Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

jsbhowell13

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 16, 2018
18
17
London
I have been fortunate enough to purchase my new phone every year outright by using the funds from reselling my previous model, and this year I was planning on selling my iPhone X to help buy the iPhone XS Max.

I'm not really a fan of trying to sell my devices on eBay and so usually just take the offer from Apple's buyback scheme or Envirofone, it is hassle free and is really the only way I could afford to purchase a new phone.

Just yesterday I decided to get my iPhone ready for resell by giving it a clean and polish (I like to make sure it looks presentable). Well, I decided that after having the phone for 8 months and not dropping it once, that I would be safe without the tempered glass screen protector that has been on the device from day one. Well of course only three hours after cleaning and removing the screen protector I dropped it and chipped the bottom of the screen. I made an appointment and raced to my local apple store and spoke to a genius who told me the phone would now only be worth £125, instead of the £550 for a 'working device'

I explained to him that I had preordered the new iPhone and was really banking on reselling my iPhone X to cover a significant part of the cost, naively thinking that they may have mercy on me and offer to purchase it at the £550, or maybe replace the screen free of charge as I would be giving them the phone back in less than 24 hours.

I was careful not the allude to this however as I was aware that the issue was my own doing. In fact I told him that it would still make sense financially for me to get the screen repaired and sell it at 'working condition' £550- £280 (iPhone X screen repair) = £270. The guy in the store then proceeded to tell me that I 'shouldn't even bother upgrading' and I 'was just greedy', which I was really taken aback with. Anyway as I had only managed to get an appointment at 6.15pm they said my iPhone wouldn't be ready same day so I would have to come back.

I was genuinely really taken aback by the customer service in the store - very unlike any apple store experience I have ever had.

I'm not really sure what to do know, looks like I may have to return my iPhone Xs Max as soon as it arrives tomorrow. If anyone can think of a solution to my problem it would really help me out.
 
Last edited:

jsbhowell13

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 16, 2018
18
17
London
Why would the Apple store freely repair your phone that you damaged? If you can't afford the new phone without relying on the proceeds from selling your "old" one, maybe upgrading this year isn't your best bet.
I didn’t expect them too, In fact I clearly stated in the original post that I was fully aware that it was my own fault.

I was more concerned by the dismissive and rude genius. But there seems to be a lot of rude people in the world don’t know why I was surprised.
 

jsbhowell13

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 16, 2018
18
17
London
So you are accusing Apple of poor service because they would not replace your device because YOU dropped it?

Sounds like a case of Entitlement to me.

Are you a troll? If you had taken the time to properly read the original post were I state clearly it was my own fault and I didn’t ask once for any special treatment then maybe you wouldn’t be so quick to call my entitled. My remarks on the poor service was due to the guys incredibly dismissive and rude remarks, calling me greedy. I work hard and I enjoy Apple products my selling the previous model it helps me to keep up to date. That is all.
 

Newtons Apple

Suspended
Mar 12, 2014
22,757
15,254
Jacksonville, Florida
Are you a troll? If you had taken the time to properly read the original post were I state clearly it was my own fault and I didn’t ask once for any special treatment then maybe you wouldn’t be so quick to call my entitled. My remarks on the poor service was due to the guys incredibly dismissive and rude remarks, calling me greedy. I work hard and I enjoy Apple products my selling the previous model it helps me to keep up to date. That is all.

There is always two sides of the story.
 

peejay1977

macrumors regular
Jun 25, 2015
125
125
None of us were there to be able to hear the comments from the guy in the store. It's possible in your frantic state you misinterpreted his remarks as being something more than they were. Just a theory, sometimes my missus takes the words people in shops use VERY differently than I do and gets all irate about it. But again, I wasn't there so I can't really comment.

It's also possible you're focusing more on the fact they won't buy the phone off you at the original price and this has skewed your perception of the experience.

But all that is speculation. At the end of the day I sympathise with you I really do. My current X is financing part of my new XS Max purchase, and if I dropped mine now I'd be beside myself.

It really boils down to this, the current phone is damaged and worth only a fraction of what it was, you have 3 choices as I see it:

1. Fix the X, sell it for the full price and chalk it up to one of lifes ironic situations.
2. Keep it, fix it and immediately return the new one and chalk it up to one of lifes ironic situations.
3. Sell it for the lower price, keep the new one and.......(you know what I'm gonna say lol)

I really do feel for you, but I think you already know what your options are, and they are limited unfortunately. Best of luck dude.
 

lykbutta

macrumors regular
Oct 16, 2014
102
98
Who is your carrier? Do they not finance the phone, maybe it’s easier for you to get it on payments.
 

clarencek

macrumors 6502
Apr 8, 2008
295
348
I would be irritated too if someone came in asking for something free and complaining about how he couldn’t get what he wanted because of his own actions.

It sounds like you’re trying to enlist the Apple employee to help you solve your own bad situation. That’s not his job to help you figure out your financial situation to pay for a new phone.

