[RANT] Apple Care service for iPhone 6s

Bill

Bill

Touchdown! Greaser!
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In another thread, I commented on having to order a iPhone battery replacement kit as I couldn't get an appointment to have the Apple $29.99 battery replacement. Well, I did get an appointment, so I thought if the battery replacement went well at the service center, I'd return the kit. The following is my experience at the local Simply Mac, an authorized Apple service center:

I had a 4:20pm appointment, yet waited 30 minutes in line for my time at the service bar. That didn't cheese me off. I tell the guy I'm here for the Apple $29.99 battery replacement. He tells me that's for the battery alone, the labor is an additional $20. That didn't cheese me off either. Next, he says we have to run a diagnostic on the phone. No problem, I say, as the phone functions fine.

He plugs it into some device, and the diagnostic commences. As part of it, the phone beeps through the audio frequency range. At the end, he tells me the front microphone has failed, and points to the speaker at the top of the display, the one you put next to your ear during a call. He says he can clean it and re-test. He picks up some implement, some cleaner spray, and scrubs out the slot, then repeats the test.

He says sorry, the test still shows a problem with the front "microphone." He then explains that as the microphone is part of the display, if the display doesn't work after the battery replacement (it works fine now), Simply Mac isn't responsible as it's already defective. He recommends replacing the display as part of the battery replacement. I ask how much the display costs, and he replies $175. So, I ask him, my $29.99 battery replacement is now going to cost me $225? He says yes, that is what they recommend as if the display fails after battery replacement, I will receive the phone back in an inoperable state.

All the while, three other customers are at the bar for battery replacement, and I've been listening to those conversations as well. Wouldn't you know it, the front "microphone" was bad on those three working phones as well. What are the chances. Four for four! At that point I WAS cheesed, asked for my phone back, and beat feet.

What a classic ripoff, just like what happens at bad car repair shops. Apple should be ashamed, and if it weren't liking Foreflight, I'd be a Samsung customer.

So, tomorrow I pull my phone apart. If I brick it, that $175 goes towards a new one.

I like supporting American companies when I can, but I'm done with Apple.
 
Hang 4 said:
Bill,

Figure some way to be at an actual apple store. Way different experience. I might also write Apple a note above your experience, total BS and a rip-off.
Click to expand...

Nearest is a 220mi roundtrip. I'll do it myself, and if it bricks, hello Samsung.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Nearest is a 220mi roundtrip. I'll do it myself, and if it bricks, hello Samsung.
Click to expand...

You'll like Samsung. Currently using Galaxy 8, after Galaxy 6+ and Galaxy 3. Photos on my Samsung are larger than my entire Apple 7 phone . . . And it's easier for me to operate.

Samsung is mine; work passed out apples. Having used i4, i5 and i7 for the last five years, it's no comparison--Samsung blows them all away.

Oh, download Avare on your new Galaxy phone. It ain't foreflight, but it's free, includes sectionals, low enroutes and approach plates for free, and automatically changes to georeferenced airport diagram on landing. And it's free!
 
Hang 4 said:
Bill,

Figure some way to be at an actual apple store. Way different experience. I might also write Apple a note above your experience, total BS and a rip-off.
Click to expand...

Soooo true. I've always had fantastic experiences at an actual Apple store. These third party retailers are the last place I would go. FWIW a friend of a friend owned a few of these third party cell phone repair stores in Florida. He told me they make a pretty good chunk of change doing crap like this.
 
Bill Jennings said:
In another thread, I commented on having to order a iPhone battery replacement kit as I couldn't get an appointment to have the Apple $29.99 battery replacement. Well, I did get an appointment, so I thought if the battery replacement went well at the service center, I'd return the kit. The following is my experience at the local Simply Mac, an authorized Apple service center:

I had a 4:20pm appointment, yet waited 30 minutes in line for my time at the service bar. That didn't cheese me off. I tell the guy I'm here for the Apple $29.99 battery replacement. He tells me that's for the battery alone, the labor is an additional $20. That didn't cheese me off either. Next, he says we have to run a diagnostic on the phone. No problem, I say, as the phone functions fine.

