My 3 week old iPhone 4 started acting sporadic and unstable (trying to power down, acting as if the sleep button was constantly pressed, etc.) I took it to the Apple Store, whom I assumed would simply swap it out or repair the issue. They claim water damage even though I am POSITIVE not more than one random drop of water has ever hit the phone in the short time that I have had it. Though i vehemently denied this could be the problem and welcomed them to open it up and inspect, etc., I was told that since I had Apple Care and NOT Apple Care Plus (WTF, was never even offered that), I am out of luck and the repair is NOT under warranty. I am livid and of course have no choice but to cover the cost if I want to continue using iPhone. What a scam, we are certainly at the mercy of the Apple giant who can claim whatever they want to get out of replacing what is either a faulty product or severely fragile one, if one drop of condensation can ruin what should be a better built product. Total fraud.
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Apple Store Claims Water Damage
- Thread starter redcouch1
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this. There are indicators that "activate" once you have come in contact with water. If they claim this, it means those indicators were tripped....you can even look yourself. Do you shower with your phone in the same room? The steam and humidity could cause this.
Are you 100% sure that there's no possible way a friend, spouse, or kid spilled something on it, dropped it in water, etc.?
BTW, Hugh humidity areas can sometimes trip the sensors (Louisiana, Florida, etc.)
I would also recommend taking it to a different store or the same store another day. It's a crapshoot at times.
Best of luck and let us know how it turns out.
BTW, Hugh humidity areas can sometimes trip the sensors (Louisiana, Florida, etc.)
I would also recommend taking it to a different store or the same store another day. It's a crapshoot at times.
Best of luck and let us know how it turns out.
Have you left it in a steamy bathroom while showering? The water damage voids your warranty thing is BS in my book. There should be color changing markers from the outside in, to see if the Phone was exposed to elements (such as humidity), or actual liquid.
Where are you from?
In Hong Kong, the climate is very humid and it rains *a lot* during summer (now). AppleCare does not protect phone damage from humidity... so if I take my iPhone from an air conditioned room straight outside, water droplets gonna start forming and I'm screwed if there's enough liquid to screw up the internals.
In Hong Kong, the climate is very humid and it rains *a lot* during summer (now). AppleCare does not protect phone damage from humidity... so if I take my iPhone from an air conditioned room straight outside, water droplets gonna start forming and I'm screwed if there's enough liquid to screw up the internals.
you should definitely take it to a different store. Sometimes, you get lucky and get a really nice person, sometimes not. happened to me last year. Totally rude and ignorant, thinking they knew exactly what happened and wouldn't listen to a thing I say. Took it to a different store in different city and the person there was totally nice and helped me with no hassle.
A few points here:
-- You should be glad that you got ANY warranty. I was not offered (by Verizon or otherwise) an AppleCare (AC) or AppleCare Plus (AC+) warranty when I bought my phone. I had to do research and decide on my own what route to take.
-- My brief research on the matter shows the AppleCare warranty having been discontinued 3/16/12 (when the new iPad was released) and I don't recall the regular AC warranty being an option when I got one for my iPhone 4S back around December 2011 so it's possible that the AC warranty was discontinued even back then. Further, when I called to inquire, I used the general term "AppleCare" and was not told about two different plans (and was sold an AC+ for $99) so I wonder if they had already done away with the regular AC plan by then.
Regardless, it begs the question of how a three-week-old iphone 4 would even be eligible for a standard "AppleCare" warranty and not the AC+ warranty. (not to mention the obvious question of how/where/why you ended up with a new iPhone 4 at this point in time with the 4S out and the new one around the corner). I would inquire as to how your iPhone 4 has a standard "AppleCare" plan when it was purchased after the end of AppleCare.
-- As others have said, go to a different store. You'll find a Genius sympathetic to your cause who will swap it out for you. My wife's friend from grad school is a Genius at a retail store and he's confirmed with me that replacements are (to an extent) at their discretion. Also, another friend of mine dropped and cracked his brand new 3G (or 3GS whatever it was) the week he got it. He camped out and everything and was so bummed when he cracked it. They replaced it free of charge. Point is the right person may help you. Have a good attitude about it (the opposite of your post above).
-- Similar to the point above, offer to buy an applecare+ warranty on the spot and pay the $50 replacement fee. Ask that of the Genius and/or the manager. Sure it'll cost you $150 ($99 for the AC+ and $49 "accidental damage fee") but you were intending to buy the warranty anyway, right?
-- I can't speak for everyone, everywhere but I've left my phone in the bathroom while I showered and never had a problem with it tripping the sensors.
-- I don't think it's Apple's falut that you didn't buy a warranty for your phone. As a paying customer who holds an AppleCare+ warranty for our devices (iPhone 4s and latest iPad) it's hard to have a lot of sympathy. When you bought the phone, you knew you were holding a (minimum) ~$500 piece of glass. You need to consider this viewpoint as well.
-- You should be glad that you got ANY warranty. I was not offered (by Verizon or otherwise) an AppleCare (AC) or AppleCare Plus (AC+) warranty when I bought my phone. I had to do research and decide on my own what route to take.
