interesting info about the white box refurbs and ranting

[jsgiv]

No, they would replace the bumper.

I guess that depends on the laws in your state - and how much of a fight you're willing to take up with the dealership / company producing said defective car/product.

That said, you'd be amazed at what you can get replaced given the effort you put forth.... It really depends on what you find acceptable and normal - and from this thread - people apparently don't take the appropriate stance with a defective product nowadays.

Considering that this nation was built upon the notion that it's expected that a company stand behind it's product and provide a "new" replacement in the event that product fails - it's certainly sad to see that many people now take the easy way out because they just don't want to be bothered with the alternative.

Whether it's $.02 or $20,000 - I expect a product to work as advertised and be free from defects. I also expect that product to be replaced, without question, with a new product in the event that that product fails within the stated warranty period. That's my personal expectation - and to date, I've yet to have any company deny a new replacement when I've asked for it - when giving the company valid reasons as to why I'm requesting a new product replacement.

YMMV.... I guess it really depends on how persistent you are in what you request.

 

[freediverdude]

Within the 2 week return policy, it really should be a new replacement. After all, you could return it for a cash refund within that time. Within the restocking fee period (30 days?) is a gray area whether it should be refurb, and then after that, Apple should be able to give you a refurb if they want.

 

[alFR]

Instead of a phone - let's say you have recently bought a car - with cracking in the bumpers within 2 weeks ( or insert any other cosmetic defect here - you haven't hit anything - bumpers just started cracking, etc., and it's a widely documented and affecting several people, though uncertain of the extent of the problem).. You'd want a new car without the issue instead of a refurbished one - correct?

Dream on. They'd replace the bumper or whatever then send you on your way, not give you a new car. Seriously, what planet do some of you live on?

 

[Eso]

I have two experiences with white box phones, one bad, one good.

My first gen touch screen stopped responding to touch at the bottom portion where you "slide to unlock". I got a replacement from the Apple store and the phone I was given had a HUGE scar in the LCD. I mean all you had to do was look at the thing to notice it. It was a large, slightly crescent shaped defect in the screen where all the pixels looked much brighter than those around them. I don't know about anyone here touting about the greatness of the screening processed on white-box phones (I don't know if it was a refurb or not), but it would have to be pretty craptastic if this piece of work got through. In the end I just sold it to some sucker on Ebay and bought the 8 gig version instead.

I replaced the phone again one month shy of the apple care expiration last month and the phone was just pristine. No flaws at all and I couldn't have been happier with it.

So there's my two cents.

 

[SFStateStudent]

When I had my v1 iPhone replaced, I just didn't know the difference between the new and the refurb. It came in the smaller white box and it had the 7K serial number but appeared to function like new. Recently I went in for a 3G replacement, and brought in my box, receipt and accessories and the Genius brought out a NIB 3G and allowed me to open the box and take the 3G iPhone out by myself. That's how I treat all my returns...

 

[aristobrat]

With *every* other electronics device / hardware that I've ever owned prior to this product - if I have ever had an issue with said device - I simply took it back to the store I purchased it from and it was gladly exchanged for a brand new item immediately, without contest.

I agree, but I think the problem here is AT&T and not Apple.

For the record, if you buy from Apple and have a problem within the return window, they treat their customers per your Best Buy example above (and give them exchange for a brand new item immediately).

If AT&T treated is customers the same way (and simply replaced his iPhone with a brand new one immediately) then we wouldn't be having this discussion.

Instead, AT&T told him to take it to the manufacturer and deal with a warranty repair.

In regards to warranty repairs, Apple is acting just like virtually every other manufacturer out there, where broken products are replaced with refurbished units.

IMO, it's AT&Ts responsibility to step up like every other electronics retailer and replace stuff that breaks (within the return period) with a new unit.

 

[DigMe]

its not a banana

I have to say though - I'd be seriously pissed if they gave me a banana.

 

[kicko]

I know people that have been rejected for a replacement for "cracks". Even if they do, the "new" phones sometimes are cracked right out the box. You should have just taken the "white box" or kept your own. Even now with your replacement it might crack after 2 weeks also. Its a known issue and has not been fixed.

 

[wreckshop]

I guess that depends on the laws in your state - and how much of a fight you're willing to take up with the dealership / company producing said defective car/product.

Regarding defective products, manufacturers are bound (in the United States) by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act to either repair within a reasonable time or replace with a conforming product.

Assuming that the replacement bumper is of equal quality to the bumper found in new cars, and the installation of said bumper by the dealer conforms to that found in new cars, you will not convince any court of law that you are entitled to a new car just because the one you bought had a defective bumper.

Same thing applies to refurbished iphones. Unless you can prove that refurbs are somehow inferior to a new one, the warrantor has fulfilled its legal obligations by providing a conforming replacement. There is no law which entitles you to a brand new replacement for a defective product. That is simply a courtesy that retailers extend to their customers to maintain goodwill (and keep your money since the retailer gets credited for the defective product by the manufacturer).