He plugs it into some device, and the diagnostic commences. As part of it, the phone beeps through the audio frequency range. At the end, he tells me the front microphone has failed, and points to the speaker at the top of the display, the one you put next to your ear during a call. He says he can clean it and re-test. He picks up some implement, some cleaner spray, and scrubs out the slot, then repeats the test.

He says sorry, the test still shows a problem with the front "microphone." He then explains that as the microphone is part of the display, if the display doesn't work after the battery replacement (it works fine now), Simply Mac isn't responsible as it's already defective. He recommends replacing the display as part of the battery replacement. I ask how much the display costs, and he replies $175. So, I ask him, my $29.99 battery replacement is now going to cost me $225? He says yes, that is what they recommend as if the display fails after battery replacement, I will receive the phone back in an inoperable state.

All the while, three other customers are at the bar for battery replacement, and I've been listening to those conversations as well. Wouldn't you know it, the front "microphone" was bad on those three working phones as well. What are the chances. Four for four! At that point I WAS cheesed, asked for my phone back, and beat feet.

What a classic ripoff, just like what happens at bad car repair shops. Apple should be ashamed, and if it weren't liking Foreflight, I'd be a Samsung customer.

So, tomorrow I pull my phone apart. If I brick it, that $175 goes towards a new one.

I like supporting American companies when I can, but I'm done with Apple.
Click to expand...

Maybe you should get out of BFE and move closer to the Apple store!!!!! LOL just kidding :p

I will say...your service experience reflects that of a third party retailer. I've had excellent customer service at Apple (both in store and on the phone). The new Samsung's are nice. If I could get a Samsung with Apple's software I'd have one in a heartbeat. I've always loved the Note series. Note 9 would be my pick.
 
Apple also has a "mail it in, mail it back" option for battery replacement with a 5 day turnaround time.
 
I've never had a good experience at Simply Mac. I'm surprised they're still in business. When I was shopping around for my MacBook, I checked there and was turned off by their poor customer service and return policies. It's one of those places where they'll say 'once you leave the store, the product is yours'. Ended up going over to BestBuy and they had it all over Simply Mac and that's where we've done business ever since.

I know we discussed this briefly at the table the other night, but have you tried to see if BestBuy will replace the battery? If not, I'd check with Batteries Plus or My Phone Repair in the mall. Surely one of those two would be able to do it.

Definitely sucks that we don't have an Apple Store around here. I keep thinking one of these days this town will make it on the map.
 
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Just had an unexpectedly nice experience at an Apple store. My mother in law died recently and my wife was holding onto here phone and paying the monthly lease charge because she didn’t want to give up the photos or memories on it.

I finally convinced her to go in, have the photos off loaded somewhere, and then to return the phone and stop the charges.

To our surprise they told her about several options for off loading the photos, but then said she could simply keep the phone and do whatever she needed to do.

It will remain a working phone for 7-10 days and the 1+ year of equipments payments were waived.

Thank You Apple.

Sometimes working with an enormously large and profitable enterprise is good thing.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
 
Hang 4 said:
Bill,

Figure some way to be at an actual apple store. Way different experience. I might also write Apple a note above your experience, total BS and a rip-off.
Click to expand...
Don't count on it.

A friend went to an actual apple store with a perfectly functioning phone. Same story: we ran a test and the phone is defective so we won't do the battery. But we will give you a refurbished iPhone 7 for only $399.

And then there's this:

Apple stock is down, in part, because folks are getting tired of this.
 
Took 30min to replace the battery using the iFixit tool kit and instructions. Quite easy and the phone works fine, I’m typing this message after I sealed it back up.

Battery + toolkit was $50. Win!

EDIT: Actually, I went back and looked at the email, the battery + toolkit was $24.99 total.
 
