iPhone Upgrade Program Temporarily Unavailable at Apple Stores in England Due to Lockdown Restrictions

[MacRumors]

Apple today informed customers that its iPhone Upgrade Program is temporarily unavailable in England due to new COVID-19 lockdown restrictions that have gone into effect across the country starting today until December 2.

In the United Kingdom, the iPhone Upgrade Program requires visiting an Apple Store, but England's lockdown restrictions have forced these retail locations to operate on a click-and-collect basis only with Express Pickup windows at the entrance. Due to these restrictions, Apple cannot allow customers inside the stores to complete their iPhone upgrade at this time, according to an email shared with MacRumors by several readers.

As noted by 9to5Mac's Michael Steeber, all Apple Stores in England are closed today and will reopen Friday with click-and-collect service.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: iPhone Upgrade Program Temporarily Unavailable at Apple Stores in England Due to Lockdown Restrictions

 

[Kylo83]

so what they gonna do ive already paid over 2 months extra and now it will be another month it wont be worth me giving it in im paying to much for it now

 

[Kylo83]

also I spoke with apple today on the phone and they said I will still be able to make appointment for the upgrade plan in store so dont understand why this says otherwise

 

[and 1989 others]

Im sure they could courier phones to people, with them handing back their old handset into a prepayed box, which the courier then takes away.

 

[TimWillz]

Damn, that would be annoying. Looks like opting for the 12 pro instead of the pro max was a good decision.

 

[Kylo83]

this is a scam its not fair the whole idea for the plan is to get a new phone each year and not pay full, now ive payed much more than I needed to and cant even get it soon, so will end up paying 4 extra months and to clean the balance its only £460 I can sell the handset private for more

 

[stocklen]

I have a friend on the upgrade program here in the UK - he recently upgraded from his iPhone 11 to the iPhone 12 - it was all done online... they sent him the 12 on launch day and a box to return his old 11.

Dont see why this isn't the case for everyone? Surely in store visits arent necessary.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

*sigh* People are frightened of lockdowns, and pushing against mask requirements, but then the virus does what viruses do: Infect people.

If the UK, and America had dealt with the pandemic as adults, they could be like New Zealand and Australia. Both have been able to control the pandemic, and reduce the deaths among their citizenry. It's a crying shame that the elections are so close in this country. Let's reelect the person that has allowed far too many Americans to die. Insanity. And now armed groups are demanding that the counting of votes be stopped. Armed groups demanding that one of the tenants of American Democracy be trashed, drowned in the swamp...

 

[nattK]

Im sure they could courier phones to people, with them handing back their old handset into a prepayed box, which the courier then takes away.

I think I read somewhere that having to do it in person is a condition set by Barclays, not Apple. Which is why we can do it online and have the phone mailed to us in the US since Citizens One do not require iUP members to do it in person.

 

[edk99]

this is a scam its not fair the whole idea for the plan is to get a new phone each year and not pay full, now ive payed much more than I needed to and cant even get it soon, so will end up paying 4 extra months and to clean the balance its only £460 I can sell the handset private for more

Don't know why your complaining. You signed up to pay the phone off in 24 months with the *option* of upgrading after 12 payments. Your still going to be making a payment if you have your current phone or a new phone.

 

[VermontsFinest]

this is a scam its not fair the whole idea for the plan is to get a new phone each year and not pay full, now ive payed much more than I needed to and cant even get it soon, so will end up paying 4 extra months and to clean the balance its only £460 I can sell the handset private for more

While this is super frustrating and something Apple should have thought of (ie. allow trade in via mail as in the US), there is and has been nothing stopping you from selling privately and paying off the remaining loan balance at any time. Then you can decide to purchase your new phone however you like. I know the upgrade program is your ideal way to do it, it is for me as well, but we have to remain flexible.

You still have options and COVID is certainly at fault here, though calling it a 'scam' is a stretch.

 

[rmbpuser]

This is what happens when your country is governed by a fascist buffoon who has led a virus go so out of control compared to other countries with real democracy that it has not only caused the deaths of so many loved ones but also to the complete annihilation of so many functions that are imbued in the fabric of our society. I pray for the UK and the others like it that are walking on the same road.

 

[Kylo83]

This is what happens when your country is governed by a fascist buffoon who has led a virus go so out of control compared to other countries with real democracy that it has not only lead to the death of so many loved ones but also to the complete annihilation of so many functions that are imbued in the fabric of our society. I pray for the UK and the others like it that are walking on the same road.

better than labour, I dont think Boris has done the best but he isn't as bad

 

[4sallypat]

I think I read somewhere that having to do it in person is a condition set by Barclays, not Apple. Which is why we can do it online and have the phone mailed to us in the US since Citizens One do not require iUP members to do it in person.

Barclay's is still in the Apple game ??

That makes sense, in the US we use Citizen's One Loan for iUP.

 

[iMatt.]

this is a scam its not fair the whole idea for the plan is to get a new phone each year and not pay full, now ive payed much more than I needed to and cant even get it soon, so will end up paying 4 extra months and to clean the balance its only £460 I can sell the handset private for more

So sell it, pay it off and get the new phone on 0% finance?

 

[Kylo83]

So sell it, pay it off and get the new phone on 0% finance?

yeah im gonna look at that but dont have long to decide what to do, might get it on EE and sell it and pay it off

 

[2010mini]

Why do you need to go into a store to upgrade your iPhone???

 

[Porco]

It’s a tricky situation and I don't know what the solution is if Apple won’t/can’t deal with this via couriers - but I think morally they need to do something to make this right, even if they don’t have to according to the small print of the program(?!). And I’d be surprised if they don’t do something.

 

[and 1989 others]

Why do you need to go into a store to upgrade your iPhone???

Because this is Britain, where everything is much more complicated than it needs to be, for no reason other than being complicated.

 

[4sallypat]

Why do you need to go into a store to upgrade your iPhone???

Barclays

 

[User 6502]

Barclays

Maybe apple should choose a different partner then, if Barclays is so stubborn to not find a better arrangement that does not put customers at risk making them travel unnecessarily during a pandemic. Even if there wasn’t a lockdown travel to an apple store is still not a great idea.

 

[jarman92]

better than labour, I dont think Boris has done the best but he isn't as bad

I don't live in the UK so I don't have skin in the game, but how can you say Boris is doing "better than Labour" if Labour hasn't been in power for like 10 years?

 

[Toratek]

I had no idea why this was placed in the “political” category until I saw some of the jaw-dropping posts above.

I get it now.

 

[Harrycooke]

I don't live in the UK so I don't have skin in the game, but how can you say Boris is doing "better than Labour" if Labour hasn't been in power for like 10 years?

its a common tactic when the tories don't do a good job. "At least it isn't labour" - it's a coping mechanism I guess.

 

[mazz0]

*sigh* People are frightened of lockdowns, and pushing against mask requirements, but then the virus does what viruses do: Infect people.

If the UK, and America had dealt with the pandemic as adults, they could be like New Zealand and Australia. Both have been able to control the pandemic, and reduce the deaths among their citizenry. It's a crying shame that the elections are so close in this country. Let's reelect the person that has allowed far too many Americans to die. Insanity. And now armed groups are demanding that the counting of votes be stopped. Armed groups demanding that one of the tenants of American Democracy be trashed, drowned in the swamp...

OK, I'm not arguing that the UK's pandemic response has been good, but you can't really say that the differences in infection rates are necessarily due to how it has been handled (or to what extent they are). There are many other factors. For example, the UK has a population density 16 times higher than New Zealand, and 91 times higher than Australia, according to a quick Google I just did.