• long running

Phone Upgrade Program $129 / $249 / $299 Annual Fee, Trade-Up to Next-Gen Phone for $179 / $249 / $299 @ Harvey Norman & Asurion

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Say Hello to mobile freedom at Harvey Norman (Powered by Asurion). Not available online, apply in-store only.

Eligible deivce RRP Annual enrolment fee Refresh service fee Swap fee Upgrade fee
$250-$799 $129 $49 $79 $179
$800-$1499 $249 $49 $149 $249
$1500+ $299 $99 $199 $299

Refresh service: Includes main screen replacement, accessory update, detailed clean and diagnostic check & reset
Like-for-like device swap: Includes main screen replacement, accessory update, detailed clean and diagnostic check & reset
Upgrade to next generation model: Available after the first 30 days of the subscription termSubject to market availability. Your rights to mobile freedom services will terminate when you upgrade.

A swap or upgrade request involves a sale by you of your eligible device to Asurion.

Seems like $598 to upgrade to the latest iPhone every year. Don’t know if it’s worth for Android tho. The 1 year upgrade deadline seems very tight tho.

I’m curious what happens if the next iPhone cost more than the current. iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at $1899, and 15 Pro Max starts at $2199. Does this means you will get upgraded to the 15 Pro Max with no extra cost except for $598 annually?

So 2199-1899=300. The upgrade cost = 598 - 300 = 298 (this year 2023).

Since Apple no longer display AppleCare cost for 24 months upfront online. I’ll use my iPhone 12 Pro Max $269 for the 2 year plan as an example. The price probably gone up by now due to currency exchange rate🙃.

If you take this into account. Assuming 269/2 = 134.5 worth of benefits a year. Then your upgrade cost is 298 -134.5=163.5

Lets say you do this for 4 years and then stop with no intention to continue it will look like this

Year 1: ($2000 for iPhone), $299 Membership
Year 2: $299 for Upgrade, $299 For New Phone's Membership
Year 3: $299 for Upgrade, $299 For New Phone's Membership
Year 4: $299 for Upgrade, $0 For New Phone's Membership since you are no longer continuing.

Total excluding initial Phone cost is $1794, In no single year do you ever pay $900 or even close to it.

Using this 4 year example. Suppose in the first year you have an iPhone 12 Pro Max. Then cost $1794 to upgrade to 15 Pro Max worth $2199. The trade in value for 12 Pro Max is around $700 (depending on your condition, I’m estimating close to the upper bound). So you would spend $2494 to get the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Costing $295 more to upgrade every year
Comparing to buy a single IPhone for 4 years before upgrading.

If you factoring the 3 year AppleCare, you are actually earning 269*1.5 - 295 = $108.5.

Related Stores

Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman
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Comments

  • +9

    Asurion 🤮

    • +2

      I have had a horrible experience with them too.

      • -1

        Many apple fanboys would take this as an insult and say, "We are not so cheap HN, increase the upgrade price". I know many of them put their phones on the table and fought over the conversation of 'mine is more expensive than yours.'

    • +3

      Two dodge giants hand by hand…

    • +1

      I signed up with Austin for my mobile device insurance. I was covered for 1 month and then out of no where they canceled my device insurance and only refunded me $10. I kept contacting them and didn’t get a reply. Escalated this to AFCA, got a full refund + a $100 compensation for the inconvenience. I asked for a higher compensation and they refused. Try and avoid them. May seem cheap but a nightmare to deal with.

      • And the. You’re probably unable to insure with products like AppleCare that’s have a cut off time limit when you can add

    • Sounds like a cheesy knockoff MMORPG lol

    • Has anyone complained to NSW Fair Trading against Asurion?

    • Asurion = total scammers. Just been burnt with Samsung trade in deals.

      Wish I'd read this review first

      https://www.productreview.com.au/listings/asurion

  • +4

    After reading through the terms and conditions, it seems like you are giving the phone back to Harvey Norman.

  • +2

    My brain can't wrap itself around this. Can someone explain? I have a google pixel, and am happy in this ecosystem. If I wanted to upgrade to the fold or whatever, I pay the $299 to have access, and then another $299 for the new phone?

    • +1

      I think the way it works is that for first year you pay 299, unless you want to change your phone within a year. Then you keep on paying 299 annually which stays but at anytime you want to upgrade to a new model you pay an additional 299.

      So, at the time of new phone/upgrade you pay 299 extra otherwise just 299 annually. This is for the top most tier.

      • +1

        I just spoke to Harvey Norman chat. That sounds about right.

        If I wanted to buy the pixel fold, for example, I can opt in to add this to my purchase, and essentially upgrade the phone for another $299 when the next one comes out.

  • +7

    Is this like renting a phone pretty much?

  • +3

    so you pay $600 for the init purchase and to swap the phone, and have to give your old phone back? not sure that's a super good deal

    • I thought it's 299 for the first purchase and annual fee combined for first year then again 299 annual unless you upgrade in which case you pay additional 299.

      So if you don't change your phone you just pay 299 every year I think and seems good if it works that way. You get a top notch phone for say $900 and get to keep it for 3 years. Then just forget it and get another one. If you buy it outright then you pay $2000 on average and after 3 years may not get $1100 by selling it.

