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I went to the Apple Store in Miami today to get a replacement iPhone after the touchscreen on mine broke when I dropped it on my wood floor.
Since I read on the iPhone warranty that “service may not be available if your iPhone has been damaged due to accident or abuse,” I wasn’t expecting the store to give me a free replacement.
And they didn’t. Despite my pleas, both the tech support rep and a manager insisted that the warranty would not cover any physical damage.
So I reluctantly handed over $250 big ones — an act I’m hoping to soon forget — to get myself a replacement iPhone.
Apple’s repair fee for the iPhone is much too high, in my opinion. I feel that charging $250 for something that probably costs $10 or $20 to fix is taking advantage of customers.
Apple knows that once I’ve paid the hefty price for an iPhone, I’m not likely to leave it damaged and buy a competitor’s phone, especially when there are few phones out there that can offer the same user experience. They could probably charge a repair fee of $400, the price of a new iPhone, and people would still pay up.
So I went home and tried to forget about the arm and the leg I’d just given to Apple in exchange for a new iPhone. Then, as I was importing my backed up contacts from iTunes and upgrading to firmware version 1.1.3, I noticed a significant discoloration on the chrome that I had missed before.
Had the iPhone replacement cost me $50, I would have disregarded the smudge, but for $250 I refused to settle for a new iPhone that was anything less than perfect. So, irritated, I drove back to the Apple Store and explained this to a manager.
Although he was nice, he tried to explain to me that certain defects are “within spec,” and that I might be out of luck.
He said, “for example, if a pixel on the screen is out, that would be within spec and we wouldn’t be required to replace it.” In other words, “if we give you a damaged product, it’s not our fault.”
I refused to accept such a nonsense policy, so the manager agreed to put me on standby so that I could talk to a tech support rep at the Genius bar. Once I was called up, the tech support employee replaced my phone without hesitation.
Now I’ve finally got a clean, functioning iPhone. Next week, I’m ordering myself a case so that this doesn’t happen again. Can anyone recommend a good iPhone case?
21 Comments So Far...
I really like my Agent18 plastic form fitted case. Yet it doesn’t provide protection for the screen. You might like the Sena MagnetFlipper Case for iPhone (Croco Black). It wraps your iPhone in leather and has a nice flip cover for protecting your screen. It would definitely cushion the iPhone in a fall.
Thanks Joshua! I’ve got my eye on the Agent 18 EcoShield for iPhone. It looks pretty nice. It doesn’t cover the glass but at least the edges of the case are lifted slightly above the screen so that the phone wouldn’t fall directly on the glass if I were to drop it again (God forbid).
I owned the Agent18 Eco looks great but made minor scratches to the nickel area of my phone. No grip, two times it slid of my fingers. I still looking for the best case or cover or skin.
Any suggestions on the best approach to take at the Apple Store when bringing in an iPhone that dropped and has a cracked glass (still works, charging wasn’t so good before, a little worse now, volume wasn’t very loud before either.) I’ve heard/read some stores will give you a new one, others won’t talk to you very long.
Max, the Apple Store at The Falls in Miami told me the warranty would not cover any physical damage. If you want any chance at getting a free replacement I’d guess your best bet is to not admit you dropped it, but even then I don’t know what your odds are. Good luck!
I’m new to AiR, but I suggest the iSkin revo for iPhone. The price is a bit up there, but then again I can’t put a price on protection. It’s like no other case.. by the way I’ve been through 4 different cases, including the Agent18 Eco.. no comparison.
I really like my case, its rubber w/ bumpers on the corners. I’ve dropped my phone a few times but I’ve never noticed any damage and it doesn’t make that horrible sound I remember from dropping my old slvr. Anyway, the rubber absorbs shock better than other material and though it takes away from the fancy sleekness, its worth it. I think its by a company called dlo, that’s what of says on the case. Or maybe its olo.
Oh and the bumpers stick out a little bit so even if you drop it on its face, the glass won’t touch the floor. Good luck with your new phone!
oh right, the only thing I hate about it, its got this annoying thing on the back for storing the iPhone headphones but since I don’t use them, I hacked it off with an exacto blade. Not very pretty but whatever.
Brigid, I think you mean the DLO Jam Jacket. I like the looks of that case but I heard from other people also that the headphone thing on the back is more of an annoyance than anything. Thanks for sharing.
Joshua, I have the SENA MagnetFlipper Case for my I-Phone. It’s a pretty nice carring case, made of leather. It wraps your iPhone in leather and has a nice flip cover for protecting your screen. It would definitely cushion the iPhone in a fall. The only problem I have with this case is that the corners of the phone are not protected. If you happened to drop your phone on one of the corners they will be damaged.
