Qn on AppleCare+ coverage for broken phones

[lisasum]

Hi,

I am a first time user of this forum and welcome all feedback...

Here is my story. After being a serious Hold Out on getting on the iPhone bandwagon, I finally broke down and turned in my seriously broken old Treo Palm and bought myself an iPhone 4S for Christmas 2012 (just 3 short months ago).

No one was more surprised than I by how much I LOVED my new phone - so easy to use and I am not tech savvy. In fact, I'm soo Not savvy that I didn't have the 'find my iphone app' uploaded nor had I synced my device over the past few months of ownership.

Thus, you can imagine my Severe disappointment, anger, etc when my beautiful New iPhone was stolen a few days ago out of my purse.

I bought the AppleCare+ service for my phone. I've been looking on Craig's list to purchase a replacement iPhone and have found the following:

a. I'm shocked at how expensive the replacement cost is for my phone now that I have a new contract with Sprint

b. I see others on Craig's list are buying up broken iPhones.

Here is my question... is there anyway to buy someone else's broken iPhone 4s and turn it in as my own and get my phone replaced under my Apple Care+ warranty? I am not a dishonest person and hate to ask this but I am now stuck with a monthly Sprint bill with no device and cannot afford to shell out the hundreds of dollars for a new phone.

I have my receipt, box, etc... can they tell by looking at broken phone pieces if it truly is or is not my phone? I'd hate to shell out even more money to buy a broken phone then have Apple turn me down/ tell me my warranty will not apply.

Would love to use my insurance if at all possible and if there is no way to do this, will cancel the AppleCare+ and get a few bucks back that way but then I'll still have no phone.

Any advice anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated!!!

Desperate, missing my phone and thx so much!!!
Lisa

 

[Chris092881]

No. Use your AppleCare+ and drop the $49 for a new phone.

 

[Brian Y]

No. Use your AppleCare+ and drop the $49 for a new phone.

It wont cover stolen phones.

You can transfer AppleCare to a new phone, but it will have to be inspected first. Do you have any home insurance that may cover it?

 

[Chris092881]

It wont cover stolen phones.

You can transfer AppleCare to a new phone, but it will have to be inspected first. Do you have any home insurance that may cover it?

I wasn't aware. Good to know seeing as how I just signed up for AC+ too.

 

[mattopotamus]

It wont cover stolen phones.

You can transfer AppleCare to a new phone, but it will have to be inspected first. Do you have any home insurance that may cover it?

That is only true if it is within the first 30 days of purchase. I pulled that straight from the user agreement b.c when I sold an iphone I was planning on transferring the applecare+ to the new phone, but it cannot be done unless within 30 days of the original purchase. You can transfer the ownership of applecare+ if you sell it, but not what phone is actually covered.

You may be talking about regular applecare, but the OP is talking about ac+

You can get reimbursed for the unused portion of your applecare+. It is -$20 off the top, and the rest is prorated.

 

[Brian Y]

That is only true if it is within the first 30 days of purchase. I pulled that straight from the user agreement b.c when I sold an iphone I was planning on transferring the applecare+ to the new phone, but it cannot be done unless within 30 days of the original purchase. You can transfer the ownership of applecare+ if you sell it, but not what phone is actually covered.

You may be talking about regular applecare, but the OP is talking about ac+

You can get reimbursed for the unused portion of your applecare+. It is -$20 off the top, and the rest is prorated.

Ah right - didn't realise they changed it in AC+. We still have the regular version over here.

 

[macingman]

Hi,

I am a first time user of this forum and welcome all feedback...

Here is my story. After being a serious Hold Out on getting on the iPhone bandwagon, I finally broke down and turned in my seriously broken old Treo Palm and bought myself an iPhone 4S for Christmas 2012 (just 3 short months ago).

No one was more surprised than I by how much I LOVED my new phone - so easy to use and I am not tech savvy. In fact, I'm soo Not savvy that I didn't have the 'find my iphone app' uploaded nor had I synced my device over the past few months of ownership.

Thus, you can imagine my Severe disappointment, anger, etc when my beautiful New iPhone was stolen a few days ago out of my purse.

I bought the AppleCare+ service for my phone. I've been looking on Craig's list to purchase a replacement iPhone and have found the following:

a. I'm shocked at how expensive the replacement cost is for my phone now that I have a new contract with Sprint

b. I see others on Craig's list are buying up broken iPhones.

Here is my question... is there anyway to buy someone else's broken iPhone 4s and turn it in as my own and get my phone replaced under my Apple Care+ warranty? I am not a dishonest person and hate to ask this but I am now stuck with a monthly Sprint bill with no device and cannot afford to shell out the hundreds of dollars for a new phone.

I have my receipt, box, etc... can they tell by looking at broken phone pieces if it truly is or is not my phone? I'd hate to shell out even more money to buy a broken phone then have Apple turn me down/ tell me my warranty will not apply.

Would love to use my insurance if at all possible and if there is no way to do this, will cancel the AppleCare+ and get a few bucks back that way but then I'll still have no phone.

Any advice anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated!!!

