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Loono

macrumors member
Oct 9, 2009
69
13
U.K. send-in experience so far.
I haven't posted on this forum for years but feel the need to because their customer service has gotten worse.
I requested to replace my iPhone 6 battery as the phone didn't give accurate battery percentage (battery percentage drains too fast then slows down when on a low percentage. I have tried recalibration many times).
I chose to use the send-in service as I don't live near an Apple Store. They sent a small box to send the phone to Czech Republic. It only took one day for them to receive it.
When they did, they put my the repair service on hold because apparently the LCD is damaged and asking to pay another £113 + tax to fix my phone or to return the phone back to me. My iPhone was in excellent condition with no external damage. I even left my tempered glass on when I sent it. The only image they posted was a bad quality photo of the back of my iPhone (aluminium back) which is odd.
I phoned Apple support on Friday night and they implied that my phone screen was already cracked already? wtf...
They couldn't even look into the repair case and told me they call me back the next day. The next day they didn't so I called them and they said that the repair team doesn't work weekends so they will call me back on Monday. Then the agent phoned me again saying that it would take another two working days to investigate.
So I am waiting until Wednesday for a call back from the repair team which is ridiculous as I am using an on iPhone 4S.

In hindsight don't use the send-in repair. It seems something fishy with their repair centre...
If you do, take photos of your phone or video of you packing the phone in the box to prove that the phone was in excellent condition.

I phoned them back today since they didn't call back as promised. The repair team in Czech Republic reported back to Apple Support that the LCD is broken and they won't do anything without me paying extra to replace the LCD... basically they don't trust customers. The screen either broke during transit or the employee broke my LCD while opening the phone and lying about it then passing on the charges onto me.
I tried hard to reason but in the end I just paid the £136 pounds to replace the screen...
Never again will I use Apple's Send-in program. Absolutely disgraceful.
 
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Mudodonbond

macrumors 6502
May 14, 2015
312
207
USA
iPhone model: 7 plus
Location of service: Apple Store Sindelfingen
Did they replace the battery? They replaced the phone.
New Battery Capacity: 2900mAh
Comment: they replaced my iPhone instead of just the battery. Didn’t have to pay and I don’t have Apple care.
 
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kingston73

macrumors 65816
Dec 23, 2015
1,164
717
I was wondering if anybody has taken advantage of the current $29 battery replacement? How was the experience? How long did it take? Did you have any issues afterward? I'm scheduled to get my 7+ battery replaced tomorrow so I'll add to this post tomorrow evening and let you know my personal experience.
 

kingston73

macrumors 65816
Dec 23, 2015
1,164
717
It's $29 no questions asked, I plan on keeping my phone for at least another year, if not longer. Why wouldn't I replace it?
 

gahig ulo

macrumors 6502a
Nov 11, 2017
585
151
riverside california
It's $29 no questions asked, I plan on keeping my phone for at least another year, if not longer. Why wouldn't I replace it?
replace it in december or until that $29 battery replacement deal expires.a lot of risk if you have it replace if it doesnt need to.my iphone 7+ got a nasty scratch when genuis bar replace the screen because of the home button issue and im not sure how good they sealed it back you know water resistant thing.
 
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Vermifuge

macrumors 68020
Mar 7, 2009
2,067
1,589
It's $29 no questions asked, I plan on keeping my phone for at least another year, if not longer. Why wouldn't I replace it?

I agree with @gahig ulo Chances are you haven't been impacted buy the throttling yet. Have you ran geek bench to check you CPU scores? The phones get throttled when the battery health dips below 85 - 80%. That normally takes about 500 charge cycles. Your phone is still pretty new and probably hasn't accumulated that many charge cycles yet. Wait until December to maximize the benefit and health of your phone.
 

JPack

macrumors G5
Mar 27, 2017
12,423
22,929
Let the Apple techs try their hand at replacing a few more iPhone 7 batteries. All their experience is probably related to iPhone 6. I wouldn't want to be a guinea pig. Wait a few more months.
 

Mudodonbond

macrumors 6502
May 14, 2015
312
207
USA
Got a new phone. The genius was like want a new phone. I accepted. But I noticed with this one. There’s little to no home button delay. Like none at all.
 

