ASURION Musical Instrument Plan Review: Conditional (6.8/10)
“Run to the nearest gas station and buy a lottery ticket.” Reddit user hopeful_syllabub1845 said: “If you do end up getting back what you sent in, run to the nearest gas station and buy a lottery ticket.”
ASURION Musical Instrument Protection Plan earns a conditional verdict: when the process works, people call it “quick and painless,” but a loud minority describe delays, confusion, and being bounced between Asurion and Amazon. Score: 6.8/10.
Quick Verdict
Conditional — worth considering if you’re comfortable with gift-card reimbursements and keeping your documentation organized; risky if you can’t tolerate claim friction or ambiguity around term details.
| What buyers focus on | What they liked (with source) | What went wrong (with source) |
|---|---|---|
| Claim speed | “within minutes… authorized a full refund” (Amazon review, $175–$199.99 plan) | “it’s been a little over 8 months now and still no word back” (Reddit, hopeful_syllabub1845) |
| Ease of process | “quick and painless” (Amazon review, $90–$99.99 plan) | “mailed three labels that never arrived… broken link” (Reddit thread “Is Asurion any good?”) |
| Reimbursement type | “issued a digital gift card” (Amazon review, $90–$99.99 plan) | “tax… wasn’t covered” (Amazon review, $175–$199.99 plan) |
| Coverage expectations | “drops, spills and cracked screens… covered from day one” (Amazon listing specs, $500–$599.99 plan) | “advertised… for 4 years… fine print… only for 2 years” (Amazon review, $90–$99.99 plan) |
| Support quality | “associate was very kind… refund… immediately” (Amazon review, $175–$199.99 plan) | “people… are not knowledgeable… script” (ComplaintsBoard, Guitar Center Pro Coverage supported by Asurion) |
Claims vs Reality
ASURION’s Amazon listing leans hard on a frictionless promise: “No additional cost: you pay $0 for repairs – parts, labor and shipping included,” plus an “easy claims process” where “most claims approved within minutes” (Amazon specs, $500–$599.99 plan). For buyers who treat a protection plan as a safety net for an expensive instrument or PA gear, that’s the dream: quick approval, prepaid label, minimal back-and-forth.
Digging deeper into user reports, plenty of Amazon reviewers say the “approved within minutes” pitch can be real. A verified buyer describing coverage on a $179 personal amplifier said: “within minutes… she authorized a full refund ($179)… emailed me a UPS shipping label… within an hour, Asurion issued an Amazon gift card for $179” (Amazon reviews, $175–$199.99 plan). Another verified buyer summarized a drum-cymbal claim as “quick and painless” after a crack spread and made it unusable (Amazon reviews, $90–$99.99 plan).
But the same “easy claims” marketing collides with stories where the process drags or becomes a scavenger hunt. Reddit user hopeful_syllabub1845 described sending in an Xbox controller and then hearing nothing: “it’s been a little over 8 months now and still no word back… most people have the same story… when they contact Asurion they will ether say nothing or say something went wrong on your side of it” (Reddit, r/Asurion). In a separate Reddit thread, one commenter said it took “two years” to return items, citing “labels that never arrived” and “a broken link to a shipping label that didn’t exist” (Reddit thread “Is Asurion any good?”).
A recurring pattern emerged around coverage clarity and timing. While the listing states “plan starts on the date of purchase… malfunctions covered after the manufacturer’s warranty” (Amazon specs), at least one verified buyer complained about term details: “advertised on Amazon for 4 years but when you look at the fine print it is only for 2 years” (Amazon reviews, $90–$99.99 plan). ComplaintsBoard echoes confusion in a different channel (Guitar Center Pro Coverage supported by Asurion), where a customer wrote: “they informed me that… it would have to be past a year… for them to cover the item… so really the 2 year pro-coverage plan is a 1 year plan but your paying for 2 years” (ComplaintsBoard).
Cross-Platform Consensus
Universally Praised
The most consistent praise is speed—specifically, the “refund by gift card” path. For working musicians, church AV volunteers, and small business owners who can’t pause gigs to wait for repairs, several Amazon buyers describe a fast turnaround that keeps downtime low. One verified buyer said their claim was “literally resolved within minutes,” calling it “hassle free… so fast” (Amazon reviews, $175–$199.99 plan). Another wrote: “as soon as they got the returned item i was issued a digital gift card, which i used… towards a replacement item” (Amazon reviews, $90–$99.99 plan).
People also repeatedly appreciate the prepaid shipping label and minimal paperwork—when it works. A verified buyer with an older purchase said: “quick gift card by email with shipping label… i did not have to jump through hoops or fill lots of paperwork” (Amazon reviews, $90–$99.99 plan). That kind of experience matters for hobbyists too: someone who bought the plan for peace of mind framed it simply as “super easy to make claim, return the defective item & receive payment for replacement” (Amazon reviews, $90–$99.99 plan).
