Other Survey: User experience of battery replacement program

[apolloa]

I posted this response on another thread, but this one seems to be more appropriate for reporting my own experience...

I sent in my iPhone 6, which I bought in September 2014, for the $29 battery replacement. I have never had any work of any kind done to the phone. It is in excellent condition. They sent the phone back without replacing my battery. Their email reply read: "Your product arrived at our repair center, but our technicians weren't able to process your repair request. We’re sending the product to you along with a letter that provides more information. If you have questions about the letter, feel free to Contact Apple Support to review your options. Be sure to use the same Repair ID. We apologize for any inconvenience." The letter accompanying the phone on return said that their technicians performed "complete diagnostic tests" and "confirmed that it now meets Apple specifications for performance, usability and functionality." Apple claimed it would replace all batteries, regardless of the condition, correct? That is, of course, as long as the phone hadn't already received a battery, or been tampered with, etc etc. Anyway, I contacted Apple today by chat to lodge a complaint. Here is part of my chat transcription:

Frank: Due to the availability of the parts, the device was returned un-repaired and your hold will be returned to your credit card as well.

Frank: What we can do here to move forward, however...

Frank: Parts should be available in the future. We have a few options. Is mail in repair the method you prefer, or is heading into an Apple Retail Store an option as well?

James: Mail in.

Frank: What I can do is attempt to set up the repair again here, however if it prevents me from doing so due to part constraints we’ll need to get you in touch with an Apple Care Advisor from our phone support team. They would be able to take ownership of the case, and attempt the set up the repair at a later time and reach out to you once successful.

James: Forgive my exasperation but...I was going to be charged for a repair that was promised but not made and wouldn't have taken place unless I contacted Apple? And now you don't know if the battery is even available?

Frank: That is correct.

I was finally told I'd need to speak to an Apple Adviser on the phone. Initially, she told me that Apple had determined my 3 1/2 year old phone's battery was fine and that I'd been denied a replacement. She essentially said it was Apple's call to determine if I was allowed to take part in the $29 battery replacement program. I asked her if Apple's announcement that the company would replace phone batteries regardless of condition was untrue. The response was vague, but after a few back and forth's, she told me she would run my case by an advisory board to see what their response was. "They" agreed that my battery should be replaced but I'd have to drive 45 miles to the nearest Apple store to have the repair done...in about two weeks. The alternative was to mail in the phone but that that might take 10 days or more.

Very frustrating experience from a company I've purchased products from since 1985. I will say, however, that the people I chatted with or talked to on the phone were quite polite and tried to be helpful. Still.

If I were you I would find out Tim Cooks address, you can do that for CEOs, and write him a letter of complaint registered post. Advising how Apple made an official press release statement saying one thing, but his staff are saying another.

 

[rmacqui]

iPhone model: 6s plus
Location of service: Glasgow
Old Battery Capacity:
Old Battery Cycles:
Did they replace the battery? N
Reason they gave if they did not replace: replaced whole iPhone
New Battery Capacity: 2750
New Battery Cycles: As above, check if the replacement battery is new or a lemon!
Comment: great experience. In at 09:00. Battery tested and failed. Battery in stock and told to come back in 3 hours. Returned and waited 6/7 mins and then told that a connector was broken and they would replace with a new phone for £25 battery replacement fee

 

[bookofkils]

I have taken Apolloa's advice and emailed Tim Cook. I will report on a reply, if I receive something other than a canned response...or a response at all. I might eventually indeed send Mr. Cook a registered letter.

 

[rstark18]

I posted this response on another thread, but this one seems to be more appropriate for reporting my own experience...

I sent in my iPhone 6, which I bought in September 2014, for the $29 battery replacement. I have never had any work of any kind done to the phone. It is in excellent condition. They sent the phone back without replacing my battery. Their email reply read: "Your product arrived at our repair center, but our technicians weren't able to process your repair request. We’re sending the product to you along with a letter that provides more information. If you have questions about the letter, feel free to Contact Apple Support to review your options. Be sure to use the same Repair ID. We apologize for any inconvenience." The letter accompanying the phone on return said that their technicians performed "complete diagnostic tests" and "confirmed that it now meets Apple specifications for performance, usability and functionality." Apple claimed it would replace all batteries, regardless of the condition, correct? That is, of course, as long as the phone hadn't already received a battery, or been tampered with, etc etc. Anyway, I contacted Apple today by chat to lodge a complaint. Here is part of my chat transcription...

This was my experience also. My iPhone 6 passed battery tests so they did not replace it. I called support and they reserved a battery at a local Apple store. I was going to do that originally but after checking the availability for a week I was never able to get ANY time slot.
Seems like a waste of time and resources having people fedex phone in to just turnaround and send them back un-repaired. You'd think if they are unwilling to do a battery replacement for the mail-ins if they pass diagnostics then they should perform the remote diagnostics first before being allowed to mail in.

