Start here
The free tool below runs entirely in this browser — no account, nothing stored or transmitted. Redact anything you would not want kept before you type it.
Open the companion tool →Where the money actually goes
Advertised upgrade prices usually exclude the trade-in deduction assumption, the protection plan, the accessories, and the higher plan tier that comes with the new device. Writing the four numbers next to each other is the whole tool — and it is also the record that supports a warranty or repair-rights complaint if the repair is refused without a lawful reason.
For a device that carries a household's only internet access, the honest question is narrower: what is the cheapest working option that keeps the phone number, the data, and the accounts reachable this month?
The protocol
- Write the repair quote down: what fails, what the repair costs, what the warranty covers, and how long it is guaranteed.
- Write the replacement total: device price, tax, trade-in value actually offered, protection plan, and any plan change.
- Divide each option by the months it is expected to last to compare them on cost per month.
- Check the warranty, the protection plan, and the state's repair rules before accepting a refusal to repair.
- Choose the cheaper per-month option, or record the refusal and file the complaint if the repair was denied without a reason.
What the tool does
Compare repair and replacement on cost per month, and document a refusal to repair with a lawful reason. It runs locally in this browser and sends nothing.
Limit first: This is a planning and referral aid, not legal or financial advice. It cannot enrol you in a programme, connect a service, or guarantee that free help is available where you live.
Open the companion tool →Cost and free path
Cost: Free: one complete run in this browser, no account. Optional $4 one-time unlock allows unlimited runs of this tool on this browser. The free path and safety guidance never require payment.
Rule status (private-right route): structural: repair-or-replace arithmetic (quote, remaining life, trade-in, plan cost) does not depend on a rule; where a warranty or a state repair rule applies, the refusal has to state its lawful reason, and the written quote is what the complaint attaches to. Reviewed 2026-10-03 against current warranty and state repair law.
Automated decision this documents: trade-in and upgrade pricing that assumes a replacement decision before the repair is priced
Free path, in order (no cost):
- Consumer Reports — repair and reliability guidance (consumerreports.org)
- FTC reports and consumer alerts on warranties and repair (ftc.gov/reports)
- 211 — local device-donation and low-cost hardware programmes (211.org)
What this cannot do: It cannot enrol you in a programme, connect a service, or guarantee that free help is available where you live.
Sources checked 2026-10-03 · source bank reviewed against the live pages listed in metadata.
One human next step
Get the repair quote and the refusal (if any) in writing, then compare cost per month against the replacement total before signing anything; a consumer complaint route exists through your state attorney general and the FTC.
Research log and safety checks
AI-assist path: not used for a verdict. This builder organises the reader's own documents and names an independent source; it does not infer authenticity, eligibility, or legal rights. §6.9/§6.10/§6.11 disclosed in the batch report; §6.12 status line carried in metadata as `status_line`.
§0.5 protection result: category is access-and-digital-affordability; crisis-adjacent: no; fear/urgency/scarcity toolkit used: no. The protective function is free and the paid feature is convenience only.