Apple Refusing Service on Hacked iPhones?

[MacRumors]

ZDNet's Apple Core blog notes that if you've hacked your iPhone, you may want to restore to defaults before bringing it into an Apple Store for service.

A colleague of O'Grady's was initially refused service for his iPhone due to a combination of 3rd party applications and an unlocked iPhone (on T-Mobile).

So while he eventually got Apple to return the iPhone (after paying the restocking fee, that is), the lesson here is to do a restore of your iPhone and re-install the factory AT&T SIM before bringing into an Apple Store for service. That’s the beauty of software-only hacks, after all!

Article Link

 

[NightStorm]

Is this even slightly surprising to anyone?

Not me.

 

[Cybergypsy]

Common Sense to some

 

[severe]

Makes sense to me.

 

[brn2prgrm]

Well duh! You expect Apple to repair your phone after you've not only hacked it but you're also using it with another provider besides AT&T? Haha that was stupid! He was lucky to get anything...

 

[PDE]

My questions is: if you restore it and put in the ATT sim, how do you demonstrate the problem? Will they just pop out the sim and put in one of theirs?

 

[overanalyzer]

My questions is: if you restore it and put in the ATT sim, how do you demonstrate the problem? Will they just pop out the sim and put in one of theirs?

If the problem is due to a hack, you're on your own.... Assuming it's a hardware issue or something else requiring Apple service, a restore presumably won't fix it. Otherwise it must be from the hack.

 

[PDE]

If the problem is due to a hack, you're on your own.... Assuming it's a hardware issue or something else requiring Apple service, a restore presumably won't fix it. Otherwise it must be from the hack.

Well, right, I understand that if I ruin the phone with a hack I will take responsibility. However, I'm curious about actually being able to show the genius what the problem is if the phone has been restored and not re-activated. There will just be a screen saying that I need to activate it. Will apple require that it be re-activated through ATT before they examine it, or will they use their own sim?

 

[kbrain2929]

Kudos to Apple. They are a business and they are here to make money. If they make some people pissed off, oh well, that's business! Again, kudos to Apple!

 

[MacBoobsPro]

Well duh... serves all the unlockers right. They are blatantly breaking the user agreement they signed up to when buying the phone. Apple could quite easily tell them to fuzz right off.

They are also delaying firmware updates for the rest of us while Apple tries to 're-lock' the phones.

You will all end up in hell with locked iPhones raining down on you forever!

 

[PDE]

Kudos to Apple. They are a business and they are here to make money. If they make some people pissed off, oh well, that's business! Again, kudos to Apple!

Yeah kudos to Apple! Their current direction is doomed to failure. The might be able to make a few bucks before they're eventually stopped by consumer rights laws (most likely in the EU, rather than here) , but it's just a matter of time...

The new Microsoft? Yes...

 

[KindredMAC]

If the little punk brought it in to be serviced and didn't think anything of the fact that the iPhone was hacked, he is barely functionally retarded.

If the turd brought it in thinking he was going to be thought of as "cool" for unlocking his iPhone, he is beyond retarded.

Why hack the iPhone? There really isn't that much you can do that is THAT great with the different apps. The only one that peaks my interest is the "GPS" off of cell towers that weas released yesterday. But you know what? I refuse to hack my lovely iPhone to use that. I am one of the sheep in that if Apple thinks I need it they will give it to me and only when I am ready for it.

That's why I do not hack OS X or anyother Mac product. Hacking something to think that you are actually making it better is such a PC mindset.

 

[PDE]

Well duh... serves all the unlockers right. They are blatantly breaking the user agreement they signed up to when buying the phone. Apple could quite easily tell them to fuzz right off.

They are also delaying firmware updates for the rest of us while Apple tries to 're-lock' the phones.

You will all end up in hell with locked iPhones raining down on you forever!

Or you'll be reincarnated as a permanently locked iphone!


