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does anyone have experience with a mail-in iphone replacement?

A

amazingdm

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 2, 2010
409
2
I need to replace my iPhone so I was planning on having them send me an iPhone replacement THEN sending my iPhone back. Does anyone have experience with this program?

I feel like you can't actually contact a human at apple so I don't know how to ask them more about it.

Did you receive a new one? Or at least one with a new casing?

Were you able to transfer everything from your old one right on to your new one? Any warranty issues?
 
Applejuiced said:
I did it online without having to talk or show it to anyone.
Mailed it back to them Wednesday and got a replacement in perfect condition Saturday. Great service.
Click to expand...

How long did the entire process take? From the moment you filled out the online form, to the time you received the replacement unit?
 
Tuesday night I filled out the form and printed it out.
Brought it to a local ups store Wednesday where they packaged and shipped it out for me for free. And Saturday morn I got a package from fedex with a replacement 3GS. So it was about a 4-5 day eta for me.
 
I did this several years ago with my iPhone 3g. I'm on the east coast, called Apple at about 5pm EST/2pm PST. The next day by 10am EST I had a fedex package waiting with a refurb iPhone 3g inside. The only way I could tell it was a refurb was because I asked the person I spoke to on the phone the day before. That same day I shipped my old phone out with the package Apple included.

Couldn't have been more hassle free. I recommend calling them. It really was that quick. I was blown away.

EDIT- forgot to add I had AppleCare for my phone which I think makes a difference.
 
amazingdm said:
I need to replace my iPhone so I was planning on having them send me an iPhone replacement THEN sending my iPhone back. Does anyone have experience with this program?

I feel like you can't actually contact a human at apple so I don't know how to ask them more about it.

Did you receive a new one? Or at least one with a new casing?

Were you able to transfer everything from your old one right on to your new one? Any warranty issues?
Click to expand...

Well, first, this is a great program. Depending on what time you call or communicate online, the replacement often arrives next day. I've used thus service 3 or 4 times with different products and there's never been a problem.

Second, there are no warranty issues. Your existing warranty (including AppleCare if you've got that) just transfers automatically to the new phone.

Also, it's pretty easy to get an Apple support rep to call you (at least in the US). You just go through a couple of screens on the apple.com/support site, where you enter the serial number, describe the problem, leave a contact number, and pick a callback time from the available slots. They call on time and the service is excellent.
 
wyneken said:
Well, first, this is a great program. Depending on what time you call or communicate online, the replacement often arrives next day. I've used thus service 3 or 4 times with different products and there's never been a problem.

Second, there are no warranty issues. Your existing warranty (including AppleCare if you've got that) just transfers automatically to the new phone.

Also, it's pretty easy to get an Apple support rep to call you (at least in the US). You just go through a couple of screens on the apple.com/support site, where you enter the serial number, describe the problem, leave a contact number, and pick a callback time from the available slots. They call on time and the service is excellent.
Click to expand...

Couple of worries:

what I meant about warranty issues was more like do you think that since it's a refurb that there could be more issues with it, especially since I'm close to my 1 year warranty being up?

does it cost extra $$ for someone to call me? Not that I really need them to, I think I can do it all automated.

I'm worried about the $700 or so authorization they will put on my bank account.. there usually isn't a problem with that is there?

How about transferring data, apps, phone contacts, text messages etc?
 
amazingdm said:
Couple of worries:

what I meant about warranty issues was more like do you think that since it's a refurb that there could be more issues with it, especially since I'm close to my 1 year warranty being up?

does it cost extra $$ for someone to call me? Not that I really need them to, I think I can do it all automated.

I'm worried about the $700 or so authorization they will put on my bank account.. there usually isn't a problem with that is there?

How about transferring data, apps, phone contacts, text messages etc?
Click to expand...

No problems with Apple refurbs. They are solid and you wont be able to tell they are refurbed. Top notch.
Im not sure about the authorization, they probably do that to make sure that you do send back your faulty phone and dont keep both. But if you send yours first and wait for them to take a look at it and send you a replacement they dont ask you for a credit card at all.
If you backup your phone thru itunes then you can restore from backup when the new iphone arrives.
 
Applejuiced said:
No problems with Apple refurbs. They are solid and you wont be able to tell they are refurbed. Top notch.
Im not sure about the authorization, they probably do that to make sure that you do send back your faulty phone and dont keep both. But if you send yours first and wait for them to take a look at it and send you a replacement they dont ask you for a credit card at all.
If you backup your phone thru itunes then you can restore from backup when the new iphone arrives.
Click to expand...

