What's a better deal? the $50 phone from Best Buy with $10 a month warranty or $150 phone from Verizon with $6 a month warranty and $50 deductible?

Well, strictly from a financial perspective, she’s going to basically break even on the cost of the phone + warranty over a two year period, whether she gets the phone at Best Buy or Verizon.

However, neither Best Buy nor Verizon do their own in-house warranty, both actually use a third party to back the warranty, which means the service/experience is likely to be similar. Alternatively, your friend could get a warranty through someone like Squaretrade which is well regarded.

It sounds to me like the Verizon guy wants the commission on the phone. If your friend was happy with the phone before, she shouldn’t stress over the warranty issue.

Don’t buy a warranty, they are a scam.

Assuming you WILL get the warranty and you will get it for two years

Best Buy= 50+(10*24) = $290
Verizon = (150–50)+(6*24) = $244

Adding this with @film_girl ‘s comment (welcome to fluther), the warranty service should be equal. Is it worth $46 to take it back, then go get a new one that won’t be any different?

Edit: Since I don’t really know what a deductible is in this sense, I’ll assume its some sort of cash back, rather than an insurance deductible, in which case you might as well just keep the Best Buy phone.

actually, @Sisyphus, the $50 deductible is like an insurance deductible, a price you pay before getting repair. i like and appreciate your figures. knowing that the $50 deductible is a price you pay in addition, it makes the Verizon $294 which makes the two phones about equal. You’re right, she may as well keep the phone she has.

I wouldn’t buy a warranty, and I would just buy the phone I wanted.