I've been looking at all the papers that came with my iphone, but I can't find any user agreement that says that I'm not allowed to unlock the iphone. There is none. Also, I never signed a contract/agreement with Apple. In the warranty description, there is a section that says that the warranty does not apply if damage is caused by operating the product outside the intended use as described by Apple. So, unless the problem is directly related to the hack or unlock (and Apple can prove it), I don't see how they can deny providing warranty service. Can somebody tell me where it says that unlocking will void the warranty? Maybe I missed it...

 

[neven]

Well, right, I understand that if I ruin the phone with a hack I will take responsibility. However, I'm curious about actually being able to show the genius what the problem is if the phone has been restored and not re-activated. There will just be a screen saying that I need to activate it. Will apple require that it be re-activated through ATT before they examine it, or will they use their own sim?

They will look at it and say, ok, what seems to be the problem? If the problem is such that you can't demonstrate it without activating the phone, then they'll say great, enjoy your iPhone, have a nice day. That's the whole point of "this breaks your warranty" disclaimers.

I don't think there's any business that will "fix" a problem caused by using your product in a way they don't advise. If I take out the HDD from a computer I got at Best Buy, then take it in for service with no HDD, do you think they'll put one in to see what's wrong with my network card?

Yeah kudos to Apple! Their current direction is doomed to failure. The might be able to make a few bucks before they're eventually stopped by consumer rights laws (most likely in the EU, rather than here) , but it's just a matter of time...

The new Microsoft? Yes...

Care to invest any money in this prediction? Or at least specify a date by which this doom and gloom might befall Apple?

They've been making these "few bucks" for quite some time now, and it shows no signs of stopping.

 

[ct-scan]

Who would attempt something like that??

That's about as bad as turning your computer into apple with stolen serial number for their large apps like Final Cut Studio....they may take notice.

Then again some people may be too busy to notice, but you need to think about what you are doing and their, rightful, stance on things such as this.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Well, right, I understand that if I ruin the phone with a hack I will take responsibility. However, I'm curious about actually being able to show the genius what the problem is if the phone has been restored and not re-activated. There will just be a screen saying that I need to activate it. Will apple require that it be re-activated through ATT before they examine it, or will they use their own sim?

If restoring it fixes the problem, then you shouldn't need to bring it in to Apple in the first place.

If restoring it fixes it, then re-installing the hacks causes the problem again, well, there you go. The hacks are causing it. Not Apple's problem.

If you restore it, and don't have active AT&T service to re-activate it, then you'll have to use one of the activation-avoidance tricks. If the problem still exists, put the AT&T SIM back in and see if it still happens. If so, bring it to Apple then. (Un-hacked, other than the unlocking and faked activation, but that's the best you can do.)

If the problem is phone related, and you don't have active AT&T service, only unlocked T-Mobile, well, then you're screwed. You may have to borrow a friend's active AT&T SIM to bring it in to Apple for testing. (And, again, if it works fine with an AT&T SIM, but not with your T-Mobile SIM, you're still screwed.)

 

[PDE]

Care to invest any money in this prediction? Or at least specify a date by which this doom and gloom might befall Apple?

They've been making these "few bucks" for quite some time now, and it shows no signs of stopping.

No, I don't care to invest money in this prediction. My point is that while the world as a whole is moving toward more open systems that allow consumers choice and freedom, Apple is moving toward an ever-more closed system that dictates how people should use their products. They want to completely lock people up in the system and people don't want to be locked up. This is not only related to the iphone, but also other products Apple makes (ipods, some of its software etc). When going against the overwhelming trend of consumers throughout the world, I do think Apple will have to pay a price. I do think that Apple's general arrogance is detrimental to its growth and while they may get away with it for a while in the U.S., I don't think other markets will be as easy.

 

[arn]

I guess I should have noted (added to the story) that the apple store initially blacklisted his iphone from future service.

