UPDATE: THERE IS AN UPDATE AND SUMMARY TO THIS POST POSTED ON EXAMINER.COM. Please check there for all the follow-ups in one place.
The web is a buzz this morning with news that Apple has altered their iPhone replacement policy for phones with triggered moisture sensors. In my post below, I mention that when I went in, the rep at the Genius Bar told me that to get a new phone I would have to pay $399. I declined.
Well the new policy is that these users can now replace their phones at an Apple store for $199 and get either a new or refurbished unit without having to extend their contract with ATT. I think this is a great PR move on Apple’s part. This issue has been in the spotlight lately, and not just by me. $199 is certainly easier to swallow than $399. Actually someone in the comments on here stated that they wanted him to pay $599 to replace a 5-month old phone with a triggered sensor.
I got a call from my “new buddy” at Apple the other day letting me know that they have been really busy and are running behind but they have not forgotten about my case. My “case” being that they still want to rip apart my old phone and see what’s up with the sensors inside (my guess anyway). I think I may call him and see what he knows about this policy.
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Judd, read my first post at http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-14934-Chicag…. It reports that this is what Apple was supposed to do with my phone… open it up and report back to me on whether or not the moisture sensors INSIDE the phone were tripped. I never heard back.
A replacement phone is not $500. It is $199, and that is if the indicators on the bottom of the phone, or in the earphone jack are tripped.
does Apple tech support check the replacement iphones? If I give them a card to hold $500 and to get a replacement iphone does Apple look at the old one to see if I opened it up? I am having lock up issues and I have no idea why. Do they look at the old iphone and then charge the $500 for a new phone?
Yeah they said moisture in both ends to me and gave a device to see the corroded red matter , Now I told my buddie @ the “genius bar ” my iPhone has never left my dock in my car …. He says he can make up a report to say other damage …. New phone given to me but never seen the red matter on both ends and my car does not feel moist , damp , wet or any other h2o involved iPhone prone fault makers … Not all heroes wear capes but thank god they lie …..both to me and to apple , don’t take NO for an answer !!!!
Yeah they said moisture in both ends to me and gave a device to see the corroded red matter , Now I told my buddie @ the “genius bar ” my iPhone has never left my dock in my car …. He says he can make up a report to say other damage …. New phone given to me but never seen the red matter on both ends and my car does not feel moist , damp , wet or any other h2o involved iPhone prone fault makers … Not all heroes wear capes but thank god they lie …..both to me and to apple , don’t take NO for an answer !!!!
I went in to an Apple Store in Syracuse, NY last night. The chrome bezel around my 3G was coming loose. The tech support specialist who “helped” me stated the following:
1. The bezel is held down by 2 screws at the bottom. One was coming loose.
2. The moisture sensor was tripped in my phone at the bottom. (It got some in the port when I set it in a cup holder. I immediately powered it down and left it in tupperware w/ Silica packets for 3 days, it’s dry and works FINE).
3. They lacked the capacity to fix the bezel, and would have to replace the phone.
4. They would not replace the phone for free, or at any discount. I was quoted $399 for a replacement. The reasoning was verbatim “We can not replace your phone because due to the water damage it may present problems at some later point.”
I am planning on suing them myself. Hopefully I can get some Cornell Law Student to help me out with this. If anyone in NY has had similar problems, please contact me. I am planning on trying to form a class action in NY.
Also, Apple sold me a protection plan on the phone in August, after the moisture sensor was tripped. As the phone was “unserviceable” by their standards at that time, they knowingly and willfully sold me a protection plan I can not use. If anyone else has had this problem, contact me. It’s fraud and deceptive business practices. adambrace(at)yahoo(dot)com is my e-mail. (Formatting that way on web pages prevents scam mail from trolling programs).
I went in to an Apple Store in Syracuse, NY last night. The chrome bezel around my 3G was coming loose. The tech support specialist who “helped” me stated the following:
1. The bezel is held down by 2 screws at the bottom. One was coming loose.
2. The moisture sensor was tripped in my phone at the bottom. (It got some in the port when I set it in a cup holder. I immediately powered it down and left it in tupperware w/ Silica packets for 3 days, it’s dry and works FINE).
3. They lacked the capacity to fix the bezel, and would have to replace the phone.
4. They would not replace the phone for free, or at any discount. I was quoted $399 for a replacement. The reasoning was verbatim “We can not replace your phone because due to the water damage it may present problems at some later point.”
I am planning on suing them myself. Hopefully I can get some Cornell Law Student to help me out with this. If anyone in NY has had similar problems, please contact me. I am planning on trying to form a class action in NY.