44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
37,642
42,491
Let the Apple techs try their hand at replacing a few more iPhone 7 batteries. All their experience is probably related to iPhone 6. I wouldn't want to be a guinea pig. Wait a few more months.

I'm assuming your post is referring to the water resistance seals with the difference between the iPhone 6 and iPhone 7 regarding the Tech experience.

Either way, what's happening now, is other consumers are becoming impatient because of the delays with the batteries, and now resorting to third-party companies to replacing the battery, which I would not do (Unless the situation calls for it). I would wait for Apple to replace the battery to avoid any such issues with warranties/repair procedures.
 

cynics

macrumors G4
Jan 8, 2012
11,959
2,154
I have a friend that couldn’t make an appointment until next Thursday but the guy he talked to told him that they would need to look at the phone first to accept the work (not modified or otherwise broken, not activation locked, his actual phone, etc). They would then set another appointment to actually replace it.

So they were up front about it being two visits.

The Apple employee went on to my friend to come in anytime if he wanted as a walk in if he didn’t mind waiting. So we are going to swing by there tomorrow and wait.

I’ll update tomorrow. The store near me is exceptionally busy. There is generally always a wait on the weekends due to fire codes or whatever. People go in as others leave.
 

JPack

macrumors G5
Mar 27, 2017
12,423
22,929
I'm assuming your post is referring to the water resistance seals with the difference between the iPhone 6 and iPhone 7 regarding the Tech experience.

Either way, what's happening now, is other consumers are becoming impatient because of the delays with the batteries, and now resorting to third-party companies to replacing the battery, which I would not do (Unless the situation calls for it). I would wait for Apple to replace the battery to avoid any such issues with warranties/repair procedures.

To access the battery on iPhone 7, the tech has more components to remove like the barometric vent and Taptic Engine. The iPhone 7 display opens up in a different manner compared to previous designs. It swings opens like a book instead of a clamshell, so techs need to be mindful of that to avoid tearing cables.

I’m less concerned about the display seals as those are easily replaced.
 

Minarets

macrumors 6502a
Oct 28, 2011
857
367
How will I know they replaced my battery? I went in today as the battery they ordered for my 6s finally arrived and they didn’t even charge me the $29.99? Why? Now i wonder if they even replaced it. Using the phone now. My battery case is charging the phone as we speak. Weird.
 

Hustler1337

macrumors 68000
Dec 23, 2010
1,842
1,595
London, UK
I phoned them back today since they didn't call back as promised. The repair team in Czech Republic reported back to Apple Support that the LCD is broken and they won't do anything without me paying extra to replace the LCD... basically they don't trust customers. The screen either broke during transit or the employee broke my LCD while opening the phone and lying about it then passing on the charges onto me.
I tried hard to reason but in the end I just paid the £136 pounds to replace the screen...
Never again will I use Apple's Send-in program. Absolutely disgraceful.
I would have refused to pay the £136 and escalated the issue whist asking for my phone back. By paying it, you've basically accepted that your LCD was already broken in their eyes.
How will I know they replaced my battery? I went in today as the battery they ordered for my 6s finally arrived and they didn’t even charge me the $29.99? Why? Now i wonder if they even replaced it. Using the phone now. My battery case is charging the phone as we speak. Weird.
If you've got a Mac, download Coconut Battery, plug in your iPhone to the Mac and the app should show you your phone's battery health and cycle. If it's got 0 or close to 0 cycles, you have a brand new battery.
 
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Minarets

macrumors 6502a
Oct 28, 2011
857
367
I would have refused to pay the £136 and escalated the issue whist asking for my phone back. By paying it, you've basically accepted that your LCD was already broken in their eyes.

If you've got a Mac, download Coconut Battery, plug in your iPhone to the Mac and the app should show you your phone's battery health and cycle. If it's got 0 or close to 0 cycles, you have a brand new battery.

