Apple, Letting Thing Slip?

[570934]

I have a really long story and won't bore with the full details.

Been an Apple "enjoyer" for some several years, from iPhone 1 onwards, macs, MacBooks iPods, iPads around the three people in my family, do the maths blah blah blah. Oh plus mother-in-laws, mother, father, step sister, whatever.

Never had much trouble in the past besides a speaker failure on my wifes iPhone 4 at the time. Apple replaced it despite being out of warranty by a month or so, she was in Australia when it failed. They replaced the phone no problem. I had a Smart Cover leather case split which they replaced over the phone!

So, in the last few weeks I have had, a knackered iPad Air Smart Cover which has now split (which after getting told over the phone they wouldn't replace, they replaced in store....woohoo) and iPad Air which is having the constant safari crash ( they did a dfu instal today see if it changes anything after doing three previous fresh installs) and now an iPhone 5 battery failure. Tested in store and Apple have admitted that dispite my phone being looked after, the battery only has 60% capacity and has failed.
I bought the phone off T-Mobile, along with five other phones on my business account. Apple have said with the phone is now out of warranty (14 months) under EU consumer law T-Mobile have to replace the phone. After three phone calls over several hours T-Mobile call me and inform me that they have no contract with Apple to replace any defective phone, dispite Apple giving me a letter stating that they (t-mobile) need to sort my phone out under EU consumer law.

To be honest, I'm so pissing pissed off with all this crap. So now I'm having to travel an hour+ to my nearest Apple Store (Leeds uk) only to be told by Apple that I will have to pay £55 to replace the faulty battery in my phone......

Not a happy bunny that three products have problem, but not as happy as I'll be arguing the toss as to who needs to sort my frigging phone out!

 

[T5BRICK]

Apple only offers a one year warranty. European warranty laws apply to the place you purchased your phone, and I believe you must present your case and fight for the your right.

TL;DR

You probably should have purchased AppleCare.

 

[570934]

Indeed, but t-mobile are stating their T&C's state they have no contract with Apple to replace, Apple say EU law is to be replaced by seller. So now I am stuck in the middle. Ok it's not expensive to have the battery change at the Apple Store, but could get expensive if all my staffs phone start having problems, tw others may have issue too

 

[T5BRICK]

Indeed, but t-mobile are stating their T&C's state they have no contract with Apple to replace, Apple say EU law is to be replaced by seller.

It's up to you to know the law. Read up and educate yourself. If the law says that the seller is responsible(I'm pretty sure it does, but I'm from the US, laws are different here), you need to prove it to T-Mobile. They may not consider the battery a part covered by warranty.

 

[lordofthereef]

This isn't Apple's fault, it is the consumers'. ALL OF US CONSUMERS. Dropping $700+ on a device only to be guaranteed it will work for 12 months without me having to dump extra money into it to keep it running is pretty ludicrous. But as the consumers we have accepted it for ages and continue to do so (with virtually all products).

It's unfortunate your phone broke. It's also unfortunate that there isn;t a whole lot you can do for a quick fix other than drop the cash to repair it.

 

[I7guy]

No different than dropping 70k on a car only to be guaranteed it will run for three years.

 

[mantan]

I haven't owned Apple products as long as you have, but I found the whole quality thing to be a myth. Yes they make every cool products out of quality materials. But in the 5 years I've owned Apple products

The proximity sensor never worked on my iPhone 4
My wife had a faulty battery (replaced under warrant) in her 4S
I had a faulty battery (replaced under warranty) in my iPhone 5
My daughters iPod touch bricked (paid discounted rate to replace)
My wife's ipad 2's battery failed 14 months in. Paid to replace.

The laughable part is how they promote AppleCare as some luxury add on- rather than what it is. An overpriced extended warranty that covers a term a high priced luxury item should already have.

An Acura or Lexus has a longer standard warranty than a Nissan or Chevy. Part of the benefit of paying a higher price, should be an expectation of higher quality and an extended base warranty.

 

[cynics]

I've always question their hardware AND software quality. But I chalk it up to using so many of their products. Obviously any failures I experience will reflect bad on Apple and not the competition since currently I'm not using any competing devices.

