Getting service Out of Warranty Service for a couple of iPhones at the Apple Store

[Ekimalito1]

So I went to an Apple Store today, the one in a Short Hills Mall New Jersey. I went to inquire about having 4 iPhone 6 screens replaced. These were cracked screen devices I bought from a third party to repair them for a friend's family. I walk in with all 4 phones in a bag and someone asks me the purpose of my visit.. I tell him I need to have those 4 screens replaced and that I wanted to know if I could drop them to pick them up next day.. I didn't have an appointment. I was actually there just to see if there might be a free slot.. I had 4 appointments next day for that purpose..

A few seconds after I explained the purpose of my visit to the person that greeted me, the store manager comes up to us and looks at my bag with my phones and after hearing I brought them to have the screens replaced without making any questions she went off left and right telling me those phones can not be serviced because at the Apple Store they don't service resellers, only consumers along with a bunch of gibberish which really annoyed me. She didn't know who I was and how I came to get these devices.. For all she cares I could've been someone from The military who brought some friend's phones for a repair while on a short visit home; or a family of 4 who were involved in an accident where their phones got broken.. She didn't ask a thing and there she was calling me a reseller.

She didn't state she was the manager when she initially approached us so I just assumed this was some unexperienced employee trying to show off. I ignored her and said: "regardless, I'd like to see if I can talk to someone about this". I kept walking down the hall towards the guys from the Genius Bar. This lady pursued me throughout the store yelling abunch of stuff behind my back. When I get to the front and stand on the line to make an appointment she yells at me and tells me: "sir, I said we won't service those phones. Not me, not anyone with or without appointments. We are here only for consumers". It really got to me and I told her if she knew who I was or how I came to own these 4 phones.. I asked her how she knew what I was or what I did for a living without asking a single question. I told her she was doing all that based on profiling and pure assumptions which was to my understanding discrimination in some sort of way. She made me look as if I had just brought a box of stolen devices to the store. It looked like that to all the people around me.

Long story short she said that I should leave and that if I didn't feel like leaving she could have security escort me out. I asked her for a business card and she said I could call corporate or whoever I wanted that this is how it works and she didn't do anything wrong.

Now, my question to all of you is.. What do you think about this behavior? I had 4 phones not 15 or 24.. I don't think that's bulk. I wasn't claiming repairs under warranty. I went to request and pay for an out of warranty service which costs $110 per phone plus tax... I wanna know if anybody has had similar experiences with this. I deal with phones a lot and my family always talks to me when they wanna upgrade. I found those broken screen devices and thought of them as a good cheap option for them.. Since Apple replaces the screens for a fair price.

Given this situation what am I supposed to do? Take my phones to an unauthorized repair center and have them void my warranty.. If they are not there to service their phones who takes over this responsability.. I left that place humiliated and shocked at the attitude of this manager..

 

[Gav2k]

I know someone at work that had three phones damaged in a car accident all with apple care plus on them and they got the same crap. They emailed Tim and they received a call within 30 minutes of sending the email. All devices were arranged to be picked up and swapped for new without a dent in apple care by way of apology. They also got a goody bag and a wifi iPad mini for their daughter who was still in hospital at the time.

 

[LucasEVille]

I took 5 iphones in for repair in the Shepards Bush Westfield Apple store in the UK without any issues, I did have full receipts for 4 of those iphones as they were company phones but was never asked to show this or prove anything. No questions asked.

All 5 of them had cracked screens from an unfortunate incident with a festival ATV utility cart, but that's another story.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I can not see the manager of the store pursuing you while yelling. These people are usually quite reserved yet entitled to be firm as they are the manager. I feel sure there is more to this story.

 

[Ekimalito1]

I can not see the manager of the store pursuing you while yelling. These people are usually quite reserved yet entitled to be firm as they are the manager. I feel sure there is more to this story.

I assure you, I didn't do anything or said a word to get this kind of treatment. I only ignored her command at the door and walked down the aisle. I thought I was in my right.

She wasn't like openly screaming around the store but she was following me closeby and telling me constantly I would not get those phones serviced and that I should leave.

I understand the possibility of me trying to get people side with me but I swear this is all there's to this story. The woman pretty much kicked me out of the store even threaten to call security and all.

i had never seen or worked with this person ever. So there's no history and even if I had a history she didn't ask for any information from me to simply accuse me of being a reseller and all that gibberish.

I understand you might have a pretty perfect image of what a manager at an Apple Store should be but I'm sure there are a few rotten apples there as well and believe me I have a ton of better things to do than to create a forum account to vent over something I caused myself.

