iPhone 5 or earlier iPhone 5s fail, should Apple replace free?

[PracticalMac]

Last March (2017) I had my iPhone 5s battery replaced ofter 2.4 years of use (batt dying).
In changing the battery they tore the tab, so instead they only allowed me to replaced the entire phone (same $79 charge).

So in March 2017 I received a BRAND NEW iPhone 5s, however they only provided a 90 warranty.
I used minimally, as a second work phone.

A few days ago (late Dec 2017) I discovered the battery had expanded (short of exploded), bulging the middle of the iPhone almost 1/16 of an inch (almost 2mm).
This was 9 months after I received this NEW phone.

It was in a thin case that would not trap heat. This was used in normal temp areas. Use the Apple charger and cord.

Apple Store says the only option I have to buy another new iPhone 5c for $79 (also no option to just replace the battery, they say it is considered destroyed).

Something failed in this NEW phone that replaced an old unit. Were it new purchase it would be replaced for free.
It is not a over year old phone with new battery, it is a COMPLETELY new phone with that failed early.
(in comparison my parents 3GS still works great 7 years on and counting, and so are my old iPhone 4's passed to my relatives).

Advice please.

 

[C DM]

You didn't get a new phone in the sense of basically buying a brand new phone, you got a warranty replacement phone, which is different.

 

[macTW]

Your "new" phone likely has been sitting in the back of the store for 2-4 years. If brand new iPhone X's have a one-year warranty, how could you expect an older phone to have one, after 2-4 years?

 

[bcave098]

Considering the battery expanded and requires a whole unit replacement, they could charge you the full OOW repair price of $269.

They have no obligation to service a device outside of its warranty for free.

 

[Newtons Apple]

My advice is you need to pay!

 

[BugeyeSTI]

I’d say pay the $79..

 

[PracticalMac]

Your "new" phone likely has been sitting in the back of the store for 2-4 years. If brand new iPhone X's have a one-year warranty, how could you expect an older phone to have one, after 2-4 years?

That is a fallacy.
By law there needs to be a supply of old parts to support existing devices, so a replacement iPhone 5s was probably made some time in 2017.
Lithium-Ion batters are good for years, even a decade (far longer that lead-acid or Ni-MH)

What happened is for LIABILITY reasons there is an artificial mfg date applied to avoid future liability.
Even if the phone was made today, the lawyers will insist it was made in 2014.

The failure of this batter so soon once started using what is effectively a new phone is concerning.

Well, that is the world we live in.
And I get the message.
Thanks for comments, everyone!

 

[macTW]

That is a fallacy.
By law there needs to be a supply of old parts to support existing devices, so a replacement iPhone 5s was probably made some time in 2017.
Lithium-Ion batters are good for years, even a decade (far longer that lead-acid or Ni-MH)

What happened is for LIABILITY reasons there is an artificial mfg date applied to avoid future liability.
Even if the phone was made today, the lawyers will insist it was made in 2014.

The failure of this batter so soon once started using what is effectively a new phone is concerning.

Well, that is the world we live in.
And I get the message.
Thanks for comments, everyone!

You’re wrong.

At least in California, the law covers the availability of parts for repair up to 7 years post-release. It doesn’t cover warranty for products.

 

[DevinNj]

Really, you're complaining about having to pay $79 to replace a "free" replacement after over 3 years of purchase of the original phone? Wish I had your problems.

 

[PracticalMac]

You’re wrong.

At least in California, the law covers the availability of parts for repair up to 7 years post-release. It doesn’t cover warranty for products.

That is what I am saying.
Parts in stock to repair for a number of years, but with these mass produced small devices it is easier to have complete unit instead of several boxed parts (except for relatively easy to replace screens and battery).

Really, you're complaining about having to pay $79 to replace a "free" replacement after over 3 years of purchase of the original phone? Wish I had your problems.

It was not free.
I paid $79 in March 2017 for a battery. Now I have to pay $79 again 9 months later for another battery (and rest of phone too).
$158 in 9 months.

 

[bcave098]

It was not free.
I paid $79 in March 2017 for a battery. Now I have to pay $79 again 9 months later for another battery (and rest of phone too).
$158 in 9 months.

So, still less than the cost of one out-of-warranty replacement.

 

[PracticalMac]

So, still less than the cost of one out-of-warranty replacement.

Something I am missing here?

I am effectively getting a new battery, but that instills replacing the entire phone.

It was not a cracked screen or other damage caused by me.

 

[tl01]

That is what I am saying.
Parts in stock to repair for a number of years, but with these mass produced small devices it is easier to have complete unit instead of several boxed parts (except for relatively easy to replace screens and battery).



It was not free.
I paid $79 in March 2017 for a battery. Now I have to pay $79 again 9 months later for another battery (and rest of phone too).
$158 in 9 months.

Yes...you should pay again. The “new” replacement phone had a 90 day warranty and that has long lapsed.

 

[xraydoc]

Yes...you should pay again. The “new” replacement phone had a 90 day warranty and that has long lapsed.

Correct. And he accepted the 90-day warranty when he paid for the replacement and took it home.

 

[bopajuice]

You didn't get a new phone in the sense of basically buying a brand new phone, you got a warranty replacement phone, which is different.

Every time I got a "warranty replacement" which happened with my 6 plus, 7 plus, and 8 plus, Apple assured me it was a "new phone" allocated for warranty replacement.
[doublepost=1515727570][/doublepost]

That is what I am saying.
Parts in stock to repair for a number of years, but with these mass produced small devices it is easier to have complete unit instead of several boxed parts (except for relatively easy to replace screens and battery).



