Return your Iphone 4 for a FULL refund if you don't like it

[bobright]

As I said my other AT&T phones still work at my house (iPhone 3G and nokia 6650, plus my wifes 3GS) so it's not an AT&T issue. And it maybe on all iPhones but I would still like to try another to make sure, since so many on here report no issues at all.

Will they let you try another, is the thing? I'd like to try another as well before getting refunded.

If anybody is in the know please inform us if they allow that. I was refused told nothing was wrong with the phone, its a fact with all cellphones about reception blah bla BUT this was before the statement from Apple about it.

Good thread.

 

[Cottonsworth]

Will they let you try another, is the thing? I'd like to try another as well before getting refunded.

If anybody is in the know please inform us if they allow that. I was refused told nothing was wrong with the phone, its a fact with all cellphones about reception blah bla BUT this was before the statement from Apple about it.

Good thread.

Doesn't hurt to try. Just make an appointment with the Genius bar.

 

[aforty]

Wow people are really not understanding this antenna issue... let me try and explain it in simple terms to everybody:

Every single iPhone 4 has a poorly designed antenna system that drops more signal than other phones do.

The iPhone 4 antenna is is more susceptible to signal attenuation than most phones released today. However make no mistake, every phone ever created can be made to weaken signal when the radio antenna is blocked. The difference here is that it is much easier to do on the iPhone 4. When you hold the phone naturally in your hand Anandtech reports the iPhone 4 drops 19.8 dB whereas the iPhone 3GS only drops 1.9 dB. When you grip it super tight the drop off is even more severe.

Why? Apple made a design decision where they chose aesthetics over function. They chose a smaller, slimmer design which required them to put the the antenna on the outside of the phone instead of placing it on the inside. That's the only reason.

Then why do some iPhone's appear to drop more bars than others? Because the iPhone that drops 5 bars when gripped is located in a poor coverage area. iOS4 has a wide margin for reporting 4 and 5 bars to the user. This was tested by Anandtech a few days ago and confirmed by Apple this morning. That's all the software fix from Apple will do. Instead of falsely reporting 5 bars it will now be more honest and tell you you really only have two.

So what does this mean for me? If you can currently drop 5 bars in the places where you use your phone most frequently then your situation will not get any better from another phone or the software update. If you are getting bad drop offs in signal now, then you should return the phone and GET YOUR MONEY BACK! Vote with your wallet! Apple made a design decision choosing form over function and if you don't like that decision then don't buy the product! Simple as that.

The software update will not magically fix the issue and getting a new/replacement phone will not magically fix the issue either.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

The 30-day period is completely misleading and is a PR trick. If the phone is defective by design, there should be an acceptance first on Apple's part. Then an organised recall scheme should be set up. Of course, that would cost Apple money and face.

If a car - let's say a Toyota - is faulty by design and keeps braking down with an exceptionally large number of customers, should they just return their cars within 30 days to have the problem rectified and pay somebody else outside of the 30-day window with taking a severe hit for the resale-value of their car?

1) No one's 30-day return period has expired yet so your Toyota analogy does not fit. If one's phone's reception is so bad they can't use it they can return it today without losing a dime. How is that a "PR trick" or "misleading"? Moreover, anyone buying a new iP4 today has more than enough notice of the issue so they are not being harmed either. They specifically assume the risk of buying an iP4.

2) When one returns a product that costs the company money. In the case of the iPhone, Apple has to send it off to be "recertified," and everything involved with that.

3) A recall typically happens when there is a known defective part on a certain lot or lots of products. That is not the case here. The problem is sporadic and not yet targeted to a specific production day, factory, or part. How can a company have a recall when the source of the problem is still unknown?

 

[Cottonsworth]

Wow people are really not understanding this antenna issue... let me try and explain it in simple terms to everybody:

Every single iPhone 4 has a poorly designed antenna system that drops more signal than other phones do.

The iPhone 4 antenna is is more susceptible to signal attenuation than most phones released today. However make no mistake, every phone ever created can be made to weaken signal when the radio antenna is blocked. The difference here is that it is much easier to do on the iPhone 4. When you hold the phone naturally in your hand Anandtech reports the iPhone 4 drops 19.8 dB whereas the iPhone 3GS only drops 1.9 dB. When you grip it super tight the drop off is even more severe.

Why? Apple made a design decision where they chose aesthetics over function. They chose a smaller, slimmer design which required them to put the the antenna on the outside of the phone instead of placing it on the inside. That's the only reason.

