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Do they still give you a brand new iPhone for a swap?

coolwater

coolwater

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 8, 2009
722
1
A friend of mine wants to exchange his 3GS for a minor reason and I told him that he will not get a brand new 3GS because there have been so many returns. But, he thinks differently. So, what's the verdict?
 
coolwater said:
A friend of mine wants to exchange his 3GS for a minor reason and I told him that he will not get a brand new 3GS because there have been so many returns. But, he thinks differently. So, what's the verdict?
Click to expand...

when he comes out of the apple store, ask him.
 
coolwater said:
A friend of mine wants to exchange his 3GS for a minor reason and I told him that he will not get a brand new 3GS because there have been so many returns. But, he thinks differently. So, what's the verdict?
Click to expand...

Usually you get a refurb unless they don't have any refurbs at that store.
 
I think refurbs have started making appearances. Its been 3 weeks now so its unlikely (but probably still possible in smaller stores) to get a new phone
 
i had a problem with the touchscreen with the new 3gs. they took off the screen and did something to the connectors.

so no, they did not give me a new refurb automatically.
 
I just got a replacement 3GS yesterday because of cracks and the "new" one came in a small white box that was taped shut and had the plastic peel away protection on the phone. Looks new. Not sure if there are refurbs yet. Maybe apple boxes some without accessories and sim cards to give as replacements.
 
houdinize said:
I just got a replacement 3GS yesterday because of cracks and the "new" one came in a small white box that was taped shut and had the plastic peel away protection on the phone. Looks new. Not sure if there are refurbs yet. Maybe apple boxes some without accessories and sim cards to give as replacements.
Click to expand...

Does your serial start with 8 or 5?
 
the 8 or 5 rule is not valid for 3G's or 3GS's... it is only verified for the original iPhone... what people believe is that if the serial starts with 5K then it's a refurb.. while 8 is a new phone...

I'm now on my 6th (soon to be 7th) 3G and i've had replacements (come out of little black boxes) start with the 5K and 8... both have been garbage...

Chances are for the 3GS's they have not been out long enough to be already refurbed... give it another few weeks and i'm sure they'll start replacing with Refurbs...
 
my 1 year old iPhone 3G developed a crack in the plastic over the last week, so I took it to my local Apple Store and they replaced it for free under Apple Care that I just renewed. It was a brand new (not refurbed) iPhone 3G... I was actually shocked as I expected a refurbed unit. But I'll gladly take the new one!
 
Every time I have gone to the Apple store, the Genius bar gives me one of the white box refurbished models. Sometimes I would go home with them and have dead pixels, non working phones, etc..... Maybe it is different with the 3GS.
 
I went to the Genius Bar on Thursday as I was having some issues with my 3GS. The tech swapped my phone and I asked him if it would be refurbished or new, and he confirmed it was new.
 
The manager at my local store said the white box ones are new, but the box signifies it as a replacement device without any of the original accessories.
 
They cannot have that many refurb phones laying around. Even though three quarters of our iPhone forum users have exchanged multiple phones, the supplies and shipping times cannot have caught up.
 
5 is refurb and 8 is new. Apple has to be able to differentiate the two just as refurb macs come with 3 serial numbers as opposed to W

If you got a 8 then its new...if you got an 8 3G it probably means you exchanged early in the weeks of original release.

Both refurb and new come in white boxes (brown in UK i think) because Apple has to be able to replace new phones in the first few weeks of release without giving you a whole box again
 
iPhone Savvy said:
:confused: How in the heck do you go through 6 iPhones?

Sounds to me like its you not the phone.
Click to expand...

Actually it's not me at all...

1st iPhone had a home button that stuck under the glass...
2nd iPhone had cracking around the dock connector port yet had never been dropped
3rd bricked itself due to an activation error
4th bricked itself due to apple support suggesting I needed a new Sim Card
5th the same as the 3rd one...

there was an error with my information on apples server that was bricking all of those phones and it was NOT user error.

6th works fantastic except for the fact that after only 1 1/2 hours of use there are numerous stuck pixels and the screen becomes discolored after being turned on for longer then 5 hours...
 
mcmanus7 said:
Actually it's not me at all...

1st iPhone had a home button that stuck under the glass...
2nd iPhone had cracking around the dock connector port yet had never been dropped
3rd bricked itself due to an activation error
4th bricked itself due to apple support suggesting I needed a new Sim Card
5th the same as the 3rd one...

there was an error with my information on apples server that was bricking all of those phones and it was NOT user error.

6th works fantastic except for the fact that after only 1 1/2 hours of use there are numerous stuck pixels and the screen becomes discolored after being turned on for longer then 5 hours...
Click to expand...

So your returning it aswell? so you;ll be on your 7th phone...

Might I ask how point number 4 happened? Did the new SIM brick your phone?
 
daneoni said:
5 is refurb and 8 is new. Apple has to be able to differentiate the two just as refurb macs come with 3 serial numbers as opposed to W

If you got a 8 then its new...if you got an 8 3G it probably means you exchanged early in the weeks of original release.

Both refurb and new come in white boxes (brown in UK i think) because Apple has to be able to replace new phones in the first few weeks of release without giving you a whole box again
Click to expand...

my serial number on my 3gs starts with an 8. I just got it as my 3rd exchange this past thursday. I don't think the 3gs has been out long enough to have refurbs yet.
 
qawsed said:
So your returning it aswell? so you;ll be on your 7th phone...

Might I ask how point number 4 happened? Did the new SIM brick your phone?
Click to expand...

3-5 are all the same issue.. something happened with apples server.. apparently what happens is when you get a replacement phone and it activates it checks the serial number against the one apple says they replaced it with and if there's any discrepancy then it bricks the phone...

Something happened on apples server with my information and it would just keep bricking them... I'm not on my iPhone #7 which is a week 26 came pre-loaded with 3.0 and appears to be flawless *knocks on wood*
 
They actually gave me the option of either taking one from the little white box or a brand new sealed box one.
They said since I was still within the 30 day exchange time it be fine to get a brand new one. Needless to say I opted for the brand new one :)
 
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