 

[macfacts]

This was my experience also. My iPhone 6 passed battery tests so they did not replace it. I called support and they reserved a battery at a local Apple store. I was going to do that originally but after checking the availability for a week I was never able to get ANY time slot.
Seems like a waste of time and resources having people fedex phone in to just turnaround and send them back un-repaired. You'd think if they are unwilling to do a battery replacement for the mail-ins if they pass diagnostics then they should perform the remote diagnostics first before being allowed to mail in.

I think they want you in the store so you can see the new iPhones and get tempted to buy a new one.

 

[C DM]

I think they want you in the store so you can see the new iPhones and get tempted to buy a new one.

It's not that, it's that they want to scan you with their cameras so that they have your Face ID on record so that they would be able to unlock your devices.

 

[QuarterSwede]

iPhone model: 6 Plus
Location of service: Apple Store - Colorado Springs, CO
Old Battery Capacity: 82%
Old Battery Cycles: Not relevant to Apple’s Diagnostics/repacement process.
Did they replace the battery? On order
Reason they gave if they did not replace:
Out of Stock
Comment: This Apple Store routinely gives the user the benefit of the doubt. They have always gone above and beyond even when policy said to do otherwise. Now I just wait for a battery to come and for a notification to come in and get it swapped.

 

[newellj]

This is a bizarre thread, in that people's experiences are totally all over the ballpark, ranging from really bad (three visits, no battery replaced) to amazing (gave me a new phone) to surreal (told me I wasn't eligible for the $29 replacement even though Apple policies clearly open that up to everyone).

 

[C DM]

This is a bizarre thread, in that people's experiences are totally all over the ballpark, ranging from really bad (three visits, no battery replaced) to amazing (gave me a new phone) to surreal (told me I wasn't eligible for the $29 replacement even though Apple policies clearly open that up to everyone).

Not really that surprising when it comes to humans being involved. For many companies and products and services experiences have been and can be inconsistent between different locations and different people involved. This is especially so when it comes to something new that is different from what's typical. It'll settle down and level out with some time, although, pretty just as always, there will still be some variations here and there.

 

[newellj]

Not really that surprising when it comes to humans being involved. For many companies and products and services experiences have been and can be inconsistent between different locations and different people involved. This is especially so when it comes to something new that is different from what's typical. It'll settle down and level out with some time, although, pretty just as always, there will still be some variations here and there.

I guess, but it reveals a very different picture of Apple than I think we get most of the time. In order for customer experiences to be so incredibly inconsistent, you need to have very vague policies and weak training, basically letting decisions be made at the bottom level rather than the top. This portrays an anything-goes, make-it-up-as-we-go sort of corporate culture, which is hardly what you expect from a gigantic tech company - especially one like Apple that is known for its monolithic approach to its "ecosphere" of extreme control over hardware, OS and apps.

 

[C DM]

I guess, but it reveals a very different picture of Apple than I think we get most of the time. In order for customer experiences to be so incredibly inconsistent, you basically need to have very vague policies and weak training, basically letting decisions be made at the bottom level rather than the top. This portrays an anything-goes, make-it-up-as-we-go sort of corporate climate, which is hardly what you expect from a gigantic tech company.

That's kind the thing, that it's pretty much not that different from most companies, and in particular the larger ones, that have so many employees and locations and support personnel, especially when it comes to something new that is not fully well defined initially and is put into place fairly quickly. It's not to say that it's good or that's how it should be, but that basically even with a company like Apple that is more known for better customer service and all that, things of this nature still apply, perhaps to a smaller and/or more infrequent degree.

 

[newellj]

That's kind the thing, that it's pretty much not that different from most companies, and in particular the larger ones, that have so many employees and locations and support personnel, especially when it comes to something new that is not fully well defined initially and is put into place fairly quickly. It's not to say that it's good or that's how it should be, but that basically even with a company like Apple that is more known for better customer service and all that, things of this nature still apply, perhaps to a smaller and/or more infrequent degree.

I guess all I can say is that you certainly appear to be right, and that is completely different than how I envisioned Apple working. FWIW (not much!).

 

[C DM]

I guess all I can say is that you certainly appear to be right, and that is completely different than how I envisioned Apple working. FWIW (not much!).

I agree about the perception and the related expectation/hope essentially. I guess the more typical reality comes into play a bit more prominently at times.

 

[sk2sep2304]

iPhone model: 6s
Location of service: Apple Union Square San Francisco
Old Battery Capacity: 86%
Old Battery Cycles: N/A
Did they replace the battery? No
Reason they gave if they did not replace: out of stock, will email in 2-3 weeks when replacement battery is available

 

[Act3]

I called Apple earler this week to reserve battery replacements for 2 more of the 6s phones we have in the house. I got this back today in an email.

