PSA: Remove Any Bands or Accessories Before Shipping an Apple Watch for Repair

[baryon]

Where did you think the new, very expensive, "Pre-worn look" bands come from?

 

[eagle33199]

Sent in a watch a last week for service, it was very clear - both the tech I talked to on the phone, the instructions that came with the box, and the box itself.

I imagine the change in wording is just a CYA on their part - you send a strap in with the watch and it gets lost or put back on a different watch or something and you don't get it back, then you're going to complain. And in today's culture, you're probably going to threaten to sue as well. So, they make it clear in everything they don't want it back, and it helps to cover them should you send it in anyways and it gets lost.

 

[chipchen]

Why wouldn’t they return it?

Likely, a large percentage of "repairs" are refurbished replacements that will just be fulfilled from a different warehouse. Also, reducing extra steps in packaging, package sizes and variations, risk of loss/damage, etc. And especially for today's pandemic age, less contact with items touched by another human being (sweat and stuff on/in the bands).

 

[ct2k7]

Likely, a large percentage of "repairs" are refurbished replacements that will just be fulfilled from a different warehouse. Also, reducing extra steps in packaging, package sizes and variations, risk of loss/damage, etc. And especially for today's pandemic age, less contact with items touched by another human being (sweat and stuff on/in the bands).

make sense but I don’t know why people are sending in accessories in the first place, it’s not as if it goes in the watch box which obviously only fits the watch sans band

 

[konqerror]

make sense but I don’t know why people are sending in accessories in the first place, it’s not as if it goes in the watch box which obviously only fits the watch sans band

I think some people are simply unaware that the band comes off.

 

[Mainyehc]

I had my Apple Watch Series 0 replaced months ago and this was already standard practice in the AASP where I took it for service. What’s new about this?

 

[LoggerMN]

I don't know; it was a pretty tight fit, but I managed to get my strap in the box after cutting it up.

Apple didn't even send back the pieces.

View attachment 908598

How long did it take you to make this animation? Trying to understand just how board you are.

 

[LizKat]

I don't know; it was a pretty tight fit, but I managed to get my strap in the box after cutting it up.

Apple didn't even send back the pieces.

View attachment 908598

Thanks for the laugh! I figured I was looking at some of your handiwork as I scrolled into the post.

 

[nburwell]

The few times that I had to send my AW case in for repair, Apple was very clear to only send them back the case, not any accessories. So I figured not sending them any accessories was common knowledge -- guess not.

 

[twistedpixel8]

I don't know; it was a pretty tight fit, but I managed to get my strap in the box after cutting it up.

Apple didn't even send back the pieces.

View attachment 908598

What impressed me the most is that - according to the timestamp of the article and the timestamp of your comment - you modeled, animated, rendered and posted this in under 14 minutes.