Dubious "Found an issue with your product" Apple repair

[watkipet]

I sent my iPhone 8 in to Apple for a ~$45 battery replacement. I used the UPS shipment method. It went to a business at the following address:
Pegatron USA
2811 Laguna Blvd
Elk Grove, CA
95758-7410

Instead of replacing the battery, Apple stated:

Our technicians found an issue with your product that wasn't mentioned in the original repair request. Please visit the Update Your Repair website for the details. You can choose to pay for the repair, have us return the product to you unrepaired, or let us recycle the product for you.

The listed issue was that the cell phone radio hardware needed to be repaired. I believe the estimate was $350. I called the phone number listed, had to educate the operator about the situation at hand, and requested that they only replace the battery. The operator said Apple wouldn't do that and my only option was to have the phone sent back to me--so I told him to do so. Unfortunately, communication broke down somewhere and Apple just sat on my device and didn't send it back until it passed their "no communication" deadline and they sent the device back to me by default.

Here's what's bothering me:
The phone never had (to my perception) a problem with the cell phone radio. It didn't have a problem before I sent it in, and it didn't have a problem when I received it back. Perhaps it has a problem which is un-detectable by the average user.

Here's another option:
1) A repair company, contracting with Apple, is loosing money on $45 battery repairs.
2) So for certain percentage of battery repairs that come in, they fabricate a claim about faulty hardware which is difficult for the user to substantiate.
3) Some fraction of users will just ask for the device back, the rest, worried about a possible malfunction in a phone they depend on, will authorize the repair.
4) So long as the company fabricates the correct percentage of faulty claims, they can make enough money to cover what they lose on $45 battery repairs.

I'm in no way claiming that the repair company did this to me, but I'm offering it as a possible thing a company could do.

Has anyone else experienced this situation with an Apple battery replacement?

---

Edit: It was an iPhone 8. Sorry about that. I do have an iPhone 5s--but that wasn't the device I sent in. Guess I didn't have enough coffee this morning.

 

[chscag]

I don't know where you are locally, but when I needed to have the battery replaced on my 7+, I scheduled an appointment at our local Best Buy store who are an Apple Authorized Repair Service. They replaced the battery with a genuine Apple battery for the same price as sending to Apple.

With the ongoing pandemic, it's getting more difficult to have repairs done on just about anything, let alone electronic products.

 

[Apple_Robert]

If I am not mistaken, that is the same address I sent my OG SE to late last year to get the battery replaced.

It makes sense that Apple does a complete examination before installing a new battery. They are trying to mitigate any future danger or lability towards them from a customer after the fact.

 

[Cybertox]

You could be right concerning some of the points you have listed but with an iPhone 5S, I would just strongly recommend getting yourself a new device. There is absolutely no reason to replace the battery in such an old phone except for a financial one.

 

[0128672]

It's a little hard to tell whether you feel Apple overstepped by requiring the other repair before doing the battery replacement, but by sending in your phone for a battery replacement, you agreed to the terms of the iPhone Battery Replacement agreement. This states that:

"If your iPhone has any damage that impairs the replacement of the battery, such as a cracked screen, that issue will need to be resolved prior to the battery replacement. In some cases, there may be a cost associated with the repair."

iPhone Battery Replacement - Apple Support

Need more power? An Apple Store or Authorized Service Provider near you can replace your iPhone battery. See the associated cost by coverage type.

support.apple.com

I suspect that Apple's battery replacement metrics may be based on the number of units and repair time per unit, not the dollar amounts of those repairs. If so, producing a higher volume of battery replacements only (versus other component repair plus a battery replacement) would be the incentive, not finding other repairs that would slow down the time per unit.

 

[chscag]

I agree with all the above comments but I contend that if possible, especially with an older phone out of warranty, that it's best to have the battery replaced locally at an authorized repair service.

 

[MacGod101]

Signed up just to tell I just experienced the exact same thing except mine is an iPhone 7 instead. I had no cellular issues with it whatsoever and I just sent it out for a battery repair. Now they're telling me they found some cellular issue that didn't exist a few days ago as it was making calls and connecting to the internet just fine. Never dropped it in water either. Now I only have the option to have it sent back, have it recycled, call Apple, or pay $350+tax to get a phone repaired for the same price as a brand new iPhone SE when you factor in the initial service cost. I'm extremely frustrated with the situation as this was just supposed to be a battery swap and I've been waiting for days on this. If I knew this was going to happen I would have just used that same money to buy a battery case instead.

