Apple Watch screen shattered

[egghead6398]

Sigh....so today I dropped my apple watch from bathroom vanity and shattered screen. Called Apple to get an idea for the cost of repair, and I was told $329. I have the one with sapphire crystal. Apparently it can shatter even if it's only from 2.5ft drop to bathroom tiles. And of course I forgot to get Apple Care. Hope some of you can learn from my mistake. Please get Apple care while you still can. Does anyone know of alternative (affordable) route to Apple's screen replacement?

Thanks in advance.

 

[haudvereor]

Sigh....so today I dropped my apple watch from bathroom vanity and shattered screen. Called Apple to get an idea for the cost of repair, and I was told $329. I have the one with sapphire crystal. Apparently it can shatter even if it's only from 2.5ft drop to bathroom tiles. And of course I forgot to get Apple Care. Hope some of you can learn from my mistake. Please get Apple care while you still can. Does anyone know of alternative (affordable) route to Apple's screen replacement?

Thanks in advance.

Sorry to hear about your screen.

 

[3under2]

Sorry about your screen. My Rolex (also sapphire crystal) has fallen twice in the 15 years I've had it and shattered both times. It happens and it sucks . I hope you are able to find a not so expensive solution.

 

[JPIndustrie]

Make an appointment at an apple store, be honest/nice and beg for any help they can provide. Sometimes they show mercy and allow you to add Apple care retroactive if within a certain time period from purchase. I know they do this with iPhones sometimes with broken screens. You'll pay the $69 + $79 + tax or whatever it is but it is the best case scenario (hopefully they can initiate a replacement process from the store)

 

[Beards]

How long do you get after purchase of your watch to add Apple Care?

 

[dhlizard]

How long do you get after purchase of your watch to add Apple Care?

I believe it is normally 30 days

 

[psylence2k]

Make an appointment at an apple store, be honest/nice and beg for any help they can provide. Sometimes they show mercy and allow you to add Apple care retroactive if within a certain time period from purchase. I know they do this with iPhones sometimes with broken screens. You'll pay the $69 + $79 + tax or whatever it is but it is the best case scenario (hopefully they can initiate a replacement process from the store)

Can't you just call in and add Apple Care ? or order it online ? that's what others on here have said

in that case I wouldn't know how they would be able to know your screen is shattered at the time of buying the plan.

 

[psylence2k]

How long do you get after purchase of your watch to add Apple Care?

I remember hearing 60 days for the watch.

 

[iConnected]

Can't you just call in and add Apple Care ? or order it online ? that's what others on here have said

in that case I wouldn't know how they would be able to know your screen is shattered at the time of buying the plan.

Here we go again.

Attempting to commit fraud is wrong. Encouraging others to commit fraud is wrong.

In the UK, both acts are also criminal offences.

Would-be insurance fraudsters also get added to databases that are shared across the financial services and other industries.

Being on these databases can affect your ability to buy products from online retailers and to get financial services including loans, credit cards, mortgages, bank accounts, etc, etc.

When these things happen and you don't have AC+, the best advice is to be honest and pay what's needed to have Apple fix it properly.

If you like the idea of AC+, it's best to buy it at the same time as your Watch, so that it's covered from the very moment you receive it.

 

[iConnected]

... Does anyone know of alternative (affordable) route to Apple's screen replacement?

Very bad luck with your Watch

Don't mess about: have it repaired by Apple.

Anything else will be false economy, not least because if you have it repaired by anyone else, you will void your warranty - which still has a long time left to run.

 

[zmunkz]

Here we go again.

Attempting to commit fraud is wrong. Encouraging others to commit fraud is wrong.

True, but also drammatic. Apple is free to arbitrarily set the repair prices and the AC+ price, so "rightfully due" isn't exactly a real thing. I say if they don't bother checking when you call, then they aren't worried about it. They know their products are priced high, and it can be difficult for people to afford them, and they are often happy to cut their margin on customers here or there in order to win them back for another purchase. In fact, I suspect that is why they are so lax in checking things like this.

So anyway, yeah it wouldn't be fully on point to do this, but it is hardly a big moral failing either.

 

[Rok73]

How long do you get after purchase of your watch to add Apple Care?

It's 60 days. Definitely.

 

[rockyromero]

This is a lesson to me on what procedures are available and also to continue to keep my Spigen case on the watch.

➰

 

[friedmud]

True, but also drammatic. Apple is free to arbitrarily set the repair prices and the AC+ price, so "rightfully due" isn't exactly a real thing. I say if they don't bother checking when you call, then they aren't worried about it. They know their products are priced high, and it can be difficult for people to afford them, and they are often happy to cut their margin on customers here or there in order to win them back for another purchase. In fact, I suspect that is why they are so lax in checking things like this.

So anyway, yeah it wouldn't be fully on point to do this, but it is hardly a big moral failing either.

Really? So, fraud is fraud unless it's not because it's defrauding a big company that can take it.

Defrauding someone, anyone, is most definitely a moral failing... regardless of who it is.

I personally wouldn't want to associate with someone who would do such a thing. I mean, how do you know when they might decide that YOU can "take it" and they might turn their fraudulent ways against you?

The best advice here is to go to the Apple Store and be honest and nice and see what your options are.

