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iPhone XR Do you guys trust Best Buy for repairs?

M

mebehere

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 21, 2012
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I had a new XR that had a faulty Taptic Engine. I drove 1.5 hours to the nearest Apple store. They couldn’t fix it so they gave me a replacement phone. The replacement phone has the exact same issue.

There’s a Best Buy about 45 minutes from me. Anyone have experience with them regarding repairs or replacements? I hate the idea of having to drive 1.5 hours again.

Thanks.
 
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My brother had his radio fail on his iPhone 7-- it apparently was a known defect that Apple had a repair program for. Supposedly he could go to an authorized repair center to have it taken care of. Best Buy was the closest, most convenient and could see him sooner, so he went... and got nowhere with them. Said the person who he dealt with was clueless.

But then, even Apple had to ship it off to have it repaired, which surprised me. I thought they just swapped them out at a certain point of unrepairability. They gave him a 16gb iPhone 6 to use for a week. (This was last month.)
 
I have always found Best Buy very good for customer service and much nicer to deal with than the apple store geniuses and you don't need an appointment to get some help or advice.

I have bought my last 2 MBP's and iPP and apple watch from Best Buy - no regrets with the service - had an issue with a new MBP (screen flickering after 3 weeks) and they replaced with a new one and let me transfer my data and wipe the old drive right in the store - left with my replacement and very happy best buy customer.

I can't say the same for recent visits to the apple store with my apple watch screen popped off and iPhone 6 battery that needed to be replaced both needed to be left with the apple store? to be sent somewhere? - so I refused to leave the iphone and went to a phone repair booth in the same shopping mall and got my iPhone 6 battery replaced while I had a coffee - 30 min - and a great job
 
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mikzn said:
I have always found Best Buy very good for customer service and much nicer to deal with than the apple store geniuses and you don't need an appointment to get some help or advice.

I have bought my last 2 MBP's and iPP and apple watch from Best Buy - no regrets with the service - had an issue with a new MBP (screen flickering after 3 weeks) and they replaced with a new one and let me transfer my data and wipe the old drive right in the store - left with my replacement and very happy best buy customer.

I can't say the same for recent visits to the apple store with my apple watch screen popped off and iPhone 6 battery that needed to be replaced both needed to be left with the apple store? to be sent somewhere? - so I refused to leave the iphone and went to a phone repair booth in the same shopping mall and got my iPhone 6 battery replaced while I had a coffee - 30 min - and a great job
Click to expand...

No question...

But sales and repairs are two different things. Hell, Apple doesn't do a good job with repairs sometimes, much less Best Buy.

There's a person that's right for each job.
 
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JPack said:
Seems extremely unlikely the Taptic Engine would fail exactly the same way. You sure it's not a software issue with an app?
Click to expand...

I wouldn’t say it failed. The haptics still work fine. It’s this weird issue where upon sliding to answer a call while the phone is vibrating, there are two to three abnormal clicks that can be heard and felt, coming from the bottom of the phone. I’ve had a friend call me over and over and it happens around 95% of the time.

Like I said, it is exactly the same issue. I should have tested it in the store with the replacement phone before I left, but I had no reason to believe I’d end up with the issue on two phones. I’ll be testing it this next time, whether it’s repaired or another replacement.

By the way, I set this phone up as new to see if that would make any difference. It didn’t. Definitely a hardware issue again.
 
DevinNj said:
If the Apple store was unable to resolve your issue the first time, I'd escalate it further up the ladder with Apple. I'd stay away from BB. Far away. Call Apple.
Click to expand...

What do you mean by escalate? I did call AppleCare and was going to set up an express exchange. I was told by three people, including a supervisor, that a $499 hold would be placed on my card until I received the replacement phone in the mail and sent the current one in.

Then I started the process online and it was going to be $840 or so, the cost of a new XR plus tax, even though they’d be sending a replacement phone.

I didn’t want that $840 hanging around on my card in case something went wrong. So I canceled that.

Is there something else I can do to make the process easier and not have to drive to a store?
 
Wide opeN said:
No question...

But sales and repairs are two different things. Hell, Apple doesn't do a good job with repairs sometimes, much less Best Buy.

There's a person that's right for each job.
Click to expand...

I like apple products, but defintely don't like apple customer service and support - I agree with your comment

1) Apple for making products
2) 3rd party for customer service and technical support
 
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mebehere said:
What do you mean by escalate? I did call AppleCare and was going to set up an express exchange. I was told by three people, including a supervisor, that a $499 hold would be placed on my card until I received the replacement phone in the mail and sent the current one in.

Then I started the process online and it was going to be $840 or so, the cost of a new XR plus tax, even though they’d be sending a replacement phone.

I didn’t want that $840 hanging around on my card in case something went wrong. So I canceled that.

Is there something else I can do to make the process easier and not have to drive to a store?
Click to expand...
You didn’t have a resolution by going to the Apple store so calling Apple is the next step towards a resolve. Sounds like you’ve done that already. Unfortunately yes, when they express a phone out, they do put a hold on a card. I’m not sure what else can be done. Sorry.
 
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Thanks for all your replies. I suppose I’ll go back to the Apple store. I just wish I could be reimbursed for gas. Oh well.
 
If Apple couldn’t fix it then for sure BestBuy can’t
Sometimes there’s a bad batch of iPhones
That all have the same problem. It happened to me. 3 exchanges till I got a good one
Best bet go back to Apple don’t worry about the drive. It’s more important to get a good iPhone
 
NEVER. I wouldn't trust Best Buy to give me info on an item on the shelf without looking it up myself. I don't know of ANYONE who didn't get ripped off or wrong info from their "Geek Squad". I would sell something as is on Ebay and buy a new one before having Best Buy handle a repair. I would, however, buy a new Apple product from BestBuy if they were local and I didn't want to wait.
 
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We had BestBuy replace the screen on my wife's iPhone 6s. They were professional and did it while we waited. Like new. Oh, they also previously replaced the battery under the $29 program.

Within the scope of repairs they are equipped to perform, I would trust them. For things like battery and screen replacements, I understand they have Apple's special tools that should make for more consistent results. If it's something outside of their capabilities, they will tell you that.
 
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I only know a few BestBuy locations and never really like being in one to begin with. I wouldn’t use them for service if I can go to Apple directly.
 
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