Is Apple responsible for damages during repair?

Question

Level 1

4 points

Is Apple responsible for damages during repair?

I recently visited an Apple Store hoping to get the battery replaced for my iPhone 6s. The staff told me they could try to replace the battery for me, but if they caused other damages during the repair, they wouldn’t be able to fix them (their reason was they didn’t have supplies of other parts for iPhone 6s in store).

Could someone please confirm that it’s actually an Apple policy? I found it very strange that they would ask the customer to bear the cost if they messed up the repair.

iPhone 6s, iOS 15

Posted on Oct 28, 2024 1:56 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Bob Timmons

Level 10

191,382 points

Oct 28, 2024 2:39 PM in response to Zy2401

Could someone please confirm that it’s actually an Apple policy?

Normal. Apple will support a product for 7 years after it is discontinued. The iPhone 6s was discontinued in Sept 2016, 8 years ago, so parts may not still be available for the product......regardless of who pays.

Apple is also trying to encourage you to replace your phone with a newer model.

It's your decision.

If you gamble $80 (U.S.) for a new battery and win, you might get a few more years use out of the phone.....assuming your apps don't need a newer iOS version which cannot be installed on the phone.

The real question I would ask is if you pay for a new battery and something goes wrong and you don't want to pay for additional repairs (assuming parts are even available)......can you get the $80 back that you paid for the battery....since the phone will be useless.

Personally, I would go for a new phone. But, that's me.

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Answer 2

sberman

Level 10

276,500 points

Oct 28, 2024 3:06 PM in response to Zy2401

The iPhone 6S is considered obsolete by Apple.

Obtaining service for your Apple product after an expired warranty - Apple Support

From this article:

”Apple discontinues all hardware service for obsolete products …”.

So if you choose to proceed, naturally you would have to take the risk associated with further damage.

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Answer 3

Kurtosis12

Level 9

79,436 points

Oct 28, 2024 2:15 PM in response to Zy2401

They aren't asking you to bear the cost, they are saying they no longer have parts for your 6 year (or older) old phone.

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Answer 4

Zy2401 Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 28, 2024 2:41 PM in response to Kurtosis12

Thank you. Bearing the cost was probably the wrong phrase to use. I meant it seems weird that I wouldn’t get any compensation if they damaged the phone. And yet they still offer this service that will potentially cause that damage.

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Answer 5

Zy2401 Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 28, 2024 3:18 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Thanks for the reply! Yes I was told I would get the 80 dollars back if things went wrong.

I’m mostly using a 15 pro as my daily driver so it’s not a huge problem whether the 6s can get a battery replacement—though it’s better if it can.

I was just a bit surprised that Apple would ask me to gamble on this. If they don’t have enough supplies it seems reasonable to me to just completely discontinue any repair for this product, instead of potentially returning the customer with a broken phone.

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