Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Those with defective 5S units...How did you file a return, and what is the wait time?

Korican100

Korican100

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Oct 9, 2012
1,217
626
Welp, i won the bad luck lottery with my Iphone 5s. The screen turned black as if the proximity sensor blacked the screen, and it never came back on. Backlights come on, and the phone still makes sounds (lock, texts, siri etc) but the screen is black. Troubleshooted every possiblility no go.

SO ANYWAYS, now I have to return this beautiful thing, and well I'm fearful of another long wait. I had to wait about 2 weeks to get it.

I'm hoping since this is defective, will I be sent one immediately? or will I be pushed to the back of the line, like if I ordered one outright today?

I chatted to an Apple specialist, and they gave me a list of choices. Express return, where they expedite a replacement to me, put a hold on my card, then drop the charge once they receive my defective unit (which im going to do). Or the other usual ones like go to a store etc, or send it in first blah blah.

Anyone want to chime in? Thanks.

This sucks!
 
just contacted apple support. They are doing express replacement, and my phone will get here either today or tomorrow. That's good and all but the lady on the phone said there will be a 9 out of 10 chance I will receive a refurbished unit. Whatever that means. Sheesh.

if I get a refurb, best believe I will be contacting them again.
 
c0LdFire said:
You won't have another phone until November.
Click to expand...

Likely wrong. Apple retail stores have a stock for returns. When I had to return my iPad the week it came out, stock was incredibly limited and orders were still 3-4 weeks out. They had a giant brown box stock in back. It was easy.
 
I did an express return of my gold 32 gig ATT phone. It took one day for the order to process and I got it in two days shipped via FedEx. It was ordered by the Apple care specialist on a Wednesday and I got it on a Monday
 
Korican100 said:
Welp, i won the bad luck lottery with my Iphone 5s. The screen turned black as if the proximity sensor blacked the screen, and it never came back on. Backlights come on, and the phone still makes sounds (lock, texts, siri etc) but the screen is black. Troubleshooted every possiblility no go.

SO ANYWAYS, now I have to return this beautiful thing, and well I'm fearful of another long wait. I had to wait about 2 weeks to get it.

I'm hoping since this is defective, will I be sent one immediately? or will I be pushed to the back of the line, like if I ordered one outright today?

I chatted to an Apple specialist, and they gave me a list of choices. Express return, where they expedite a replacement to me, put a hold on my card, then drop the charge once they receive my defective unit (which im going to do). Or the other usual ones like go to a store etc, or send it in first blah blah.

Anyone want to chime in? Thanks.

This sucks!
Click to expand...

I've been waiting for a week and nothing yet. I might go ahead and get an upgrade from another line and return this one for full refund. BestBuy will be giving thius weekend $100 for any smartphone trade in and I still have my first HTC Hero and I might turn that one in and save $100.

----------
Dstopsie said:
I did an express return of my gold 32 gig ATT phone. It took one day for the order to process and I got it in two days shipped via FedEx. It was ordered by the Apple care specialist on a Wednesday and I got it on a Monday
Click to expand...

I'm surprise, I spoke to like 7 reps and non of them knew what a express return was... I end up talking to Management representative and they did it without a credit card.
 
GoCubsGo said:
Likely wrong. Apple retail stores have a stock for returns. When I had to return my iPad the week it came out, stock was incredibly limited and orders were still 3-4 weeks out. They had a giant brown box stock in back. It was easy.
Click to expand...

Why are they in a brown box?

Are they new ?
 
macred said:
Why are they in a brown box?

Are they new ?
Click to expand...

They might have been re-done defectives from the factory or returns.

Either way, they always get a new casing and new battery. The only thing that is actually "refurb" about Apple refurbs is the mainboard inside.
 
Apple refurbs are as good as a new device in my experience. If they put them in the retail box you wouldn't even know they were refurbs. Well, except that one time I got a refurb iPhone 5 that couldn't make phone calls...
 
M87 said:
Apple refurbs are as good as a new device in my experience. If they put them in the retail box you wouldn't even know they were refurbs. Well, except that one time I got a refurb iPhone 5 that couldn't make phone calls...
Click to expand...

I have found the same thing -- I once accidentally crushed my iPod touch screen and the refurb unit I got was perfect. My sister accidentally threw her phone across a room and it was unlucky enough to hit a corner, so the screen cracked. She also got a pristine replacement that is still working perfectly two years later.

I'm not super surprised that occasionally a refurb won't work properly ... s*it happens.

I just hope that, with apple making so many units, there won't be tons of messed up phones out there.
 
The only way to express replace anything is with a refurb, else you'll be bumped to the end of the line. 5s refurbs were also defective ones fixed or minor paint scratches. They usually are inspected more thoroughly. If all fails you can always exchange it again. :D
 
I get the idea that you want a new phone since you are asking for a warranty replacement on a new phone. It was defective and that isn't your fault so you want a new phone. I get that. However, 9/10 an Apple Replacement is better than a new phone because it was meticulously inspected. So you can be sure there probably won't be any scuffs and there won't be any hardware issue. Obviously there are exceptions but that's why the warranty exists you can just keep getting faulty units replaced.
 
M87 said:
Apple refurbs are as good as a new device in my experience. If they put them in the retail box you wouldn't even know they were refurbs. Well, except that one time I got a refurb iPhone 5 that couldn't make phone calls...
Click to expand...

Apple refurbs are awesome. Typically, you have BETTER luck with them in my experience, since they at one point had a problem that was repaired and rigorously inspected. My rMBP was a refurb, and outside of the packaging you'd never be able to tell the difference - yet I saved about $400 off the price for it.
 
macred said:
Did it look new or used like a refurbished?
Click to expand...

The refurbs look like new, not used, and at this point they might not be using refurbs for replacements. At launch they take new iPhones and set them aside for the white box replacements at the stores and also for mail in replacements as well.
 
If you require a replacement, and stores do not have them, can you contact support? will they mail you one?
 
I actually just folowed up on my return through Apple chat (advanced expert help) and they told me they have NO remanufactured/refurbished iphone 5s' right now. They are all new stock they are replacing defective units with. He said they just haven't had the time to remanufacture them to even send any refurbs out.


So i feel pretty good about that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back