Hardware I've been fine with (one failed and replaced AppleTV under warranty). Software, not so much. I won't bore you with details but it certainly does not "just work" at least not all the time. I returned an iPad Air due to the constant browser crashing. Supposedly it's much better now with 7.1 but I returned it MONTHS before that came out.

 

[rablat]

No different than dropping 70k on a car only to be guaranteed it will run for three years.

Or a guarantee you won't then into an accident driving off the lot.

 

[cynics]

I haven't owned Apple products as long as you have, but I found the whole quality thing to be a myth. Yes they make every cool products out of quality materials. But in the 5 years I've owned Apple products



The proximity sensor never worked on my iPhone 4

My wife had a faulty battery (replaced under warrant) in her 4S

I had a faulty battery (replaced under warranty) in my iPhone 5

My daughters iPod touch bricked (paid discounted rate to replace)

My wife's ipad 2's battery failed 14 months in. Paid to replace.



The laughable part is how they promote AppleCare as some luxury add on- rather than what it is. An overpriced extended warranty that covers a term a high priced luxury item should already have.



An Acura or Lexus has a longer standard warranty than a Nissan or Chevy. Part of the benefit of paying a higher price, should be an expectation of higher quality and an extended base warranty.

You may want to edit that. Chevrolet has a better power train warranty then Acura and Lexus. And twice as good as my Audi and they only sell a couple cars more expensive.

To get a warranty as good I would have had to gone with the AudiCare+. Lol

 

[T5BRICK]

An Acura or Lexus has a longer standard warranty than a Nissan or Chevy. Part of the benefit of paying a higher price, should be an expectation of higher quality and an extended base warranty.

Cars vs computers or phones make for a pretty poor comparison.

Industry standard warranty on most electronics is one year. No matter what marketing has tricked you into thinking, Apple charges a premium, that doesn't make their products "premium." Retail price on a new flagship phone from most manufacturers is about the same price as an iPhone. Same goes for their computers.

Anyway, if warranty length indicates quality, Hyundai and Chrysler would be selling the best cars in the world. Because, ya know, 10 year warranty...

 

[mantan]

Cars vs computers or phones make for a pretty poor comparison.

Industry standard warranty on most electronics is one year. No matter what marketing has tricked you into thinking, Apple charges a premium, that doesn't make their products "premium." Retail price on a new flagship phone from most manufacturers is about the same price as an iPhone. Same goes for their computers.

Anyway, if warranty length indicates quality, Hyundai and Chrysler would be selling the best cars in the world. Because, ya know, 10 year warranty...

Nail on the head right there. I think that's been my biggest disappointment as newer Apple customer. I'd expected a lot more.

You're right about cars and electronics being a poor comparison. To an extent most electronic items have become so cheap as they are essentially disposable. Your 50 inch flat screen breaks, just buy another one. Your printer breaks down. It's easier to get a new one. But when Apple is charging essentially double the price for their products, they aren't as disposable....and it pisses you off when they break.

 

[T5BRICK]

But when Apple is charging essentially double the price for their products, they aren't as disposable....and it pisses you off when they break.

Apple isn't charging double. The launch price on the 16GB Samsung Galaxy S4 was $579 and the 32 GB HTC One was about $650.

 

[570934]

Genius appointment booked for 10.10. I'm going to call T-Mobile from the store and get them to speak to one another. Apple hiding behind the consumer law, and T-Mobile hiding behind their T&C's and me stuck with a knackered phone

 

[Applejuiced]

I think with the EU consumer law you have room to work with and if you push hard enough they must honor it. Find details and bring paperwork with you with the law and speak to a Manager.
Its the law from what I heard there to fix it for 2 years if it breaks weather their warranty expired on it or not.
Wish we had something like that here in the US.

 

[570934]

I think with the EU consumer law you have room to work with and if you push hard enough they must honor it. Find details and bring paperwork with you with the law and speak to a Manager.
Its the law from what I heard there to fix it for 2 years if it breaks weather their warranty expired on it or not.
Wish we had something like that here in the US.