Desperate, missing my phone and thx so much!!!
Lisa

The can tell. The iPhone has a barcode inside, the IMEI written on the simcard tray and also the IMEI registered to the phone itself.

They can tell pretty easily and you would be commiting fraud if you did what you said you want to do. And really, you say you're an honest person but really if you lie and commit a crime just to save a couple of hundred dollars, how honest are you really?

Think about it you say you are wasting money per month on a contract you have no phone to use with so wouldn't it make more sense to be out a couple of hundred dollars in order to not make the $1000+ contract go to waste.

 

[ZombiePete]

Lisa, as has been noted by previous posters what you're considering is called insurance fraud and is illegal. The folks at Apple will absolutely be able to tell that the broken phone you're trying to pass off as yours isn't and, at best, they'll tell you to scram.

You can cancel your contract with Sprint; I believe the maximum penalty is $250 for early contract termination. A lot up front, but much less than if you just keep paying for a service you cannot use. Your other option is to buy a working iPhone 4S off of Craigslist or ebay and then have Sprint set that up as your active phone. That will be much cheaper, obviously, than buying a brand new iPhone.

Here are some for sale on ebay that are compatible with Sprint:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/Cell-Phones...&Color=Black&Model=iPhone%204S&_nkw=iPhone 4S

Hopefully you filed a police report for your phone and let Sprint know right away; Sprint has an insurance plan that you might want to check and see if you signed up for as well. I don't know if it covers iPhones but you can get refurbished replacements for cheaper than a new phone.

Good luck and sorry for your situation.

EDIT: Oh, and make sure that if you buy a used phone that you check to ensure that the ESN is good. If not then it will never work for you.

 

[Han Solo 1]

Lisa, go ahead and give it a try. These guys don't know what they're talking about.

Take a phone that wasn't the one you bought from Apple, take it to the store, and tell them you want to swap out your broken one for a new one, as is your right.

Then please report back here as soon as you're done.

 

[barkomatic]

If money is tight, I'd forget all this complication and just buy a cheap non-smartphone and downgrade your monthly plan for now. You'll still be fulfilling your contract with Sprint but will be spending a lot less each month since you won't need a data plan.

Then, when you have the cash again go ahead and buy another iPhone.

 

[aka777]

Hi,

I am a first time user of this forum and welcome all feedback...

Desperate, missing my phone and thx so much!!!
Lisa

Unfortunately no, they can easily check and see that it's not the same one.

Word of advice, do not buy a phone off craigslist as it's too easy to be scammed. You have zero protection or recourse as a buyer when you use craigslist.

Whereas, you are covered by the buyer protection under ebay. The sellers have A to Z of rules that they must follow.

 

[ZombiePete]

Unfortunately no, they can easily check and see that it's not the same one.

Word of advice, do not buy a phone off craigslist as it's too easy to be scammed. You have zero protection or recourse as a buyer when you use craigslist.

Whereas, you are covered by the buyer protection under ebay. The sellers have A to Z of rules that they must follow.

I've never had a problem with craigslist. Just insist on face-to-face transactions and don't meet in a deserted alley at midnight and it's fine.

 

[barkomatic]

Unfortunately no, they can easily check and see that it's not the same one.

Word of advice, do not buy a phone off craigslist as it's too easy to be scammed. You have zero protection or recourse as a buyer when you use craigslist.

Whereas, you are covered by the buyer protection under ebay. The sellers have A to Z of rules that they must follow.

I've not had a problem with craigslist--but you have to use common sense which many people don't have.

The advantage of craigslist is that you can meet in person, see the actual iPhone you are buying and examine its condition. If you want, you can meet at a carrier store to ensure that its not been reported lost or stolen and that the iPhone is in fact the property of the seller.

I find that there are better prices on craigslist. Perhaps because sellers don't have to account for ebay's ridiculous fees in their total selling price. Lot's of ebay sellers use stock photos, and the condition of the actual item you receive can vary.

 

[aka777]

I've not had a problem with craigslist--but you have to use common sense which many people don't have.

The advantage of craigslist is that you can meet in person, see the actual iPhone you are buying and examine its condition. If you want, you can meet at a carrier store to ensure that its not been reported lost or stolen and that the iPhone is in fact the property of the seller.

I find that there are better prices on craigslist. Perhaps because sellers don't have to account for ebay's ridiculous fees in their total selling price. Lot's of ebay sellers use stock photos, and the condition of the actual item you receive can vary.

I've spoken with lots of people who had been given the all clear by the carrier, only to find that the phone was soon blacklisted - permanently post 2012. I would ask for receipts and a photo ID of anyone I bought anything of value off via craigslist.

Ebay is expensive for the seller, but the buyer receives a lot of protection from Ebay and their credit card company versus craigslist, where they have nothing.

 

[Han Solo 1]

I've spoken with lots of people who had been given the all clear by the carrier, only to find that the phone was soon blacklisted - permanently post 2012. I would ask for receipts and a photo ID of anyone I bought anything of value off via craigslist.

Ebay is expensive for the seller, but the buyer receives a lot of protection from Ebay and their credit card company versus craigslist, where they have nothing.