So if he acted unprofessional it’s because you’re asking him to be unprofessional.
 

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,682
43,740
or maybe replace the screen free of charge as I would be giving them the phone back in less than 24 hours.
So you dropped the phone, and wanted them to fix it for free, so you can afford the next phone? I know it sucks that you cracked your phone, but you need to take personal responsibility over the act. You were "careful not to allude how it occurred" its clear you were trying to hide that you broke the phone. Of course they knew how it the screen cracked they're not idiots.

While its not kosher to call a customer greedy, I think the they easily saw through the fact that you were trying to game them so you could get the most money for your phone
 

janeauburn

macrumors 65816
Nov 22, 2015
1,315
2,234
I don’t know. It sounds like you are living outside your means. You took a gamble and it didn’t pay off. Thems the breaks

I agree with this, and I agree with the guy in the store. You don't need the latest gadget. It won't make you happier. Take that X and keep it for a couple years. Put some money in the bank.

Are you debt free yet, by the way?
 

bitslap47

macrumors 6502a
Jul 9, 2007
634
353
Are you a troll? If you had taken the time to properly read the original post were I state clearly it was my own fault and I didn’t ask once for any special treatment then maybe you wouldn’t be so quick to call my entitled. My remarks on the poor service was due to the guys incredibly dismissive and rude remarks, calling me greedy. I work hard and I enjoy Apple products my selling the previous model it helps me to keep up to date. That is all.

I mean technically you didn't ask for special treatment, but you were hoping for it. I think everyone is picking up on you being annoyed that you weren't specially treated. At some level, that indicates feelings of entitlement in some people's eyes.

"thinking that they may have mercy on me and offer to purchase it at the £550, or maybe replace the screen free of charge"
 
  • Like
Reactions: JaisHTX

felixroqu3

macrumors 6502a
Mar 5, 2012
648
674
New York, NY
naively thinking that they may have mercy on me and offer to purchase it at the £550, or maybe replace the screen free of charge as I would be giving them the phone back in less than 24 hours.

I was careful not the allude to this however as I was aware that the issue was my own doing.
So, you wanted Apple to give you the same amount of money even though you cracked it beforehand and if they didn’t do so you at least wanted them to fix it for free? Then on top of that you were dishonest about how the phone broke? This has to be a joke lol.

I worked for Apple for many years and there was nothing I hated more than a dishonest, entitled customer. Apple employees clearly see through customers bs. Yes, the employee that helped you went about it the wrong way, but I doubt the employee straight up said that you were “greedy”(but where are the lies though?). I’m pretty sure since you were upset by the fact that you couldn’t afford the new iPhone and the situation itself, you just took every thing the employee said the wrong way especially because they didn’t give you what you wanted. You sound like these old aged customers that feel like they’re entitled to a free accessory because “they’ve been Apple customers for over 10 years”(would hear this often)

Like others stated, sounds like you’re trying to live way above your means. I’d say get an XR when it comes out.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bootleg Gucci

thadoggfather

macrumors P6
Oct 1, 2007
16,144
17,056
To be fair many of us are probably living Beyond comfort let’s not scold the lad too bad $549 for a new X and $279 for a new oled Is a lot!

Especially since I got mine for 549 last year on contract.

...But Apple is absolutely gonna deny service on a cracked screen that isn’t single hairline no ifs ands or buts.

My dog literally chewed through my screen , never dropped it, and the leather case, and I expected nothing but I got a screen replacement comp’d !

Honesty and kindness sealed the deal I admitted I was at fault regardless of
My dog damaging it, went unnoticed while on a video meeting at home. And the Apple leather case drew my dog’s attention unlike any other case of the many I have.

The guy checking me in said it was pointless. I said it was pointless to myself. I was ready to just go back to 7plus if need be for a bit instead of shell out $300 for a screen that was single hairline across horizontally at the bottom.. so I probably
Would’ve
Dealt by slapping a screen protector on top of the crack

But point is a lot of people are overshooting getting Xs/xs max but it’s the newest latest and greatest iPhone and it’s a device people use all day every day so here we are !

Tl;dr - good stuff can happen when you’re honest, a lot of people are living beyond means for X or just dont want to pay the astronomical fees, but OP suck it up. My 7plus screen shattered two days before getting my X and I paid $200 to get that one replaced since it’s a backup phone I still haven’t sold and likely won’t

That reinvestment “ruined” my
Prospect of selling 7plus for a decent amount in net, but it’s ok. It’s a lovely backup if my X goes up in flames one day
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5105973 and CVUSA

thadoggfather

macrumors P6
Oct 1, 2007
16,144
17,056
So many people getting the iPhone that just seem like they aren’t necessarily in great financial standing. No remorse for the OP. Jesus.

I’ve seen a silly amount of iPhone X’s in the wild probably not that uncommon tbqh

That’s not apple’s problem but just saying
 
  • Like
Reactions: QueenTyrone
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.