Unfortunately, no good Apple Store experience for me

[treyjustice]

Yeah man it sucks but you can't really expect them to replace it out of the one year warranty. Hate to biatch but if you would of bought applecare they would have replaced it because it would still be under warranty. Apple is quite good at replacing stuff in warranty. I jumped into a lake with my iPhone 4 and they replaced it no problem under warranty. It wouldn't even power on!

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Their "policy" is apparently bendable.

My sister dropped her phone and shattered the front. She made me spend all this time, trying to figure out how to DIY replace. I told her not bother going to Apple and ask for a free replacement, because they would laugh at her. She already had the phone for months.

So what happens? One day, she's down by the Apple store. She decides to ask them just in case. Walks out with a brand new phone.

Moral of the story: make sure you are a girl, if you're going to try.

She probably was still under the one year warranty. I haven't heard many people getting that replaced out of warranty. They are usually allowed one gratuity replacement if it is still in warranty. The iPhone 4S will not be eligible under those guidelines though.

 

[britboyj]

The introduction of AppleCare+ has apparently tied employee hands in most circumstances. When I was a Genius we could CS code basically any repair we wanted if it made the customer happy. It was Genius/FRS discretion.

Even users with phones purchased BEFORE AppleCare+ even existed get treated as if they turned down the caviar.

Now it's all by-the-book-all-the-time. They even removed the option to CS code within the iRepair tool. If it's an EXTREME circumstance, the Genius has to go to bat for you with a manager, and they have to override the cost at the register.

So whereas before the Genius was empowered to make you smile, you now have to be nice enough to them to get them to go and fight with the their manager for it.

That's a very, very tough sell. No Genius wants to be "the one who tries to CS code everything" because it means lower performance review and thus, less of a raise.

A possible explanation is that Genius Bar repairs, when done OOW or CS coded, come out of the store's budget, whereas they used to come out of AppleCare's directly (Geniuses payroll is still technically paid by AppleCare, not Apple Retail) and thus, store were just worried about image.

In reality, it's bringing Apple in line with other retail repair places out there and there IS STILL A PLACE TO GO, which most people don't have, but it is definitely removing that something extra, even if it was only for exceptions.

 

[ZBoater]

I guess the OCD returns took their toll on Apple...

 

[Jasmynp]

I don't know if anyone said this, but if it's possible, I'd try another apple store. You might have just been dealing with a less than gracious sales person.

 

[mush03]

if ur a guy, look for a girl that works at the apple store to help you

i dropped and cracked my ipod touch 4 screen and they replaced it for free... i was shocked
it was still under the one year warranty

got my ipad 2 replaced with no problems because the edge of the screen felt like it was comming loose

they would of replaced it for u no problem if u brought it in while under warranty

 

[Scott90]

The introduction of AppleCare+ has apparently tied employee hands in most circumstances. When I was a Genius we could CS code basically any repair we wanted if it made the customer happy. It was Genius/FRS discretion.

Even users with phones purchased BEFORE AppleCare+ even existed get treated as if they turned down the caviar.

Now it's all by-the-book-all-the-time. They even removed the option to CS code within the iRepair tool. If it's an EXTREME circumstance, the Genius has to go to bat for you with a manager, and they have to override the cost at the register.

So whereas before the Genius was empowered to make you smile, you now have to be nice enough to them to get them to go and fight with the their manager for it.

That's a very, very tough sell. No Genius wants to be "the one who tries to CS code everything" because it means lower performance review and thus, less of a raise.

A possible explanation is that Genius Bar repairs, when done OOW or CS coded, come out of the store's budget, whereas they used to come out of AppleCare's directly (Geniuses payroll is still technically paid by AppleCare, not Apple Retail) and thus, store were just worried about image.

In reality, it's bringing Apple in line with other retail repair places out there and there IS STILL A PLACE TO GO, which most people don't have, but it is definitely removing that something extra, even if it was only for exceptions.

The genius indeed sounded like it wasn't her being unwilling, but the policy forcing her to say that. I don't expect the store to take a replacement phone out of their own budget, I used to work retail and that's just not how it works. I'm not upset with Apple, but I always regarded their customer service to be fantastic (even though I never needed any, just from other stories), now it's just okay, I guess.

I don't know if anyone said this, but if it's possible, I'd try another apple store. You might have just been dealing with a less than gracious sales person.

I drove 3.5 hours to get to this one, the second to nearest one is I believe 4.5. That's just not worth it, especially since it's probably not helping me due to a new policy.

if ur a guy, look for a girl that works at the apple store to help you

i dropped and cracked my ipod touch 4 screen and they replaced it for free... i was shocked
it was still under the one year warranty

got my ipad 2 replaced with no problems because the edge of the screen felt like it was comming loose

they would of replaced it for u no problem if u brought it in while under warranty

Yeah, because that's what warranty is for--replacement product in case of a faulty product. I was just hoping that they would be cool about it, just like they were before AppleCare+.

 

[SomeonePlzHelp]

That's not the stores fault, your warranty ran up, what do you expect?

If you have a 100,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty on your car and at 100,750 miles your transmission goes, your insurance company is gonna say tough luck.
You don't blame your transmission problem on your insurance company, so why take the hate out on the Apple Store?

 

[Scott90]

That's not the stores fault, your warranty ran up, what do you expect?

If you have a 100,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty on your car and at 100,750 miles your transmission goes, your insurance company is gonna say tough luck.
You don't blame your transmission problem on your insurance company, so why take the hate out on the Apple Store?

Where are you seeing me "take the hate out on the Apple Store?" In the first sentence of my post I make it a point to not blaming Apple for anything and that she just did her job.

 

[dndlnx]

She probably was still under the one year warranty. I haven't heard many people getting that replaced out of warranty. They are usually allowed one gratuity replacement if it is still in warranty. The iPhone 4S will not be eligible under those guidelines though.

Yep you're right, she was indeed...but barely. I would have given her nothing.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Bummer... In your place I might have tried too, definitely lots of exceptions get made (though I would not have driven 3.5 hours).

Try iResq, they have home button repair service for $60:

http://www.iresq.com/iphone-repair/iphone-4/iphone-4-home-button-repair-service-black-or-white.html

Lots of similar companies out there, google "iphone repair".

 

[PNutts]

OP don't let the haters get to you. You've been more than reasonable.

If the button is physically hard to press, could there be junk in there? I've seen posted solutions about cleaning sticky buttons (IIRC it involves alcohol and not the good kind).

I suggest you call AppleCare and tell them the whole story as you told it here.

Good luck!