  • Isn't Telstra Upgrade & Protect cheaper than this? Of course, caveat = you need to get Telstra plan but it is $0 in the final 6 months of your plan to upgrade.

  • +6

    Don't get confused, here is my understanding:

    Year 1 - pay $2000 for a new iPhone for example + $299 for entry in this program
    Year 2 - return your phone, pay $299 yearly membership + $299 for new phone

    It's more like trade old phone for new one and pay $900 :)

    And just to add: if you return iPhone 15 next year you will get iPhone 16, not 16 Pro Max Turbo 1TB model.

    • So assuming you bought the iPhone 15 Pro Max at 2200, it would need to be less than 1300 resell after a year for this deal to be worth it right?

    • +1

      $598 not $900.

      • Forgot second year membership :)
        You are eligible for one replacement per year.

        I think better to go with jbhifi trade in + usual $300 bonus if you want a new phone every year.

        • That's only if you continue to upgrade on a yearly basis.

          Lets say you do this for 4 years and then stop with no intention to continue it will look like this

          Year 1: ($2000 for iPhone), $299 Membership
          Year 2: $299 for Upgrade, $299 For New Phone's Membership
          Year 3: $299 for Upgrade, $299 For New Phone's Membership
          Year 4: $299 for Upgrade, $0 For New Phone's Membership since you are no longer continuing.

          Total excluding initial Phone cost is $1794, In no single year do you ever pay $900 or even close to it.

        • When do you ever get $300 bonus for trade in for IPhone? Do you mean Pixel?

          • @Edyolo: Yep, pixels slowly jumped into that 'premium' segment $1500+

            • @localhost: Yeah wtf is this $400 hike. Was $1299 for the 7 Pro. It’s almost like that EA CEO who proposed charging players $1 per bullet in battlefield.

              I think they deliberately price the RRP high, so they can give so many discount vouchers like bonus $300 trade in, and a further $300 JB gift card. Feel like it’s going to drop in price soon.

              Just preordered the Pixel 8 Pro for $0 using the Harvey Norman Optus plan deal.

  • +11

    I’m not the dumbest idiot in class, but I think I need Stephen Hawking to explain this dribble for me

    • Stephen Hawking? All you need is Scotty from marketing.

      • +1

        Doesn’t he beam people up??

  • +6

    Not a deal

    • +1

      Agree.

  • +5

    Protip: If the lowest common denominator thinks it’s a good idea, it probably isn’t.

  • ENNNDDLLLESS CONNSUMMPTIIONNNN

  • +5

    Complexity beyond a certain point is fraud. I have 2 masters degrees in business and I can't understand this.

    • +4

      I have none yet understand this quite easily.

  • +4

    Better off selling your phone through marketplace and get a new one every year. This is just a scam with extra steps

    • +2

      Looking at the current used prices of the iPhone 14 pro max 256gb you would be incorrect in that statement, You would have to sell a used iPhone 14 Pro Max 256gb for $1599 to match NOT beat this deal since the iPhone 15 pro max 256gb is $2199.

      eBay for example has multiple listings for $1549 for a used iPhone14 Pro Max 256gb and those sellers all have to pay for eBay fees which would bring the total price for the iPhone sold to be $1341.13 after eBay fees, $1599 - $1341.13 = $257.87.

      You would be $257 worse off doing it your way than this deal.

  • My brain hurts

  • +1

    You are much better off buying a new phone every two years and also do tax return….
    With some jobs you can salary sacrifice every year. So you can sell old handset and basically upgrade nearly for free.
    This is expensive and not great as you need to return your old device.

  • anyone use product care?

    • I've got it but haven't used it. Screen glass is damaged so I'm assuming they'll invalidate it. So maybe get it repaired and then do product care when the battery dies … love to hear anyone's experiences although looking online it seems to be not worth it

  • Is this Harveys new pet project scam Flexirent 2023 scheme ? stay away!

  • Not a deal.

    The resale market for iPhones specifically is much better than what this deal is offering. Better off selling the phone you bought and buying the new one outright.

    Aside from that, you’re also dealing with Harvey Norman and another dodgy finance company lol.

  • One upgrade to the next generation model.
    Subject to market availability.

    This makes me wonder if the upgrade / next generation model is actually a refurb. Nowhere does it state that it will be brand new.

    • Used or refurbished. True nowhere it says brand new

      • It doesn't say brand new, but given you're allowed to upgrade from launch day it's implied. There won't be any used/refurbished available from Day 1.

        • Make sense, but that depends on the market availability 😂

          • +1

            @Zeee: OK I read the T&C. It seems like you get a coupon to get the new device in store. I don't think HN sell refurbs, so it has to be a brand new device…

  • Probably the biggest drawback here is the low stock levels on launch day/month at Harvey Norman

    • You can buy during December to change your upgrade cycle.

  • For reference, AppleCare+ with theft and loss is $409 for an iPhone 15 Pro Max for 2 years

    • Yeah that was a shock to me. It was only $359 on my 13 Pro

  • Can we upgrade within first year ? Before year 2 begins, that would mean $600 in year one.

    • Yes you can. Upgrade anytime after the initial 30 days

  • -2

    rent a phone?

  • More about flexibility than a deal. But options are cool.

  • If you are pixel owner, it better change every 2 years, and these always trade in deal. You may just get a new one under $300-$400.

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