Hold on everyone!. I just got out of my car and my Iphone fell out of my ZCover Silicon Case. Where do I go now- Zcover or Apple. Do I wait for 3G. Of course my glass shattered over 50% of the screen. The Bottom line is, what I thought was the best case ” really stinks”. This event happened 15 minutes ago. I thought i would check the Web and see how much this glass cost. I am really bummed. I am curious if Z cover will even care. Any way don’t buy a Z case even if it looks cool. Darrell
I love my Iphone, but I think it’s too expensive, and the fact that if you drop it out of your pocket it breaks and the only thing that apple offers is a $250 fee to replace it. The fact that neither AT&T nor apple offers insurance is a rip off. The bottom line buy a stupid protector before it breaks like mine, I have use mobile since I’m 16 and have never broke one, now I’m 28, and get the Apple, I end it up paying $400 for the I phone plus $250 to replace it, and the cover is $80, then I find out that the cost is $50 or less, and they sell it in china for $90, they also where selling the glass in the internet but apple bought all of them.
iPhone should have a real warranty or insurance. The applecare is worthless. It only gives you 1 year more than the basic 1 year it comes with. They will NOT allow you to get insurance on it with your monthly bill like any other cell phone. So, when your iphone stops working after 2 years, you have a $500. worthless piece of junk. Many people, myself included, have owned other PDA phones and dealt with this. At least when my new Treo went bad, the carrier insurance replaced it. As long as I pay the monthly $3 or $4. they have to replace the phone as long as I own it. I paid $359. for the Treo, and it had to be replaced 4 times in 3 years. They never had any abuse, they are delicate, and go bad often. The iPhone is just as delicate and WILL go bad often. If I’m going to pay $500. for the iPhone, I want an insurance that will cover it for as long as I am using it. A $500. phone is EXPECTED to last me a minimum of 4 years. Apple is screwing people by refusing to allow monthly cell phone insurance or a renewable yearly warranty for as long as you have the service. Apple is trying to force people into having a 2 year $500. cell phone! With my current Treo, I will always have a working, fully covered for replacement, cell phone as long as I pay the monthly $4. insurance. That makes a whole lot more sense than the Apple rip off.
I have recently bought a nice leather case for the iPhone, seemed to keep the iPhone safe until I had it in my pocket last week and it hit the side of the chair and cracked in 5 places even with the bloody case on.. So to be honest only the really bulky hard plastic cases may keep your iPhone 99% safe!!
I bought a cover for my iphone called invisible shield. I purchased it at zagg.com It covers the entire phone and I love it.
After hearing that a friend had gotten a new iphone via complaining to the Genius Bar at the apple store, I did the same. Just said that battery “was not performing” and that the speaker sounded a little ‘crackly’. They ran a diagnostic test and after a few minutes I signed a paper and walked out with a brand new iphone, for free.
I am amazed at apple. My daughter dropped her iphone and her glass is broken. The phone still works perfectly, which is surprising. I ask her about a warranty, and she advised she didn’t have one, and of course with her dropping the phone, I was sure they wouldn’t cover the replacement on the phone. Then to find it would cost as much to replace just the glass as the original phone is absolutely crazy. After spending about 20 minutes looking at all the reported problems with the phones, I guess the best thing she can do now, is just find a better phone to buy, and hopefully one that isn’t as fragile. She has tried a number of cases, they seem to cause a problem with the on - off button. So, the cases are still put away, and the phone is now more fragile than it was.
Everyone I know who has an iphone has a cracked screen, including mine and mine had a gel case cover on it when it broke. I refuse to pay apple that much money to fix my screen, thank goodness it still works, it just looks crapy now. But I flash it to everyone telling them this is why they should not buy an iphone. I’m also going to cancel my contract with at&t, I knew once they took over cingular wireless the customer service would go out the window.
August 2008 and Apple is screwing us again! The iphone is a total ripoff. Apple still won’t allow monthly insurance with your plan. ATT says it is Apple that won’t let them offer insurance on the iphone. I spoke to them today. So, you are screwed WHEN this delicate iphone breaks. Apple will not replace it. Even WHEN the sofware goes bad, they won’t replace it. Apple makes you pay them for fixing their iphone! What a bunch of crap. Don’t buy an iphone until they offer monthly insurance plan like other cell phones!
The leather case i got for my phone is stylish and very functional.
http://www.pielframa.com check it out
Well, I had my Iphone for 3 days I was soo careful and carried it to work in the leather case. When I went to use the phone the screen was cracked. I was horrified. Apparently with my leather case the edge of the phone was exposed. I took the phone into the Apple Store the next day and had to pay $299 for a new phone. They will not even service the phone. Since Im a medical professional on-call 24/7 I had no choice but to fork over the $250. However, my credit card company has a policy that covers purchased items that are damaged within 90 days of purchase. I filed a claim and Im still waiting for the result. However, the woman assured me it was covered.