I haven't checked out any options yet. Did you get a refund for having them send it back?

 

[JagdTiger]

I sent my iPhone 8 in to Apple for a ~$45 battery replacement. I used the UPS shipment method. It went to a business at the following address:
Pegatron USA
2811 Laguna Blvd
Elk Grove, CA
95758-7410

Instead of replacing the battery, Apple stated:



The listed issue was that the cell phone radio hardware needed to be repaired. I believe the estimate was $350. I called the phone number listed, had to educate the operator about the situation at hand, and requested that they only replace the battery. The operator said Apple wouldn't do that and my only option was to have the phone sent back to me--so I told him to do so. Unfortunately, communication broke down somewhere and Apple just sat on my device and didn't send it back until it passed their "no communication" deadline and they sent the device back to me by default.

Here's what's bothering me:
The phone never had (to my perception) a problem with the cell phone radio. It didn't have a problem before I sent it in, and it didn't have a problem when I received it back. Perhaps it has a problem which is un-detectable by the average user.

Here's another option:
1) A repair company, contracting with Apple, is loosing money on $45 battery repairs.
2) So for certain percentage of battery repairs that come in, they fabricate a claim about faulty hardware which is difficult for the user to substantiate.
3) Some fraction of users will just ask for the device back, the rest, worried about a possible malfunction in a phone they depend on, will authorize the repair.
4) So long as the company fabricates the correct percentage of faulty claims, they can make enough money to cover what they loose on $45 battery repairs.

I'm in no way claiming that the repair company did this to me, but I'm offering it as a possible thing a company could do.

Has anyone else experienced this situation with an Apple battery replacement?

---

Edit: It was an iPhone 8. Sorry about that. I do have an iPhone 5s--but that wasn't the device I sent in. Guess I didn't have enough coffee this morning.

Is the part where inserting headphones can turn the fm radio on?, Why would it cost $350.00 to repair that part?

 

[JagdTiger]

The consumer should be able to replace the battery themselves.

 

[watkipet]

Is the part where inserting headphones can turn the fm radio on?, Why would it cost $350.00 to repair that part?

I used the term, "radio", rather generally. I suspect they were referring to the Qualcomm or Intel modem IC--or perhaps some part of the antenna. If the problem was the modem IC, I suspect they would replace the entire logic board (or the entire phone) since the (BGA) IC is soldered onto the board.

 

[watkipet]

Signed up just to tell I just experienced the exact same thing except mine is an iPhone 7 instead. I had no cellular issues with it whatsoever and I just sent it out for a battery repair. Now they're telling me they found some cellular issue that didn't exist a few days ago as it was making calls and connecting to the internet just fine. Never dropped it in water either. Now I only have the option to have it sent back, have it recycled, call Apple, or pay $350+tax to get a phone repaired for the same price as a brand new iPhone SE when you factor in the initial service cost. I'm extremely frustrated with the situation as this was just supposed to be a battery swap and I've been waiting for days on this. If I knew this was going to happen I would have just used that same money to buy a battery case instead.

I haven't checked out any options yet. Did you get a refund for having them send it back?

The representative I talked to on the phone said my money would be refunded. So far it hasn't been credited back to my card. Interesting that they told you it was a "cellular" issue as well. Thanks so much for signing up and adding your report. If this has happened to anyone else, I hope they see this thread too.

---

Edit: I was mistaken. The charge I saw on my card was for a $49 MagSafe case I ordered for my iPhone 12 Mini. I don't think Apple ever charged me for the repair.

 

[MacGod101]

The representative I talked to on the phone said my money would be refunded. So far it hasn't been credited back to my card. Interesting that they told you it was a "cellular" issue as well. Thanks so much for signing up and adding your report. If this has happened to anyone else, I hope they see this thread too.

Alright that's a relief to know at least. Guess I'm just going to have to get a battery case after all. Oh well...

And by all means! I was happy to see this wasn't a unique issue. I was initially suspecting foul play on the repair center's part, thinking that they probably accidentally broke something in the process of repairing it and were trying to make me pay for it. The new cost didn't surprise me as I figured anything that was soldered on the board would cause them to replace the old one entirely, but the amount is still a huge slap in the face for an old phone. Overall I'm just ridiculously upset about this whole thing especially considering I expected more from Apple.

 

[watkipet]

Alright that's a relief to know at least. Guess I'm just going to have to get a battery case after all. Oh well...

