Is Apple cynical in it's approach to the iPhone battery replacement promise?

[ChrisQuijote]

I read this on the BBC News website and I recently was fobbed off with "We don't think a new battery will help" when I visited Apple in Edinburgh over a phone which discharges in hours.

A section reads:
"Apple demanded that some customers pay 10 times the sum it referred to in its apology.

The company told customers this was because of existing damage to their phones that would impair the replacement of the batteries.

But Watchdog's investigation found that this is not always the case."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-43960267

Is this a cynical ploy? Do others recognise this behaviour?

 

[C DM]

Cynical ploy? What?

 

[mtneer]

Are you talking about a cynical ploy on Apple's part or the TV sting operation which tried to use a device damaged enough to impede battery replacement?

 

[apolloa]

On tonight’s BBC Watchdog programme they reported on Apple refusing to replace people’s batteries due to prior damage. This is for batteries affects by Apple throttling them, as they said Apple has found a way to profit from its own mistake.

Here is a link to one news report on it and you can see a tiny dent on an iPhone SE, Apple told the owner it would cost £200 to fix this before replacing the battery, another phone they claimed the microphone and speaker weren’t working, even though they were.
They also reported with a lawyer that no where in Apples U.K. and Ireland warranty does it claim they can refuse replacing batteries due to prior damage.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-43960267

I did look for a video but unfortunately couldn’t find one, the media is beginning to jump on the report though.
They did ask Apple to appear repeatedly and they point blank refused. Now knowing Watchdog they will not let this lie, they follow up on stories and if they find them bigger then they thought, they will continue to report on it on mainstream terrestrial television.

Will be interesting to see where this goes.

 

[now i see it]

I think Apple is getting so big it can't control (or properly inform) its employees. There's a guaranteed percentage of rotten Apple's in every large population, and Apple Inc. is not immune to hiring some of them. The company has gotten too big.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

Fake news

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Well Apple may be big but they won’t be able to push aside consumers rights here. Watchdog are very good at getting results and have the impact to give stories like this a lot of exposure here in the UK.

We all love their products but this tactic I hope is just a few rogue employees and not the policy of a company posting tens of billions in profits trying to scrimp on what are cheap repairs.

 

[apolloa]

Well Apple may be big but they won’t be able to push aside consumers rights here. Watchdog are very good at getting results and have the impact to give stories like this a lot of exposure here in the UK.

We all love their products but this tactic I hope is just a few rogue employees and not the policy of a company posting tens of billions in profits trying to scrimp on what are cheap repairs.

I think it maybe a tactic of a repair centre maybe, they said all through the show they were getting emails from people claiming Apple told them they had a faulty speaker or microphone and to pay up yet the owners never had any problems. It may not be an isolated few cases.
But one member who emailed in rightly said you have consumer protection laws for 6 years and he had his iPhone replaced twice using them.

It’s on iPlayer if you want to watch it.

 

[ChrisQuijote]

Are you talking about a cynical ploy on Apple's part or the TV sting operation which tried to use a device damaged enough to impede battery replacement?

I was referring to Apple. The suggestion is that unnecessary repairs are being used to recoup money lost in the price promise for battery replacement.

If Apple are the only arbiter of what constitutes "impede" - yet other parties can repair the phones without issues - then it is a possibility. I was interested if many people have experienced this after reading the article.

 

[Chazzle]

I was referring to Apple. The suggestion is that unnecessary repairs are being used to recoup money lost in the price promise for battery replacement.

If Apple are the only arbiter of what constitutes "impede" - yet other parties can repair the phones without issues - then it is a possibility. I was interested if many people have experienced this after reading the article.

I have heard dozens of examples of people going to get their battery replaced at an Apple Store, and Apple determines that the battery replacement may cause damage to some components of the phone, so they replace their phone for the $29 fee. Disregard the bogus article you read.

 

[apolloa]

I have heard dozens of examples of people going to get their battery replaced at an Apple Store, and Apple determines that the battery replacement may cause damage to some components of the phone, so they replace their phone for the $29 fee. Disregard the bogus article you read.

It is most certainly NOT a bogus article if it’s on the BBC news and Watchdog! This isn’t any CBN or Fox here...

I won’t put it past them making a quick buck, I mean you’ll notice if the speaker or microphone don’t work, yet they seem to be using it as an excuse not to replace the battery for £25.

But the article also relates to the fact that a consumer rights lawyer on the show could not find any mention in the U.K. and Ireland warranty information that Apple can refuse to replace a battery due to prior damage! That’s anti consumer.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I have heard dozens of examples of people going to get their battery replaced at an Apple Store, and Apple determines that the battery replacement may cause damage to some components of the phone, so they replace their phone for the $29 fee. Disregard the bogus article you read.

It wasn’t a ‘bogus article’ it was reported by the BBC’s Watchdog which is a highly trusted consumer program. They don’t deal with fake news or untruths.

 

[lugworm]

Fake news

You wish.

 

[KeanosMagicHat]

. . . I read this on the BBC News website and I recently was fobbed off with "We don't think a new battery will help" when I visited Apple in Edinburgh over a phone which discharges in hours . . .

I was going to start a thread on this in the main iPhone forum until I found yours.

In terms of your particular situation, I'd go back and not allow them to "fob you off". It's a limited time offer, you have the money to spend and you want a battery replacement. There should not be an issue here.

Especially as there was an internal memo on this at Apple at the turn of the year with instructions at that time to replace the battery even if it passed diagnostics . . . it is supposed to be an apology offer after all.

https://www.macrumors.com/2018/01/02/apple-replaces-iphone-batteries-that-pass-tests/

 

[BugeyeSTI]

You wish.

BBC, CNN, MSNBC.. All looking for ratings .. Just because you catch a few repair facilities that are taking advantage of a situation doesn’t mean most aren’t receiving proper service

 

[Phil A.]

BBC, CNN, MSNBC.. All looking for ratings .. Just because you catch a few repair facilities that are taking advantage of a situation doesn’t mean most aren’t receiving proper service

The BBC are publicly funded and don't need ratings: If there's one broadcaster I trust, it's the BBC. Even if it's just "a few repair facilities that are taking advantage", Apple should take the report seriously and sort it out: it's their reputation that's at stake!

 

[apolloa]

BBC, CNN, MSNBC.. All looking for ratings .. Just because you catch a few repair facilities that are taking advantage of a situation doesn’t mean most aren’t receiving proper service

I suggest you go and watch a few episodes of Watchdog, they get CEOs of he biggest companies on the show to apologise and explain how they will fix things gone wrong, their investigations have led to changes in law, prosecutions and even people going to jail!

This is NOT an American show and certainly doesn’t need to chase ratings. In fact they have stood up for consumer rights and protection more then the government ever has.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

BBC, CNN, MSNBC.. All looking for ratings .. Just because you catch a few repair facilities that are taking advantage of a situation doesn’t mean most aren’t receiving proper service

The BBC don’t operate for profit based on ratings and their Watchdog program is a very trustworthy consumer show. How come you are doubting it?

If a few Apple Stores are falling foul of consumer laws then of course it’s Apples responsibility to make sure they follow the law and adhere to company policy. This is why we as consumers complain in the first place and make sure we get the service we are entitled to. Blindly defending the company as a whole to dismiss legitimate complaints is just nonsensical and bewildering quite frankly. I don’t understand your position here???