Thanks but no Mac here. Any other options?
 

apolloa

Suspended
Oct 21, 2008
12,318
7,802
Time, because it rules EVERYTHING!
U.K. send-in experience so far.
I haven't posted on this forum for years but feel the need to because their customer service has gotten worse.
I requested to replace my iPhone 6 battery as the phone didn't give accurate battery percentage (battery percentage drains too fast then slows down when on a low percentage. I have tried recalibration many times).
I chose to use the send-in service as I don't live near an Apple Store. They sent a small box to send the phone to Czech Republic. It only took one day for them to receive it.
When they did, they put my the repair service on hold because apparently the LCD is damaged and asking to pay another £113 + tax to fix my phone or to return the phone back to me. My iPhone was in excellent condition with no external damage. I even left my tempered glass on when I sent it. The only image they posted was a bad quality photo of the back of my iPhone (aluminium back) which is odd.
I phoned Apple support on Friday night and they implied that my phone screen was already cracked already? wtf...
They couldn't even look into the repair case and told me they call me back the next day. The next day they didn't so I called them and they said that the repair team doesn't work weekends so they will call me back on Monday. Then the agent phoned me again saying that it would take another two working days to investigate.
So I am waiting until Wednesday for a call back from the repair team which is ridiculous as I am using an on iPhone 4S.

In hindsight don't use the send-in repair. It seems something fishy with their repair centre...
If you do, take photos of your phone or video of you packing the phone in the box to prove that the phone was in excellent condition.

As your in the U.K., threaten to report them to trading standards, and then follow up with that threat if they don’t resolve your phone AND fix your screen for free which must have broken in transit.

EDIT: oh never mind, you didn’t exercise your consumer rights and gave in and paid them..
 

44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
37,642
42,491
As your in the U.K., threaten to report them to trading standards, and then follow up with that threat if they don’t resolve your phone AND fix your screen for free which must have broken in transit.

The need to threaten is over exacerbated to have your way with any situation. OR, a more sensible and logical manner, You could simply be firm and subjective and still try to get your point across without having to come as hostile to have the situation rectified with the display/phone.
 

apolloa

Suspended
Oct 21, 2008
12,318
7,802
Time, because it rules EVERYTHING!
The need to threaten is over exacerbated to have your way with any situation. OR, a more sensible and logical manner, You could simply be firm and subjective and still try to get your point across without having to come as hostile to have the situation rectified with the display/phone.

Yes your right, why should any tax payer use the services those taxes pay for, why should they ever exercise there consumer rights and the law, it’s frankly ridiculous to expect anyone to do that when it’s against ‘APPLE’ right? /s

Instead of picking on my comment, you only needed to add a simple reply to the thread, but nope, you chose to advise someone ‘not’ to exercise their rights as I advised.

Not everyone is a negotiating magician as you claim to be and different countries offer different consumer rights, to advise someone not to use those rights just because you don’t see the point is VERY bad consumer advice, especially when your paying for it if it’s a government department!
 
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exumdirect

macrumors newbie
Jul 22, 2013
10
2
I don't think it works like that. When you hand over your phone they don't immediately work on it, it gets taken to the back office/workshop and placed in a queue with everyone else's devices.

Given the number of people handing phones in for the battery replacement (and also other issues cracked screens etc.), it will take time to clear the queue.

It's also apparent to me that possibly due to the "chaos", quality control after the fix isn't what it should be as my phone was handed back to me with the vibration/haptic feedback functionality not working (I didn't notice until later...).
Unfortunately I know that it does not work that way. But why should I have to go to a store 3 times to not get a battery? The first trip...yeah you need one. We ordered one for you. Second trip, We have your battery come on in....yeah you need one and we actually forgot to order one for you. Third trip we have it, please hurry in and then wait 4 hours. I have to believe that there is a better way to communicate to a customer. BTW, when you call for an appointment, you get a center in Texas and not your local store.....I had to beg to get connected to my local store so I could confirm that they had the battery....which they did confirm but actually did not have. Fun.
 

donawalt

Contributor
Sep 10, 2015
1,113
538
Unfortunately I know that it does not work that way. But why should I have to go to a store 3 times to not get a battery? The first trip...yeah you need one. We ordered one for you. Second trip, We have your battery come on in....yeah you need one and we actually forgot to order one for you. Third trip we have it, please hurry in and then wait 4 hours. I have to believe that there is a better way to communicate to a customer. BTW, when you call for an appointment, you get a center in Texas and not your local store.....I had to beg to get connected to my local store so I could confirm that they had the battery....which they did confirm but actually did not have. Fun.