But does that mean all texts, call logs, phone #s, apps etc?
 
Restoring from backup on your new phone should include all that, yes.

Apple refurbs actually can have a hidden benefit - you might find that their blobs are saved in Cydia :)
 
Also, if you've got extended AppleCare, always ask for an advance replacement (you get the phone first, then send yours back in the same box), as they always waive the extra fee. No waiting time in between phones helps with the transition.
 
pdpfilms said:
Also, if you've got extended AppleCare, always ask for an advance replacement (you get the phone first, then send yours back in the same box), as they always waive the extra fee. No waiting time in between phones helps with the transition.
Click to expand...

I don't have extended AppleCare, and I didn't have to pay any fee to get an advance replacement. I was sent a new iPhone, and shipped my old one back in the same box.

Mind you, this was with a 3G almost 2 years ago, and it was in Canada on Rogers. I actually just called Rogers, not Apple, and described my problem, and they sent the new phone, so maybe things are different in the States...
 
pdpfilms said:
Also, if you've got extended AppleCare, always ask for an advance replacement (you get the phone first, then send yours back in the same box), as they always waive the extra fee. No waiting time in between phones helps with the transition.
Click to expand...

That's what I was going to do, otherwise they charge $29. So I figure for an extra $40 another year of warranty is a good idea.
 
I had some issues with the prox sensor and called Apple. They first told me that I should take it in to an Apple Store, but since the closest one to me is ~200 miles away, that really wasn't an option.

Luckily, they quickly offered to ship me a new phone and waive the normal($29.99?) fee(I do NOT have AppleCare). I did, however, have to provide a credit card number to make sure that I wouldn't just keep both phones.

They sent me a plain non retail box that had a new phone, and a return shipping label and packaging for the old phone.

I do know some people who have not been so lucky, and were told that the fee was non negotiable.

It may just be luck of the draw as to what mood the CS rep is in...
 
Acronym said:
so i went into the Trusty Rogers store at the local mall and talked to a CSR about my phone problems. I was given a tech support number to which the CSR said if the problem could not be solved via phone call they will replace it free of charge.

so i am supposed to receive a new phone within 3-5 business days, i then have 15 days to send my phone in. The catch is that if they find water or accidental damage then i have to pay for the refurbished phone.

my phone being a Iphone 3GS.

i am taking a gamble though because i work as a landscaper so moisture is kind of unavoidable........

........ok so i have received my new phone everything is in working order, the problems i had with the old phone are non existent.

i just now have to send in my other phone, after i get stuff of it and DFU restore to factory.

then ill send it off and we will see whether i will be paying for a new phone or not.......

...........sent my phone in halfway through January its now just under mid February and nothing has shown up on my bill, so i believe there was no accidental damage with the Iphone and i now have a new Iphone courtesy of rogers.........
Click to expand...

This is an excerpt from a post i made over a year ago about my dealings with Rogers and mailing in my Iphone for replacement. I never was charged the full retail price of another Iphone
 
AML225 said:
I did this several years ago with my iPhone 3g. I'm on the east coast, called Apple at about 5pm EST/2pm PST. The next day by 10am EST I had a fedex package waiting with a refurb iPhone 3g inside. The only way I could tell it was a refurb was because I asked the person I spoke to on the phone the day before. That same day I shipped my old phone out with the package Apple included.

Couldn't have been more hassle free. I recommend calling them. It really was that quick. I was blown away.

EDIT- forgot to add I had AppleCare for my phone which I think makes a difference.
Click to expand...

My expirience was basically identical... Other than I'm not on the East Coast...

Great service... I couldn't tell mine was a refurb either, but the phone rep told me thats what I'd be getting.

Just make sure to backup your current device (if possible) before you set up the new one... Otherwise it will go off your most recent backup...
 
Both my current iPhone and iPad are refurbs, which I got after returning the original devices through this program. I can't tell the difference between a refurb and a new device.

My understanding is that the whole exterior of the device (i.e. the touchscreen, case, and external controls) are replaced in the refurb process -- along with, of course, any internal parts that were defective. So from the user's perspective it's like a brand-new device.

They don't actually charge your card or your bank account unless you fail to return the original device, or you return it but it turns out to have been smashed into pieces or something. They seem to check right away, because I've always gotten a next-day e-mail acknowledging the return -- at which point, I assume, the hold on my credit card is removed.

Anyway, I've never had any trouble, and it's a lot easier than driving a couple of hours to the nearest Apple Store.
 
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