iPhone 6(S)/Plus Wanted battery replacement but refused due to water damage however there has been no water damage?

[lkwray94]

Hey guys,

Hoping someone will be able to help me.

A bit background, I have an IPhone 6, which I got in December 2017 so about 18 months ago.

My phone battery has gone and needs replacing. As you probably know because of the bad press with the slowing down of old iPhones/ battery wear down over time, apple are charging $39 for battery replacement in Aus at the moment.

So I took it into the apple store happy to pay this.

There is a grey/white line that runs diagonally across my phone that appeared at one point a few months ago, you can barely see it when the screen has dark colours on it but is quite clear on a white screen. It does not effect the touch screen at all and is not a physical crack.
She mentioned the line across the screen and said it was indicative of water damage. So she checked the water damage indicator inside the sim card reader and said that this in fact did NOT say that there was any water damage however because of the line across the screen and some stickiness in the phone case she would not be willing to put it in for a service. She said water damage made it a 'health and safety issue'. My only option was to pay $500+ for a new phone outside of warranty.

My question is- How can my phone be water damaged if it is not showing up on the water damage indicator? Especially as I have read on other posts that these can be super sensitive and be triggered by humidity?

But moreover, the problem with my battery is surely nothing to do with water damage, apple have literally came out and said that their batteries wear down over time and are offering cheap replacements for this reason. I really don't want to have to pay $500 for a new model when everything is working fine except the battery (and the fact that as far as I am aware there should be no reason for water damage!)

If I complain about this do I have a leg to stand on? Also if I go back into another apple store and try my luck with another apple employee will my previous appointment be on record or can I play it dumb and pretend I know nothing about any mention of water damage?

 

[Newtons Apple]

I th8nk that is wrong. If the water sensors are not triggered, the line in the screen should not be enough for them to claim water damage.

Escalate it and I bet you will win.

 

[VivaLasVegas]

I had a similar issue when I took my iPhone in for service. After several calls to Apple I got my phone replaced.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

What happens if they try to replace the battery and the screen gets worse? It obviously has damage to the display and if they attempt the repair and the screen doesn’t work anymore, they’re on the hook to replace your phone. I don’t blame them for not wanting to touch it. You can always get a replacement battery from ifixit, they are $29-$39 also and you can do the repair yourself

 

[Matthew.H]

What happens if they try to replace the battery and the screen gets worse? It obviously has damage to the display and if they attempt the repair and the screen doesn’t work anymore, they’re on the hook to replace your phone. I don’t blame them for not wanting to touch it. You can always get a replacement battery from ifixit, they are $29-$39 also and you can do the repair yourself

From OP's post it seems their in Australia where there are consumer protection laws. I tried looking for a timescale of coverage under the law but couldn't find a definitive answer. From what I read it looks to be much the same as the consumer protection here in the UK where goods are expected to last a reasonable length of time and be fit for purpose. I'd say the screen developing a line after less than 18 months is not reasonable for a $500+ phone.

Apple should probably be replacing the screen for free anyway. It the indicators haven't triggered the store staff shouldn't automatically consider it as water damage.