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US citizens who bought their AW from abroad - what happens?
- Thread starter TwoBytes
- Start date
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I'm in this same situation. I live in the US and purchased my watch while on vacation in Thailand from a premium Apple Reseller. I tried returning the watch and they aren't accepting the return. I then contacted Apple and spoke to an Advisor in which they said that even when I return to the US the ECG feature won't work. Now I am stuck with a brand new watch that doesn't work as expected. I am escalating this matter within Apple because it's just not fair.
As you stated, if Apple never once stated the device would be region specific locked. If that was the case and they made it clear, I would never have purchased outside the USA.
It was stated during the keynote that ECG was available to the US-only market to begin with. Easy to miss, I know.
Why is it unfair? Apple had communicated that the US was the first other nations were to occur in the future. You bought a non-US apple watch in another country.
Look on the apple web site
There are significant differences in LTE and 3G bands between regions. Personably I would only buy a watch in the country I live in
There are significant differences in LTE and 3G bands between regions. Personably I would only buy a watch in the country I live in
I think you misunderstand. Yes, US first, but what about the US people who bought an Apple product outside the US?
Where did Apple explain it's hardware specific?
Where is the warning stating you should not buy from abroad or the ECG won't work?
Where was the documentation on how it would work, especially since people were buying the AW4 on faith the ECG would come soon.
If anything, there was the public presumption that it's just a region change which Apple didn't address. Apple quote MLK all the time and to stick it back at them, it's what they didn't say that hurts these people. It's what's not said which they could have clearly stipulated that makes this bad.
I even heard Apple store employees tell customers activating the ECG is just a region change - that's an indication of what the perception was due to the purposeful lack of information Apple gave.
What happens to everyone who bought the AW4 thinking the ECG is just weeks away so they got a device prepared, sold their old watch to get a good price, had a birthday or gift, etc. These are the people left out who probably were the first to adopt because they wanted to use the ECG feature which they are now locked out from.
This just looks to me is Apple was looking to make quick sales figures for a new product launch or trying to drive up export sales of US watches. To the average American consumer buying or family member gifting, they see 'oh, ECG coming soon' and they buy.
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Many people choose to ignore Apple's warning about their warranty, but it's not a good idea to buy an Apple product in a different country.
"Apple may restrict warranty service for hardware products to the country where Apple or its Authorized Distributors originally sold the device."
I had a problem with a Canon camera under warranty when I was in Japan, and I thought it would be simple to take care of since Canon is a Japanese company. They wouldn't repair it because it was purchased in the US, and was covered by the US warranty.
I know it's not directly related, but I personally would not have bought an Apple Watch in another region knowing there were region-specific restrictions.
In the end, I imagine this issue will eventually be resolved by Apple.
This thread isn't about a warranty. This is about a feature they said is coming to a device.
Even if it was, as long as the device is portable, Apple should deal with it. Worse case you send it back to the original country.
Even if it was, as long as the device is portable, Apple should deal with it. Worse case you send it back to the original country.
Correct, if you didn't buy your watch in the US, it's not going to work. And apparently this guy is having difficulty getting it exchanged.
I heard that if you bought the watch in the wrong hemisphere the watch hands will go the other way around...
Yes, you're correct. It was stated that the ECG feature/app/software would be available only in the US at launch. But, Apple never said those devices would have different hardware than Watches sold internationally. Ever since the launch of the original Apple Watch, there were never different hardware for different regions. It was either the 38mm or the 42mm and they all housed the same internals. The series 4 is a different story and Apple should've made clear from the start.
It's one thing to purchase the watch knowing that while I'm overseas I can't use the new ECG feature and that it's only available in the USA. But when I return to the USA from my vacation I should be able to activate that feature. Because international versions are 'supposedly' using different internals, I'm not able to use those features, EVER.
That is the problem here. Apple never once made this clear.
It's not different hardware in regards to ECG. What gave you this idea?
That’s correct. The hardware is the same (not considering the cellular radio) in all the markets. It’s a serial/model number lookup that is blocking non-US devices. Model numbers with “LL” at the end are us devices.
Yeah, damn him for wanting to follow the law and all that.
Yay he also followed the law in China to let the Chinese government host all iCloud data.
Apple is a good corporate citizen. When the law is in line with the interest of Apple, what's the price of value?
iCloud data for Chinese citizens is stored on servers in China. Oh my.Yay he also followed the law in China to let the Chinese government host all iCloud data.
where you purchase your apple watch requires caution in 3 cases:
1 LTE bands vary by country
2 if you intend to use cellular on yr LTE watch, the number you are given by the carrier will only allow that function within the country you used it in. international roaming using that function not available.
3 apple restricts functionality based on country (eg, ECK)
there is no "world watch" unfortunately due to bands and regulations.
it is after all, a wide, wide, world.
1 LTE bands vary by country
2 if you intend to use cellular on yr LTE watch, the number you are given by the carrier will only allow that function within the country you used it in. international roaming using that function not available.
3 apple restricts functionality based on country (eg, ECK)
there is no "world watch" unfortunately due to bands and regulations.
it is after all, a wide, wide, world.