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The original was posted on /r/maliciouscompliance by /u/No_Exchange2440 on 2024-12-16 22:10:00+00:00.

Back in the mid 2010s, I had my phone insured through a premium bank account. The deal was simple: pay a fixed excess, and they’d either repair or replace your phone. The excess was the same whether it was a cracked screen or a full replacement, so it seemed like a solid arrangement.

One day, I cracked my phone screen. It still worked fine, and I had a holiday coming up, so I decided to wait until I got back to file a claim. When I finally called the insurance company, the representative asked when the damage had happened, so I told her honestly. That’s where the trouble started.

She explained that I’d waited too long to report the damage. There was a time limit for claims—around 10 days—and I’d missed it. I explained that the phone was still usable, and I’d needed it for my trip, but she wouldn’t budge. Rules were rules, she said, and my claim was invalid. Her tone was borderline smug.

Fine, I thought. Let’s try some pre-emptive MC.

Me: “What should I do if the phone gets damaged further?”

Rep: “You’d need to call us back and file a new claim. But make sure it’s within the time frame.”

Me: “Got it. And I can’t include the existing screen damage, right?”

Rep: “Correct. The new claim would have to be for unrelated damage.”

She seemed oblivious to where this was going, so I pressed on.

Me: “So how likely is it that a cracked screen could lead to water damage? If water got in and fried the motherboard, you’d most likely have to replace the whole phone, right?”

There was a long pause. Then she said she needed to speak to her supervisor.

When she came back, her tone had changed. Suddenly, they were willing to overlook the missed time frame and process my original claim for the cracked screen…