You are correct - at least in my case. First visit - they determined my phone needed a new battery (although I have read you can still ask for the $29 battery replacement if you want). They said right at that time the battery would have to be ordered and I would be notified. I got an email to just come in, the battery was in, I had 5 days to come in or it "may" be used for someone else. I did not need another Genius appt. I went in when I wanted, announced myself, I was immediately helped by someone, as they were busy 75 minutes later I had my phone back with a new battery. 2 visits, one appointment.
 

i-Liam

macrumors regular
Sep 10, 2016
241
667
Took my Wife’s 6s plus (out of warranty) to the Apple store in Liverpool last week, and they to replaced the battery for £25. A few hours later we picked her phone up, and 10 minutes after leaving the store we discovered that her ear piece receiver was not working at all. We went back in the store and they replaced it with a brand new one there and then for no extra charge.
 

ninaco

macrumors 6502
Mar 11, 2012
331
112
VA
I had an appointment on the 8th for my 6s+. (Fairfax, VA). Only had to wait a few minutes. The genius ran a battery test and said mine was operating at 89% efficiency. I still asked for a replacement, and he didn’t try to talk me out of it.

Still waiting on the battery to come in. Since they don’t do appointments for the actual replacement, the wait at the store after the battery arrives could be anywhere between 1-4 hours. Wishing I had waited for an appointment to open up at the store closer to my home. But, i didn’t realize it would take 2 visits.
 
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bookofkils

macrumors newbie
Jan 16, 2018
5
4
Bridgewater, Virginia
I posted this response on another thread, but this one seems to be more appropriate for reporting my own experience...

I sent in my iPhone 6, which I bought in September 2014, for the $29 battery replacement. I have never had any work of any kind done to the phone. It is in excellent condition. They sent the phone back without replacing my battery. Their email reply read: "Your product arrived at our repair center, but our technicians weren't able to process your repair request. We’re sending the product to you along with a letter that provides more information. If you have questions about the letter, feel free to Contact Apple Support to review your options. Be sure to use the same Repair ID. We apologize for any inconvenience." The letter accompanying the phone on return said that their technicians performed "complete diagnostic tests" and "confirmed that it now meets Apple specifications for performance, usability and functionality." Apple claimed it would replace all batteries, regardless of the condition, correct? That is, of course, as long as the phone hadn't already received a battery, or been tampered with, etc etc. Anyway, I contacted Apple today by chat to lodge a complaint. Here is part of my chat transcription:

Frank: Due to the availability of the parts, the device was returned un-repaired and your hold will be returned to your credit card as well.

Frank: What we can do here to move forward, however...

Frank: Parts should be available in the future. We have a few options. Is mail in repair the method you prefer, or is heading into an Apple Retail Store an option as well?

James: Mail in.

Frank: What I can do is attempt to set up the repair again here, however if it prevents me from doing so due to part constraints we’ll need to get you in touch with an Apple Care Advisor from our phone support team. They would be able to take ownership of the case, and attempt the set up the repair at a later time and reach out to you once successful.

James: Forgive my exasperation but...I was going to be charged for a repair that was promised but not made and wouldn't have taken place unless I contacted Apple? And now you don't know if the battery is even available?

Frank: That is correct.

I was finally told I'd need to speak to an Apple Adviser on the phone. Initially, she told me that Apple had determined my 3 1/2 year old phone's battery was fine and that I'd been denied a replacement. She essentially said it was Apple's call to determine if I was allowed to take part in the $29 battery replacement program. I asked her if Apple's announcement that the company would replace phone batteries regardless of condition was untrue. The response was vague, but after a few back and forth's, she told me she would run my case by an advisory board to see what their response was. "They" agreed that my battery should be replaced but I'd have to drive 45 miles to the nearest Apple store to have the repair done...in about two weeks. The alternative was to mail in the phone but that that might take 10 days or more.

Very frustrating experience from a company I've purchased products from since 1985. I will say, however, that the people I chatted with or talked to on the phone were quite polite and tried to be helpful. Still.
 
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