I was able to text to (800) 6902-7753 from my iphone with someone at apple who helped me do an exchange by mail. The original apple employee transferred me to an apple watch specialist, who was able to do the exchange. I ordered the Charcoal Braided Solo Loop. I was only able to change it for a smaller size, he wasn't able to change it to the green one instead. He said I'll receive the new one in the mail and would return the one that came with the iPhone originally in the same box the replacement will come in.
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Apple Now Allowing Band-Only Returns For Ill-Fitting Solo Loop
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Are you dealing with the Apple Store or Apple Care? Several years ago I learned it was much easier to do a complete return of a newly purchased item to the Apple Store than try to resolve an issue with Apple Care.
They are in separate boxes, but sold as a package, and that's the problem. Their POS wasn't allowing you to return just the band, as it was part of the package. That was the initial problem.
🧐 Had the story not been published, perhaps Apple wouldn't have changed this policy.
Is that Eli dude using his real pic? Looks like he’s approaching 40 but the content of his posts is utterly juvenile.
Yikes. Really hard to take seriously. Would not hire.
Yikes. Really hard to take seriously. Would not hire.
Do we get a free Sport Band (traditional) if we exchange sizes? So this means we get a free goodie if we purposefully order the wrong size?
Just an FYI about being hard of hearing, depending on which country you live in, there's also chat support available. Just go to https://support.apple.com/contact, tap through the product prompts and you'll get to a chat option.
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Visibility on Twitter, or here actually, might have lit a fire under Apple but the whole Watch rollout seemed pretty glitched. Instead of being ready a week or two early, they were a week or two late.
Removing the 5W adapter from the high-end Watches after a week? Lots of demand or not enough inventory? Seems a bit of a slapdash, “hey we’re launching, wtf, get your act together people” kind of moment. Probably a lot of folks running around with their hair on fire trying to make things happen faster than they can.
Not to let them off the hook; it’s been a little rough and I’d hope a few lessons were learned. It sure didn’t seem very well thought out. Looks like they’re getting things rolling now.
Hopefully, anyway. If the iPhone launch is anything like this things are going to get ugly fast 😬
I was talking on the phone / chatting (tried both). Apple store would've been straightforward.
So I measured myself with both the cutable sizing thing and with a tape, and I get to a 10 (44mm) which is wrong. I wear my Apple Watch 44mm with Sport Band always on the 2nd hole for a comfortable fit, or 3rd for a thighter fit. But the size 10 on Solo Loop was too thight. Now I‘m not sure if it‘s an 11 or 12. Because when I add like 3mm, it suggests me an 11 for active lifestyle, or 12 for more comfort.
Is anyone using it the same way I do and can feedback what Solo Loop should be good for me?
Even though with the updated policy I dont want to wait ages to get the right size.
Is anyone using it the same way I do and can feedback what Solo Loop should be good for me?
Even though with the updated policy I dont want to wait ages to get the right size.
In case this helps anyone, I sized up my wrist using Apple's cut-out guide and it was bang on a size 8. Strap arrived, far too loose.
Went to the local Apple store, even a size 7 was still too loose. Ended up size 6, two sizes down from the guide's selection.
Conclusion? Go a size down than the recommendation!
Went to the local Apple store, even a size 7 was still too loose. Ended up size 6, two sizes down from the guide's selection.
Conclusion? Go a size down than the recommendation!
This!
Why can't I just buy a new Watch? They said they care about the environment and don't ship the power adapter, yet they force you to buy a band together with your new Watch.
It doesn't make sense, just cut the price a little bit or give me a gift card if I chose to buy the Watch without a band.
Note the thread title MacRumors chose:
MacRumors is stoking the controversy by phrasing the title as if the entire Solo Loop production are ill-fitting, rather than clearly stating that because of the sizing challenges, some Solo Loops need to be exchanged.
Click$$$$$!
They'll let you return the band, but here's the catch:
You have to put the U2 album back on your phone.
You have to put the U2 album back on your phone.
I've returned bands before but I live close to an Apple store and was able to do it in person, so that must make a difference. But as you pointed out, surely others have wanted to exchange bands before? To my mind, having to return the whole watch is just bizarre, especially since they've been packaging the watchband separately for a couple of years now.
Eh, I guess, I just assumed others who have been following MacRumours were aware that it was an issue of sizing (and how Apple was initially dealing returns) and not that anything was inherently wrong with the band.
Apple's bound by the existing return policy for the watches being delivered with ill-fitting bands.
They're not moving to a band-swap policy out of the goodness of their hearts.
They're trying to quell the flood of returned watches and the costs of sending all those watches to the refurbishment process.
True. They might have updated the SKU now to separate the band which will make POS systems to recognize it.
Just got off the phone. I have to return the strap AND watch. She recommended I visit an apple store (1hour away and no guarantee of stock). She also said I'll have to return the whole watch and strap at the store as well. So not sure why some folks have had success just exchanging the strap.
I was able to change only the band today at a store here in Germany. The first guy told me, that this would not be possible. But after a short chat with his colleague he apologized and told me that he was not aware of the new policy.
The other guy than told me, that only the phone support and the store can change only the band, not the online chat.
The other guy than told me, that only the phone support and the store can change only the band, not the online chat.
Seems like a lot of inconsistency in the approach. I guess it's a lottery in who you talk to.
Which signifies a failure on Apple's part to properly communicate the new policy through the organization and update the systems & procedures accordingly.
Don't misunderstand - I'm not anti-Apple.
I'm just a lowly process/operations guy that sees this whole debacle as a case study in how to fk up a product launch.
Someone somewhere ought to have realized that customer self-measuring was going to have a substantial error rate, and thus there needed to be a quick/simple/efficient way to handle those instances in a customer-friendly manner.