 

[iConnected]

True, but also drammatic. Apple is free to arbitrarily set the repair prices and the AC+ price, so "rightfully due" isn't exactly a real thing. I say if they don't bother checking when you call, then they aren't worried about it. They know their products are priced high, and it can be difficult for people to afford them, and they are often happy to cut their margin on customers here or there in order to win them back for another purchase. In fact, I suspect that is why they are so lax in checking things like this.

So anyway, yeah it wouldn't be fully on point to do this, but it is hardly a big moral failing either.

In Europe, it's not Apple who foots accidental damage bills, it's an insurer. And insurance fraud is a criminal offence.

Insurers adopt zero tolerance policies and won't hesitate before adding names to the cross-industry anti-fraud databases. They have no sympathy with people who think that "it's hardly a big moral failing".

And if you think that any fraud costs inadvertently incurred by Apple aren't ultimately passed on and borne by honest paying customers, think again.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Did you happen to purchase it with a credit card and it has been less than 90 days? If so, you might be able to file a claim with your CC company to get reimbursed the $329 as many major credit cards offer a 90-day accidental damage coverage.

 

[Roller]

OP: Did you buy the watch using a credit card? Some will pay for replacement for accidental damage for a specific time period after purchase. If that's not an option, I suggest that you take JPIndustrie's advice above. I don't know if any third parties are offering to repair Apple watches for less than Apple charges. At the moment, iFixit only sells a replacement battery. It may be that other repair services will appear if enough Apple watches are sold.

 

[iConnected]

OP: Did you buy the watch using a credit card? Some will pay for replacement for accidental damage for a specific time period after purchase. If that's not an option, I suggest that you take JPIndustrie's advice above. I don't know if any third parties are offering to repair Apple watches for less than Apple charges. At the moment, iFixit only sells a replacement battery. It may be that other repair services will appear if enough Apple watches are sold.

As I said, using any third party repairer will likely void the Apple warranty in respect of any future issues. Stick with Apple.

 

[phpmaven]

True, but also drammatic. Apple is free to arbitrarily set the repair prices and the AC+ price, so "rightfully due" isn't exactly a real thing. I say if they don't bother checking when you call, then they aren't worried about it. They know their products are priced high, and it can be difficult for people to afford them, and they are often happy to cut their margin on customers here or there in order to win them back for another purchase. In fact, I suspect that is why they are so lax in checking things like this.

So anyway, yeah it wouldn't be fully on point to do this, but it is hardly a big moral failing either.

If you don't think that committing insurance fraud is a "big moral failing", then I would say that there's a pretty big moral failing in your thinking.

 

[AppleWes]

True, but also drammatic. Apple is free to arbitrarily set the repair prices and the AC+ price, so "rightfully due" isn't exactly a real thing. I say if they don't bother checking when you call, then they aren't worried about it. They know their products are priced high, and it can be difficult for people to afford them, and they are often happy to cut their margin on customers here or there in order to win them back for another purchase. In fact, I suspect that is why they are so lax in checking things like this.

So anyway, yeah it wouldn't be fully on point to do this, but it is hardly a big moral failing either.

Wow, talk about lack of integrity.

 

[rockyromero]

If you don't think that committing insurance fraud is a "big moral failing", then I would say that there's a pretty big moral failing in your thinking.

Did you happen to purchase it with a credit card and it has been less than 90 days? If so, you might be able to file a claim with your CC company to get reimbursed the $329

There may be a middle ground between living with the damage and trying to circumvent the system.

It's called talking.

Some call it negotiating.

It may be just connecting with the Apple reps, face to face, human to human.

An accident happened.

A loyal Apple user wants to stay loyal.

A great Apple company wants to stay great.

The world and forums are watching.

Reasonable people stay reasonable.

Its always worked for me.

➰

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

As I said, using any third party repairer will likely void the Apple warranty in respect of any future issues. Stick with Apple.

It's already out of warranty having been shattered (hence you pay for the "out of warranty" replacement). But, yes, paying the $329 (better yet, to be reimbursed by filing a claim with your CC company if it's been less than 90 days) allows you to keep the warranty.

 

[iConnected]

There may be a middle ground between living with the damage and trying to circumvent the system.

Indeed there is. It's called paying for the repair.

There's also a product that you can buy to cover for such eventualities. If you have it, you only have to pay the deductible. If you don't, you pay the full repair cost.

This is not complicated.

 

[Orr]

Sapphire crystal has always been prone to shattering. Somehow on MR, the notion (amongst a bunch of folks who never previously wore a mechanical watch) became commonplace that sapphire was seemingly indestructible. It's great for keeping your watch face devoid of scratches. Will generally break just like anything else if dropped from a certain distance onto a hard surface.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

There may be a middle ground between living with the damage and trying to circumvent the system.

It's called talking.

Some call it negotiating.

It may be just connecting with the Apple reps, face to face, human to human.

An accident happened.

A loyal Apple user wants to stay loyal.

A great Apple company wants to stay great.

The world and forums are watching.

Reasonable people stay reasonable.

Its always worked for me.

➰

Not sure what you're trying to say. Apple does not routinely offer free replacements, even if you're honest about what happened.