When it comes to making expensive purchases at Walmart, many consumers worry that they won’t receive the same protection as buying those items directly from a manufacturer.
In order to combat this concern, Walmart offers a protection plan for many of its products. But let’s find out if the plan is actually worth the extra cost.
Is the Walmart Protection Plan Worth It?
The Walmart Protection Plan is worth it if you are purchasing an expensive item and if you ensure that you choose the plan that’s right for the product. You will need to do the research and pick the right plan to get the most out of it.
PROS OF WALMART PROTECTION PLAN
- Affordable price tags on a variety of plans.
- Sufficient coverage.
- Protection from Allstate.
CONS OF WALMART PROTECTION PLAN
- Accidental damage, intentional damage, loss, and theft are not covered.
- Extra cost.
Now, it’s time to dig a little deeper into how the Walmart Protection Plan works, what happens when you file a claim, how much the plans cost, and what the various protection plans cover.
So keep reading; everything you need to know about Walmart Protection Plans is right here!
How Does the Walmart Protection Plan Work?
The first thing you want to understand is how the Walmart Protection Plan actually works.
Walmart has partnered with Allstate to provide protection plans to its consumers. Allstate is one of the country’s leading insurance agencies, and their protection is a guarantee!
When you make a purchase at Walmart, you will be offered to pay a little extra for one of Walmart/Allstate’s protection plans. It’s important to understand that there are two different plans available.
- Standard Plans: Available for most products like TVs, home appliances, lawn & garden, power tools, and more, this plan covers mechanical and electrical failures, power surges or power supply failures, and breakdowns during normal use.
- Accident Plans: Available for select portable electronics like laptops, tablets, phones, and headphones, this plan covers drops and cracked screens, spills and liquid damage, as well as everything covered in Standard Plans.
No matter which plan you opt for, you will need to understand how to file a claim and what happens when you do.
What Happens When You File a Claim With Walmart Protection Plan?
If you have a problem with the item you purchased from Walmart and opted for the Protection Plan, you will need to file a claim in order to get the item fixed.
Luckily, filing a claim with a Walmart Protection Plan is incredibly simple.
- Navigate to Walmart’s online claim site or call their customer service line at 1-800-925-6278.
- Have your receipt and covered item with you.
- Enter the information required.
- Many claims are approved instantly. In other cases, a specialist will guide you through the next steps.
- You will usually be asked to send the item to the warehouse, and Walmart will pay for the shipping costs.
- If it can’t be repaired, Walmart will send you a replacement or reimburse you for the item.
That’s all there is to it! If the problem with your item is covered under the plan you purchased, after you file the claim, Walmart will take care of the rest.
How Much Does a Protection Plan at Walmart Cost?
As you now know, there are essentially 2 Walmart Protection Plans; however, within those categories, there are several options to choose from, and they each have a different price tag.
When you purchase an item at Walmart, you can navigate to the customer service desk, and they will scan your item and offer you the protection plan options for that product. Whereas, if you make the purchase online, Walmart will often offer the right plan during checkout.
It’s important to note that you need to select your protection plan based on the item you purchased and how much it costs in order to ensure coverage.
- 2-Year Protection Plan For Electronics $100-$199.99: $16.00
- 3-Year Protection Plan For Electronics $200-$399.99: $34.00
- 2-Year Accident Protection Plan For Electronics $12-$19.99: $2.00
- 3-Year Accident Protection Plan For Electronics $400-$4999.99: $58.00
- 10-Year Protection Plan for Mattresses $50.00-$99.99: $37.00
- 10-Year Protection Plan for Mattresses $250.00-$499.99: $68.00
These are just a few examples of Walmart Protection Plans, and as you can see, the price can greatly vary from $2.00-$68.00.
What Does the Walmart Protection Plan Cover?
It’s important to understand that the various Walmart Protection Plans cover very different issues that you may encounter.
- Electronics (iPads, phones, laptops, etc.) Standard Plans: Mechanical and electrical failures and item failures during normal use or from normal wear and tear.
- Electronics (iPads, phones, laptops, etc.) Accident Plans: Covered for drops, spills & life accidents, plus mechanical & electrical failures from normal use.
- TVs: Mechanical and electrical failures from normal use, including screen failure, remote failure, TV won’t power on, and speaker failure.
- Outdoor Power Equipment & Patio: Mechanical and electrical failures, breakdowns during normal use, power supply failures, and motor failure.
- General Merchandise: Mechanical and electrical failures, breakdowns during normal use, power surges, or supply failure.
- Jewelry & Watches: Mechanical failure, broken or defective components, liquid damage, or breakdowns during normal use.
What Is Not Covered by the Walmart Protection Plan?
You might be wondering if the Walmart 2-year Protection Plan or any of the other plans covers lost items.
Unfortunately, the following is not covered by the Walmart protection plan:
Can You Use the Walmart Protection Plan if You Lost the Receipt?
While filing a claim with your Walmart Protection Plan is quite simple, it is absolutely necessary that you have the receipt in order to do so.
In fact, you will need both the receipt for the item purchased and the receipt for the purchase of the Protection Plan to file a claim and get coverage.
The good news is that Walmart can save the receipts for you on their site in case you need to file a claim in the future.
Conclusion
Whether or not the Walmart Protection Plan is worth it is up to you at the end of the day; however, because of their low price points, most Walmart customers agree that the protection plans are worth the extra cost.
However, you now have all the information you need to make a choice for yourself!
