Flipkart has lately come with a new “Flipkart SmartPack” program wherein it claims to offer smartphones for free by giving a 100% money-back guarantee. It is advertising up to 100-percent refund on new smartphones purchased under the SmartPack subscription. However, is it as good as it’s claimed to be? Does it really save your money? Let’s find out the complete truth of Flipkart SmartPack in this article.
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What is Flipkart SmartPack & How Does it Work?
Flipkart SmartPack is a subscription-based service bundled with new smartphone purchases. Under it, you can buy a new smartphone alongside a monthly subscription that gives you access to a bundle of services like Disney+ Hotstar, Zee5, SonyLIV Premium, Gaana+, and more.
After 12 or 18 months, you can return your phone to Flipkart in any working condition and get a 60-100% refund on the phone price based on the plan. Do not wish to return your phone? You can still get a moneyback of 20- 60% based on the tier selected.
The scheme applies to budget smartphones available on Flipkart. It includes phones from Realme, Redmi, POCO, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, Micromax, Nokia, Infinix, and Motorola ranging from under Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 17,000.
Types of Plans Available Under the Program
| Return Phone after 12/18 months | If you Don’t Return | |
| Bronze Plan | 60% Moneyback | 20% Moneyback |
| Silver Plan | 80% Moneyback | 40% Moneyback |
| Gold Plan | 100% Moneyback | 60% Moneyback |
With every phone, you can choose between 6 pack options made by a combination of Bronze, Silver, and Gold plans and 12 & 18-month tenure options. The monthly fee for Bronze, Silver, and Gold plans vary across the phone category and model.
Here’s How it Works
- Pick a SmartPack of your choice.
- Pay for the mobile phone & continue paying for your SmartPack every month. You get to enjoy the services included in your plan.
- Return your mobile in any working condition after 12/18 months to get up to 100% moneyback of the phone’s cost.
- Moneyback will be credited to your bank account.
Your phone can be returned in any working condition- even if it’s scratched or damaged. All it should do is turn on and be able to verify the IMEI on the screen. However, if you wish to cancel the pack in between the tenure, you’ll lose the subscribed services and the ability to claim money back.
What Services are included in the Monthly Subscription?
The services included in the monthly subscription are- Disney+ Hotstar, SonyLIV Premium, Voot Select, Zee5 Premium, Zomato Pro, Gaana+, Cure.fit, Practo Plus, DocsApp, MedLifem Eros Now, Voot Kids, and Tinder+. It also includes Flipkart Smart Protection for the phone.
You also get some extra freebies from US Polo Assn., Chaayos, Uber, Myntra, Barbeque Nation, and more. You can read detailed information and terms of conditions for SmartPack here.
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The Truth of Flipkart SmartPack- Why it’s a Scam?
At first glance, you may think of Flipkart SmartPack as a good deal since you’re getting a guaranteed moneyback value for your phone. Plus, you get to enjoy a plethora of services, including OTT platforms. However, the reality is quite disappointing.
Here, you’re not only paying for using the phone but also the excessive monthly charge for loads of unwanted services. Even if you use each of these services, they will individually cost lesser than what Flipkart is offering you.
Let’s Understand with an Example
The Silver SmartPack for the Realme 7 costs ₹1,359 a month. You get to enjoy 11 premium services and 80% money back when you return the phone after 12 months. If you buy this plan, here’s what happens:
- You pay ₹16,358 upfront {Phone’s price (₹14,999) + Monthly Pack Fee (₹1,359)}.
- You pay an additional ₹14,949 to continue the pack {₹1,359/ month for the remaining 11 months}.
- By 12 months, you’ve paid ₹31,307 {Price Paid Upfront (₹16,358) + Paid in Other 11 Months (₹14,949)}.
- You get ₹11,999 back from Flipkart for returning your phone after 12 months. If you don’t return, you’ll get 40% money back, i.e., ₹,6000.
- Total Money Spent = ₹19,308.
Here, you spent a whopping ₹19,308 for using the phone and the SmartPack services for 12 months. Remember, this is after you have returned your phone and received the buyback value in your account.
Real Value of Services in the SmartPack
Let’s try finding the real value of the services included in the pack if we were to buy them separately.
| Service Offered | Price if bought Separately for 12 months |
| Complete Mobile Protection | ₹499 (for this phone) |
| Disney+ Hotstar VIP | ₹399 (FREE with Jio & Airtel Rs. 401 Plan) |
| SonyLiv Premium | ₹999 |
| Voot Select | ₹399 |
| Zee5 Premium | ₹999 |
| Zomato Pro | ₹800 |
| Gaana Plus | ₹399 |
| Cure.fit | ₹1,999 |
| DocsApp Gold | ₹1,900 |
| Medlife Advantage | – |
| Voot Kids | ₹799 |
| Real Value of Services | ₹9,162 |
| What You Pay with SmartPack | ₹19,308 |
| Extra Amount Charged | ₹10,146 |
In this case, you’ll end up paying ₹19,300+ for services that originally cost about ₹9,000 when bought individually. Even if you use all the services, you’re being charged ₹10,146 extra for just using the phone and these services for a year.
Plus, if you notice, the maximum price is for services like DocsApp Gold, Cure.fit, and others, which are useless for an average consumer. The services that I feel are useful in this pack include Disney+ Hotstar, Zee5, Gaana+, Zomato Pro, and Mobile Protection. All of them combined can be bought for a little over ₹3000.
Reducing the Perks of Buyback Value
What if we count the buyback value of the phone? Does it add any advantage to the Smart Pack program? Well, a buyback value of ₹12,000 for a one-year-old phone bought at ₹15,000 is quite good. If you sell it anywhere else, you may barely get ₹8,000-8,500.
So, let’s assume you got an extra ₹4,000 for your phone compared to what you would have received by selling it elsewhere. However, even if you consider this amount, you’re still paying an extra sum of ₹6,145 to Flipkart for no reason.
Some of you may argue that Flipkart will take the phone even if the screen is broken- they just want it to turn on and show the IMEI for verification. But isn’t this already covered with the Complete Mobile Protection included in the pack?
The Real Deal
Will you be using all the premium services in the Silver Pack? If yes, then you’re paying an additional ₹6,145 to Flipkart, that too, after reducing the perks of guaranteed buyback value (considering the above case of Realme 7 bought under a 12-month Silver plan).
Will you be using only the major services like Zee5, Disney+ Hotstar, Zee5, Gaana+, Zomato Pro, and Mobile Protection? They can be bought separately for around ₹3,000. So, in this case, you’re paying about ₹12,300 extra to Flipkart.
In short, Flipkart is simply ripping you off the extra money under the blanket of SmartPack. You may want to buy it in the name of guaranteed moneyback value but remember- you’re paying inflated costs for services, half of which are useless.
Wrapping Up
This was the real truth of the all-new Flipkart SmartPack program. It may seem attractive at first glance, but there’s no value to it if we go by the calculations. In fact, it’s more of wasting money for an average consumer. Therefore, we advise you not to waste your hard-earned money on this offer. Please share this article with your friends and family to make them aware. Stay tuned for more such articles.
Also, read- Your Guide to Buy Best Smartphones in Amazon and Flipkart Sale in 2021