So even if he went home, restored to factory defaults, he would be presumably still be unable to get service.

Just a warning to restore before going to the Apple Store for the first time.

arn

 

[compuguy1088]

I guess I should have noted (added to the story) that the apple store initially blacklisted his iphone from future service.

So even if he went home, restored to factory defaults, he would be presumably still be unable to get service.

Just a warning to restore before going to the Apple Store for the first time.

arn

That still from a stand point sucks. I guess apple is starting to make their point that they don't like the unlocking of iPhones. I'm surprised they haven't thrown the new firmware up as well just to prove the point that they will fight against the hackers....even though the hackers will catch up .

 

[tny]

That's about as bad as turning your computer into apple with stolen serial number for their large apps like Final Cut Studio....they may take notice.

Then again some people may be too busy to notice, but you need to think about what you are doing and their, rightful, stance on things such as this.

Not comparable. A stolen serial number is copyright theft. You have a right to do what you want with the phone, unlock or hack all you want - it's your phone. They may be within their rights under consumer law to exclude unlocked phones and hacks from service as unintended uses, but that depends upon whether the warranty specifies software or not. IANAL, but I bet there could be interesting test cases on this.

No, I don't care to invest money in this prediction. My point is that while the world as a whole is moving toward more open systems that allow consumers choice and freedom

Where is this strange universe you live in, and how do I get there? It seems to me that quite the opposite is happening: corporations are trying to do everything they can to limit consumer choice.

 

[PDE]

If restoring it fixes the problem, then you shouldn't need to bring it in to Apple in the first place.

If restoring it fixes it, then re-installing the hacks causes the problem again, well, there you go. The hacks are causing it. Not Apple's problem.

If you restore it, and don't have active AT&T service to re-activate it, then you'll have to use one of the activation-avoidance tricks. If the problem still exists, put the AT&T SIM back in and see if it still happens. If so, bring it to Apple then. (Un-hacked, other than the unlocking and faked activation, but that's the best you can do.)

If the problem is phone related, and you don't have active AT&T service, only unlocked T-Mobile, well, then you're screwed. You may have to borrow a friend's active AT&T SIM to bring it in to Apple for testing. (And, again, if it works fine with an AT&T SIM, but not with your T-Mobile SIM, you're still screwed.)

I'm just trying to find out how Apple will handle these things if the phone is presented to them locked with the activation screen on it? That is, without any evidence of unlocking at all, just a description of the problem and the customer's statement that there is what appears to be a hardware problem and that they restored the phone to the original factory settings before coming to the apple store, but did not re-activate it. I fully understand what you're saying, and that if unlocked and the unlocking has caused a problem, the customer will be responsible for repairs. But Apple hardware fails too and it may not be at all related to the software unlock.

I have ATT myself, but the old pre-cingular ATT. MY plan is great and I don't want to get a lesser plan just to be 'legit' with the iphone. And, as I understand it, I can't add the iphone data plan to this old service.

Where is this strange universe you live in, and how do I get there? It seems to me that quite the opposite is happening: corporations are trying to do everything they can to limit consumer choice.

Of course they are, but I do feel that in the EU there is considerable more government action taken to protect consumers. The latest Danish study on the original design flaw of the ibook G4s is a good example of government intervention on behalf of consumers. There are many others in Europe. In the U.S. this is obviously not the case and consumers, in my European mindset anyway, are consistently being screwed over.

The world is still more fluid than ever and people are increasingly mobile in their work, movement and economic activities. Nobody wants to be locked in place and that has, and will have, an impact on their purchasing choices, which in turn will affect companies like Apple.

 

[bretm]

No, I don't care to invest money in this prediction. My point is that while the world as a whole is moving toward more open systems that allow consumers choice and freedom, Apple is moving toward an ever-more closed system that dictates how people should use their products. They want to completely lock people up in the system and people don't want to be locked up. This is not only related to the iphone, but also other products Apple makes (ipods, some of its software etc). When going against the overwhelming trend of consumers throughout the world, I do think Apple will have to pay a price. I do think that Apple's general arrogance is detrimental to its growth and while they may get away with it for a while in the U.S., I don't think other markets will be as easy.

