How to contact apple?

[kilohawk]

HELP! My home button on the iPhone 4 only works when it decides its going to take notice of my inputs 🙁

so, i went to the Apple site, and every contact option i can find has to be payed for. i live a very expensive journey away from any apple store.

all i want to do, is email apple or call them for free!😕 is this too much to ask?

Please could anyone suggest how to get this fixed by apple? and how to get in touch 🙁

 

[rjohnstone]

EDIT: I see you're in the UK....
http://store.apple.com/uk/help/contact/

https://selfsolve.apple.com/GetWarranty.do

 

[saving107]

.

 

[shandyman]

so, i went to the Apple site, and every contact option i can find has to be payed for. i live a very expensive journey away from any apple store.

If you're in Oxford, your nearest Apple Store is Reading, which is £8 for a return train ticket. How is that very expensive?? 😕 😕

 

[JCCL]

I saw this in the Apple forums. Worked really good for me and several other people are reporting the same:

Just to confirm for everyone after a bit of research. Ive repaired about 12 button issues on out of warranty ip4's.

It is a mechanical issue.

The iso trick is smack bang on and is used on all buttons that use a metal dome contact

As the ip4's do.

Im an electronics engineer so can vouch for that.

U need to be sure the isopropyl alcohol ur using is 100% pure

As it is so close to non condictive (compared to anything else u could use)

that its almost guaranteed safe.


Step one...

Drain ur battery flat ... Completely.

Ensure the device is off and place exactly two whole drops of

Alcohol on the home button...


Depress the button 2 or 3 times to work the alcohol in.


Step two....

Wipe off the excess and "tap" the button firmly and rapidly about 10 times...

Not too hard or u could dent the metal dome contact and ruin the button.


Turn the device upside down and using a rag on ur finger continue to tap the button untill

There is no more evidence of alcohol seeping out around the button.


Step 3...

Let the ip4 sit in a warmish place for 15 mins... Recharge and...


VOALA!

No more sticky button!


Best repeated as soon as symptoms occur , before the dirt builds up too much.


The idea is.. There is an air gap arround the metal dome contact that allows the grease and

dirt from ur finger too work its way in.... Flushing it out with iso is guaranteed to remove most , if not all of

the contaminants.


if the button was'nt designed as a semisealed unit u could stick a piece of adhesive tape

over the contact to seal it. As some manufacturers do, unfortunately that is not the case with the ip4.


CAUTION!!!!

performing this fix on ur ip4 could void ur warranty.

Out of warranty, its guaranteed.

It will last untill more dirt and grease gets in, at which point repeat the fix.

If done correctly and swiftly, no damage will result.


🙂

Enjoy!

 

[steve knight]

why not sure one of the electrical contact sprays? that way you don't need to power down the phone.
You can't drain the battery flat. it will get to a certain level then the phone will turn off. is that any different then turning the phone off? not sure if would do anything else.

 

[shandyman]

I saw this in the Apple forums. Worked really good for me and several other people are reporting the same:

-Snip-

Actually it may not be a sticky home button. My home button glitched with 4.1 and was sorted by 4.2. My friend had something similar with 4.2 but 4.3.5 fixed it.

The OP should check they are on the latest firmware and if so, then go to the Reading store where they'll sort it out, probably replace, as it's a known issue

 

[kilohawk]

If you're in Oxford, your nearest Apple Store is Reading, which is £8 for a return train ticket. How is that very expensive?? 😕 😕

oooops, forgot to mention, im at university at Brookes 😛 i my home isnt there but i was there when signing up, i live in Hull!

----------

Actually it may not be a sticky home button. My home button glitched with 4.1 and was sorted by 4.2. My friend had something similar with 4.2 but 4.3.5 fixed it.

The OP should check they are on the latest firmware and if so, then go to the Reading store where they'll sort it out, probably replace, as it's a known issue

thanks for the reply 😀
Ive had the phone since its release, and the problem has gradually got worse, until the point where i can no longer use it for more than a single tap 🙁 i will take it to a store when i can now i know its a known issue by Apple.

i still find it very annoying that even after you pay £600 for an iPhone, you have then got to pay another £25 for an apple engineer to look at it when it goes wrong.

 

[shandyman]

oooops, forgot to mention, im at university at Brookes 😛 i my home isnt there but i was there when signing up, i live in Hull
i still find it very annoying that even after you pay £600 for an iPhone, you have then got to pay another £25 for an apple engineer to look at it when it goes wrong.

ahh did wonder! lol.

i still find it very annoying that even after you pay £600 for an iPhone, you have then got to pay another £25 for an apple engineer to look at it when it goes wrong.

if you can get to a store, they look at it for free......

 

[kilohawk]

update!

Im very impressed with the result, i called apple, but my phone was out of warranty by 13 days, so i asked to speak with the supervisor guy, and he gave me free service and reimbursed the call charge 😀

so a week after i sent my phone to apple, i receive a parcel containing a new iphone !!! ( probably a refurb, but it looks new)

so overal, apple customer service turns out to be quite excellent :😱