What Does a Protection Plan Actually Cover?

by Nick, Digital Specialist | May 5, 2021

When you're in a furniture store, you might find many people talking the benefits of a protection plan. But what does it actually do? This article covers many of the things that are- and are not- usually covered by a protection plan.

Let’s start this article by saying one thing: every protection plan is different. Please contact your local store if you’re curious about any specifics of the protection plan they offer, but here are some general guidelines for what is normally covered and not covered by your protection plan!

What Is Usually Covered
  Spills and stains: this is usually the #1 reason why people purchase a protection plan- to give them some peace of mind in case of something accidental. Generally speaking, stains from wine, juice, and other hard-to-clean spills are covered, as long as they are reported in a specific amount of time. There are some instances where this might not be covered- read on!

  Rips: any piece of upholstery is susceptible to being ripped- that’s just the nature of the product. Rips can happen from almost anything- imagine forgetting that you have a pen in your hand when you sit down, or a rogue pair of scissors while you’re crafting. Rips can make the newest sofa look raggedy, which is why protection plans usually cover this.

  Burns: this isn’t something we see as much anymore, but this is generally covered. We used to see this a lot when smoking was more common, as ashes could burn small holes in the fabric. A misplaced candle can cause this sometimes, too.

  Breaking: Things happen. Imagine someone diving into your new sofa just a little too hard and cracking the frame. Accidental damage like this is usually covered. This usually applies to the motors and mechanisms in reclining pieces as well.

What is NOT Usually Covered
  Anything not accidental: Generally speaking, only damage stemming from a “specific incident” is covered. In other words, anything that they can consider normal wear and tear is not covered. If you sit in the same spot on your sofa all the time and the cushion starts to dip, that usually isn’t covered. Neither is buildup of dirt, grime, or oil over a period of time. This is one of those cases where a “stain” may not be covered, depending on how it happened.

  Pet damage: this one will generally change depending on the plan. Some plans don’t cover it at all. Some will cover it once and only once- they figure that one time is an accident, but multiple instances could be a behavioral issue with the pet.

  Routine cleaning: any protection plan will not cover any kind of routine cleaning or steam cleaning. It will cover cleaning if you’ve had an incident with a spill, but they won’t just come to your home to clean it on a regular basis! (Sounds obvious, we know...but you’d be surprised!)

  Damage as a result of delivery or installation: this one wouldn’t be the responsibility of the protection plan company; contact the store you purchased the item from instead!

Protection plans are not supposed to protect you against everything! They are designed to give you some protection in the event that something accidental happens to your new furniture, so you can keep it looking that way for as long as possible. It’ll give you some peace of mind so you can actually live on your new furniture without being paranoid. Enjoy your new furniture!