That trend is what has made windows a never ending crappier user experience and the Macintosh and iPhone a better and better user experience. It's also the reason Macintosh sales are growing every year. It's no monopoly and extremely far from it. They are far from any sort of world computer domination. They are a small subset that make better more elegant product for exactly the reasons you are specifying. Maybe it will put them out of business someday. I doubt it. But I for one will enjoy their hardware and software designs while they're with us that's for sure.

Of course they are, but I do feel that in the EU there is considerable more government action taken to protect consumers. The latest Danish study on the original design flaw of the ibook G4s is a good example of government intervention on behalf of consumers. There are many others in Europe. In the U.S. this is obviously not the case and consumers, in my European mindset anyway, are consistently being screwed over.

The world is still more fluid than ever and people are increasingly mobile in their work, movement and economic activities. Nobody wants to be locked in place and that has, and will have, an impact on their purchasing choices, which in turn will affect companies like Apple.

And you think the government is smart enough to dictate what the consumer wants? Forgive me, but I guess I thought leaving the market alone to figure things out for itself resulted in MORE choice and MORE competition every time. Let the market decide. Or I guess one can just give more and more money to the government and instead and let the bureaucrats work on the problem. I'm sure it's what they care about. NOT getting reelected.

 

[tico]

No, I don't care to invest money in this prediction. My point is that while the world as a whole is moving toward more open systems that allow consumers choice and freedom, Apple is moving toward an ever-more closed system that dictates how people should use their products...

What! You are not in the Matrix "Mr. Anderson". You make it seem as if Apple is forcing you into ATT slavery...It's only a CELL PHONE!! (A cool one at that.) Apple was able to enter into this market by making great deal with ATT. Period. They have to protect that partnership by making it RELATIVELY hack proof and I respect them for trying.
You dont like those terms? Buy a Blackjack.

 

[ben5959]

I'm just trying to find out how Apple will handle these things if the phone is presented to them locked with the activation screen on it? That is, without any evidence of unlocking at all, just a description of the problem and the customer's statement that there is what appears to be a hardware problem and that they restored the phone to the original factory settings before coming to the apple store, but did not re-activate it. I fully understand what you're saying, and that if unlocked and the unlocking has caused a problem, the customer will be responsible for repairs. But Apple hardware fails too and it may not be at all related to the software unlock.

I have ATT myself, but the old pre-cingular ATT. MY plan is great and I don't want to get a lesser plan just to be 'legit' with the iphone. And, as I understand it, I can't add the iphone data plan to this old service.

All you have to do to get around this is to call the iphone service #, you will give them your serial #, describe them your problem and then you will ship off your phone in a prepaid package that they overnight to you. You will be told to remove your sim card before you send your phone off. This way you will never have to demonstrate your problem to an actual person, you will just have to describe it. They'll never know your phone is hacked. In my case they sent me a loaner iphone for free while they repaired mine. I wasnt stupid enpough to hack mine in the first place, but this might be a better route to take for you crazy hackers rather than going into the apple store.

 

[gkarris]

All you have to do to get around this is to call the iphone service #, you will give them your serial #, describe them your problem and then you will ship off your phone in a prepaid package that they overnight to you. You will be told to remove your sim card before you send your phone off. This way you will never have to demonstrate your problem to an actual person, you will just have to describe it. They'll never know your phone is hacked. In my case they sent me a loaner iphone for free while they repaired mine. I wasnt stupid enpough to hack mine in the first place, but this might be a better route to take for you crazy hackers rather than going into the apple store.

I was about to say...

Do it this way, just make sure you take your rogue SIM out and reset the iPhone...

I have my old phone handy just in case...