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Class Action Lawsuit: Apple Watches Have Defective Displays That Can Spontaneously Detach
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This happened to my watch. I was on a cruise, I went swimming the day before, following all guide lines. I asked my dad to hand me my apple 3 watch, and the screen popped between the time I put it on the charger and he handed it to me.
(not sure if it had posed before or after coming off the charger.
Apple said they would cover it, then a manger tried to say it was not covered, and that there was accident damage. Then I called and requested further review. They still said it was my fault, but finally decided to cover the cost. (rather then charging me the $89 fee). I'm not sure if they changed me one of my 2 accident damages or not.
I told them it was not right that they were trying to say "it was accident damage anytime they could not prove it was NOT accident damage." I told the agent the policy should be "it's covered unless we can prove it was accident damage" I had to speak with the level 2 agent for over 45 min and explain how the screen had no damage. (expect that it popped off)
I will try and find a photo latter.
(not sure if it had posed before or after coming off the charger.
Apple said they would cover it, then a manger tried to say it was not covered, and that there was accident damage. Then I called and requested further review. They still said it was my fault, but finally decided to cover the cost. (rather then charging me the $89 fee). I'm not sure if they changed me one of my 2 accident damages or not.
I told them it was not right that they were trying to say "it was accident damage anytime they could not prove it was NOT accident damage." I told the agent the policy should be "it's covered unless we can prove it was accident damage" I had to speak with the level 2 agent for over 45 min and explain how the screen had no damage. (expect that it popped off)
I will try and find a photo latter.
Wow that is some really bad luck. Did anyone noticed a pattern that would cause this? If it happened to you 3 times I would expect that particular way you use the watch makes it more likely to happen, might be something you can suggest Apple tests for maybe? Specific to your work, outdoor activity, charging pattern etc.?
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I know, Gremlins or Chuck Norris. They are stealthy.
The thing is that I don’t do anything unusual. Maybe it’s my body heat? I love being warm/hot Lol and everyone tells me I “run warm”. I rarely work out. I don’t use it much so it doesn’t charge that often. I don’t hit into things.
I adjust the strap a lot. Nothing crazy.
Hysterical! You joined this forum just to post that?
Assuming you're legit, you can't join a class action suit. It just happens, and if it wins, and you have registered one of the impacted models, you will get contacted, and have to show you are part of the "class" that was impacted. However, in your case, the symptoms you describe are completely different from the defect described in the suit. So there'a a good chance you won't qualify as a member of the class-- it depends on how they end up describing the class and the criteria for inclusion.
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And yet there are a whole slew of people here that say that Apple has been really good about honoring their warranties. Maybe you should try to compare notes and figure out what's different about your situation. I don't doubt you have these problems, but it seems more than coincidental that your experience should be so different.
My Apple2 watch did this exact thing yesterday. Went to look at the time and saw the screen was hanging off the watch.
I don't recall hitting anything so was a little surprised to see the insides of my watch I have an appointment with Apple Store this coming Wednesday will be interesting to see what they have to say. I cant tell if the battery is swollen or not.
I don't recall hitting anything so was a little surprised to see the insides of my watch I have an appointment with Apple Store this coming Wednesday will be interesting to see what they have to say. I cant tell if the battery is swollen or not.
I’ve got a AW3 and getting a bit paranoid that my smartwatch is going to turn into a cuckoo clock
As long as Apple will replace it no questions asked then I can't see a problem. A problem will exist if they swap for some and not for others
If you live in the UK you have additional rights under the Sale of Goods Act. This states that products should last a reasonable amount of time, which is usually defined as 6 years. Regardless of whether your product is still under warranty you can take Apple to court if they refuse to repair faulty products. The online courts service is a very easy and cheap process.
Watches take a beating by nature. I hate wearing anything. But I wear my traditional watch when I leave the house.
It has survived everything imaginable without any dings. Including engine compartments. Etc. basically anyplace you put your hand will scrape against the watch.
Some of us are less physical. But for me, anything on my body is going to get beat. I don’t like anything that I have to worry about. If it can’t survive getting hit repeatedly, then it’s not fit to be worn or carried about with me.
I’ve always been impressed by the durability of cheap $10 to $40 watches. I replace them about every 10 years when the battery dies. They survive being under water daily and smacked, scraped, and crunched daily and aside from unnoticeable hairline scratches, they still look perfect in 10 years. I just replace them at battery death because after that long, I’m tired of them and want a different style.
But most active people don’t really realize what a watch goes through on a daily basis. And if you start to alter your behavior to protect a watch, that’s a big inconvenience.
Minor dings, I wouldn’t worry about. In your case, I’d call it character and proof that you actually do something.
Personally, for me, I know that anything on my arm better be built stronger than I am. So I’ve skipped the smart watches and stayed old school steel and titanium.
As for screens, I have no idea what old watches use. But for some reason it seems stronger than what Apple uses. Which seems strange. Given the expense Apple put into developing that screen, I’d expect it to be more durable than the cheap watches.
But... perhaps the cheap durable stuff used in my watches isn’t suitable for a touch sensitive device.
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Now that would be entertaining.
We could have editions...
One goes Cuckoo Cuckoo with a birdie.
The other goes bang like fireworks.
