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UPDATE: Does Apple still do the water damage replacement for $199?

L

LIVEFRMNYC

macrumors G3
Original poster
Oct 27, 2009
8,954
11,144
Dropped my iPhone outside today in gushing flood waters due to heavy rain. The camera lens is completely full of moisture so I know water got inside. It basically goes into recovery mode and that's it. Can't even restore without an error.

So basically just want to know if I can go to the Apple store and get a replacement. Do they still replace for refurbs at $199?
 
Last edited:
saving107 said:
Yes, they do.
Click to expand...

Great, thanks.

I tried to google, but I found mostly stuff from 2010 and back.

appleguy123 said:
Yes, but my Apple store has been doing it for free a lot. You might get lucky too!
Click to expand...

That would be sweet but I doubt I would get it for free. This would be my second exchange. Before I exchanged it cause of the mic not working except on speaker bug, and got a brand new(not refurb) replacement. The genius will probably see that in the records and automatically make me pay.
 
GREAT NEWS:

Just went to the Apple store on 5 ave in NYC since they are open 24/7. Waited about 40min since it was crowded. An Apple genius called my name then 10 min later gave me another iPhone 4 at no charge. :)

I already had my card out ready to pay. He told me I was 11 days past my warranty but accidents happen so don't worry about paying. He also told me if it happens again I would have to pay.

And to top it off, it had a small crack on the front glass above the camera on the left corner. It wasn't that noticeable, but the way he grilled my iPhone up close, there's no way he could have missed it. It was also the same guy who replaced my phone before.

I can't think of any other company with such a forgiving attitude, especially tech companies.


The only bad thing is now I'm on 4.3.5 and can't do a untethered JB.
 
LIVEFRMNYC said:
GREAT NEWS:

Just went to the Apple store on 5 ave in NYC since they are open 24/7. Waited about 40min since it was crowded. An Apple genius called my name then 10 min later gave me another iPhone 4 at no charge. :)

I already had my card out ready to pay. He told me I was 11 days past my warranty but accidents happen so don't worry about paying. He also told me if it happens again I would have to pay.

And to top it off, it had a small crack on the front glass above the camera on the left corner. It wasn't that noticeable, but the way he grilled my iPhone up close, there's no way he could have missed it. It was also the same guy who replaced my phone before.

I can't think of any other company with such a forgiving attitude, especially tech companies.


The only bad thing is now I'm on 4.3.5 and can't do a untethered JB.
Click to expand...

Wow. Lucky guy. :apple:
 
Stories like this show why the Apple experience sometimes just can't be beat :)

Glad to hear OP you really lucked out!
 
LIVEFRMNYC said:
GREAT NEWS:

Just went to the Apple store on 5 ave in NYC since they are open 24/7. Waited about 40min since it was crowded. An Apple genius called my name then 10 min later gave me another iPhone 4 at no charge. :)

I already had my card out ready to pay. He told me I was 11 days past my warranty but accidents happen so don't worry about paying. He also told me if it happens again I would have to pay.

And to top it off, it had a small crack on the front glass above the camera on the left corner. It wasn't that noticeable, but the way he grilled my iPhone up close, there's no way he could have missed it. It was also the same guy who replaced my phone before.

I can't think of any other company with such a forgiving attitude, especially tech companies.


The only bad thing is now I'm on 4.3.5 and can't do a untethered JB.
Click to expand...

I know of a friend who got the same treatment as you about a week after his warranty was up! So your case is not a one-off. Apple does have a very forgiving attitude! :)
 
LIVEFRMNYC said:
GREAT NEWS:

Just went to the Apple store on 5 ave in NYC since they are open 24/7. Waited about 40min since it was crowded. An Apple genius called my name then 10 min later gave me another iPhone 4 at no charge. :)

I already had my card out ready to pay. He told me I was 11 days past my warranty but accidents happen so don't worry about paying. He also told me if it happens again I would have to pay.

And to top it off, it had a small crack on the front glass above the camera on the left corner. It wasn't that noticeable, but the way he grilled my iPhone up close, there's no way he could have missed it. It was also the same guy who replaced my phone before.

I can't think of any other company with such a forgiving attitude, especially tech companies.


The only bad thing is now I'm on 4.3.5 and can't do a untethered JB.
Click to expand...

That's awesome! I got my iPod touch replaced after dropping it literally outside in the parking lot on my way into the Apple store to get it looked at for a battery drain issue. The screen was completely shattered. After I explained what happened, the genius I talked to told me to hand him the iPod upside down so he wouldn't see the cracked screen. He then replaced my iPod for me. Apple's customer service is easily the best I've ever experienced.
 
Yea, they are great. I took my brother's 3GS to the Apple store at the Irvine spectrum because he didn't believe that they would replace his phone with a cracked screen at no charge. He still has Applecare until 11/11 and I went in and tried to be real nice to the genius and a few minutes after looking up some info on the phone, he replaced it at no charge.:):) The great thing is that he gave me one that was on 4.3.3 so I can still JB it for him when he decides to sell it.
 
ahbdesign said:
I know of a friend who got the same treatment as you about a week after his warranty was up! So your case is not a one-off. Apple does have a very forgiving attitude! :)
Click to expand...

My dad had the same experience, which is why I told the OP it'd likely be free. I go to Apple a lot, and I've never seen anyone actually pay the $199.
 
Apples profit margins are so much greater than other companies, they can easily afford to do what they do.
 
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