I found this to be really bad. Nobody should receive this kind of treatment. Not even resellers for all I care. We are all people and if we have the money to pay for stuff I don't see why they would deny service to anyone or threaten to escort you out.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I assure you, I didn't do anything or said a word to get this kind of treatment. I only ignored her command at the door and walked down the aisle. I thought I was in my right.

.

Sorry but you DID do something when the manager was talking to you and you ignored her and kept walking to the back of the store. You were not "within your right". Apple has it's policies and snubbing the manager will not get a good result. Apple has seen all kinds walk into their store.

 

[maflynn]

Seems to me that you initially were being the rude one by ignoring someone talking to you and walked past her. I'm not saying her behavior was needed yelling at you as you mention but clearly you ignored the employee trying to get your own way.

I think if you followed procedures, i.e, make a genius appointment and be polite things would have gone a lot differently.

 

[LucasEVille]

Seems to me that you initially were being the rude one by ignoring someone talking to you and walked past her. I'm not saying her behavior was needed yelling at you as you mention but clearly you ignored the employee trying to get your own way.

I think if you followed procedures, i.e, make a genius appointment and be polite things would have gone a lot differently.

Classic Betari Box.

 

[Ekimalito1]

Thanks for landing the blame on me. I hope none of you ever get this treatment. I simply wanted a second opinion from someone else. That's why I ignored her and walked in. I didn't know she was the manager. In fact I went in trying to see if I could talk to the manager and when I got to the Genius Bar that's when she said who she was.

People should not make assumptions of other people's intentions or whereabouts. Like I said she didn't ask a single question or checked any records to be able to say who I was or if I was or was not a reseller.

Let me go on with my life... I could understand you guys defending the brand but this was ill done.

Have a good one. Thanks for your time.

 

[LucasEVille]

Thanks for landing the blame on me. I hope none of you ever get this treatment. I simply wanted a second opinion from someone else. That's why I ignored her and walked in. I didn't know she was the manager. In fact I went in trying to see if I could talk to the manager and when I got to the Genius Bar that's when she said who she was.

People should not make assumptions of other people's intentions or whereabouts. Like I said she didn't ask a single question or checked any records to be able to say who I was or if I was or was not a reseller.

Let me go on with my life... I could understand you guys defending the brand but this was ill done.

Have a good one. Thanks for your time.

Thats the great thing about the circle I just posted, your both to blame. Your attitude and behavior (ignoring someone whether they identify as the manager or not they deserve dignity and respect) affects their attitude and behavior. The manager could have been the better person and not reacted in a such a way to a difficult customer and their behavior, unfortunately they did not and continued the cycle.

 

[H3rman]

Go back some other day at some other time, 1 phone at a time. Chances are she will not be there 24/7, I know at my local store they have different managers at the weekend than they do during the week and even late evenings they have different ones on than they do first thing in the morning.

Just spread it out, go in with 1 phone at a time and get them sorted. At most, I would e-mail corporate and make a complaint. Not much else you can do.

 

[maflynn]

That's why I ignored her and walked in.

But that was rude - pure and simple. If you were talking to someone and they just ignored you and started walking away, you'd be offended (at least I would).

I didn't know she was the manager.

Doesn't matter, someone's job position shouldn't dictate whether people treat you courteously and with respect.

People should not make assumptions of other people's intentions or whereabouts.

I can't speak for anyone else but I'm only using your own words. you seem to be trying justify your actions by stating you didn't know she was the manger. What I am saying is it doesn't matter what her position was, she was trying to help you and explain something and you behaved poorly.

 

[Ekimalito1]

But that was rude - pure and simple. If you were talking to someone and they just ignored you and started walking away, you'd be offended (at least I would).


Doesn't matter, someone's job position shouldn't dictate whether people treat you courteously and with respect.
I can't speak for anyone else but I'm only using your own words. you seem to be trying justify your actions by stating you didn't know she was the manger. What I am saying is it doesn't matter what her position was, she was trying to help you and explain something and you behaved poorly.

For starters I was there talking to another employee who was being very nice and listening to the purpose of my visit when she came and walked right into our conversation without being asked.. She took over the conversation as if she had been the one I was talking too which was rude. The employee even apologized about it all when I was walking out. He felt overpowered.

Also, I went to buy a paid service. Nowhere near my mind did it occur to me that this was wrong by any means. It was 4 phones, that's at most unusual, but not impossible. I went for an out of warranty paid service, I didn't go to claim any warranty rights on those phones and I stated that clearly when I was talking to the first guy.