The randomness, suspense, and waiting like a jack in the box that might pop out today or anytime in the next few years.
Confetti pops out, and the birdie jumps up holding a note for the prize you’ve won.
If it’s going to spring apart, why not do something fun with it and call it a feature. Lol
In this discussion linked, it's clear this is a different issue - the screen is cracking around the edges to relieve pressure, and as of today "337 other people have the same question". Apple was refusing to acknowledge that NOT ALL of these people are lying about having no physical impact to cause this.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8223086
Surprised Apple hasn’t caught that thread and deleted it.
I gave up on Apple Discussions. I used to be on there helping people. But I got tired of the extreme censorship.
A user could go in there and say they’re having a problem. And then you’d try to help them resolve it. But if the problem turned out to be defective hardware, the Apple moderators would delete the discussion.
That got pretty annoying.
In general I've had good experiences with Apple customer service, but my series 0 watch was an exception I had precisely this problem (and no swollen battery). They adamantly refused to replace or repair without a pretty hefty fee, and it was pretty clearly a manufacturing defect. I'd gotten the watch as a gift, and went back a second time with the person who gave it to me and who had a problem with his MacBook. Different person helped us. They took the watch and within a few days I had a replacement. But it was annoying -- it was expensive (a steel model) and had lasted barely over a year.
My Series 0 was babied like you wouldn't believe, had NEVER had any drops or shock damage and the face separated last week as I took it off the charger. It saw so little time on my wrist and so much time on the charger that I wonder if that doesn't have something to do with it. Apple customer service was great - replaced it within a week with a Series 1. I'm plenty satisfied but wonder if this is way more widespread an issue than anyone thought...
I thought this was a non issues after the original has problems that Apple told people they would cover a free back replacement. People will sue for just about everything, instead of going to their and working hard for their money. Smdh
Dude, I'm not sure you understand the issue.
People paid good money already for their Apple Watch, witnessed the screen crack around the edges and pop off due to the swollen battery, and went to the stores and fought with apple for weeks and weeks to only be told that THEY WERE USING IT WRONG and to pay up.
Read the Apple discussions. I'd be pissed if I was treated that way. It took 2-3 months before apple started replacing any of them at no charge as a "one off" case by case deal, and they're very inconsistent.
Apple needs to suck it up and acknowledge this new way of the screens popping off after they upped the strength of the glue so that they can't pop off in one piece.
A new class action lawsuit filed against Apple this week alleges that all Apple Watch models suffer from a defect that causes the display to "crack, shatter, or detach from the body of the watch, through no fault of the wearer."
The proposed class is all current and former owners of all models, sizes, and variants of the Apple Watch, including the original, Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3 generations, purchased in the United States between April 2015 and present, according to court documents obtained by MacRumors.
The complaint, filed in Northern California district court, alleges that Apple has sold millions of watches with the defect throughout the United States, and "either knew, or should have known," about the display issues. Apple is said to have "actively concealed" and "failed to disclose" the defect to customers.
The complaint adds that Apple's internal policy is to "deny the existence of the defect, claim the defect is the result of accidental damage caused by consumers, and then refuse to honor its limited warranty on those grounds," resulting in customers facing expensive fees to repair or replace their defective watches.
Apple Watch out-of-warranty service fees range from $229 to $329 in the United States, excluding high-end Edition models.
The lawsuit was brought against Apple by Colorado resident Kenneth Sciacca, who purchased an Apple Watch Series 2 in December 2016. In or around March 2018, the screen on Sciacca's watch is said to have "unexpectedly detached from the watch's body shortly after he removed the watch from its charger."
The complaint cites a handful of comments from the Apple Support Communities, and similar complaints can be found scattered across the MacRumors forums, Reddit, Twitter, and other discussion platforms.
Apple has acknowledged issues with swollen batteries in select original and Series 2 models, which can cause the display to pop off, and offered free repairs up to three years after purchase, according to internal guidelines previously obtained by MacRumors. However, the complaint alleges that Apple refuses to extend the free repairs to watches with detached displays but no swollen battery.
Apple is accused of unlawful business acts and practices, in violation of California's Business and Professions Code, in addition to violating California's Consumers Legal Remedies Act and the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, breaching express and implied warranties, and unjust enrichment.
The complaint is seeking damages to fully compensate affected Apple Watch owners for all losses sustained as a result of the alleged defect, plus further relief as seen fit by the court. A jury trial has been demanded.
Article Link: Class Action Lawsuit: Apple Watches Have Defective Displays That Can Spontaneously Detach
My series 1 display came off after two years. Apple at first tried to get me to pay but I knew of a friend who got his replace when mentioning the watch battery.
Their response to a lot of people has been: "YOU BROKE IT. YOU NEED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR"
It's the inconsistency. They'll do it for one, make another pay. They are not being solid in their decisions towards the customer.
My first watch, no problem.
My second watch, I had to talk to multiple people and site their own internal memo. I was quoted different prices and had to continually go up the chain.
Being consistent across the board is fair to consumers. Making some pay because they aren't as informed or resilient as others, that's just wrong.
Why do they have to sue Apple, here in Australia there are consume protections in place that supersede the usual warranties, often faults like this are automatically covered within the expected life of a product where there is no signs of damage, like it had been dropped or something. If others have had their Apple Watch replaced why not this guy?