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For problem iPhones, how hard is it to get Apple to replace?

zub3qin

zub3qin

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 10, 2007
1,315
4
For those with proximity sensor issues, Apple's official stance seems to be that they are denying this is a problem.

I want to try one last thing before sending this back. Will I get a major hassle if I want to exchange my iPhone for a new one at my Apple store?


I have already tried restoring, reseting, and everything else.

Will it be easier to do a swap with Apple telephone support?

Thanks!
 
I exchanged mine with no problem due to the same issue. All they said was that they couldn't obviously exchange it multiple times for the same issue. I called tech support first and they told me just to go to the apple store.
 
We just exchanged my wife's iPhone tonight with no hassle and in very quick fashion. The ear speaker kept going in and out and the sound would drop out on her in the middle of calls. The only way she could talk to anyone and hear was via speakerphone. We made a Genius Bar appointment, told the guy what the problem was, and he went to test it out. He came back a few minutes later and said that he was able to reproduce the issue several times, so he had us sign some paperwork and swapped her defective phone out with a new one. The process couldn't have been any easier.
 
zub3qin said:
For those with proximity sensor issues, Apple's official stance seems to be that they are denying this is a problem.

I want to try one last thing before sending this back. Will I get a major hassle if I want to exchange my iPhone for a new one at my Apple store?


I have already tried restoring, reseting, and everything else.

Will it be easier to do a swap with Apple telephone support?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
I called yesterday and my new IP4 was shipped today. FTR, the proximity sensor was my issue.
 
mranderson930 said:
I exchanged mine with no problem due to the same issue. All they said was that they couldn't obviously exchange it multiple times for the same issue. I called tech support first and they told me just to go to the apple store.
Click to expand...

I'll call tech support first.
But did you exchange yours shortly after release or recently? I have heard that Apple is being far less forgiving about exchanges now.....
I just don't feel like getting into an argument at the Apple Store.

Thanks.
 
Does Apple keep extra stock of replacement phones? If there is such a shortage how are people needing walk-in repairs getting replacements, are they refurb?

If they're the black-box versions, is there any way to tell by looking at the phone if you're getting a new one?
 
zub3qin said:
I'll call tech support first.
But did you exchange yours shortly after release or recently? I have heard that Apple is being far less forgiving about exchanges now.....
I just don't feel like getting into an argument at the Apple Store.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Mine was done yesterday and I got my phone on release date... The guy did it with no questions asked.
 
gravytrain84 said:
Mine was done yesterday and I got my phone on release date... The guy did it with no questions asked.
Click to expand...

Great news. So I'll try the same by calling Apple.
I just hope that my new one doesn't have the antenna or camera issues. This one I have now has no issues but the sensor and I'd hate to take 2 steps backward.
 
jrlepage said:
Does Apple keep extra stock of replacement phones? If there is such a shortage how are people needing walk-in repairs getting replacements, are they refurb?

If they're the black-box versions, is there any way to tell by looking at the phone if you're getting a new one?
Click to expand...

zub3qin said:
Great news. So I'll try the same by calling Apple.
I just hope that my new one doesn't have the antenna or camera issues. This one I have now has no issues but the sensor and I'd hate to take 2 steps backward.
Click to expand...

If mine has an issue, I'm getting a refund and waiting for something else to come along.... Apple definitely did not take enough time or effort on this phone.
 
I walked in to return mine last week and got to talking to the genius helping me, along with his superior. Even with the bumper it had bad reception (compared to my previous iPhones and my wife's current one), the maddening proximity sensor thing, and a couple of other more minor issues. They were doing my refund without any hassles, but mentioned that my phone had more than just the usual problems and that maybe a replacement was worth a go. With nothing to lose, I took them up on it. This one's not up to snuff either, so it's going back (and I'm going back to my 3GS), but the folks at the Apple store couldn't have been more polite and accommodating.
 
jrlepage said:
I mean is there anyway to tell if the black-box replacement is a new phone minus the expensive packaging, or a refurb at this point? Or maybe getting a refurb is actually a good thing?
Click to expand...

Refurbs serials start with a 5 or something like that.
 
UPDATE:

Called tech support. They processed a replacement.
I was offered an advanced replacement (they Fedex me a new one, I send the old one back)

I asked if they can let me pick it up in the store (so I can test the new one before taking it)- they said yes.

SUPPOSEDLY I don't have to go through the whole explanation of what is wrong with my phone- they claim the Case # shows a replacement is already approved...... we will see. I hope Apple doesn't change their mind when I get there.
 
If you pick it up at the store, do you also surrender your current 4 there too? Or do you ship it back to apple?
 
I remember when the ringer/silent switch on my 3G broke off .. I walked in after making an appointment .. showed the guy that it fell off, he laughed, and gave me a brand new phone. I walked out in about 10 minutes.

