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eshroom

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 18, 2006
292
4
I was underwhelmed by the iPhone 6s and for the first time since the iPhone 3g I didn't upgrade. Come the iPhone 7, I was again underwhelmed (particularly lack of headphone jack) and decided to pick up an unused 2nd hand 6s instead.

I found a warranty replacement unused phone and it came with a replacement receipt.

3 months later phone presents faults. I go into Apple they give me another replacement. 3 months and 2 days later this one is also faulty. Phone Apple, they give me some tests to run and promise that despite being out of warranty by a couple of days, if it doesn't fix they will replace.

Go into store and after a few hours and a couple of managers they eventually get hold of the senior Applecare representative who promised to honour the warranty, so I eventually left the store with another free replacement.

Fast forward 2 weeks and I get a call from the particularly unfriendly Apple Store representative who had initially refused to replace the handset. He informed me that the service chain is broken and they don't know where the original handset came from or even the original handset's serial number and do I have a receipt. I explained where I bought it from and offered to provide the previous person's replacement receipt. They said they didn't need this but unless I could provide an original purchase receipt they could not guarantee my phone would activate again after next restore.

They confirmed several times that they have no idea which the original phone was as the service chain has been broken. To which I replied that is clearly their problem and what right do they have to block activation of my handset. He again told me to see it from his point of view and threw out some ridiculous justifications.

He said he could offer no more help and I should call Applecare. I am still waiting to hear back from Applecare.

Anyone here have any advice? Seems a pretty ridiculous situation I am in and one that is completely Apple's fault.
 
I would contact higher up AppleCare and give that employees name and store he works at. Explain how he threatened to blacklist your device because of something that has nothing to do with you.
Sounds like he messed up and didn't do his job and now he's trying to pressure you to get him the info he needs so he doesn't get in trouble. Send an email to Tim cooks account also and speak to the store manager.
 
Was the warranty replacement phone really a valid phone from a warranty perspective is the question?

Yes and no. The original phone was purchased from a carrier (EE), under EU law, phones have a 2 year warranty period, even though Apple only offers 1 year. If you buy direct from Apple, between year 1 and year 2 they will still repair/replace. But if you buy from a 3rd party, Apple will ask you to contact the vendor for repair after year 1 (as EU law puts the onus on the seller rather than the manufacturer).

The original phone broke between year 1 and year 2 and it took some convincing for Apple to give him a replacement phone, which ended up being the phone he sold me.

So in short yes there is a complicated warranty history, but Apple did make the concessions and did give the replacements. The issue now is that they can't even trace the service record at all and are threatening to lock my phone altogether.
 
Whenever you buy a secondhand phone, this possibility (of providing a receipt later) is always lurking.

Only bet is to escalate up the Apple chain...
 
If they were saying "we have information the original phone was stolen and is blocked" then perhaps I'd understand, but that's not the case. I've even checked the IMEI and it's clean. I will try escalating and I emailed Tim Cook's email address as suggested. Beggar's belief that a company would require a receipt after the event because the recorded a device's history incorrectly.
 
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Maybe something funny was going on with that used phone you bought.
But either way its not your fault or really your problem.
Whatever issues might be they need to figure it out instead of bothering you.
 
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