Can I return my phone since my camera is not a genuine Apple camera

Do you mean you have that message but it may be erroneous, or have you had the camera replaced at an unauthorised shop?

If the former then you may be able to trade it in for a reduced amount or have it repaired.

If the latter then Apple will not want it and will not repair it.

Plopez28 wrote:

Hello I have never had the phone repaired and purchased it from an AT&T location. The message came from the phone and it looks like it was sold to me in this state can Apple take this phone back and give me a new phone with all parts and camera made by APPLE?

It really depends on what you purchased. If it was sold to you as a brand new, factory original device then if there's some weird fault where it's flashing that there's a third party part then yeah you should be able to get it swapped, although that would likely be with a "replacement device" that may be new or could be a refurbished device. If you purchased it from AT&T as a refurbished device then Apple pretty much disavows it depending on the issue. You might be able to get a battery or screen replacement service.

Michael Black wrote:

I understand that. AT&T is my carrier. But the OP asked about returning a device and Apple only takes returns for devices they themselves sell.

Of course the OP can get warranty or out of warranty service from Apple for new devices purchased from an Apple Authorized seller.

The OP later clarified that he's asking for an exchange for one that doesn't give that message. As far as I know, Apple provides warranty replacements or other replacements for devices that are carrier locked. But they might need to order specific devices since they have to be an exact match in terms of carrier, model, color, capacity.

Still - an Apple Store appointment might be able to determine what the problem is regardless of whether or not it was repaired outside of Apple's repair ecosystem. They might even be able to clear that message - especially if it's just some sort of software problem.

I understand that. AT&T is my carrier. But the OP asked about returning a device and Apple only takes returns for devices they themselves sell.

Of course the OP can get warranty or out of warranty service from Apple for new devices purchased from an Apple Authorized seller.

And in the Apple warranty, and I suspect most companies in most countries, they reserve the right to repair or replace using new or as new parts or units on a reasonable timescale.

Demanding an immediate swap would be limited to very new phones.

I originally said to OP this message can come up when genuine cameras fail. That would be a straightforward failure under warranty, or out of warranty with a repair fee.

No. Since you purchased from AT&T any returns or exchanges or refunds will have to come from them. You need to go deal with AT&T since Apple did not sell that device.

LD150 wrote:

Lets not get carried away.

We have no idea how old the phone is. Unless you get AppleCare+ or a carrier equivalent there is no guarantee of "express replacement".

The implication that AT&T sold them a phone with fake parts really does not stack up.

Let's say in absence of further detail this phone is 13 months old and a genuine camera has failed giving this message . Is legal action likely to succeed?

I should have asked specifically its age and history in my first response.

I wasn't talking about express replacement. As far as I know that's a program for mail-in replacement where someone gets charged for the replacement and then it gets refunded when the exchange is completed. I'm referring to how Apple generally provides service for pretty much anything outside of screen or battery replacement. Everything is simplified into a full replacement with a functionally identical device.

But absolutely AT&T might sell a device that doesn't contain authentic Apple parts. They do that with refurbs all the time where they generally guarantee the work. They work with Asurion to provide insurance, and obviously they would like to get some value out of the damaged devices that are exchanged. I'm not sure about their "Certified Pre-Owned" devices, but their "Certified Restored" devices likely get repaired using third-party parts. There are quite a few authorized resellers that also sell various refurbs too. I don't know if Apple can really stop it from happening or if they're even interested in stopping it with one of their major retailers.

https://www.att.com/techbuzz/buying-guides/used-phones-by-any-other-name/

LD150 wrote:

Well you know AT&T better than I do, not being from USA, but if that is the case I think "Certified" is a little overstated.

Personally I would not go near a network provider for a phone and would not touch a refurbed or used iphone with a barge pole.

Part of the reason why many would purchase in the United States from a AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon is because the upfront phone cost might be subsidized with a contract. There might also be upgrade contracts, where the trade-ins are one source for used phones that they refurbish and sell. I mentioned Asurion, which is a large company that provided theft/damage insurance and/or an extended warranty. However, their terms may not include repair with factory parts or factory trained service, and they may also take an exchange to repair and sell.

Apple does its own refurbished devices, and those are generally at a very high standard. But certainly they will alway contain genuine Apple parts even if the device might have been previously repaired with non-Apple parts. With a lot of warranty service the only fix is a "replacement device" that may be new or refurbished by Apple or an Apple manufacturer.

But absolutely I get why you'd be hesitant. Some people are willing to take their chances.

LD150 wrote:

And in the Apple warranty, and I suspect most companies in most countries, they reserve the right to repair or replace using new or as new parts or units on a reasonable timescale.

Demanding an immediate swap would be limited to very new phones.

I originally said to OP this message can come up when genuine cameras fail. That would be a straightforward failure under warranty, or out of warranty with a repair fee.

I don't want to deal with it anything like that if I can help it. I get that warranty laws may apply, but it's a huge pain dealing with it when the only recourse is to sue.

Lets not get carried away.

We have no idea how old the phone is. Unless you get AppleCare+ or a carrier equivalent there is no guarantee of "express replacement".

The implication that AT&T sold them a phone with fake parts really does not stack up.

Let's say in absence of further detail this phone is 13 months old and a genuine camera has failed giving this message . Is legal action likely to succeed?

I should have asked specifically its age and history in my first response.

Well you know AT&T better than I do, not being from USA, but if that is the case I think "Certified" is a little overstated.

Personally I would not go near a network provider for a phone and would not touch a refurbed or used iphone with a barge pole.

Plopez28, next time buy new from Apple!

Michael Black wrote:

No. Since you purchased from AT&T any returns or exchanges or refunds will have to come from them. You need to go deal with AT&T since Apple did not sell that device.

AT&T is an authorized reseller and Apple devices they sell can be serviced at an Apple Store. My wife's iPhone 6s Plus was purchased from an AT&T store and has been serviced a few times by Apple.

But then it depends on the problem. The OP didn't mention the particulars that were asked about. If it's sold as new, then there shouldn't be a warning like that. I suppose there are occasional errors where it flags a completely factory original device as having an unauthorized part. But AT&T also sells refurbished (they call them "AT&T Certified Restored") devices that likely come from insurance claims. In those cases only AT&T can resolve the problem since that's outside of Apple's repair ecosystem. Not sure how it works now with Apple's relaxed standards on some DIY or third-party repairs. I'm under the impression that once a device is eligible for service through the Independent Repair Provider Program it's out of warranty. Apple may do complete swaps though, but for what price?