I do know the law, it's 2 years and up to 6 years. BUT, this is the crucial thing. You have to prove that the fault was already in the product at the time of purchase. Now, Apple printed me a statement yesterday saying the phone was well looked after but the battery has failed and the seller needs to repair the device under EU law. T-Mobile then say under their T&C'c they only have. Return policy of 14 days, then all warranties are the responsibility of Apple.

Like I say, stuck in the middle.

 

[Applejuiced]

That sucks.
But I don't see how the seller, in this case t mobile that just sold you apples device has to fix it. Doesn't make any sense and like they said all warranty requirements are Apples responsibility for their product.
Its the manufacturer that has to fix their own device if it fails within that timeframe, not the store that sold it to you.
Talk to Apple and be persistent. I heard someone threatening to take them to small claims court and they finally gave in and fixed his defective iphone.

 

[570934]

That sucks.
But I don't see how the seller, in this case t mobile that just sold you apples device has to fix it. Doesn't make any sense and like they said all warranty requirements are Apples responsibility for their product.
Its the manufacturer that has to fix their own device if it fails within that timeframe, not the store that sold it to you.
Talk to Apple and be persistent. I heard someone threatening to take them to small claims court and they finally gave in and fixed his defective iphone.

The seller will always be responsible for item sold. My company has to replace items which are faulty, then we as a business have to claim that back from the manufacturer. I know both will just dig their heels in and blame each other.

Sigh.....

 

[john500y2k]

It sounds like T-mobile is misquoting their own policy. They do support full manufacturers warranty it is only in the first 14 days where they will replace a faulty handset immediately for a new one. After that it will be sent for repair.

It is all on their website "If your phone has a fault that’s covered by your manufacturer warranty, we’ll repair it for you ourselves at no extra cost. We’ll get it back to you as soon as we can – normally within 14 days. "

(direct link: http://bit.ly/1gsCft7) This applies to EE, T-Mobile and Orange.

If they give you any grief as to what the Apple's manufacturers warranty is then direct them to here http://bit.ly/1e2SbS1

It clearly states 2 years minimum and up to 6 years in the UK.

I really hope this helps you out. Sounds like T-mobile is trying to fob you off.

Edited as just noticed this:

Also looking at the Apple link it has one of those small prints number 2 in particular which states "In most EU member states, consumers may only claim consumer law rights against the seller from whom they purchased the product. There are some exceptions, including Finland, France and Sweden."

 

[Brian Y]

That sucks.
But I don't see how the seller, in this case t mobile that just sold you apples device has to fix it. Doesn't make any sense and like they said all warranty requirements are Apples responsibility for their product.
Its the manufacturer that has to fix their own device if it fails within that timeframe, not the store that sold it to you.
Talk to Apple and be persistent. I heard someone threatening to take them to small claims court and they finally gave in and fixed his defective iphone.

Not in the EU. Apple has no responsibility over here. It's the retailer who bears the responsibility over here. So unless you buy the phone from Apple directly, they don't have anything to do with it, legally.

Op. If Apple have provided you with a letter stating that the phone is inherently faulty, then under EU law T-Mobile legally have to repair or replace it. Start small claims proceedings against T-Mobile and you'll soon get a new phone. Unfortunately mobile networks over here don't seem to be aware of their legal obligations unless you force them to.

 

[570934]

I've just returned from the Leeds store. They still stated that t-mobile are responsible for the repair or replacement. The battery has been changed and I'll be phoning them on Monday and quoting their own web site.

Thanks for the comments btw.

Edit: just spotted this.

WHAT DEVICES QUALIFY FOR THIS SERVICE?

All mobile devices and tablets, with the exception of Apple products.

 

[Donoban]

I have a really long story and won't bore with the full details.

Been an Apple "enjoyer" for some several years, from iPhone 1 onwards, macs, MacBooks iPods, iPads around the three people in my family, do the maths blah blah blah. Oh plus mother-in-laws, mother, father, step sister, whatever.

Never had much trouble in the past besides a speaker failure on my wifes iPhone 4 at the time. Apple replaced it despite being out of warranty by a month or so, she was in Australia when it failed. They replaced the phone no problem. I had a Smart Cover leather case split which they replaced over the phone!

