 27th. Dropped it into the box and checked tracking number next day. Showed it had been scanned into the system. Kept checking out of fear that it would get lost in transit due to the COVID backup. I was right. Just received a bill for 506.00 for that phone. Here is the kicker. Contacted Assurant 2 weeks ago when i realized the tracking info still showed in transit as of Feb 1st. She advised before they charged me they would open an investigation and they never did. Called today and was basically told you are SOL. Asked for a supervisor and they told me it would be another 1 hour before they could speak to me. Its late and I said I would call back tomorrow. This isn’t over. This comment will be posted to Tmobiles Facebook Page. I am furious. HOw are they gonna charge me for lost mail? Thats beyond BS.

J
Userlevel 1

I am going through the same thing I put my device in the return envelope. Put it in the drop box at my apartment and it has never been scanned in and it’s missing. I filed missing mail and search mail and it’s still missing. Either the mail lady or guy stole it or either it’s a scam going on. I contacted assurant to let them know and they said that they usually recommend for customers to take it to the usps instead of drop box, I simply told him I followed the directions that was given and it said I could put it in my mail drop box, a usps drop box, or take it to the usps myself. They said I am responsible if it’s not found. How can I be responsive when I followed all directions that was given? We also have cameras at my apartment complex that would at least show me walking the envelope to the mail box. This is crazy that all these things are similar and they’re not doing anything about it but over charging people for a phone that they already pay monthly fees for insurance on. It seems like a scam and the prices are ridiculous, they are fraudung people. And I’m sure and lady or female postal mailers that are thieves know that the company assurant deals with replacement and damaged phones so they will steal them if they have opportunity. Something need to be done about this!

I

I am so concerned, I filed a claim today and they already took my money out of my account,499.00 in case I didn’t return my phone. Now I am petrified that they will do this to me and it doesn’t look like there’s anything I can do, The lady at assurant said oh no I haven’t seen this happen in the two years that I’ve been here, but they already took my money!!!! Isn’t there anyone who’s had a good experience and are they allowed to hold my money like that?

J
Userlevel 1

If assurant can’t respect us enough to investigate and get a safer way to get the phones to them we need to part ways. At the end of the day we are the customers and we keep them in business. If I am charged because my phone was stolen by a usps worker and I did everything I was told to do in the directions, I am most definitely parting ways and I’m going to look into a lawsuit because this is ridiculous. They should have insurance on these return packages knowing that they can be stolen especially when the envelope clearly reads their name assurant and people know that they is also cell phone insurance company as well. Also everyone look into getting insurance with your auto insurance company I’m with Allstate so if they charge me I’m most definitely going with Allstate for device protection and it’s $5 cheaper, I wouldn’t have to have the high $18.00 insurance anymore plus have to worry about being scammed. Because think about it they come off better with your device being lost or stolen because they get more money. So they definitely are getting rich off of us. So everyone just look into other options and stop putting money in their pockets when they clearly don’t care about you l, they just want all of your money!

L
Userlevel 1

I made a claim on my device at the end of January. They sent me the replacement device really quickly. My husband took my damaged device to a drop-box at USPS within a week of receiving the new device. We kept getting letters in the mail throughout Feb. that they still had not received the device. I kept checking with my husband to make sure that he had dropped it off like he had said and he kept telling me he was 100% he put it in the box himself. He remembers which car he was driving, which post office he went to etc. Come last month, April, my phone bill is $500 higher after being charged an unreturned device fee. We filed a missing mail request with the post office that a month later has still not turned anything up. The tracking number that Assurant gave to me says that it was never even scanned at the post office so it looks like they never received it. My husband put it in a drop-box so he never got a receipt or anything for it. We don’t have the device and have done pretty much everything we can on our end to find it and no luck. I asked the Assurant rep the last time we were on the phone if they were going to make us pay for a device we no longer had possession of because the post office had lost it before it could be scanned and they just said yes. There is no way that there have been this many cases of almost the same exact thing happening and it’s just a coincidence. There’s got to be something more going on. I also am refusing to pay for a phone that I don’t have that got returned and was lost once it was out of my hands. This sounds like a scam. 

T-Mobile, however, has been very helpful. They have put the unreturned device charge on hold and have let us pay our normal bill while we’re trying to figure this out. They even waived our late payment fee since we didn’t pay our bill due to the device fee.

Assurant will definitely be losing my business after this fiasco.

J
Userlevel 1

Assurant is just a scam company, I will no longer spend my money with them. It’s crazy how you get charged the full price for a lost or stolen phone when you send it back when you pay insurance on it anyway. And T Mobile should look into this because at the end of the day we are their customers and their starting to make t mobile look very bad.A civil suit needs to be filed because their taking advantage of us the customers and is charging us a fee on a lost or stolen phone that we shouldn’t be held accountable for since we pay insurance on it anyway. And then they have the nerve to charge you the price of a new phone and T mobile just says they have nothing to do with it even though we are their customers. They should take care of us better, and make sure Assurant doesn’t treat their customers badly. T mobile should refund everyone who is being scammed by Assurant and start the lawsuit for bad faith on Assurant for scamming and charging people too much it’s ridiculous!

M

Sent my phone back, taped up. Placed in USPS Dropbox. Now getting mail notices they haven't received the device. 1 call a week ago, said it arrived in the warehouse no issues. This week, another notice. So I called. Package was empty. Sounds like Assurant is defrauding people. Filing a BBB claim and possibly one with the FCC. Since there are others with this issue, this seems a common occurrence.  I have returned devices in the past no issues. I was told I need to find the phone?!! It could be anywhere. I am supposed to trust mail and warehouse workers. What, they think I mail empty packages for free phones?. Filing formal complaints.  We don't need to be bullied. Shame on Assurant and T Mobile.

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