Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Can Apple replace my craigslist iphone which is "missing parts"?

L

lilmopho

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 14, 2012
3
0
Hey guys,

My first post here, I've read/learned a lot from this forum and now it's time I make an account. I didn't know where else to turn.

I bought and iPhone 4S from Craigslist, long story short I went to apple and explained that while it charges it just restarts randomly and while it is on it also restarts randomly sometimes. It is in fact an iPhone 4S and it has applecare and everything. The Genius took the phone in the back after i told them what the problems and were and he came out with the back unscrewed and showing me how parts were missing (heat sensors, batter casing, etc.). I begged him not to void my warranty and I am pretty sure he didn't.

My question is, does apple always open the back and look at the phone? Because if they do I have no chance of getting it replaced. Or do they sometimes open the back and sometimes not, because if that is the case I could get it replaced.

Thanks guys sorry for the mischievous first post, I just didn't know where else to turn.
 
Your best bet may be to just buy the parts and install them and then ask for a replacement after a "freak" drop. Sometimes this may work, other times not...

It's a lot easier with an iPod touch... they cant get in as easily.

It may be easier to just drop the phone and ask for a new screen or replacement...
 
Sometimes they will do out of warranty replacements for $149 on the iphone4 and $199 for the 4S.

I bought an iphone 4S on craigslist as well that had been tampered with. I was fully prepared to pay the out of warranty cost of $199 and get a new one, but since the inside had been tampered with they told me the only option was to out right buy a new phone. You may get lucky and get a good genius who will offer you that OOW replacement.

I ended up having the phone repaired at a local shop for $120 and it looks brand new and functions perfectly.

edit: while i sell a lot of things on craigslist, I will probably never buy a phone on there again b.c there are just way too many things to consider. I consider myself lucky since the phone works and looks brand new at this point, but there could always be issues (like yours) that take a while to surface.
 
Yeah I also sell a lot of things on craigslist. I buy a lot of phones from there too it's just this one sale thats screwing me over.

So I'm guessing that it is mandatory for the geniuses to open up and check the phone at the Apple Store before they replace it?
 
If you send it in by mail, they check over the phone before they send you a replacement, so what's wrong with it is true, if you have parts missing then there going to know something is up. So yes they will take the back off.

How much did you pay for the phone? You can also take the phone to a Phone Repairer and just have them fix it. But you will have to pay for it. I wouldn't get it repair by a web site. There must be one around you in you're town where you can get fixed.


Hope that I could help.
 
lilmopho said:
Yeah I also sell a lot of things on craigslist. I buy a lot of phones from there too it's just this one sale thats screwing me over.

So I'm guessing that it is mandatory for the geniuses to open up and check the phone at the Apple Store before they replace it?
Click to expand...

I'm sure their policy is to always open the phone up first, but you sometimes get people who will just straight up replace it. I have had that happen too...I had an issue with my volume going down and they just grabbed me a new one from the back before even taking the old one. Gave me the new phone, and then took the old one to the back. It is worth a try.

What is the outside condition of the phone? I think that probably weighs into their decision to open it. If you hand them a phone that visually looks perfect they probably feel less of a need to question it. If you handed them a phone that looks like it has been to hell and back, i'm sure they will open it up.
 
mattopotamus said:
I'm sure their policy is to always open the phone up first, but you sometimes get people who will just straight up replace it. I have had that happen too...I had an issue with my volume going down and they just grabbed me a new one from the back before even taking the old one. Gave me the new phone, and then took the old one to the back. It is worth a try
Click to expand...

Yeah I would try except I already tried once and I was lucky that I got a guy who didn't void my warranty and destroy any hope of me ever replacing it.
 
lilmopho said:
Yeah I would try except I already tried once and I was lucky that I got a guy who didn't void my warranty and destroy any hope of me ever replacing it.
Click to expand...

What does that matter? If you never try to get it replaced you have in a sense voided your warranty yourself b.c you are not using it. $199 for an Out of Warranty phone is a good deal.

Worst case Scenario...you never take the phone back and are stuck with it. You take the phone back and they say you have voided the warranty and are stuck with it.
 
lilmopho said:
...I went to apple...
Click to expand...

jamesjingyi said:
Your best bet may be to just buy the parts and install them and then ask for a replacement after a "freak" drop. Sometimes this may work, other times not...

It's a lot easier with an iPod touch... they cant get in as easily.

It may be easier to just drop the phone and ask for a new screen or replacement...
Click to expand...

jamesjingyi, your logic has failed here my friend. He has been to Apple. There is now a record of what happened and if you think there isn't then I think you may be silly.

OP, hope it gets sorted but that's a crappy thing to happen. I doubt anyone could have known there were internal pieces missing.
 
jessica. said:
jamesjingyi, your logic has failed here my friend. He has been to Apple. There is now a record of what happened and if you think there isn't then I think you may be silly.

OP, hope it gets sorted but that's a crappy thing to happen. I doubt anyone could have known there were internal pieces missing.
Click to expand...

Just b.c there is a record doesn't mean another genius would not replace the phone. Like I said in the other post, Who cares if they void your warranty if you are stuck with the phone either way. It's not like they confiscate your phone for voiding the warranty.
 
You could try a different Apple Store. I have two in my town and have had times where they wouldnt do a warranty exchange at one store but did it at the other.
 
mattopotamus said:
Just b.c there is a record doesn't mean another genius would not replace the phone. Like I said in the other post, Who cares if they void your warranty if you are stuck with the phone either way. It's not like they confiscate your phone for voiding the warranty.
Click to expand...

Except I wasn't quoting you. ;)
 
I accidentally washed my 3GS once. I took it in, told them what happened. They looked it over and gave me an OOW replacement for $199. They didn't open it up.
 
I know somebody that dropped an iPhone 4 in the urinal and then turned around and sold it on Craigslist for $420 after the 4s release.
 
You might have to buy a new phone out right. Most likely the Genius that helped you put some notes on your account. They are required to do so.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back