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Tom's Guide
28-07-2025
- Tom's Guide
Your tech is costly — cover it
Between the robotic cleaners that vacuum and mop our homes and the gaming systems that entertain us in our free time, we have become inseparable from our favorite tech. But making our homes smarter and keeping ourselves entertained with the latest tech comes at a cost. Not only is the technology itself often expensive, but the ongoing maintenance can add up. Thankfully, you can protect virtually all your home tech investments with Verizon Home Device Protect. The robotic vacuum sucks up a dust bunny that's a bit too big and clogs the machine. The wear and tear of frequent use is taking its toll on your preferred gaming controller. You can't catch your favorite shows because your TV is on the fritz. We've all been there! With Verizon Home Device Protect, it's easy to call for backup to get that new TV or game console set up and ready to enjoy. For example, Verizon Home Internet customers with a 5G Home or Fios internet plan who are enrolled in VHDP can enjoy $0 installation on eligible home tech such as televisions, sounds bars, security cameras and more. For non-Verizon Home internet customers, a $49 service fee applies for each product installed—still a fraction of the typical retail installation cost. (You'll get a quote when you call to schedule your installation, so you'll know the exact cost beforehand.)Verizon Home Device Protect is a protection and support plan for nearly all your home tech, even beyond installation services. From TVs to laptops to smart home tech to healthcare tech, Verizon has you covered with 24/7 tech support from connected experts. You can even enjoy up to two in-home visits a year with tech experts who can help you troubleshoot the most frustrating woes. Tech support from Verizon doesn't only include troubleshooting. Its Complete Tech Care service includes tune-ups and cleanings that can keep your home tech running its best and extend its longevity, saving you money and protecting your investments in the long run. And when it's time to let go of that old tablet, laptop or gaming system, Verizon Home Device Protect also offers recycling services so your e-waste doesn't end up in a landfill. That's Complete Tech Care for the entire life of your home tech, old and new alike! These days, our home tech doesn't always stay in one home. We often pack up our consoles, laptops and tablets and take them with us when we travel. It's fair to be concerned about what could happen to your tech when it's on the go and to want protection when you're not at home. Don't worry — Verizon Home Device Protect still has you covered. In fact, you can get protection at a second residence at no additional cost. Has your oldest's laptop become the victim of a spilled drink in their dorm room? Verizon Home Device Protect can help. Are you struggling to set up tech at your parents' home? Verizon Home Device Protect can come to the rescue at no additional cost. Adding a second residence can be done quickly and easily from a dashboard or while filing a claim, and you can even change the second covered address up to three times per year. We love our tech, but it doesn't always love us back. Accidents happen, troubles arise, and settings will forever be a headache. Verizon Home Device Protect makes it easy to set up and enjoy your home tech with support at your fingertips — no receipts, no hassle, just support when and where you need it. Visit Verizon Home Device Protect for more information on how to protect, repair and replace your favorite home technology. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Tom's Guide
17-06-2025
- Tom's Guide
The Hidden Costs of Smart Homes (and How to Avoid Them)
When purchasing devices to set up your smart home, you might think that after you buy a product and set it up, that's the end of it. However, there are a lot of potential hidden costs that could add up to a big monthly bill, if you end up subscribing to a lot of services. Here, we'll show you five of the most common hidden costs with smart homes, and how to avoid them. Some of the most popular smart home devices are home security cameras and video doorbells. After smart lights and locks, these all-seeing cameras help you keep tabs on your property, your front door, and your packages. However, a majority of the best home security cameras require you to pay for a monthly subscription in order to save video — and the same goes for the best video doorbells too. So, if you want to look back at who came to your door, or if there were animals running around your back yard, you'll might need to spend a little extra each month. Security camera storage subscriptions start at around $3 per month for a single camera, but can escalate quickly if you have multiple cameras on your property. However, a few companies — most notably Eufy — allow you to save footage locally without having to pay for a subscription. While the upfront cost for the cameras is a little more expensive, you'll save money over the long run. Verizon Home Device Protect: It can be easy to overlook or underestimate hidden costs when it comes to tech. That's why Verizon Home Device Protect can be a lifesaver. As a protective layer against unexpected out-of-pocket costs, it covers virtually all home tech, from laptops to smart vacuums, for your house and one additional. It also comes with 24/7 tech support, saving you hassle over time. The best DIY home security systems let you monitor everything that's going on around your home; more than just cameras, these systems also have door and window sensors as well as motion detectors, so you'll know if someone's trying to get in. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. But, if you want the authorities to respond to your home without you calling them first, you'll need to subscribe to a professional monitoring service, most of which cost around $19 per month. We're not saying you shouldn't get professional monitoring, but know upfront that it's a bit of an investment. One of the best mesh routers is an essential part of any smart home; you need good Wi-Fi coverage throughout your house in order for all those devices to be able to connect reliably to the cloud. In recent years, some of the leading router companies have started offering subscription services to protect all of your connected devices from such things as viruses, data breaches, and more. These plans can also cost as much as $100 per year, so it's worth comparing their features to what the best antivirus programs offer, to see which best fits your needs. Often, there's a good amount of overlap between the services. We might not think of the best streaming services as part of a smart home, but when using a streaming stick or smart TV, it's all connected. And, if you're subscribing to multiple streaming services, those bills can add up fast. Each month, it's worth looking at what's coming up on the services you subscribe to, and deciding whether or not you should cancel it. There's no sense paying for something you're not using. You should also look for deals — often around Black Friday and other events, many services will offer a special one-year subscription rate that's much lower. Another way to save money is to look at the different subscription tiers; many services now have a premium tier, but then also one that's much lower. You'll just have to sit through ads. Like traditional devices in your home — think lightbulbs and refrigerators — smart home devices also have a lifespan, but the timeframes might be a bit different. Let's start with smart lightbulbs. While they use less energy and have a claimed lifespan much longer than incandescent bulbs, LED bulbs are still a somewhat newer technology. As a result, they may not last as long as advertised. A bigger issue with smart home devices, though, is that at some point, they become obsolete as technologies change, and the companies that make them no longer support them. So, while a security camera that you bought 10 years ago may still work well, it may no longer get updates from the company, which may leave it more vulnerable to hacking. In other cases, a company might turn off features for smart home products — or worse, the company might go out of business entirely. Our advice: Look to buy smart home devices from more well-established companies, but be prepared that you will have to replace things eventually.