And by all means! I was happy to see this wasn't a unique issue. I was initially suspecting foul play on the repair center's part, thinking that they probably accidentally broke something in the process of repairing it and were trying to make me pay for it. The new cost didn't surprise me as I figured anything that was soldered on the board would cause them to replace the old one entirely, but the amount is still a huge slap in the face for an old phone. Overall I'm just ridiculously upset about this whole thing especially considering I expected more from Apple.

You might consider taking it to someplace local as the other posters suggested. I wish I had done that. I guess I still can--but this whole experience has made me a bit gun-shy--and the battery was at 90% anyway.

Please let me know if the cell functionality still works OK when you receive your phone back. If it doesn't, then what you and I experienced might not be the same.

There could be a myriad of other explanations, I guess. One of their RF test stations may have malfunctioned and is erroneously reporting failures.

I removed the SIM card from my phone per Apple's instructions. I assume you did the same? I also reset the phone and removed all the data from it because I was going to give it to someone else when it came back.

I wish I had captured data from the Field Test Mode prior to sending in my phone. Then I could have compared it to readings afterwards.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

The consumer should be able to replace the battery themselves.

You can, order a kit from ifixit and have at it.. If you have basic technical ability and can follow any one of many YouTube videos you should be able to do it if your careful. It comes with everything necessary to do the job properly..

iPhone 7 Battery: Replacement Part / Repair Kit

Replace a 1960 mAh battery compatible with an iPhone 7. This replacement battery does not require soldering and is compatible with iPhone 7 models (not iPhone 7 Plus).

www.ifixit.com

 

[Fred Zed]

Wouldn’t surprise me one little that they’re making it up for increased revenue.

 

[camilasaunder89]

Last year I had the similar issue with the battery but I did not faced problem from the company side. My battery was replaced on time.

 

[tcphoto1]

It wouldn't surprise me if Pegatron was playing the odds of you authorizing an expensive repair. I took my 6s to Best Buy for a new battery and was took their policy is 75% battery health or less, mine was 86%. I'd suggest buying the kit or have a local cell phone shop do it, they just want your business. Luckily, I bought a used mint condition iPhone11 for $490 and sold the 6s for $110.

 

[jagolden]

When I had the battery in my 6s+ replaced, I left it at the Apple store and returned about 45 minutes later.
They replaced the battery but said they found other problems.
They gave me a mint refurb with twice the storage for the $30 cost of the battery replacement.

 

[watkipet]

Last year I had the similar issue with the battery but I did not faced problem from the company side. My battery was replaced on time.

Thanks for this data point. Any reports (positive or negative) about Pegatron battery replacements with approximate dates of service would be good to have.

 

[MacGod101]

Hey just want to give an update on the situation.

So the phone came back today. It came with a letter in the box basically repeating the same thing the email said. However, after turning on the phone (which had been reset btw) I went to settings to check out the battery health, and it would seem that they did replace it after all! The Maximum Capacity says "100%" and under Peak Performance Capability a little message reads "Your battery is currently supporting normal peak performance." (Image attached) Upon re-reading the letter and the message you sent showed in your first post I think we, or at least I, have been reading it wrong the whole time. The messages never stated that the battery couldn't be replaced, but rather was focused on this supposed "new" issue that was never mentioned.

I recommend checking the Battery Health settings on your phone and look at the messages there. This whole thing could have been a misunderstanding.

 

[spaceman_bob]

Hey just want to give an update on the situation.

So the phone came back today. It came with a letter in the box basically repeating the same thing the email said. However, after turning on the phone (which had been reset btw) I went to settings to check out the battery health, and it would seem that they did replace it after all! The Maximum Capacity says "100%" and under Peak Performance Capability a little message reads "Your battery is currently supporting normal peak performance." (Image attached) Upon re-reading the letter and the message you sent showed in your first post I think we, or at least I, have been reading it wrong the whole time. The messages never stated that the battery couldn't be replaced, but rather was focused on this supposed "new" issue that was never mentioned.

I recommend checking the Battery Health settings on your phone and look at the messages there. This whole thing could have been a misunderstanding. View attachment 1720203

MacGod101,

If you're still out there can you confirm your battery was replaced?

I sent a 6s to have the battery replaced and they told me there was corrosion so I cancelled the repair and got the phone back. It now shows 100% battery health. There's no mention the battery was replaced and when I called earlier I was told it was an all or nothing on the repair. Very confused. Why can't they just say if the battery was replaced or not? I'm not sure if the 100% is some reset they did or if its a new battery. I guess I just have to see if it runs down like before.