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Hope you don't feel the same way about health insurance, lol!
Taking out AppleCare™ is, like any insurance, basically gambling. You're betting that your device will fail in some way in the next year and you will incur an expensive repair or replacement cost. How much you spend on that bet is determined by how likely you think the device is to fail.

Over the years I've had several Apple™ devices but no AppleCare™. None have failed within the warranty. One was repaired for free and one was repaired at my expense. Over the years the cost or repair or replacement has been significantly lower than the cost of AppleCare™ on everything would have been.

My daughter had an iPhone 5 that was bent from being repeatedly kept in her back pocket. She took it in for an unrelated repair (after the bent iPhone 6 controversy had broke). They took one glance at it and replaced it, without even inquiring about the actual repair needed.
 
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A company tries to codify how, when and what it will repair on one of their products for warranty. People then write in to highlight both the times that they covered more than this and others who had to fight to get what was in writing covered. This is a situation that only happens with 100% of businesses that manufacture or sell things.

A better example of journalism would have been to find out how many valid repairs were refused, and what the ultimate outcome of those situations ended up being. Along the way, explain what makes the 'grey areas' grey, because not everything is black and white. But this takes time, and effort and a willingness to put aside your own biases at least a little, so you don't see this type of reporting very often.

I have read that Apple has a high satisfaction rate. Is that true? If so, why and if not, why is it reported that they do? With any product, someone is going to feel unhappy for some reason. Are some of those reasons valid? Can a company afford to repair or refund with either no or with very wide allowances?

Do you know people who have tried to scam warranty or return policies, not just at Apple but anywhere? What is the ratio of silly/minor/fraudulent complaints to valid but refused repairs?
 
I’ve just tried ringing Apple care to get my iPhone 7 repaired because it meets the criteria of a single hairline crack across the screen with no point of impact evident and they are still trying to charge me for the repair even though it is under warrenty and the document clearly says it would be repaired under warrenty. Any suggestions anyone? Better luck taking it into a store to assess it?
You’re most likely being asked to put a hold on your credit card because you’re sending the unit out for repair vs having service in person. take it to a store.
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I wish they offered some kind of warranty for years 4+5, beyond what Apple Care covers.

Or do they feel it would be abused too much?
Before your AppleCare+ is over you can renew it but only for AppleCare which doesn’t include accidentals.
 
Not really, actually they have a very controlled supply chain. They now will work on a modified iPhone so long as it is only the display that is third-party. Batteries require different safety concerns and tests. In fact, thanks to issues like Samsung’s explosive batteries, now everything regarding parts with battery require ground transport only.
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Liquid Contact Indicator. Which they won’t be tripped due to “humid environments”.
Wow, really? When I was a Genius, any third-party components were an instant NOPE.
 
A year ago my wife dropped her iPhone 6 and the screen shattered. It was due to a swollen battery, with no point of impact. It had just been out of Applecare+ coverage. The technician said it would cost $279 to fix, so I took it home and looked into repairing it myself. After a hassle with e-Tech, I gave up and took it back in. This time the technician told me that they would replace the battery out of warranty for $79, which involved giving me a refurb iPhone 6. I am happy.
 
in my experience Apple is pretty good about repairs/replacements/warranty I dropped my Macbook Pro (twice) and cracked the screen Apple replaced the screen and lid under warranty no questions asked (yes both times)
 
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I’ve just tried ringing Apple care to get my iPhone 7 repaired because it meets the criteria of a single hairline crack across the screen with no point of impact evident and they are still trying to charge me for the repair even though it is under warrenty and the document clearly says it would be repaired under warrenty. Any suggestions anyone? Better luck taking it into a store to assess it?

I had the exact same experience with the iPhone 6+ iSight Camera repair. My camera would no longer focus, the serial number was in the proper range and the tech told me it would be covered if that was the problem. It was the problem and they still tried to charge me $350. When I complained they first reduced it to $175. After I provided them with the original chat transcript where I was told it would be covered as the Apple webpage regarding the iSight camera issue is explained, they finally relented. In the end they charged me $6.99 for shipping. I was out of town and too busy to continue to complain so I let it slide.

The nearest Apple store where I can take gear for repair is a three hour drive each way.
 
Before your AppleCare+ is over you can renew it but only for AppleCare which doesn’t include accidentals.