 

[nomad01]

thechidz is absolutely right. Refurbs are better than new. They go through a much stricter QC cycle. You have a better chance at having less problems with a refurb than you do a new phone.

Hmmm... I'm not sure that's totally true. Admittedly, I had an first gen iPhone replaced with a refurb and it was perfect but I've been stung by Apple computer refurbs.

I had three Macbook Pros, one after the other that were all lemons and prior to that, a PowerMac that was DOA. So I can't accept the argument that refurbs are better than new. In theory, they should be but my experience was WAY different.

 

[aristobrat]

I had three Macbook Pros, one after the other that were all lemons and prior to that, a PowerMac that was DOA.

Those were all refurbs?

 

[nomad01]

Those were all refurbs?

Yes unfortunately. I ended up shelling out for a full price MBP instead as I lost all faith in the refurbs.

I know other people swear by them though.

 

[slicecom]

Apple should really start taking the phone out of the box in the back room and bringing out just the phone for the customer to see. Some of you people are so anal its insane. If you can't tell its a refurb from looking at it, and its fully functional then there is NO PROBLEM.

 

[amammad]

Apple should really start taking the phone out of the box in the back room and bringing out just the phone for the customer to see. Some of you people are so anal its insane. If you can't tell its a refurb from looking at it, and its fully functional then there is NO PROBLEM.

There's no problem for you. Other people don't want to pay full price for an item and then weeks later be provided with a refurbished model that they should really have been charged less than full price for.

Just think before you start typing eh?

 

[slicecom]

There's no problem for you. Other people don't want to pay full price for an item and then weeks later be provided with a refurbished model that they should really have been charged less than full price for.

Just think before you start typing eh?

I'd rather have a refurb as the QC is probably higher than the obviously very low standards on the original assembly line. That said, most, if not all of the phones in the white boxes are brand new anyways.

 

[born4sky]

You made me laugh, who cares in which box is cumming? Say thank you that they exchanging it for you in a first place. is there anything with the phone that you got? so why to complain ... yours is two weeks old anyway.... you should go buy something in russia and will see

 

[notnek]

here's an idea: let's ask apple to keep all of their replacement iphones in brand new packaging. then we get to not only overpay for att service, but get a higher price for an iphone too! yay.

 

[9822679]

There's no problem for you. Other people don't want to pay full price for an item and then weeks later be provided with a refurbished model that they should really have been charged less than full price for.

Just think before you start typing eh?

Wow 13 posts and you already act like you run the place

I agree with slicecom, if the phone has the same warranty and looks like a new phone then whats the point

 

[macaco74]

I bet most people would not be able to tell the difference between a refurb and a brand new iPhone if they were shown side by side. If you can't tell which is new, whats the problem?

I think it is the fact that a user typically chooses a refurb for a lower cost than a NIB unit. While the unit behaves and looks like a brand new product, if I am given a refurb in place of my couple of week old brand new one, then I would also want the dicounted price.

When I exchanged my new phone and got a white box replacement - I did not care. This was around July 18th or so - only a week after the release...still works great.

 

[cheeseadiddle]

$300 is a lot of money for a phone

I spent $600 on each of ours.

 

[unixfool]

I spent $600 on each of ours.

That phone is NOT worth $600...its a great phone, but certainly not worth that much, even on release day. And that's the true difference; not $300 but the fact that buying on release day (or close to it) can be costly.

 

[Mikey B]

here's an idea: let's ask apple to keep all of their replacement iphones in brand new packaging. then we get to not only overpay for att service, but get a higher price for an iphone too! yay.

ding ding. Yay, someone actually gets it!

It's really quite simple- if you get a replacement, you get an iPhone from a white box. If you want to trade in for a new one OTB, then bring your receipt, box, etc. and exchange for a new one. You don't even need to see the Genius Bar. If you're past the 30-day window, then you can't expect to get anything but a white box replacement.

At this point, there are still probably more brand new replacements than refurbs any way.

But really, if you have a working iPhone 3G, with no defects, why bother complaining?

 

[unixfool]

It's really quite simple- if you get a replacement, you get an iPhone from a white box.

I don't think that's the case at all. ALL the Best Buys and ALL the AT&T stores I've seen only have white boxed units. I seriously doubt that every single unit that both companies sell is a reconditioned unit. That does NOT make sense.

 

[wreckshop]

There's no problem for you. Other people don't want to pay full price for an item and then weeks later be provided with a refurbished model that they should really have been charged less than full price for.

Just think before you start typing eh?

You've used the phone for a few weeks, so therefore why should you get a new one as a replacement?

 

[WhySoSerious]

Dream on. They'd replace the bumper or whatever then send you on your way, not give you a new car. Seriously, what planet do some of you live on?

it's not a case of "what planet do some live on".....rather, a lot of these posts/replies generate from a crowd of people who don't know how the real world operates (aka. kids/teens).