How To Get the Most From Your iPhone’s Warranty
11:59 pm, June 4th, 2009, Jonathan Zschau
Prepare for your visit.
Research your particular problem online using Google. Read as many forums as possible to help you be informed about your problem. Try to fix the problem on your own. Definitely figure out how to reproduce the symptoms of your problem so that you will be able to show the Genius. If you appear knowledgeable and informed, the Genius will be more likely to conclude that replacement is necessary.
Book your appointment with a Genius online at the Apple Store website. It is very easy and it greatly reduces the amount of time you will waste waiting. Back up your iPhone on your computer: do it before you leave for the Apple Store.
Visit to the Genius Bar.
First things first: sync and back up your iPhone. Update your iPhone to the latest software version. As of this article, that version is 2.2.1. Once you have synced, updated, and restored your iPhone you may proceed. If you were experiencing problems, this may fix them.
Always, sync and back up your iPhone before going to an Apple Store. If they replace your iPhone you will lose all personal data stored on it. Also, always clean your phone up before going to the Apple Store: you do not want to give the Apple store Genius a reason for thinking you intentionally or negligently damaged your iPhone.
When you get there, be polite, be reasonable, but be adamant. You spent hundreds of dollars on your iPhone. You spent more on that darn AT&T contract. You are entitled to have your iPhone work properly for at least a year. However, do not forget that the Geniuses are people too. Moreover, they are usually very accommodating.
Explain your problem thoroughly. Explain the symptoms. Demonstrate the symptoms. If your problem is intermittent, say so. At this point the Genius will usually take your iPhone and run a few diagnostics. Most likely, the Genius will get you a new phone without any issue.
Insist on inspecting the replacement iPhone. You do not have to accept a damaged or dysfunctional iPhone. Be sure to inspect the screen, as you do not want to accept an iPhone with multiple dead or stuck pixels. Attempt to recreate the original problem with your iPhone and feel free to test for others. If the replacement iPhone is defective the Genius will get you another one.
Finally, make sure that you are happy with the replacement iPhone. Say your thanks. You are home free. Be sure to take the next few weeks to extensively test your replacement iPhone and run through the list of problems provided in this article. Remember that your replacement iPhone is probably a refurbished iPhone. Although the exterior may appear pristine that does not mean that its insides are in the same condition.
In many cases, the refurbished replacement iPhone will be a far superior option to carrying on with your old iPhone. However, if you do replace your old iPhone the onus is on you to ensure that it is 100% functional. Apple gives you a 90-day extension on your 1-year warranty if you have your iPhone replaced. That is, if you have your iPhone replaced, Apple will give you until the end of your original 1-year warranty or 90 days – whatever comes later. If you run into problems, do not hesitate to reschedule another appointment with the Genius Bar – that is what they are there for. Remember, if you have a defective iPhone you can take it back to exchange as many times as you wish. If it is still under warranty (or the 90 day post-replacement extension), it does not matter if it is your first replacement iPhone or your 100th. However, once that warranty and those 90 days (if you exchanged your iPhone) are up, you are on your own.
Conclusion.
If your iPhone warranty is about to run out you should seriously consider giving your current iPhone a good hard look for any defects. The iPhone is an exceedingly complicated device. Many of the above-mentioned defects can by symptomatic of other severe problems that can frequently degenerate further. Consider this: an out-of-warranty battery replacement, possibly the simplest iPhone repair imaginable, costs approximately $100 and requires about 3 days to perform. Exchanging an iPhone that is still under warranty is free and usually takes no more than 20-30 minutes of your time. If your iPhone is in any way defective, doing a preemptory exchange may save you serious money and headache over the course of the next year.
Make sure Apple can’t blame the defect on you. The three most common excuses are Jailbreaking, water damage, and serious physical damage. If your iPhone has suffered from any of these, you are out of luck.
Therefore, you should clean up your iPhone before going to your local Apple Store (DO NOT use water). If you believe a Genius might try to argue that your iPhone is excluded from its warranty, you should be prepared to argue that the physical damage is not related to the defect. However, do not be dishonest: if you really are at fault, you should not lie about it.
But think about this: Do you really want to replace your iPhone?
Posted by Jonathan Zschau in Customer Services, Hardware, News, Retail Stores, Top stories, iPhone, iPhone 3G | Comment on this article
If you enjoyed this article:
Subscribe via RSS or email, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter
Some interesting stuff there, although it’s probably worth noting that your mileage my vary depending on the consumer rights available in each particular country. In my experience, although the UK has very strong consumer rights that enable customers to make claims up to seven years after purchase, Apple fights desperately against such things. In the US, despite the country having weaker general consumer protection laws, it seems Apple Stores are often more likely to offer replacements for faulty hardware rather than argue the toss about whether a defect was there at the point of manufacture.
Craig Grannell, on June 5th, 2009 at 8:12 am
[...] How To Get the Most From Your iPhone’s Warranty [...]
The Coolest Gadgets we missed this week - 5th June 2009 | Geeky Gadgets, on June 5th, 2009 at 8:23 am
[...] How To Get the Most From Your iPhone’s Warranty [...]
The Coolest Gadgets we missed this week - 5th June 2009 | Technology - Cyooh.com, on June 6th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
I believe that I am just not lucky when buying anything and I am constantly fighting with apple about my iphone (I purchased it from an apple store). I have to say, that although it is usually a time consuming and frustrating effort, they have come through.
I as well, have an issue with my time line for warranty on all items as apparently I am very disorganized. I recently fount this website that is awsome, at least for a persone like me. http://www.warrantyelephant.com Hope this helps others
Ben wilson, on June 10th, 2009 at 8:50 am
Very cool site. If I would have known about this 3 months ago, I probably would have saved some money. Easy to sign up, easy to use. Great Idea.
John, on June 14th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
[...] Your Warranty. First, read this article about getting the most out of your one-year warranty. Although you may not know it, your iPhone 3G may be defective. If you are able to identify a [...]
How To: Make a Profit Upgrading To The iPhone 3G S | Cult of Mac, on June 14th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
[...] Your Warranty. First, read this exposition about getting the most out of your one-year warranty. Although you may not know it, your iPhone 3G may be defective. whether you are able to identify a [...]
How To: invent a Profit Upgrading To The iPhone 3G S | Technology News, on June 15th, 2009 at 12:46 am
hi Jonathan,
I was recently scammed by a guy who sold me an (dead pixels, cracking plastic, discolored screen) iphone 16gb for $290. Today I followed everything you said and walked into an Apple store with an appointment and walked out with a NEW iphone 3g 16gb!! I did my homework well on those three flaws and it paid off!
Thanks a LOT
Sj Ray, on June 17th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
This guide helped alot!
Thank you so much
I worked my way into the guys brain
I told him that I had Been saving up
and that I wanted to work at the store when I’m older
he replaced my phone even though I had water damage
which usually isn’t covered
thanks a million really helpful!
Jarar, on August 17th, 2009 at 10:02 pm