Maybe overseas but there's no renewing apple care or Apple care plus in the US.
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Wow, really? When I was a Genius, any third-party components were an instant NOPE.

They probably got tired of the bitching and moaning by folks that tried to be cheap. Sometimes it's easier to just give up the fight

Course they likely charge for the repair even if the phone is in warranty. So like say your display goes black and your phone is in warranty but they find that it's a 3rd party screen, they probably treat it like a damaged screen and make you pay for it. But I bet if you have apple care plus they won't let you use that for the cheaper rate, cause that is to cover apple screens
 
It's legit. Thought I was back at work for a second!

As for it not being a hard and fast rule, I dispute that. Certainly, if we exchange a phone and return it to warehouse and there's any of the issues that aren't covered under warranty, there's hell to pay.
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Not an earth-shattering leak. :) This is a standard issue document (also called 'Visual/Mechanical Inspection (VMI)), available to download from Apple's online portal (GSX) for all Apple Technicians / Authorized Service Centers.

Source: responsible partly for putting the guide together.

The documents do have big 'DO NOT SHARE' type text on them, though :p Amazed it's taken this long and, also, quite surprised at the fact it's front page news. Could've been my 15 minutes of Internet fame! :p
 
Still doesn't address phones that are water damaged when Apple advertises IP67 ratings:

From their site:

Splash, Water, and Dust Resistant
Rated IP67 under IEC standard 60529

I think the reasoning there is found on apple.com:

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are splash, water, and dust resistant and were tested under controlled laboratory conditions with a rating of IP67 under IEC standard 60529. Splash, water, and dust resistance are not permanent conditions and resistance might decrease as a result of normal wear.
 
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IP67 doesn't mean it can't have water damage. Actually, if it has water damage then there must have been some significant incident, not a little bit of rain.

Or a failure of the device to remain sealed under expected conditions...
 
Awesome, but internal documents as such shows the handling of information is getting sloppy.
 
I had two iPhones that were only a few months old that I purchased second hand. One had a bad SIM reader(worked fine for a few days) and the other had a bad Touch ID. I mailed in both using the online prepaid UPS service. The first was replaced but the second wasn't along with a letter that informed me they don't offer service for business or wholesale customers. Apparently, you have to use separate Apple IDs(and addresses?) if you're sending in two or more devices. I had to take the second one to Best Buy who mailed it to Apple, but they lost the replacement phone in the back of the GeekSquad area for 3 months telling me it wasn't ready for pickup every time I called.

Six years ago, I took in an iPhone 4 to an Apple store whose screen had melted from being set face down on a stove. They replaced it without questions.
 
Looking at the top comments it seems like this is getting a rather positive reception from the Macrumors community, but when looking at the service denial points I'm slightly worried over one of them.

The thing that worries me is that they say they won't fix iPhones with non-Apple batteries. I know batteries don't wear out immediately, but batteries do tend to fail and just get worse as time goes on, making it beneficial if not necessary to replace them. Apple, like most companies, however tends to badly overprice their replacement batteries and only allow authorised repair shops to do the work, driving up the cost even further.

Thankfully third party batteries exist and you can put them in yourself as long as you're not a complete klutz, but the "No Apple battery - No service" rule does feel like it's goal is to ensure Apple has the replacement battery market all to itself.
 



A leaked Apple "Visual/Mechanical Inspection Guide" shared this afternoon by Business Insider provides some insight into how Apple's repair policies work, highlighting how Apple determines when to offer an in-warranty repair, an out-of-warranty repair, or a denial of service.

Dated March 3, 2017, the document is known internally as the "VMI" and covers the iPhone 6, 6s, and 7, along with Plus models. An Apple technician told Business Insider that there's a similar document for all of its products, and that it's generally used for training.

The guide is divided into three sections. The green section denotes problems where Apple will provide a warranty service, the yellow covers issues where Apple will offer out-of-warranty repairs, and the red section contains examples of issues Apple will refuse to fix.


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Debris under the display glass, a pixel anomaly, FaceTime camera foam misalignment, and a single hairline crack to the front glass are all problems that Apple will fix under warranty, even if there's additional accidental or liquid damage to the device. These are the only issues that can be fixed automatically even with additional damage to a device.

