Swappa now offers protection plans for used smartphones

Swappa, an online marketplace for buying and selling used electronics, wants to relieve the stress of not having insurance or a protection plan on the used devices a customer buys through the site, by offering a protection plan of its own.

Anyone who purchases a smartphone from a seller on Swappa will have the option to add a protection plan at time of purchase. A protection plan for devices sold for $300 or less will cost $50, devices sold for up to $500 is $60, and devices sold up to $1,000 will cost $70.

The protection plans cover any accidental damage, such as a cracked screen or water damage for a $50 deductible.

Additionally, the protection plan will cover any device defects normally covered under warranty starting 90 days after you purchased the device through Swappa. The protection plan is valid for one year.

Repairs are either carried out at a local repair shop that has partnered with Swappa, or you can mail in your device.

Adding protection plans to Swappa purchases is yet another push by the company to expand beyond a marketplace for used smartphones. More recently the company added a Swappa Repair Network to help its users to find a local repair shop, and expanded its listings to include Chromebooks and laptops.

Adding protection plans helps eliminate one more hurdle users face when trying to decide if buying a used device is a wise investment.