Also, Apple sold me a protection plan on the phone in August, after the moisture sensor was tripped. As the phone was “unserviceable” by their standards at that time, they knowingly and willfully sold me a protection plan I can not use. If anyone else has had this problem, contact me. It’s fraud and deceptive business practices. adambrace(at)yahoo(dot)com is my e-mail. (Formatting that way on web pages prevents scam mail from trolling programs).
Fellow Apple lovers, let’s face it: The iPhone is a piece of crap! Within three weeks, both my iphone and my wife’s died because of the so-called water problem. Even though my phone never got wet by falling into a toilet, getting thrown into a swimming pool or getting wet in the rain, the Apple genius insisted that I was responsible for the iPhone’s death. I grudgingly forked over $200 for a new phone. When my wife’s phone suffered a similar fate under the same circumstances, we again went to the nearby Apple store and were told by the smirking manager that this was not a product deficiency, that we had somehow gotten the phone wet, causing the sensor to turn red. Our attempts to reason with him, followed by a shouting match, did nothing to change his mind. This time, we did not fork up the $200 for a new phone. Now ask yourself this: If your iphone did not get drenched in water, and the sensor most likely turned red because of humidity — or maybe because you breathed on it — rather than being immersed in water, what does this say about the quality of the product? More importantly, why did Apple find it necessary to include a sensor in the iPhone that turns red when exposed to moisture/humidity/ condensation, etc.? It seems they are very well aware of their product’s shortcomings and came up with a great way to protect themselves and make another $200 every time someone comes through the door with this problem. If anyone knows of a class action lawsuit dealing with this particular problem, I’d appreciate hearing about it.
@Joe T.,
An investigation into bringing a class action is underway at http://www.fazmiclaw.com
Fellow Apple lovers, let’s face it: The iPhone is a piece of crap! Within three weeks, both my iphone and my wife’s died because of the so-called water problem. Even though my phone never got wet by falling into a toilet, getting thrown into a swimming pool or getting wet in the rain, the Apple genius insisted that I was responsible for the iPhone’s death. I grudgingly forked over $200 for a new phone. When my wife’s phone suffered a similar fate under the same circumstances, we again went to the nearby Apple store and were told by the smirking manager that this was not a product deficiency, that we had somehow gotten the phone wet, causing the sensor to turn red. Our attempts to reason with him, followed by a shouting match, did nothing to change his mind. This time, we did not fork up the $200 for a new phone. Now ask yourself this: If your iphone did not get drenched in water, and the sensor most likely turned red because of humidity — or maybe because you breathed on it — rather than being immersed in water, what does this say about the quality of the product? More importantly, why did Apple find it necessary to include a sensor in the iPhone that turns red when exposed to moisture/humidity/ condensation, etc.? It seems they are very well aware of their product’s shortcomings and came up with a great way to protect themselves and make another $200 every time someone comes through the door with this problem. If anyone knows of a class action lawsuit dealing with this particular problem, I’d appreciate hearing about it.
@Joe T.,
An investigation into bringing a class action is underway at http://www.fazmiclaw.com
I think one should start a class action lawsuit for these false pretenses of humidity sensors..
I think one should start a class action lawsuit for these false pretenses of humidity sensors..
I had my phone 3 days when I put on one of those invisible sheilds and I guess a drop of the alcohol base triggered the bottom sensor. First I had major static using the jack, and then the problem worked it way down to the speaker and then the ear piece. Apple Genius say $200 to replace… luckly I bought it somewhere else and as soon as they get another shipment I’m taking it back as defective. The problem comes and goes…but mainly these components don’t work much. everything else on the phone works fine, and to get around the earpiece failure I use my bluetooth head set…. If I can’t get the store to exchange it, then I’ll buy blue tooth earphones. Apple should have put in the R n D in making these phones water resitent rather than just putting in sensors.
I had my phone 3 days when I put on one of those invisible sheilds and I guess a drop of the alcohol base triggered the bottom sensor. First I had major static using the jack, and then the problem worked it way down to the speaker and then the ear piece. Apple Genius say $200 to replace… luckly I bought it somewhere else and as soon as they get another shipment I’m taking it back as defective. The problem comes and goes…but mainly these components don’t work much. everything else on the phone works fine, and to get around the earpiece failure I use my bluetooth head set…. If I can’t get the store to exchange it, then I’ll buy blue tooth earphones. Apple should have put in the R n D in making these phones water resitent rather than just putting in sensors.
a great place that repairs water damaged iPhone http://www.northbayiphone.com
a great place that repairs water damaged iPhone http://www.northbayiphone.com
Very cool, good news for iPhone users. 🙂
Wardell’s last blog post..Social Search: The Future of Search
Very cool, good news for iPhone users. 🙂
Wardell’s last blog post..Social Search: The Future of Search