Apple will provide out-of-warranty replacements for liquid damage confirmed by the user, evidence of corrosion, LCD fractures, camera damage from lasers, cracks at a point of impact, damaged Lightning/audio/microphone components, extreme abrasion or puncture holes, and a bent or split enclosure.

Devices that have user-replaced parts, intentional tampering or damage, non-Apple batteries, or catastrophic damage are not eligible for service at all. Enclosure damage, like scratches and scuffs, is not covered and cosmetic problems do not warrant a replacement or repair if there are no other issues.

Apple also has a special set of rules for water damage. Employees are instructed to look for signs of water damage both internally and externally when diagnosing issues, and if there is evidence of contact with water, employees are told to deny some in-warranty repairs and instead offer an out-of-warranty repair.


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According to Apple employees, the VMI isn't often used unless there's an "oddball issue," and it's also more of a guide than a hard and fast rule when it comes to replacement, as there are many issues that arise that aren't covered here. "There are always those one-off issues that the phone is technically not covered under warranty but we swap the phone anyways under warranty," an Apple technician told Business Insider.

These rules don't apply to devices covered by AppleCare+, as that warranty entitles users to two device replacements or repairs, even for accidental damage, so long as the fee is covered. For out-of-warranty repairs, Apple charges $130 to $150 for screen repairs and $300 to $350 for other damage. With AppleCare+, a screen repair costs $29 and other damage costs $99 to fix.

Article Link: Leaked Apple Document Outlines Apple's iPhone Repair Rules
I have never had much of an issue with Apple's hardware, from a Mac Classic I bought at a UC bookstore to my iPhone. They've even gone above and more (thought I was going to say "beyond" ha ha) many times. I have had problems though, with the "geniuses", at least newer ones, with less personal experience getting things to work.
 
I don't trust Apple geniuses

I once took my iPhone, still under warranty, for screen replacement due to a bright pixels. It wasn't a showstopper, but figured should do it before warranty runs out, only to discover the phone I was carrying for almost a year has an unauthorized 3rd party screen replacement and has its warranty void.

How did this happen? I preordered and got my phone a couple of days after release, came out of the box scratched at the bottom. Took it to apple for replacement later that month, the rogue genius replaced it with another phone that was purchased a couple of weeks back and returned for a full refund. He also forged the record, didn't record the exchange.

My guess? Mr genius or one of his buddies bought the phone, broke the screen, replaced it then returned to Apple for refund (within 14 days). I happen to be the unlucky customer to get it.

My advice? If your phone is within 14 days, return it and get a new one, don't do warranty exchange. IF not, keep track of the serial numbers, don't leave the store until you get the email confirming the repair /switch.
 
I think the reasoning there is found on apple.com:

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are splash, water, and dust resistant and were tested under controlled laboratory conditions with a rating of IP67 under IEC standard 60529. Splash, water, and dust resistance are not permanent conditions and resistance might decrease as a result of normal wear.
My grandson (13) was taking underwater pictures with his iPhone 7+. Seems to be ok.
 
Maybe overseas but there's no renewing apple care or Apple care plus in the US.
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They probably got tired of the bitching and moaning by folks that tried to be cheap. Sometimes it's easier to just give up the fight

Course they likely charge for the repair even if the phone is in warranty. So like say your display goes black and your phone is in warranty but they find that it's a 3rd party screen, they probably treat it like a damaged screen and make you pay for it. But I bet if you have apple care plus they won't let you use that for the cheaper rate, cause that is to cover apple screens
thats exactly what we do. Treat it like accidental damage.
 
My grandson (13) was taking underwater pictures with his iPhone 7+. Seems to be ok.

The 7+ is not meant for underwater pictures. It has a flimsy glue seal that degrades over time. Be prepared to fight for a warranty when wet.
 
I’ve just tried ringing Apple care to get my iPhone 7 repaired because it meets the criteria of a single hairline crack across the screen with no point of impact evident and they are still trying to charge me for the repair even though it is under warrenty and the document clearly says it would be repaired under warrenty. Any suggestions anyone? Better luck taking it into a store to assess it?
It's not a legal document that gives you any rights. It's a document where Apple management tells Apple employees what to do. If an Apple employee doesn't follow the document, you have no standing to demand anything.
 
Wow.. Apple really tightens up as to what can be covered and what's not.

A single hairline crack determines at which point u would be or not be covered?
 
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