Apple Launches Screen Replacement Program for Aluminum Series 2 and Series 3 Apple Watch Models

[memesmith]

Hah! Vindicated! My series two cracked like this all around just after I bought my four. Took it to the store and they said it must have been accidental damage, it would cost (most of the price of a new three) to replace the screen.

I wrote to Tim Cook and had no reply, but this is better than a reply. New store appointment booked.

 

[satinsilverem2]

I got a crack in the lower corner of my s3 last April and it chipped and left a hole in the corner. I didn’t have the money to fix it and put some JBWELD in the hole to keep water out. I took it into Apple yesterday and they told me that since the announced the service program there has been a “slight” uptick in watch repairs.

 

[Dov.sakinis]

I got a crack in the lower corner of my s3 last April and it chipped and left a hole in the corner. I didn’t have the money to fix it and put some JBWELD in the hole to keep water out. I took it into Apple yesterday and they told me that since the announced the service program there has been a “slight” uptick in watch repairs.

did they take yours for a free fixing? I have the same case, it’s cracked all around just as a photo depicts it but one of the corners started to chip badly and I have stopped using it as it was dangerous. Fixing was not worth it but I am sort of scared to take it to them for this program as I think they are going to tell me that it was caused by an impact or something. So please let me know, thanks!

 

[ilikewhey]

Disposable Chinese made watches after all.

it doesn't matter where its made, the chinese factory build to apple spec and requirements.

 

[satinsilverem2]

did they take yours for a free fixing? I have the same case, it’s cracked all around just as a photo depicts it but one of the corners started to chip badly and I have stopped using it as it was dangerous. Fixing was not worth it but I am sort of scared to take it to them for this program as I think they are going to tell me that it was caused by an impact or something. So please let me know, thanks!

Yes they took it under the service program barring any water damage. I noticed in the notes that they put that I had put putty in the hole to prevent water damage so I hope that helps if there is in fact water damage

 

[vibrology]

they replaced mine. have to wait 5 days. i went yesterday.

 

[cote32mt]

And what are they going to do about the £400 I spent on a brand new one after they refused to replace mine for this exact crack? So annoyed.

Yup - me too. Complained about this a year or so ago, was told I was holding it wrong.
[doublepost=1567388513][/doublepost]

Yea mine had the exact same crack and literally happened as i was just sitting at a desk doing absolutely nothing. It was like a month past warranty (no apple care)

Apple refused to fix it, saying it was my fault due to “impact” damage. The manager at the store claimed he had “never” seen it before.

I held my ground and kept going up the chain and finally got them to do a “one-time exception”.

Took over a month of fighting, which is absolutely ridiculous. Kind of been sour on apple ever since. Used to buy pretty much everything they released. Their latest price increases on top of this didn’t help, either.

But yea, basically, “rare” my ass.

Never got mine fixed - $300 out the window after two months.
[doublepost=1567388667][/doublepost]

My Series 3 Watch did this at the beginning of this year, I took it into the Apple Store and they told me since the battery hadn’t swollen I would have to pay for a replacement... So I took the broken watch home and chucked it in a box then went online and bought a Series 4 on eBay.

Luckily I still have it and I just spoke to Support who are sending me a box out to replace it for free!

But who wants a replacement 3 now that 5 is about to come out?

 

[eroslws]

Yup - me too. Complained about this a year or so ago, was told I was holding it wrong.
[doublepost=1567388513][/doublepost]
Never got mine fixed - $300 out the window after two months.
[doublepost=1567388667][/doublepost]
But who wants a replacement 3 now that 5 is about to come out?

Write a letter to corporate counsel demanding payment, then wait for a resolution or take them to small claims. Your case is legitimate and they can’t use lawyers in small claims so odds are in your favor.

 

[rbart]

they replaced mine. have to wait 5 days. i went yesterday.

They replace the watch or the screen ?

 

[simonmet]

I'll be "That Guy" .... "Sapphire Glass", stop it! It's sapphire crystal, or it's glass. The two are different materials.

Apple cuts major corners on their sapphire and seem to use a glass infused with a thin sapphire coating. So in their case “Sapphire Glass” is actually much closer to the truth, and likely what they call it for legal reasons because it’s not a genuine, full sapphire crystal.

Apple’s sapphire doesn’t have the hardness you expect from genuine sapphire, so they’re basically intentionally misleading people and guilty of advertising fraud. It’s a hardness between normal glass and genuine sapphire, as routinely tested by YouTubers.

Everything about Apple seems to be cutting corners for profit now. You can thank Tim Apple for that.

 

[hifimacianer]

I just called the Apple Care Support, because I had this problem last year, and had to pay for a replacement (260€). They said it was my fault.

Unfortunately I don't get a refund, because the "magic sentence" is missing in this exchangement program:
" If you believe your Mac product was affected by this issue, and you paid to have it repaired, you can contact Apple about a refund."

 

[blacktape242]

So when this happened to my apple watch 2 and I had to pay for it im outta luck?

 

[shahrezsyed]

This happened to my series 3 watch and I gave it in for free repair. I don’t know what prompted this but they replaced it with a series 4 watch instead!!!

 

[purpleparrotuk]

Anyone in the UK done this yet? I have an appointment booked on Thursday for a series 2 that’s has cracked.

 

[vibrology]

They replace the watch or the screen ?

my screen sorry. i still don’t have it back. but when we were finishing up, she said something like “we will repair it at no charge, and if it seems like it is unrepairable, we will replace the unit”. i just said ok. i’ll keep an update if my serial number is the same.