I won't deny I did my part on ignoring her but she didn't have any rights to assume stuff about me. That was wrong..

 

[laudern]

What a stupid policy it is in the first place. Who cares if you have 1 or 100 phones that you are having apple getting fixed. They are charging you for a service. Why the hell would they limit the amount they can make off a customer???

What the purpose of those phones are should have nothing to do with apple. Thats what pisses me off about this story.

 

[question fear]

I would make an appointment and speak directly to a genius at a different store. Short Hills is a busy store in a rather high end mall, so you might have more luck in Menlo or Bridgewater.

Also, I know for a fact there's a third party place in Bridgewater that will replace screens if you really run into issues with Apple again.

 

[bhayes444]

But that was rude - pure and simple. If you were talking to someone and they just ignored you and started walking away, you'd be offended (at least I would).


Doesn't matter, someone's job position shouldn't dictate whether people treat you courteously and with respect.
I can't speak for anyone else but I'm only using your own words. you seem to be trying justify your actions by stating you didn't know she was the manger. What I am saying is it doesn't matter what her position was, she was trying to help you and explain something and you behaved poorly.

Yeah,I'm going to side with the OP on this one. They went in just to see if there was an open spot, as they had a next day appointment, then this lady comes in and tells them to leave for no real reason whatsoever. No matter how you justify her actions she was doing exact what he said she was doing: profiling. It is rude to begin with, and I would have acted the same way. I would be equally as offended as the OP, because rudely interrupting a conversation and accusing me of something I did not/was not doing makes me feel like they don't want to be treated with respect so why should I treat them with any. It does sound like a Batari Box scenario, but that doesn't really discourage me a bit. I am a very patient and kind person when waiting on retail stuff, but if you disrespect me for doing nothing other than coming in your store I will treat you the same in an instant.

OP, you should definitely let corporate know. It's only fair they get feedback on their customer experience in store.

 

[canuckRus]

Given this situation what am I supposed to do? Take my phones to an unauthorized repair center and have them void my warranty.. If they are not there to service their phones who takes over this responsability.. I left that place humiliated and shocked at the attitude of this manager..[/QUOTE]

Why not call Apple to determine their policy re: multiple iPhone repairs &/or any suggestions as to how to proceed?
Another option might be to have friends or relatives take in one phone at a time for repair.

 

[wproct]

Not being judgmental, just offering thoughts which I think is what you were after. Not that there is anything wrong with it, but bringing multiple phones, more than 2, in for service at once is unusual. Maybe the store manager has had previous experience in this arena which has not been good and that effected her approach. Your ignoring her and not continuing to engage in conversation with her to try to resolve the misunderstanding was not a good move. LucasEVille's little circular diagram was interesting and appropriate to this event, IMO. Hopefully you can get the service completed in one way or another by Apple service. Please let us know how it works out and I wish you the best.

 

[nburwell]

Do you live near another Apple Store you could take the devices to? If not, as another user suggested, take the phone's in one at a time. Yes, it would be a PITA to take them in one at a time, but if you get the screens fixed then you accomplished what you wanted.

 

[soy]

I read the OP and started to get angry on your behalf for the service you got. But then I got to this:

I could've been someone from The military who brought some friend's phones for a repair while on a short visit home

You're not, right?

or a family of 4 who were involved in an accident where their phones got broken..

Again: you're not, right?

I found those broken screen devices and thought of them as a good cheap option for them..

So you bought 4 phones in bulk, with the intention of selling them. That's pretty much reselling isn't it? Whether it's to family, friends or a random person on Craigslist doesn't make a difference.

I deal with phones a lot and my family always talks to me when they wanna upgrade.

So this is a regular thing? You resell a bunch of phones?



Yes, they assumed without asking, but they assumed right. So I don't get why you're upset about them correctly pointing out that you're a reseller.

 

[Ekimalito1]

Nobody, reseller or not deserves to be treated this way period.

 

[Ekimalito1]

I found these doesn't mean I literally found them in the streets.. It means I bought it for them online that's all.

 

[nox5]

I have seen a person bringing bunch of broken iphones about 6-8 and genius was smiling sorting thru each of them. I think he said they belonged to his employees that broke them and he needed all of them fixed/replaced out of warranty and it was not a problem.
in my opinion the manager's behavior was unprofessional.
On the other hand having an appointment would be 10x helpful.

 

[perkedel]

Classic Betari Box.

This is pretty much it. I used to work retail and tech support, the behavior of some people.
Nowadays I find that being polite/not an ******* often get me really far.

 

[perkedel]

To OP, make a genius appointment, and be nicer.
good luck