Another praised theme is human empathy in some support interactions, especially when the instrument has emotional stakes. One verified buyer shared a story about a Fender guitar purchased for a spouse with limited hand use; they said Asurion “immediately… sent a shipping label and within hours… my gift card for the full amount… was available,” adding “it means the world to him” (Amazon reviews, $175–$199.99 plan). For caregivers buying instruments as therapy or mobility support, that speed becomes more than convenience—it’s relief.
After the narrative, the praise clusters into a few repeatable wins:
- Fast approvals in successful cases: “within minutes” (Amazon, $175–$199.99 plan)
- Gift-card reimbursement for purchase price: “issued an Amazon gift card” (Amazon, multiple plan tiers)
- Smooth logistics when labels arrive: “shipping label… Asurion covered the cost of shipping” (Amazon, $175–$199.99 plan)
Common Complaints
The harshest complaints center on claim friction: silence, delays, or procedural dead ends. Reddit user hopeful_syllabub1845 didn’t describe a minor inconvenience—they described a claim that effectively disappeared: “it’s been a little over 8 months now and still no word back” (Reddit, r/Asurion). For buyers who assume a protection plan is a guaranteed “replacement pipeline,” that kind of story reads as a worst-case scenario: you ship the item out and lose control of the timeline.
A second complaint thread is “being bounced” between Asurion and Amazon, or not being allowed to submit a claim at all. A verified Amazon reviewer wrote: “tried multiple times to submit a claim but they keep telling me to contact Amazon and will not allow me to submit a claim… now i have an item that doesn’t work and i protection plan that does nothing” (Amazon reviews, 3 Year plan $50–$59.99). In the Reddit “Is Asurion any good?” thread, one commenter concluded: “you need to deal with Amazon - not Asurion… i didn’t get anywhere until i complained to Amazon and asked for a supervisor” (Reddit).
Even when claims succeed, several users flag reimbursement gaps and fine-print surprises. Multiple Amazon reviewers mention taxes not being covered. One verified buyer said outright: “they do not cover the tax just the price you purchased it for those who pay sales tax” (Amazon reviews, $90–$99.99 plan). Another described getting “refunded $4.00 less” than expected with no explanation, even though the item value fit the plan bracket (Amazon reviews, $90–$99.99 plan). For budget-conscious musicians, those “small” mismatches still feel like trust leaks.
After the narrative, the complaint patterns look like this:
- Long waits or no follow-up: “still no word back” (Reddit, hopeful_syllabub1845)
- Process failures: “labels… never arrived… broken link” (Reddit thread “Is Asurion any good?”)
- Reimbursement shortfalls: “tax… wasn’t covered” (Amazon, $175–$199.99 plan)
Divisive Features
The plan’s biggest split is how “easy” it feels—some describe near-instant resolution, others describe a maze. One verified buyer said: “claim was quick and painless” (Amazon reviews, $90–$99.99 plan). In stark contrast, Reddit user hopeful_syllabub1845 framed contact attempts as pointless: “when they contact Asurion they will ether say nothing or say something went wrong on your side of it” (Reddit, r/Asurion).
Another divisive element is clarity about coverage term and when Asurion steps in relative to manufacturer warranty. The Amazon spec states: “plan starts on the date of purchase… malfunctions covered after the manufacturer’s warranty” (Amazon specs). Yet a verified buyer claimed the 4-year marketing didn’t match their reading of fine print: “advertised… for 4 years… only for 2 years” (Amazon reviews, $90–$99.99 plan). On ComplaintsBoard, a customer argued that a “2 year” plan effectively felt like “a 1 year plan” if the first year is handled by the manufacturer (ComplaintsBoard).
Trust & Reliability
“Scam” concerns show up most bluntly in Reddit language, especially when people feel procedural friction is intentional. In the “Is Asurion any good?” thread, one commenter said: “they did everything they could to make sure that i couldn't complete the process… more likely it is procedures to disincentivise returns… i’ve basically been paying for a scam” (Reddit thread “Is Asurion any good?”). Another user’s dark humor captured the fear behind the purchase: “when your violin breaks you'll have the worlds smallest violin to play when asurion screws you over” (Reddit thread “Is Asurion any good?”).
At the same time, long-term reliability stories exist on Amazon in the form of “out of warranty is when trouble started and the extended warranty kicked in,” paired with “no problems resolved in a few short days” (Amazon reviews, $175–$199.99 plan). The trust question, across platforms, isn’t whether claims can succeed—multiple verified buyers describe full reimbursement—but whether the experience is predictable enough to rely on when the stakes are high.
Digging deeper into third-party skepticism, Fakespot’s analysis of a related Asurion protection-plan listing flags review-quality concerns: “our AI detects a high amount of irrelevant reviews… high deception involved… 28.3% of the reviews are reliable” (Fakespot). While that isn’t an individual customer story, it contributes to why some shoppers treat high star averages cautiously when deciding if the plan is “too good to be true.”
