UPDATE
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Things took a stressful turn.
I got an email from Apple repairs yesterday telling me I needed to pay an atrocious £186 to repair the watch! I wasnt able to capture the screenshot because the page got updated, but heres the tab with the price. View attachment 556321
I was not happy at all. Heres the repair authorisation from the Apple Store telling me I didnt have to pay anything: View attachment 556322
So I arranged a call with Apple. The support lady told me that the engineers concluded it was accidental damage and therefore would costs me. I felt seriously let down. I explained that the store told me I wouldnt have to pay anything because this sort of damage wasnt supposed to happen.
She agreed that there mustve been miscommunication about the pricing and the Store shouldve told me that I may have to pay. Because of this miscommunication, she was willing to make an exception and let this off. So in the end, Im relieved to know that it wont cost me 2/3 of the cost of the watch itself and they should repair it for free.
Then I asked her, if this was really about accidental damage, as a school teacher with most of the time in the classroom, what am I doing thats so active its damaging a *sports watch*? A sports watch thats being advertised as good enough for ice skating and all sorts of wild sports. I asked the genius in the store the same thing and he simply said it shouldnt be getting damaged so easily. The lady also wasnt able to give a clear answer, although she was always polite and as helpful as she could be.
She mentioned that I should just try and be careful of hitting desk corners maybe, etc. I had to ask her, should an Apple Watch Sport really be cracking from hitting desk corners? When cheaper watches take all sorts of day to day beatings? She also suggested a screen protector if need be, but did acknowledge Apple doesnt even sell those or cases in their own stores.
In the end, she did her best to alleviate my stress by removing the price but left the crucial questions about watch long-term protection unanswered, through no fault of her own. Regardless, Im happy with her support, she did her best to help to be honest, as Apple Support always do.
Really sorry to hear that you were initially greeted with a horrifying bill, but glad the CSA resolved it for you.
And yes, I agree that it shouldn't get damaged so easily.