"Parts are expected to be available without extended delays. The Apple Store will let you know as soon as the battery arrives so you can get your battery replaced.

The Apple Store will hold your battery for 7 days after it is received by the store. A Genius Bar reservation will not be required to complete service."


the reservation will not be required part seems rather strange to me

 

[Kavika808]

I sent iPhone 6+ in on Dec 30. Today is Jan 20. That's more than three weeks, which is a long time without a phone. (I'm using an old, cracked blackberry. A true "crackberry.") The repair status has been stuck on "Techs are diagnosing the problem" nearly this entire time. I was wondering if this is what other people are experiencing?

I tried following up with @applecare on twitter, who was friendly until they got me in a DM, then asked for my email and repair id, and the reply was just the link to the repair status and a surprisingly snarky comment ("It'll be done when it is done"). Pretty sure someone there was having a bad day.

 

[akash.nu]

I sent iPhone 6+ in on Dec 30. Today is Jan 20. That's more than three weeks, which is a long time without a phone. (I'm using an old, cracked blackberry. A true "crackberry.") The repair status has been stuck on "Techs are diagnosing the problem" nearly this entire time. I was wondering if this is what other people are experiencing?

I tried following up with @applecare on twitter, who was friendly until they got me in a DM, then asked for my email and repair id, and the reply was just the link to the repair status and a surprisingly snarky comment ("It'll be done when it is done"). Pretty sure someone there was having a bad day.

I think they’re overwhelmed with people looking to replace. They’re out of stock with the battery.

 

[44267547]

I sent iPhone 6+ in on Dec 30. Today is Jan 20. That's more than three weeks, which is a long time without a phone. (I'm using an old, cracked blackberry. A true "crackberry.") The repair status has been stuck on "Techs are diagnosing the problem" nearly this entire time. I was wondering if this is what other people are experiencing?

I tried following up with @applecare on twitter, who was friendly until they got me in a DM, then asked for my email and repair id, and the reply was just the link to the repair status and a surprisingly snarky comment ("It'll be done when it is done"). Pretty sure someone there was having a bad day.

They don't even have battery stock right now. I think Apple didn't realize how many would come Forward needing a replacement. Many are waiting and its going to require some patience. But They will contact you when the time is near.

 

[jav6454]

They don't even have battery stock right now. I think Apple didn't realize how many would come Forward needing a replacement. Many are waiting and its going to require some patience. But They will contact you when the time is near.

Yet you also have people replacing batteries just cause even though they don't need them.

 

[farmermac]

I sent iPhone 6+ in on Dec 30. Today is Jan 20. That's more than three weeks, which is a long time without a phone. (I'm using an old, cracked blackberry. A true "crackberry.") The repair status has been stuck on "Techs are diagnosing the problem" nearly this entire time. I was wondering if this is what other people are experiencing?

I tried following up with @applecare on twitter, who was friendly until they got me in a DM, then asked for my email and repair id, and the reply was just the link to the repair status and a surprisingly snarky comment ("It'll be done when it is done"). Pretty sure someone there was having a bad day.

i sent in my phone on jan 8, had a message telling me my phone was supposedly filled with non authorized parts and couldnt have a battery swap, and would be returned to me. thats 12 days ago that my phone left, and 8 days ago that i declined their rip off repair rate of $160 for a perfectly working and perfect physical condition (except battery). My opinion: get used to it. Apple has gone downhill on their turn-around times big time

 

[DaisyCakes]

My husband went into the apple store on Thursday morning. The tech recommended calling and requesting express replacement since his apple care + is still active. He had a new phone in his hands within 24 hours and his old one is on its way back to Apple.

 

[Ludatyk]

My husband went into the apple store on Thursday morning. The tech recommended calling and requesting express replacement since his apple care + is still active. He had a new phone in his hands within 24 hours and his old one is on its way back to Apple.

What model do you have?

 

[Furman]

I set up an appointment to make my phone in the local Apple store for battery replacement. Appointments are about 2 weeks out. Sounds like an easy process.

 

[DaisyCakes]

What model do you have?

He has a 6 plus.

 

[Mr. Momotaro]

I sent iPhone 6+ in on Dec 30. Today is Jan 20. That's more than three weeks, which is a long time without a phone. (I'm using an old, cracked blackberry. A true "crackberry.") The repair status has been stuck on "Techs are diagnosing the problem" nearly this entire time. I was wondering if this is what other people are experiencing?

I tried following up with @applecare on twitter, who was friendly until they got me in a DM, then asked for my email and repair id, and the reply was just the link to the repair status and a surprisingly snarky comment ("It'll be done when it is done"). Pretty sure someone there was having a bad day.

This is similar to my situation. I sent mine in Jan. 3, they didn't update the status until the 10th when they accused me of having unauthorized parts in the phone. Had to resolve that nonsense, and they still haven't repair the phone as of today.