Alternatives
Only one explicit competitor is named in the data: AppleCare. In the Reddit “Is Asurion any good?” thread, the original poster compared a tablet plan against “apple care,” saying Asurion “sounds like a heck of a good deal compared to apple care” (Reddit thread “Is Asurion any good?”). The pushback they received wasn’t a spec-by-spec AppleCare pitch; it was skepticism about claims reliability, summed up as “short answer: no” and “no!” (Reddit thread “Is Asurion any good?”).
So the alternative framing from the community isn’t “AppleCare is better because of X feature,” but “a cheaper plan is only a deal if claims don’t become a fight.” That’s why a Reddit commenter advised escalation strategy instead of product comparison: “you need to deal with Amazon - not Asurion… asked for a supervisor” (Reddit thread “Is Asurion any good?”). For buyers weighing Asurion versus AppleCare-style coverage, this becomes less about price and more about who you trust to handle the claim cleanly.
Price & Value
Across Amazon plan tiers, the pricing is presented as a relatively small add-on to the instrument’s value—like $79.99 for the $500–$599.99 bracket (Amazon specs). That’s the appeal for parents buying a student violin or musicians carrying portable gear: the plan markets “drops, spills and cracked screens… covered from day one” and “$0 for repairs” (Amazon specs), suggesting predictable costs if something goes wrong.
But digging deeper into user feedback, value hinges on reimbursement expectations and hidden “losses.” Several buyers emphasize that reimbursement may exclude tax. A verified buyer said: “the tax i’d paid wasn’t covered” (Amazon reviews, $175–$199.99 plan). Another reviewer similarly warned: “they do not cover the tax just the price you purchased it for” (Amazon reviews, $90–$99.99 plan). For shoppers in high-sales-tax areas, that gap can make “full reimbursement” feel less than full.
There are also real-world packaging and return costs that can undercut value even when shipping is covered. One verified buyer said Asurion refunded the purchase, but they had to pay $100 to package a large PA system: “could nt find a box big enough… which cost me $100 even though the actual shipping was covered” (Amazon reviews, $300–$349.99 plan). For touring bands or event DJs shipping bulky gear, the plan may be “smooth” yet still leave out-of-pocket costs.
Buying tips implied by the community stories:
- Keep plan confirmation emails searchable; one verified buyer said finding the right policy was “the hardest thing… i searched my saved emails for asurion” (Amazon reviews, $175–$199.99 plan).
- Expect gift-card reimbursement rather than cash in many cases: “issued an Amazon gift card” (Amazon reviews, multiple tiers).
- Factor in tax and packaging costs; multiple buyers say tax isn’t covered and packaging can cost money (Amazon reviews).
FAQ
Q: Is the Asurion musical instrument protection plan easy to claim?
A: Conditional. Many verified Amazon buyers describe it as “quick and painless” and say claims were resolved “within minutes” with a shipping label and an Amazon gift card (Amazon reviews). But Reddit users describe severe delays and broken shipping-label workflows (Reddit, r/Asurion; “Is Asurion any good?”).
Q: Do you get a replacement, repair, or refund?
A: Often a refund via Amazon gift card. Verified buyers repeatedly mention receiving “a digital gift card” or “an Amazon gift card for the full amount” after shipping the item back (Amazon reviews, multiple plan tiers). The Amazon listing also states reimbursements or replacement if repair isn’t possible (Amazon specs).
Q: Does it cover drops and spills from day one?
A: The listing says yes for portable products. Amazon’s plan description states “drops, spills and cracked screens… covered from day one,” with malfunctions covered after the manufacturer’s warranty (Amazon specs). User stories focus more on claim handling than testing drop/spill terms directly.
Q: Will you be reimbursed for sales tax too?
A: Often no, based on user feedback. Multiple verified buyers explicitly warn that “the tax… wasn’t covered” and that reimbursement covered “just the price you purchased it for” (Amazon reviews, $175–$199.99 and $90–$99.99 plans). Plan marketing emphasizes $0 repair costs, not tax reimbursement (Amazon specs).
Q: Is it “too good to be true” compared to AppleCare?
A: Some shoppers think so. In a Reddit thread comparing a cheap Asurion offer to AppleCare, commenters responded with skepticism like “short answer: no,” describing claim obstacles and advising escalation through Amazon if stuck (Reddit thread “Is Asurion any good?”). Other verified buyers report fast reimbursements that felt worth it (Amazon reviews).
Final Verdict
Buy if you’re a value-focused musician, parent, or church/venue buyer who can live with Amazon gift-card reimbursement and is willing to keep purchase dates and policy emails organized. A verified buyer said the “hardest thing” was “find the right asurion policy,” solved by searching saved emails (Amazon reviews, $175–$199.99 plan).
Avoid if you need absolute predictability or can’t risk a prolonged claim; Reddit user hopeful_syllabub1845 said they waited “a little over 8 months… still no word back” (Reddit, r/Asurion).
Pro tip from the community: if the claim stalls, one Reddit commenter advised escalating through Amazon—“asked for a supervisor”—after saying Asurion “dicked me around for years” (Reddit thread “Is Asurion any good?”).
