Disappointed by the support and build quality

[Scaleo]

I'm writing this mainly because I'm actually very disappointed by the Watch. And I don't mean because of the functions it is providing or it's user interface.
It is just because of the lack of support Apple is offering for the watch and build quality.

I preordered my Watch Sport 42mm space grey on the 10th April and received it on in early May and everything was fine.

Fast forward to the Release of WatchOS2.

After I updated my Watch and tried the new photo watch face I discovered that my Watch had some dead pixels in the top right corner, about the size of 2mm. So there were several dead pixels, what to do ?
Exactly I made contact with Apple via Chat, showed them the Problem by uploading a Photo of it and they said: "Sure we'll replace it". Then they told me the options I had. Bring it to the store or get a new one delivered. I choose the Store, since there is one just 10mins from me.
I got a appointment a week later or so.
Fast forward a week:
I couldn't make to the appointment, since something important happened. However. So I thought yeah no big deal, I'll just make a new one by myself. And now the trouble begins.

If I choose as Product "Watch" there is never not a single appointment available in the Apple Store and not just the one nearby, the other store in my town also doesn't have appointments for the watch.

So I opened up a chat again with the support, since they were able to make one the last time.
I told them my case, gave them my case id and they knew whats going on.
After a couple of minutes she told me "Uhh I can't make an appointment either" and the she was also not able to make an appointment more the one week in advance, then she told me that I should check the site regularly. I asked then ironical if I should stay up every day till 00:01am to check if an appointment is available, to which she responded "Nahh, you can do this also in the morning".

I closed the window after that one.

Fast forward again a couple of weeks.
I was randomly near the store and thought, yeah lets make an appointment directly in the store. So I went there and the guy just asked me when I wanted to come, since they have soooooo many appointments available.
And I was just so angry ...

However I went there a week later and gave them my watch and was expecting to directly get a new one.
Wrong!
The guy there told me that they don't have any replacement watches on stock, and they never will. So i need to wait another one to two weeks or so. I told him my story, I just wrote and he completely agreed with my viewpoint, that the support for the watch sucks.
However 1 1/2 weeks later I got the new one and everything was fine again. Till yesterday.

The display on the watch has a failure again, but much worse then last time.
The display is nearly dead.
I even looks like something is glowing inside the watch when the display is active also got the watch quite
hot were the failure is.
See the attached picture and the little orange/red dot in the top.

The watch is now like 3 to 4 weeks old and has no damage on the outside. Also didn't it happen while the watch was exposed to water or anything else. I just wore it normally.

So yeah ...
Let's see what they do now ...

TL DR
Had two watches and both had a broken display, the Apple Store is nearly useless when you have trouble with your watch and the Chat Support doesn't get irony. At least here in Germany.

 

[mattysouthall]

I agree the Apple Store support is extremely bad now, the appointments are always taken and they are overwhelmed, It took me hours and hours and around 4 trips to get my MacBook sorted a while back.

Not had an issue with my watch though luckily, hopefully you get it sorted. Walk into the store and demand help.

 

[tonoboon]

Never get great support.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Obviously you got burned because the AW is the first and only iDevice for which they've elected not to stock white box replacements across the board. Always opt to have a new one delivered.

Also Apple support seems to be worse outside the US for some reason.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Like the above poster said it seems that outside the USA, support is not what we are used too.

 

[jasie02]

Your previous skip appointment still in the system, and probably is placing your case on hold.
Did you call store and cancel it, BEFORE the appointment?

Also, I would never ever goto store for AW or iPhone replacement. Both are way way easier to get agreement with chat agent to sent you replacement. I had replace iPhone once in the past through chat, and it is so easy. It come in 2 days.
Going back to store for any AW or iPhone replacement is waste of time, if you already get chat agent agree to send to you.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Also, I would never ever goto store for AW or iPhone replacement. Both are way way easier to get agreement with chat agent to sent you replacement. I had replace iPhone once in the past through chat, and it is so easy. It come in 2 days.
Going back to store for any AW or iPhone replacement is waste of time, if you already get chat agent agree to send to you.

It's actually not too bad with the iPhone and other iDevices because they do stock white box replacements for these to swap out on the spot. The AW is another story though.

 

[JohnApples]

A while back I posted my Apple Watch support story from hell. Took me nearly a month to resolve my issue.

Took my AW to the store for a replacement due to a defect. Geniuses agreed that it was a defect and took the Watch to be shipped out for repair. Received the Watch back days later, and told that "Repair was denied" with absolutely no reason as to why it was denied.

Got in touch with support, and they told me they had no idea why it was denied either. I spent literally hours on hold as they "tried to find out why it was denied" and was passed through various different agents. Was finally forwarded to a "senior advisor" and she told me that she would replace the Watch but I needed to send the old one in first. I had AC+, and I told her that I thought that meant I could keep the old one until the new one arrived. She told me no. Turns out, I was supposed to be able to keep the old one with AC+. Finally received the new watch about a week later.

But my AC+ didn't transfer to the new watch. I talked to support again and was told to give it a couple of days. I waited, and it still hadn't. Was told to wait until Monday the following week. Did that, still didn't transfer. Called again. Was put on hold for about an hour and a half. Finally was told some steps to take, and I performed them. The old AW, along with AC+, was removed from my account, but my new watch still did not have AC+ on it. Was put on hold again.

Once again I was told that they were searching for a solution and would call me back when they found one. 3 days passed and no call back. I call them, again. Was on hold for another hour. Got forwarded to another "senior advisor" who told me that the AC+ transfer was "stuck" in the system. She did something that pushed it through and my issue was finally resolved.

Now if I ever have an issue with my Watch again, even under AC+, I'm scared to take it in and have to deal with all that again.

 

[Scaleo]

Your previous skip appointment still in the system, and probably is placing your case on hold.
Did you call store and cancel it, BEFORE the appointment?

Also, I would never ever goto store for AW or iPhone replacement. Both are way way easier to get agreement with chat agent to sent you replacement. I had replace iPhone once in the past through chat, and it is so easy. It come in 2 days.
Going back to store for any AW or iPhone replacement is waste of time, if you already get chat agent agree to send to you.

When you want to make an appointment you don't even need to sign in via Apple ID or enter a serial number, so that can't be the reason.
Personally I believe, that they don't want you to go to the Store with your Watch ...
Same **** for AC+, you can't buy it here in the Stores. You have to do this online.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Personally I believe, that they don't want you to go to the Store with your watch...

We don't know Apple's official reason for not stocking white box replacements across the board specifically for the AW, but it doesn't make for a good customer experience and I wish they would change this to be in line with all other iDevices.