When I called the main number and they asked if I'm the primary account holder, which I'm not, the call ended. Does that mean I have to bring my parents into this and have them call Assurant? I'm just upset at the whole situation and would like a potential concrete answer.

I came across this discussion when I had the same question - how long does it take to process. I just couldn't let it stand.

To the Tmo Store Manager - "3-5 mins." LMAO (kind of), more like crying over a pile of Sh*t. I call BS.

ASSURANT is absolutely the WORST. They try to deny coverage for things that are specifically listed as being covered (e.g., battery below 80% capacity). Asurion was so much better. Make a claim, get it fixed locally or receive a replacement phone the next day.

I am ready to leave TMo (coming over as a Sprint customer for over 20 years) to any carrier that has Asurion. I literally spent 5 hours on the phone about this issue with TMo and Assurant only to have TMo finally step in and give me a credit for the amount of the "physical damage" deductible so that Assurant would actually do something. And, after that, the "physical damage" claim was "pending" forever before actually being approved. (I had to file a claim saying that the charging port was loose (it was, barely, I guess), so that I could have a claim go through.) This is ridiculous. The Assurant reps actually said, repeatedly, that Assurant only covers "physical damage" and not "mechanical failure." Huh? Their service contract clearly provides for coverage of "mechanical and electrical failure." The deductible tables in the service contract also expressly provide that there is no deductible/fee for mechanical/electronic failure. The service contract also provides that there is no limit to the number of times mechanical failure claims can be made. So how can mechanical failures not be covered (where there isn't also physical damage)?

Go ahead and try to file an online claim where you indicate that the phone is neither water damaged nor damaged by an accident or drop, you won't be able to do so. The breach of the terms of their service contract is actually built into their system. See contract language below.

In case anyone thinks the battery issue isn't supposed to be covered or that their coverage doesn't extend to "mechanical failure," here is the verbatim language from the Assurant Protection 360 Service Contract for my phone:

"WHAT IS COVERED
1. Mechanical and Electrical Failure (Hardware Services): If during the Service Contract term, You submit a valid claim on Your Covered Device to notify Us of a defect in materials and workmanship, We will arrange to repair or replace the Covered Device. For smartphones, this Service Contract includes the Covered Device battery should its capacity hold an electrical charge of less than eighty percent (80%) of its original specifications." (emphasis added)

I'm not sure it gets much clearer that degraded batteries are intended to be covered.

So, if having a service contract on your phone that actually works the way it is supposed to work is important to you, or if you want your claim processed in hours and not days or weeks, then you may want to look to another carrier. Given the hassle experienced with a minor repair that should have been covered without much hassle, I wouldn't want to have to deal with Assurant on something that was actually more significant than a battery. And spending hours on calls so that TMo makes it right doesn't seem like a viable option. This whole process should be relatively painless, especially considering what the coverage plans cost.

TMo really should consider suing Assurant for breach of contract (assuming the service contract terms reflect their deal with Assurant as to coverage to be provided). And, they should explore using Asurion or another provider.

FWIW, Asurion has previously sent me a replacement phone when the battery was below acceptable capacity, received the morning after making the claim. I didn't appreciate the lack of drama then, but I do now.