StarHub moves to leave no one behind with SmartSupport Lite phone swap service
PUBLISHED ONDecember 24, 2019 1:36 AMByKen Wong
With the launch of SmartSupport Lite from StarHub, even those on the telco's cheapest, no-contract, SIM-only plans can be assured of device care even if they had purchased their phones from other local authorised dealers.
SmartSupport was introduced in 2013 by StarHub in Singapore as a mobile phone after-sales support service in collaboration with Asurion.
The new SmartSupport Lite service is an extension of SmartSupport, which is a popular add-on among customers.
How it works
For S$8 a month, users need only to subscribe to SmartSupport Lite via the My StarHub App on their mobile phones in less than 10 minutes. They will receive confirmation within seven days if they have been successful.
Upon successful activation of SmartSupport Lite, for any reason and at any time, customers can raise a swap request through a dedicated hotline, which operates round the clock (24/7 hotline -800 852 6030 or +65 6822 2255).
There is an associated Swap Fee depending on the recommended retail price (RRP) of the phone (as of launch date) that you've enrolled for the support plan:-
| Retail Price of Device (Inclusive of GST, as of device launch date~) |
Swap fee (Inclusive of GST) |
|---|---|
| ≤ $250 | $25 |
| $251 - $500 | $80 |
| $501 - $750 | $150 |
| $751 - $1,500 | $170 |
| $1,501 - $2,000 | $250 |
| ≥ $2,001 | $280 |
As seen from the table, the associated costs are quite reasonable considering you get a like-for-like replacement device within such short notice and without hassle.
According to StarHub, it makes no difference as to the age of the phone that is registered as the swap fee that is charged is based on the recommended retail price of the phone at that particular point in time.
For successfully processed service requests before 2 pm from Monday to Saturday, customers will be able to get their device swapped in as soon as four hours within Singapore and without incurring any local delivery charges.
Take note to back up your existing device to secure your personal data before handing over the phone to be swapped.
Subscribers also have access to screen repairs for a flat fee of S$99 with free door-to-door service. They can rest easy knowing that their phones will be couriered to and from authorised services centres free-of-charge and repaired using original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts. Note that screen repair service request has its own dedicated hotline ( +65 6860 1720).
How the competition fares
Singtel has MobileSwop which gives subscribers unlimited swops and a replacement for their device in any condition every year. M1 offers customers solutions like malware or antivirus protection and Fonecare which is similar to MobileSwop.
However, the key difference between Singtel's and M1's current phone swap schemes against StarHub is that they have to be activated at the point of sign-up with a new device. StarHub's SmartSupport Lite goes one step further and allows the enrollment of existing devices.
This article was first published in Hardware Zone.