Then why do some iPhone's appear to drop more bars than others? Because the iPhone that drops 5 bars when gripped is located in a poor coverage area. iOS4 has a wide margin for reporting 4 and 5 bars to the user. This was tested by Anandtech a few days ago and confirmed by Apple this morning. That's all the software fix from Apple will do. Instead of falsely reporting 5 bars it will now be more honest and tell you you really only have two.

So what does this mean for me? If you can currently drop 5 bars in the places where you use your phone most frequently then your situation will not get any better from another phone or the software update. If you are getting bad drop offs in signal now, then you should return the phone and GET YOUR MONEY BACK! Vote with your wallet! Apple made a design decision choosing form over function and if you don't like that decision then don't buy the product! Simple as that.

The software update will not magically fix the issue and getting a new/replacement phone will not magically fix the issue either.

My point exactly, vote with your wallet if the phone doesn't work for you.

 

[tritonj]

Well, how does that work for those of us that paid with cash? I'm not sure about other apple stores but at my local one we were required to buy a gift card and then pay for the phone. I've got both receipts and they are only 2 minutes apart and the amounts are exactly the same. So it's very obvious what the gift card was for. I've got a feeling though that it'll have to go back on a gift card, which I have no use for. Any thoughts on this?? I'm going to give apple a call when I go to lunch today and see what I can find out.

well you didn't pay in cash you paid with a gift card, maybe you should have paid with credit like everyone else. you can't expect apple to give you cash back in place of the gift card. if i go to Macys and buy a gift card and then turn around and buy something with it, i can't turn around and return and try to get cash. it was your choice to use a gift card. and it is their right to not accept cash. you knew that going in and you knew the risk, no surprises here

sorry you're stuck, find someone who is buying a big ticket item and arrange to have them give you cash for your card. i do it all the ttime when i have gift cards to places i don't plan to buy anything from

 

[Cottonsworth]

well you didn't pay in cash you paid with a gift card, maybe you should have paid with credit like everyone else. you can't expect apple to give you cash back in place of the gift card. if i go to Macys and buy a gift card and then turn around and buy something with it, i can't turn around and return and try to get cash. it was your choice to use a gift card. and it is their right to not accept cash. you knew that going in and you knew the risk, no surprises here

sorry you're stuck, find someone who is buying a big ticket item and arrange to have them give you cash for your card. i do it all the ttime when i have gift cards to places i don't plan to buy anything from

I'm pretty sure you will get your money back, it is obvious what has happened, I doubt they will force you to keep the gift card.

 

[tritonj]

I'm pretty sure you will get your money back, it is obvious what has happened, I doubt they will force you to keep the gift card.

hopefully they do it for those who did use a gift card, but they really are under no obligation to do it

 

[dgstan]

Wow people are really not understanding this antenna issue... let me try and explain it in simple terms to everybody:

Every single iPhone 4 has a poorly designed antenna system that drops more signal than other phones do.

The iPhone 4 antenna is is more susceptible to signal attenuation than most phones released today. However make no mistake, every phone ever created can be made to weaken signal when the radio antenna is blocked. The difference here is that it is much easier to do on the iPhone 4. When you hold the phone naturally in your hand Anandtech reports the iPhone 4 drops 19.8 dB whereas the iPhone 3GS only drops 1.9 dB. When you grip it super tight the drop off is even more severe.

Why? Apple made a design decision where they chose aesthetics over function. They chose a smaller, slimmer design which required them to put the the antenna on the outside of the phone instead of placing it on the inside. That's the only reason.

Then why do some iPhone's appear to drop more bars than others? Because the iPhone that drops 5 bars when gripped is located in a poor coverage area. iOS4 has a wide margin for reporting 4 and 5 bars to the user. This was tested by Anandtech a few days ago and confirmed by Apple this morning. That's all the software fix from Apple will do. Instead of falsely reporting 5 bars it will now be more honest and tell you you really only have two.

So what does this mean for me? If you can currently drop 5 bars in the places where you use your phone most frequently then your situation will not get any better from another phone or the software update. If you are getting bad drop offs in signal now, then you should return the phone and GET YOUR MONEY BACK! Vote with your wallet! Apple made a design decision choosing form over function and if you don't like that decision then don't buy the product! Simple as that.

The software update will not magically fix the issue and getting a new/replacement phone will not magically fix the issue either.

While, I certainly agree with your statements for the most part, I also believe some phones may actually be defective.

Case in point: I just got back from the Apple store where I exchanged my brand-new 32GB phone for another one. What I was able to demonstrate to the "genius" was putting two identical iPhone 4s right next to each other (mine and my friends 32GB model bought the same day as mine). His showed 5 full bars while mine showed 1. We waited for it to update and/or change and nothing ever happened. Mine stayed at 1 bar while his (and every other iPhone in the store) showed 5 bars. This is while they were sitting on the table untouched.