Last edited:
Bill Jennings said:
Took 30min to replace the battery using the iFixit tool kit and instructions. Quite easy and the phone works fine, I’m typing this message after I sealed it back up.

Battery + toolkit was $50. Win!
Click to expand...

This is what I’m going to do.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
They replaced my 6S battery for free, in a couple hours, at an Apple Store. However, my 6S was covered under the extended warranty for bad batteries (it fell into a certain group of serial numbers). I live where there is an abundance of Apple Stores...
 
Everskyward said:
They replaced my 6S battery for free, in a couple hours, at an Apple Store. However, my 6S was covered under the extended warranty for bad batteries (it fell into a certain group of serial numbers). I live where there is an abundance of Apple Stores...
Click to expand...

You're also very near the mother ship!
 
We have had extremely good luck out of our bigger Apple products (MacBooks, iPads) than we have with our phones. I have a 4th gen iPod that is still 100% functional, minus an old, worn out battery. My wife's iPhone 6 got really laggy after about a year of use and she doesn't play any games at all, and has very few apps. My 6Plus was a pile of junk right out of the box, and after a trip to a very large Apple store I was offered a new phone at full price, even though my phone was still under warranty! I was rather nonplussed. But, being an idiot, I kept my old 6Plus for a while, until the 8 came out, at which time I bought a 7Plus due to lowered pricing on that model. Decent so far, but I don't play any games on it and have ForeFlight loaded up, no music, lots of pics. My wife just got a new 8, and it actually might be the best phone we've had so far. Offshore manufacturing is the root cause of terrible quality control, in my highly valued opinion. Long story short- Apple stores suck.
 
I’ve always either gone direct to an actual Apple store where I’ve always had a good experience or I DIY.

I personally just don’t get the extended warranty plans on anything but I’ve never broken a screen or had a battery go, not sure if that’s luck or just how I use it but at this point I’m pretty sure if I ever have to replace a device fully out of pocket I’m ahead.
 
If your phone matters to you that much carry the best AppleCare option they have.

When my phone jacks up - I call Apple and they overnight me a replacement phone. I send mine back in the box it came in. Can’t remember the specifics but I’ve done it several times.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Took 30min to replace the battery using the iFixit tool kit and instructions. Quite easy and the phone works fine, I’m typing this message after I sealed it back up.

Battery + toolkit was $50. Win!

EDIT: Actually, I went back and looked at the email, the battery + toolkit was $24.99 total.
Click to expand...

I’ve always just taken my wife’s and son’s phone to icare, a local shop. $60 and it’s ready in ten minutes. But this sounds appealing. It’s really that easy? Where did you get the kit?
 
Never had a problem with any of my iphones. I know at least from a manufacturer qualification stand point Apple has extremely high standards and stringent processes that must be followed. They will not tolerate even the slightest visual defect. While I do think the company has gone down hill since Jobs passing they are still vastly better than anyone else on the market.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Nearest is a 220mi roundtrip. I'll do it myself, and if it bricks, hello Samsung.
Click to expand...


Gosh, that is a long way. If only there was an efficient and fun way to travel long distances. ;)
 
Bill Jennings said:
In another thread, I commented on having to order a iPhone battery replacement kit as I couldn't get an appointment to have the Apple $29.99 battery replacement. Well, I did get an appointment, so I thought if the battery replacement went well at the service center, I'd return the kit. The following is my experience at the local Simply Mac, an authorized Apple service center:

...

What a classic ripoff, just like what happens at bad car repair shops. Apple should be ashamed, and if it weren't liking Foreflight, I'd be a Samsung customer.
Click to expand...

Let me say this loud and clear:

Simply Mac is not Apple.

I would suggest that you contact Apple and let them know of your experience, because I bet Simply Mac will be simply out of business if Apple knew what they were doing... And they should be! Maybe Apple will respond by putting a store in your area, too.
 
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