-- My brief research on the matter shows the AppleCare warranty having been discontinued 3/16/12 (when the new iPad was released) and I don't recall the regular AC warranty being an option when I got one for my iPhone 4S back around December 2011 so it's possible that the AC warranty was discontinued even back then. Further, when I called to inquire, I used the general term "AppleCare" and was not told about two different plans (and was sold an AC+ for $99) so I wonder if they had already done away with the regular AC plan by then.
Regardless, it begs the question of how a three-week-old iphone 4 would even be eligible for a standard "AppleCare" warranty and not the AC+ warranty. (not to mention the obvious question of how/where/why you ended up with a new iPhone 4 at this point in time with the 4S out and the new one around the corner). I would inquire as to how your iPhone 4 has a standard "AppleCare" plan when it was purchased after the end of AppleCare.
-- As others have said, go to a different store. You'll find a Genius sympathetic to your cause who will swap it out for you. My wife's friend from grad school is a Genius at a retail store and he's confirmed with me that replacements are (to an extent) at their discretion. Also, another friend of mine dropped and cracked his brand new 3G (or 3GS whatever it was) the week he got it. He camped out and everything and was so bummed when he cracked it. They replaced it free of charge. Point is the right person may help you. Have a good attitude about it (the opposite of your post above).
-- Similar to the point above, offer to buy an applecare+ warranty on the spot and pay the $50 replacement fee. Ask that of the Genius and/or the manager. Sure it'll cost you $150 ($99 for the AC+ and $49 "accidental damage fee") but you were intending to buy the warranty anyway, right?
-- I can't speak for everyone, everywhere but I've left my phone in the bathroom while I showered and never had a problem with it tripping the sensors.
-- I don't think it's Apple's falut that you didn't buy a warranty for your phone. As a paying customer who holds an AppleCare+ warranty for our devices (iPhone 4s and latest iPad) it's hard to have a lot of sympathy. When you bought the phone, you knew you were holding a (minimum) ~$500 piece of glass. You need to consider this viewpoint as well.
A few points here:
-- You should be glad that you got ANY warranty. I was not offered (by Verizon or otherwise) an AppleCare (AC) or AppleCare Plus (AC+) warranty when I bought my phone. I had to do research and decide on my own what route to take.
-- My brief research on the matter shows the AppleCare warranty having been discontinued 3/16/12 (when the new iPad was released) and I don't recall the regular AC warranty being an option when I got one for my iPhone 4S back around December 2011 so it's possible that the AC warranty was discontinued even back then. Further, when I called to inquire, I used the general term "AppleCare" and was not told about two different plans (and was sold an AC+ for $99) so I wonder if they had already done away with the regular AC plan by then.
Regardless, it begs the question of how a three-week-old iphone 4 would even be eligible for a standard "AppleCare" warranty and not the AC+ warranty. (not to mention the obvious question of how/where/why you ended up with a new iPhone 4 at this point in time with the 4S out and the new one around the corner). I would inquire as to how your iPhone 4 has a standard "AppleCare" plan when it was purchased after the end of AppleCare.
-- As others have said, go to a different store. You'll find a Genius sympathetic to your cause who will swap it out for you. My wife's friend from grad school is a Genius at a retail store and he's confirmed with me that replacements are (to an extent) at their discretion. Also, another friend of mine dropped and cracked his brand new 3G (or 3GS whatever it was) the week he got it. He camped out and everything and was so bummed when he cracked it. They replaced it free of charge. Point is the right person may help you. Have a good attitude about it (the opposite of your post above).
-- Similar to the point above, offer to buy an applecare+ warranty on the spot and pay the $50 replacement fee. Ask that of the Genius and/or the manager. Sure it'll cost you $150 ($99 for the AC+ and $49 "accidental damage fee") but you were intending to buy the warranty anyway, right?
-- I can't speak for everyone, everywhere but I've left my phone in the bathroom while I showered and never had a problem with it tripping the sensors.
-- I don't think it's Apple's falut that you didn't buy a warranty for your phone. As a paying customer who holds an AppleCare+ warranty for our devices (iPhone 4s and latest iPad) it's hard to have a lot of sympathy. When you bought the phone, you knew you were holding a (minimum) ~$500 piece of glass. You need to consider this viewpoint as well.
When the OP is talking about applecare, i think he means the original 1 year manufacture warranty
Apple has the best customer service and I dont think they will try to screw anyone over. They go above and beyond to help people but if you bring in a phone with the moist sensors tripped then its their policy not to replace it for free. You might be 100% it didnt get wet but the sensors dont lie.
Now I think more than 1 sensor has to be tripped for them to deny you so try again and ask to speak to a supervisor. If all 3 moist sensors are tripped then you're SOL.
And again its noones fault you are misinformed about Applecare and Applecare plus. They're not the same.
Next time do your research before you purchase any additinal protection coverage.
I'd insert my own long reply here, but, considering the OP joined just so they could start the thread and haven't been back since, I don't see the point.
Actually, they can.
Apple were on a BBC consumer programme a couple of years ago for this very issue, when it was proved that they were being over zealous in claiming water damage.
That's why I said all 3 sensors should be checked.
One might get dripped if you're talking out in the rain from a drop in the headphone jack but all 3?
And that's they're new policy anyway, and maybe speaking to a manager will get you futher.
Now if they show you all 3 are tripped then most likely it got submerged and the OP just signed up to whine about it.