It was not free.
I paid $79 in March 2017 for a battery. Now I have to pay $79 again 9 months later for another battery (and rest of phone too).
$158 in 9 months.

You are not going to get any sympathy with this crowd. I was told the replacement phones were new phones. A phone that has battery issues after 9 months should again be replaced. But I guess that would only happen in a perfect world.

 

[conifer]

I would not pay the $79 but rather get a new SE for slightly more money. It will be able to get a few more years of OS updates.
edit: you probably would have been better off if the tab hadn't broken, you could argue the battery they replaced was faulty. With the new refurb phone, they have established policies on warranties and since the model is old, it would be tough to get an exception, too bad.

 

[C DM]

Every time I got a "warranty replacement" which happened with my 6 plus, 7 plus, and 8 plus, Apple assured me it was a "new phone" allocated for warranty replacement.
[doublepost=1515727570][/doublepost]

You are not going to get any sympathy with this crowd. I was told the replacement phones were new phones. A phone that has battery issues after 9 months should again be replaced. But I guess that would only happen in a perfect world.

It's a new phone as in physically being new and not used basically, it's not new as in it wasn't purchased as a new device in a retail box, but a warranty replacement device.

It's not about sympathy or anything like that--since sympathy from users on a forum won't make a difference in anything anyway--it's about how things work. If you have something that fails a month after warranty expires on it, it certainly sucks and shouldn't really happen, but it doesn't change the fact that the warranty has expired and doesn't apply. It would be nice if something was done to help, and sometimes something does happen (even in this case the replacement isn't being charged the typical higher replacement fee), but it doesn't mean that something beyond what it is should be expected.

 

[PracticalMac]

[doublepost=1515821596][/doublepost]

I would not pay the $79 but rather get a new SE for slightly more money. It will be able to get a few more years of OS updates.
edit: you probably would have been better off if the tab hadn't broken, you could argue the battery they replaced was faulty. With the new refurb phone, they have established policies on warranties and since the model is old, it would be tough to get an exception, too bad.

That does remind me.

Decades ago the warranty period for a Mac was a year, but the components where often longer.
Apple tech at box store (Micro Center) could not cover the complete Mac, but pull the faulty drive out, yes they could replace that and they did. Next day working Mac with no cost.
(Not saying should apply with iPhone)

You are not going to get any sympathy with this crowd. I was told the replacement phones were new phones. A phone that has battery issues after 9 months should again be replaced. But I guess that would only happen in a perfect world.

As C DM says, not looking for sympathy.

I was just perturbed that something a product from a company with such high reliability would fail so soon (especially since everything else I bought from Apple I have still works), and being the Li-Ion battery, a type which is well known to cause spectacular failures.

I honestly think if any other part had failed I probably would shrug and say bad luck.
(Side note, apparently this failure is preventing me from backing up the phone, keeps shutting down. Only way is iCloud.)

It's a new phone as in physically being new and not used basically, it's not new as in it wasn't purchased as a new device in a retail box, but a warranty replacement device.

It's not about sympathy or anything like that--since sympathy from users on a forum won't make a difference in anything anyway--it's about how things work. If you have something that fails a month after warranty expires on it, it certainly sucks and shouldn't really happen, but it doesn't change the fact that the warranty has expired and doesn't apply. It would be nice if something was done to help, and sometimes something does happen (even in this case the replacement isn't being charged the typical higher replacement fee), but it doesn't mean that something beyond what it is should be expected.

Yes, bad luck it failed (see comment above).

Since it is a battery failure, I pay for battery replacement, but Apple policy is if this happens then entire phone too.
Were is anything else, then a higher replacement cost.


Comments are appreciated, did not expect situation to change, just a conversation.
Thanks all.

 

[conifer]

Interesting conversation. Might be wise if Apple breaks battery on old phone and offers a replacement phone, to either take it and sell it as “ warranty replacement” or ask if can get 79 back as was failed repair. Come to think of it, I try to buy my iphones with close to one year warranty, I was less picky about it when they swapped my iPad out.

 

[JustJoshua]

It lasted past it’s intended warranty and you want them to give you something for free? Surely you must see how that sounds.

 

[Patcell]

I think it’s pretty amazing that they still provide even out-of-warranty service for a phone from 2013.

 

[silverblack]

This happened to my iPhone 5S last year. They charged me the price of a battery for a whole refurbished phone replacement. Only difference was, I got another 5S.

However, I wouldn’t want a 5C if I were you. I would ask for the possibility of getting an SE instead, even if I had to pay for more.

 

[silverblack]

Something I am missing here?

I am effectively getting a new battery, but that instills replacing the entire phone.

It was not a cracked screen or other damage caused by me.

This is a standard practice. Swollen battery could mean something wrong with the circuitry, and/or the pressure from the swelling could damage the circuitry.

 

[Brandonjr36]

I’d say buy something decent. The 5 or 5c is to old. Buy atleast a 6s or wait a few months and get the new se there coming out with.

 

[hvfsl]

Maybe I am misunderstanding something, but that happened to my iPhone 5 about 18months ago. I just replaced the battery with a cheap one off Amazon and it is still working to this day (although I now I have an iPhone X). So unless it is leaking over the internals or something, I would just get another cheap battery for it, then sell it and get a SE or something.