I looove the Apple Store.
 
zub3qin said:
For those with proximity sensor issues, Apple's official stance seems to be that they are denying this is a problem.

I want to try one last thing before sending this back. Will I get a major hassle if I want to exchange my iPhone for a new one at my Apple store?


I have already tried restoring, reseting, and everything else.

Will it be easier to do a swap with Apple telephone support?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I exchanged once today via Genius Bar appointment and again (replacement had a different issue) via telephone support.

Personally, having done both in one day, I would highly recommend phone support. However, I would also recommend that you not just call, but go to the support website and fill out the little form where they call you (they called me literally within 60 seconds). The reason I recommend that is you can type a succinct little sob story about how disappointed you are and how this is unacceptable (keep it polite), and the phone person will read it and know/understand your problem immediately.

In a nutshell, my first phone was dropping calls a lot in my home. Also happened to have a piece of dust under rear back glass. Got in-store replacement (was a slight hassle, Genius wanted to walk me through tons of troubleshooting first, tried to insinuate that I had jailbroken, which I hadn't, etc.). Got home to find that I was still dropping calls in that location. Resigned to fact that I have a dead zone in my house, but then find that my replacement has a piece of dust under the *front* screen. So essentially I was stuck with the same technical problem, and a worse cosmetic one.

Wrote that up in the phone support request, got a call from Apple within 1 minute. Guy was reading over my story and immediately said, "*Wow* you've had a bad day. We *definitely* need to get you taken care of. We're going to do everything we can to make things right". He immediately gave me the option of either picking up another replacement in-store (would've meant another Genius Bar appt.) or mailing me a replacement. Since I A) Didn't want the hassle or embarassment of returning to my Apple Store today, and B) figured I might have a shot at a better, newer, more recent replacement, I opted for the delivery.

And bam, they're overnighting me a replacement (arrives by 10:30am tomorrow) along with a postmarked box to return my current phone.

Honestly I was blown away by how good their phone support was. He even said if there are any issues whatsoever with this replacement to call them back. They are really going the extra mile (in my limited experience) to keep customers happy, at least over the phone.
 
I've never had to replace a phone before this one but the experience couldn't be any easier. For the most part, they're more then willing to swap out for you.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A293 Safari/6531.22.7)

Do replacement iPhones come with charger and cable it is it just phone?





Also isn't it better to get a replacement from tech support? If the rumors are true and the newest iPhones have some subtle hardware changes, wouldn't these new phones be less likely to be sitting in the stock at the apple store?
 
zub3qin said:
Great news. So I'll try the same by calling Apple.
I just hope that my new one doesn't have the antenna or camera issues. This one I have now has no issues but the sensor and I'd hate to take 2 steps backward.
Click to expand...

No matter what anyone says, they ALL have the antenna issue. This is a design flaw. You phone is not "special". If you are VERY close to a cell tower you will be fine but if you are ever out where you only have a couple of bars, you will loose signal when you touch your phone the wrong way! (LOL):eek:

Those who say their phone is not effected are in denial!:cool:
 
zub3qin said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A293 Safari/6531.22.7)

Do replacement iPhones come with charger and cable it is it just phone?





Also isn't it better to get a replacement from tech support? If the rumors are true and the newest iPhones have some subtle hardware changes, wouldn't these new phones be less likely to be sitting in the stock at the apple store?
Click to expand...

First question- Just a phone, I had a replacement sent out to me last week for an issue totally unrelated to reception or prox. and it was a just the phone and SIM key.

Second question- I assumed that they were the same so I did not do a side by side comparison. That said I can't make my new loose bars, I'll try over the next week in locations where I could make the other one loose reception.
 
I have had the proximity sensor issue for a few weeks now. Just too busy to get to the Apple Store until today.

They tried to replicate the issue for a few minutes and could not. But, then they ran a full diagnostics test on the phone and it showed that the temperature sensor had gone off at least once. I do not remember seeing that caution signal at all.

No further discussions and the phone was replaced.

14 telephone calls so far and no proximity issues so far.

My phone new phone is a 7 serial number with a 26, which means it is a week 26 production.
 
they replace it fairly easy

At least they did for me. Genius bar guy looked at my various screen shots showing no bars, and literally went in the back, came with a new one in a black box, out of there in a minute, and so far so good, reception seems to be better, fingers crossed.
 
I hate to say this, but if this were any other product, and a manufacturing problem was widely documented by users as well as a reputable testing facility, the manufacturer would be expected to not only exchange the product but offer a refund if requested.

Insert "Apple" and all logic flies out of the window. Heck, I'm a FAN too, but common sense to me just says that if the product has a faulty design, they should be happy that you are asking to return or exchange it instead of suing them. That's my .02.
 
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