So, in the last few weeks I have had, a knackered iPad Air Smart Cover which has now split (which after getting told over the phone they wouldn't replace, they replaced in store....woohoo) and iPad Air which is having the constant safari crash ( they did a dfu instal today see if it changes anything after doing three previous fresh installs) and now an iPhone 5 battery failure. Tested in store and Apple have admitted that dispite my phone being looked after, the battery only has 60% capacity and has failed.
I bought the phone off T-Mobile, along with five other phones on my business account. Apple have said with the phone is now out of warranty (14 months) under EU consumer law T-Mobile have to replace the phone. After three phone calls over several hours T-Mobile call me and inform me that they have no contract with Apple to replace any defective phone, dispite Apple giving me a letter stating that they (t-mobile) need to sort my phone out under EU consumer law.

To be honest, I'm so pissing pissed off with all this crap. So now I'm having to travel an hour+ to my nearest Apple Store (Leeds uk) only to be told by Apple that I will have to pay £55 to replace the faulty battery in my phone......

Not a happy bunny that three products have problem, but not as happy as I'll be arguing the toss as to who needs to sort my frigging phone out!

I wish I had your problems. Want to swap? Lolz.

 

[I7guy]

Cars vs computers or phones make for a pretty poor comparison.

Industry standard warranty on most electronics is one year. No matter what marketing has tricked you into thinking, Apple charges a premium, that doesn't make their products "premium." Retail price on a new flagship phone from most manufacturers is about the same price as an iPhone. Same goes for their computers.

Anyway, if warranty length indicates quality, Hyundai and Chrysler would be selling the best cars in the world. Because, ya know, 10 year warranty...

Going back to the car analogy, one could also buy a Lexus, have to bring the car back for warranty, and claim Lexus charges a premium but is not a premium product. However saying it doesn't make it so; it just makes it your valued opinion, which may or may not be aligned with the universe.

Here is another analogy from the car world. An Acura TL and Nissan Maxima overlap in MSRP. Both cars are billed as premium and even have a good deal of overlap on features with one car having features the other doesn't. But when the cars goes in for service there is a difference in the entire feng-shui of the dealerships between a Nissan dealership and an Acura dealership.

Going into to an Acura dealership is similar to going into an Apple store in terms of the upscale treatment.

Paying more for any depreciating premium asset does not guarantee a trouble free experience. Apple sells how many tens of millions of devices? It's more than likely a small percentage of them with bad quality slip through quality control. And as this thread shows even those with an unlucky streak still come back to apple.

If threads like this were really true as the title seems to suggest, it would be reflected in Apples' stock price.

 

[mantan]

Going back to the car analogy, one could also buy a Lexus, have to bring the car back for warranty, and claim Lexus charges a premium but is not a premium product. However saying it doesn't make it so; it just makes it your valued opinion, which may or may not be aligned with the universe.

Here is another analogy from the car world. An Acura TL and Nissan Maxima overlap in MSRP. Both cars are billed as premium and even have a good deal of overlap on features with one car having features the other doesn't. But when the cars goes in for service there is a difference in the entire feng-shui of the dealerships between a Nissan dealership and an Acura dealership.

Going into to an Acura dealership is similar to going into an Apple store in terms of the upscale treatment.

Paying more for any depreciating premium asset does not guarantee a trouble free experience. Apple sells how many tens of millions of devices? It's more than likely a small percentage of them with bad quality slip through quality control. And as this thread shows even those with an unlucky streak still come back to apple.

If threads like this were really true as the title seems to suggest, it would be reflected in Apples' stock price.

The part about dealerships is oh so true. I had an Acura TL for about 8 years. I recently bought a Nissan Altima. The difference in the experience between the service departments was night and day.

 

[Applejuiced]

Not in the EU. Apple has no responsibility over here. It's the retailer who bears the responsibility over here. So unless you buy the phone from Apple directly, they don't have anything to do with it, legally.

Op. If Apple have provided you with a letter stating that the phone is inherently faulty, then under EU law T-Mobile legally have to repair or replace it. Start small claims proceedings against T-Mobile and you'll soon get a new phone. Unfortunately mobile networks over here don't seem to be aware of their legal obligations unless you force them to.

That's a weird law.
So if a certain item fails then they want the person who sold it to fix or replace it but not the company that made the product?