Yep, I've heard of the same thing. Some lame guy was trying to pawn off an iPad mini LTE on Craigslist for a great price. Problem was that he kept changing his story on how he had come to get it in the first place. When I asked him to let me take it to Verizon first and activate it before finalizing payment (he would be with me in person), he stopped communicating.

Some people are just rotten.

 

[aka777]

Yep, I've heard of the same thing. Some lame guy was trying to pawn off an iPad mini LTE on Craigslist for a great price. Problem was that he kept changing his story on how he had come to get it in the first place. When I asked him to let me take it to Verizon first and activate it before finalizing payment (he would be with me in person), he stopped communicating.

Some people are just rotten.

Yep.

Craigslist is fantastic for the seller, especially the scam seller, but terrible for the buyer if something goes wrong - ZERO protection.

Ebay is fantastic for the buyer but ok to terrible for the seller.

 

[mattopotamus]

Yep.

Craigslist is fantastic for the seller, especially the scam seller, but terrible for the buyer if something goes wrong - ZERO protection.

Ebay is fantastic for the buyer but ok to terrible for the seller.

I always sell on craigslist, but would never buy =/

It seems like everyone I sell to is in the business of flipping phones anyways. They just grab $15 - $20 wherever they can.

 

[aka777]

Best example, I bought an iPhone 4S off ebay. Claimed it was mint condition and ready to go, which the condition was. However, the second I tried to activate it, I could not. The seller had apparently traded it from another person off craigslist and the handset still had their account on it. Verizon refused to activate or override this.

Had I bought this off craigslist, like the seller ironically did, I would have a brick phone - nothing else to it. This wasn't a scam though, as I found and contacted the actual initial owner, but it shows the nature of craigslist.

The seller started to give me the run around but as along time seller myself, who is well versed in ebay 2013 policy, I told him the three options available - by ebay:

1. He sorts it out quick-smart.
2. He refunds the total purchase costs and I return it.
3. He is forced to refund the money (by ebay) and I keep the phone too.

He chose the 2nd option. Problem solved, purchased another handset without any issues.

 

[lisasum]

Thanks so much!

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful replies - I appreciate your time and input.

I have just re-instituted my old Treo Palm on my Sprint contract. At this point, I'll chalk the whole deal up to a learning situation, cancel the AppleCare+ and get a few bucks back on the remainder of the unused contract.

I considered purchasing a replacement iPhone on Craig's list or ebay (as was suggested by some of the posts) but I was advised by the police (when I filed my own police report) that over 90% of the phones sold on Craig's list are stolen and do not want to buy a stolen phone or end up with something that may break/ be unreliable shortly after putting out approx 300 bucks (the ave price for a used 4s).

Additionally, the cheapest 4s I could find through Sprint is a refurb which is 400 bucks and doesn't have much of a warranty.

I also appreciated the idea one responder had regarding checking into coverage under my homeowner's insurance. Unfortunately, the phone was taken from my purse at my local community center so I wouldn't suspect my homeowner's insurance would cover an incident outside my property boundary.

Thanks again... I'm now counting down the days till Aug 2014 when I'm eligible for an upgrade. Such a bummer but it is what it is...

Lisa

 

[takeshi74]

Lisa, go ahead and give it a try. These guys don't know what they're talking about.

Take a phone that wasn't the one you bought from Apple, take it to the store, and tell them you want to swap out your broken one for a new one, as is your right.

"Right"? There's no right to it.

I also appreciated the idea one responder had regarding checking into coverage under my homeowner's insurance. Unfortunately, the phone was taken from my purse at my local community center so I wouldn't suspect my homeowner's insurance would cover an incident outside my property boundary.

Check -- don't assume.

 

[lordofthereef]

I am just adding my own thoughts, and recommendations. If they have already been said here, in some form, apologies.

What you are suggesting, OP, is essentially insurance fraud. It has been noted many times, but Apple knows which phones do and do not have Apple care. In fact, you don't even need to tell them your name (technically) when you bring in your broken phone. Their database, plus the information on the phone, is all they need. While Apple Care isn't transferable after 30 days, I believe they will refund you a prorated price (the fraction of the $100 that hasn't yet "expired" at any point you want to cancel your Apple Care.

While Craigslist can be a dangerous place, it doesn't have to be. If you find a price that is way too good to be true, it probably is. Regardless of price, all of my craigslist dealing happen at an authorize shop. For you, preferably a Sprint brick and mortar store. I also look for a phone where the owner is able to give me the original box with matching ICCID/IMEI. Sprint should quickly be able to check if that phone is blacklisted. They should also be able to tell you if the phone is being sold by the original owner. Clean ICCID/IMEI + Original Owner + Boxes (an original receipt never hurt anyone either), and it is very unlikely you will get burned. Admittedly, people often times don't have ALL of this, but the more the better. My last purchase was an iPhone 5 for my wife with original box and we made the swap at a Verizon Wireless store. Everything went smoothly and the seller was more than happy to meet. Unless you live in the middle of nowhere, a Sprint store shouldn't be too far out of the way.

 

[Han Solo 1]

"Right"? There's no right to it.

I know. If you read the entire post, I was being facetious.