So a friend of mine bought an iPhone 6 a year ago and it turned off and wouldn't turn back off a week after her warranty expired so she contact Apple online to figure out what to do. The rep (Lenny) went over some troubleshooting with her then told her it was her battery and to replace it herself. At no point did he offer to make a genius bar appt for her and she didn't know to ask that as an option. She had a friend order a replacement battery on Amazon per the representatives instructions. She had a friend open the phone using the instructions that came with the battery and after the battery replacement was finished there were vertical white lines on the screen. She called me and told me what the rep told her, I informed her to call Apple and talk to someone about this. The second rep she spoke to saw the transcript and told her she was given bad info and she was willing to help till she asked if she had opened the phone and she said yes. The rep then told her she couldn't help her because she opened her phone. She then asked if she had Apple care and she said no and she offered to Apple care to purchase (weird for her to offer for a year old phone) but said she couldn't use it for this issue and basically that was all she said you could do. Does anyone know anything she can do for this issue? She's basically screwed because the first rep told her to open her phone and not go to an Apple store and she doesn't know technology so she thought she was doing what she was supposed to do. Does anyone have any constructive solutions or someone she can contact who could help her? Any help would be appreciated.
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iPhone 6(S)/Plus Apple gave bad advice! What now?
- Thread starter Ta0jin
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Strange story but Apple won't be your (her) friend on this one. Just take it to a non Apple iPhone repair shop and see what they can do.
If there is a written transcript that instructs her to do the repair, then she could escalate it up higher. She was doing as she was instructed. The liability shifts to Apple.
I can tell you how to do something and that’s fine. But the second I tell you to do it, I become liable.
I can tell you how to do something and that’s fine. But the second I tell you to do it, I become liable.
She says she has a copy of the transcript. I’m going to go to her place tomorrow to call them again with her in the room. Fingers crossed it helps that we have a copy of the transcript. She didn’t really fight the second rep she spoke to on the phone cause that’s not her personality but if the transcript reads like she tells me I’m not going to let up on this. Thanks for the reply!
All of this sounds very…unApple like. I've never heard of Apple directing someone to do their own repair.
At the very least I would have expected the Apple rep to try and convince her into a replacement or upgrade rather than writing her off.
I rather hope this is an isolated incident and not at all what we can expect of Apple now.
This friend isn't known to me to be a liar but I'll find out exactly what the rep said when I see the transcript tomorrow. I'm hoping this can be resolved. I thought it was weird that the rep wouldn't even set up a genius bar appt.
Oh, not accusing your friend of lying. Just hoping that this is an isolated case and not the norm.
Oh my bad I didn’t mean to put it like that, I know you weren’t. I’m hoping it was just one bad interaction with an online rep as well.
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Sure will. I’m hoping it turns out positive for her.
This is different, because Apple didn’t instruct her to do so. If someone decides on their own to buy a battery from amazon and then things get screwed that will not be Apple’s fault.
That is unusual since when I had issue with any of my device via Apple chat the rep would always ask me if I want to schedule an apt at a nearby store to take a proper diagnostic and repair option. Rep via chat is basically isn’t effective if he/she can’t physical diagnose issue and repair if it was a battery issue. Most of my cases are a trip to the Apple store. It may be the rep mistake to not offer it or inexperience and may also be hers to not inquire about taking it to a local store. One bad rep doesn’t make it “Apple” gave bad advise. But having someone who isn’t experience or knowledgeable in replacing the battery, your friend should’ve known the risk of damage and uncertainly when letting someone else attempt it. She should’ve either bought a replacement battery to a repair shop to have them replace it for a fee or buy a replacement battery at a repair shop who would warranty the part and repair and be liable for damages for that repair than having a friend who may or may not succeed replacing the battery on her own. You can easily damage the flex cables that connects to the motherboard and you’ll need a screen replacement or improper handling or connecting the battery can fry the components or the motherboard and you’ll need to replace the entire phone. She would probably need to take the device to a reputable repair shop to hopefully fix it. Her friend may have damaged the flex cable and may need to get a screen replacement if there are lines on the screen.
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I’ll know more when I go to her house and yes this whole thing is unusual but if Apple “rep” told her to replace the battery herself regardless if she replaced it or a friend of hers replaced it, it doesn’t matter, it was bad advice and wrong of him to tell her to do so. It would be a different story if he told her to take it to a repair shop but she instead decided to have someone who is not a repair technician try to fix it. That’s not the case here from what I was told. She said the rep told her SHE can replace it herself and there was no mention of going to a shop to fix it. This is according to her and I can only go off of what I was told till I see the transcript. The rep also stated to her that he’s actually replaced his own battery before. My friend doesn’t know tech at all but she has a friend who does know tech better than her and he replaced it for her under the advisement the rep gave her and if that is indeed the case exactly then I think there is an issue here.
I would pay to see the transcript.
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But there’s always YouTube.
I find the dialogue presented to be extremely far off normal support script. If this is the case yikes.
If Apple refuses to do anything after reviewing the chat transcript, your friend could ask about an “out of warranty” repair. For the iPhone 6, it’s $299. However, it may be best to put that $299 towards a newer model.
https://support.apple.com/iphone/repair
https://support.apple.com/iphone/repair
Are you sure it was an actual apple store, or was it an 'Apple authorised service provider'? - they might be more likely to give you such advice than an actual apple store.
That said, I changed the battery on my GF's iPhone 6 this weekend using an iFixit kit. Didn't take long and went perfectly. Your friend has bent the screen.
That said, I changed the battery on my GF's iPhone 6 this weekend using an iFixit kit. Didn't take long and went perfectly. Your friend has bent the screen.
The only thing that I can think of is that the Apple Rep was new. But again, as most people have already mentioned, this is very unlike Apple. But if your friend has a copy of the transcript, I would use that as proof if your friend needs to escalate the issue up the Apple command chain.
I got to the bottom of it. Here's the business card of the specialist that talked to your friend.
Just kidding. Apparently, Sam Sung is a real good guy.
Just kidding. Apparently, Sam Sung is a real good guy.