 

[rbart]

OK, thanks for the information
I go to apple store on thursday for the same issue. I will see.

 

[Benny_G]

Anyone in the UK done this yet? I have an appointment booked on Thursday for a series 2 that’s has cracked.

Mine (genuinely!) cracked the day after the announcement. I have mine booked on Friday. They wouldn't let me do a mail order repair.

 

[kidsojo]

I brought my series 2 in to the Apple Store today and they let me know Series 2 watches will be upgraded to series 3. I’ll believe it when I see it, but the Apple tech showed me the guideline on her iPad. I’m not sure I’ve seen Apple do that before.

 

[morgantayler]

I dropped my Series 2 a few weeks ago and the screen cracked all the way around the edges to where it hangs off of the bezel of the watch. Do you think this would be covered or they would just say it's accidental? I've never seen anyone's crack like that so I figured there is a possibility it could be covered.

I was planning on just buying a new one after the Series 5 gets announced but I figured it was worth a shot to try and get it replaced for free.

 

[Sawyer70]

I took my series 2 in a couple of days ago. I noticed the crack as I was rubbing off a smudge with my finger. I received this on my repair status:

"Update your repair.
Our technicians carefully inspected your product and found an issue that wasn’t mentioned in the original repair request. You can find more information on your repair listed to the right.

If you wish to proceed with the repair, please approve the updated repair cost listed below. We can also send your device back to you unrepaired at no charge.

There is a hardware issue affecting the device."

I have no idea what was wrong with it besides the crack. It was working fine before that and after, and I put some scotch tape just to keep it together.

I'll be calling Apple tomorrow for a better explanation.

 

[LugubriousHaddock]

I took my series 2 in a couple of days ago. I noticed the crack as I was rubbing off a smudge with my finger. I received this on my repair status:

"Update your repair.
Our technicians carefully inspected your product and found an issue that wasn’t mentioned in the original repair request. You can find more information on your repair listed to the right.

If you wish to proceed with the repair, please approve the updated repair cost listed below. We can also send your device back to you unrepaired at no charge.

There is a hardware issue affecting the device."

I have no idea what was wrong with it besides the crack. It was working fine before that and after, and I put some scotch tape just to keep it together.

I'll be calling Apple tomorrow for a better explanation.

I got this same message. When I called them they told me I have the wrong type of crack. I'm in the uk by the way. Screen cracked while the watch was charging.

 

[rbart]

Did you bring your AW to an Apple Store or have you sent it directly to the support with online procedure ?

 

[vibrology]

This is what happened for me:

Problem Description/Diagnosis
Issue: Customer states his watch has a single hair line crack
Steps to Reproduce: Verified issue in store
Device display has a sing,e hair line crack
Cosmetic Condition: Performed visual inspection of device.
Checked functionality of all buttons on device, all buttons are functioning properly.
Display has a single hairline crack with NO point of impact
Proposed Resolution: Send device to offsite repair facility under quality program

Per Article OP2206 watch qualifies repair at no cost, systematically mobile genius did not permit, partnered with lead Sarah who approved covering cost of repair due to quality program

Informed customer that Apple is not responsible for any data loss if it may occur.
Informed customer that any repairs being done are an attempt to fix the issue the device is being checked in for.
Informed customer that if any liquid is found inside device or any unauthorized modifications are found in device such as third party non Apple parts, that Apple may re-quote the repair cost, or deny doing the repair.
Informed customer they may accept or deny any potential repair re-quotes.
Informed customer all parts being used in repair and or repaired components have a 90 warranty starting from date of service.
Informed customer they or the alternate pick up named in the repair must be over the age of 18 and must have a valid government issued photo ID at time of pick up or drop off.
Informed customer full payment for repair will be taken at time of pick up of repair.
Contact Apple Support Case

 

[dringkor]

My series 3 was cracked exactly as shown in the picture in the article. I took it to the Apple store the day after the replacement program was announced. They said mine was the first watch they'd seen since the program started. One guy looked at it and said it appeared to qualify. He showed it to another guy who agreed. They said they would send it off to Apple for validation, but that Apple might disqualify it due to other cracking. My guess is they were told to say this to everybody; there was no other cracking on my watch -- it looked just like the picture in the article. The guys in the store said that if my watch qualified, I would get a replacement watch (not just a new screen) and that it would be the same model, same color, same storage. Three days later I got an email from Apple that said my watch did in fact qualify, and a new one was on its way. We'll see what color it is though. The broken one was gold, but the picture of the new one in the email shows space gray (and the Apple website shows the series 3 only available in silver and space gray now). Also not sure if it's being shipped directly to me or to the Apple store. The email from Apple said it's going to the Apple store and they'll let me know when I can pick it up. But the Apple repair website says my new watch will be shipped to me. So we'll see.

The best thing about all this is the original watch was my wife's (hence the gold). When it broke and Apple refused to repair it, she just bought a new watch and we threw the broken one in a drawer, hoping that Apple would eventually have a replacement program like this. Now that they're replacing the broken watch, I get the replacement for myself. And it doesn't even have to be gold (hopefully).

 

[rbart]

I have put my cracked S2 at apple store today.
It seems it will fulfill the requirements for the replacement program. They will examine it again at the factory.
They have informed me that they could replace it with an apple watch S3.
Wait and see ...