Hopefully, the new unit will perform better.

 

[wheezy]

i lost $30 on a restocking fee when i returned this garbage phone.

can anyone tell me: WHY IN THE WORLD DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE RIGHT TO RETURN A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT? this is absolutely ridiculous and shows first hand that apple knew their product was trash compared to their previous models in terms of phone usability, and they wanted to scrape up as much money as possible from their fatal mistake.

i;m a longtime user and will never buy another apple product ever again. oh yea that new macbook pro i ordered the other day.. just CANCELED it. apple can go to hell.

Oh! Rights! We have a 'RIGHT' to return a defective product? You don't have a right to return anything dude, Apple, ATT, anybody can just say SOL, no returns no refunds enjoy the phone.

My phone has very moody 3G and it's driving me crazy, nevertheless, the 3G 'works', just not as I would expect it. I hope this can be fixed, if not then I have the RIGHT to consider another product. That's the only RIGHT you have. Get your mindset out of the entitlement thought process. You did exercise your right of choice and cancelled the laptop order, bravo to you!

I know I'm being nitpicky over your use of the word 'Right', and you probably didn't even think much about it when you typed it up, I'm just tired of people expecting everything to be given to them, and every technology should be a right in their life as opposed to a luxury.

NOW, what a responsible company would do is accept returns, and not charge a restock. I think it's lame that the do, but it's THEIR policy and they can enforce as they wish.

 

[aforty]

While, I certainly agree with your statements for the most part, I also believe some phones may actually be defective.

Case in point: I just got back from the Apple store where I exchanged my brand-new 32GB phone for another one. What I was able to demonstrate to the "genius" was putting two identical iPhone 4s right next to each other (mine and my friends 32GB model bought the same day as mine). His showed 5 full bars while mine showed 1. We waited for it to update and/or change and nothing ever happened. Mine stayed at 1 bar while his (and every other iPhone in the store) showed 5 bars. This is while they were sitting on the table untouched.

Hopefully, the new unit will perform better.

Hmm... interesting...

 

[vansouza]

Apple is allowing those that don't like their iPhone 4s to return it for a FULL refund. Instead of those ridiculous lawsuits, if you don't like the product or have complaints, just vote with your wallet, return your phone and get whatever suits your liking. Personally, I love my iPhone 4.

http://www.9to5mac.com/apple_iphone_4_statement

I agree with you and feel for those who feel otherwise...

 

[hundleton1]

FINALLY a thread with sense, all this antenna BS is doing my head in, we have 2 iphones 4 and i can make it do it up the road but not in my house but the call never drops only the bars drop, the simple fact is apple has chosen an antenna design that has this phomenum when both parts are touched,this will not change, either dont touch it there or if you cant live with it return the phone, filling this forum up with posts about how you cant use the phone is a wasting your time writing it and mine reading it.

steve is quite correct its a non issue, live with it or return it, there is no other option.

 

[JoJoCal19]

If you were dinged a restocking fee, I'd print the official mea culpa from Apple's website, take it in to the store, and ask for the restocking fee to be refunded. If they refuse, ask them to clarify what "full refund" means--if they can't, a judge certainly can.

Remember, you can sue for court filing fees too. ;-)

This. Anyone who sits there and accepts the restock fee is an idiot. The press release clearly states and I quote "As a reminder, if you are not fully satisfied, you can return your undamaged iPhone to any Apple Retail Store or the online Apple Store within 30 days of purchase for a full refund."

Moreover, this appears to be a get out of jail free card for those that are unsatisfied for any reason. Anyone that is having issues should return the phone and if you really want the iPhone, I recommend buying another one in a month. Since some people are truly not able to reproduce the problem then there must be something seriously wrong with your iPhone. I think all iPhones suffer a signal attenuation but if you are able to drop yours from 5 bars to none then you have a worse problem.

I for example can only get mine to drop 1-2 bars and that is only in places where the signal is not at the strongest. I believe that is normal attenuation.

 

[JoJoCal19]

Oh! Rights! We have a 'RIGHT' to return a defective product? You don't have a right to return anything dude, Apple, ATT, anybody can just say SOL, no returns no refunds enjoy the phone.

Consumer laws disagree with you. Apparently so do many judges.

 

[cdcrowell]

if your new to iphone like i am,i switched from sprint .wouldnt you be better off selling you iphone on ebay and paying the etf.etf is 325 and you paid 200 for the phone,that is 525.they are selling for 7 to 8 hundred on ebay.just a thought.i love mine and have had no reception problems

 

[wheezy]

Consumer laws disagree with you. Apparently so do many judges.

You mean consumer lawSUITS, where ambulance-chaser lawyers are out to screw a company out of money. And judges aren't always the best interpreters of the law. I'm not saying I agree with companies taking advantage of situations like this and telling people you're out of luck, but this whole 'RIGHTS' crap is so far out of line. Nobody forced you to buy the phone, nobody told you to be unhappy with it's service, nobody forced you to keep it or return it. It's called Commerce, plain and simple. You take the risk, plain and simple.

If Apple sold 600,000 at pre-launch, and then another 1.1M on launch day, the 2 out of every 3 people probably already knew about the antenna issue, at least everyone on these forums would have known seeing as it was reported as such. The general public not as much, but any whiner on these forums would have known about it and bought the phone anyone.

 

[JoJoCal19]

You mean consumer lawSUITS, where ambulance-chaser lawyers are out to screw a company out of money. And judges aren't always the best interpreters of the law. I'm not saying I agree with companies taking advantage of situations like this and telling people you're out of luck, but this whole 'RIGHTS' crap is so far out of line. Nobody forced you to buy the phone, nobody told you to be unhappy with it's service, nobody forced you to keep it or return it. It's called Commerce, plain and simple. You take the risk, plain and simple.

If Apple sold 600,000 at pre-launch, and then another 1.1M on launch day, the 2 out of every 3 people probably already knew about the antenna issue, at least everyone on these forums would have known seeing as it was reported as such. The general public not as much, but any whiner on these forums would have known about it and bought the phone anyone.

It doesn't affect me but my post was in regards to you specifically stating that consumers do not have any right to return defective products and receive a refund. That statement is complete and utter BS and makes zero sense. Not only that but like I said, consumer laws and judges say otherwise.

What you essentially said is that, If I purchase a product, get it home and it is DOA, that I have zero right to take it back and expect my money back? Right.

 

[wheezy]

It doesn't affect me but my post was in regards to you specifically stating that consumers do not have any right to return defective products and receive a refund. That statement is complete and utter BS and makes zero sense. Not only that but like I said, consumer laws and judges say otherwise.

What you essentially said is that, If I purchase a product, get it home and it is DOA, that I have zero right to take it back and expect my money back? Right.

you're right, DOA is a different story. But these phones are not DOA, and I was more shooting my original remark towards the comment 'I HAVE A RIGHT TO RETURN THIS', when in fact his phone is not DOA, he's just not happy with it. If HE is not happy with it, it's his problem. Hundreds of thousands of customers ARE happy. The phone does everything it's advertised to do. Is it up to his satisfaction? I guess not, but that doesn't make it defective.

 

[falconeight]

After you return it please shut up.

 

[jkrutch]

Returning the phone is not enough.

Not anymore.

Not anymore? Wow, I guess a whole week is too long to live with such a crappy product. You're joking I hope. If you don't like something return it and let it go. What do you want? blood????

 

[-aggie-]

Stop being so dramatic. Returning the phone is enough.

br0adband,

Has it occurred to you that you actually have a defective iPhone that has a different reception issue than everyone else? Your's has always been the most extreme case.

Bring it to the LV Apple store, show them the problem. Can you replicate it on the store models? No, get a replacement. Yes, return it.

arn

Nurse! Someone's not taking their medication!!

Seriously, you're way too disgruntled over a phone.

I could be wrong, but I don’t think he ever really cared if the iPhone 4 worked. You have to read between the lines. There’s a common theme in his posts, and where once it seemed like he was genuinely trying to find a solution to the problem, it now seems quite different, at least to me, probably because he keeps making off-topic posts about this issue in every thread he’s in.

 

[pgharavi]

Nobody forced you to buy the phone, nobody told you to be unhappy with it's service, nobody forced you to keep it or return it. It's called Commerce, plain and simple. You take the risk, plain and simple.

This is false. Brush up on contract law, consumer protection laws, governmental regulation, and the interplay of the three in similar cases. You'd be surprised what you find in the case law and statutory schemes.

Without rendering any kind of judgment (hah, as if) and not even an analysis, my post is merely showing that your blanket statements are incorrect. Especially that last sentence.

 

[tirk]

I could be wrong, but I don’t think he ever really cared if the iPhone 4 worked.

I does make me wonder if some of the complainants here didn't even get as far as buying one!

 

[darngooddesign]

...filling this forum up with posts about how you cant use the phone is a wasting your time writing it and mine reading it.

So don't read them.