Scuffs/Scratches On New iPhone 5 Right Out Of The Box

@Chris092881 Thanks man, yeah this definitely *****. Yes Apple definitely failed with this release, but the worst part is that they are not willing to make up for their mistakes. I used to buy Apple products with confidence; confident that I was buying a quality product and I would not have to worry about anything. Man was I wrong with the iPhone 5. I am sure that they will iron out this mess by the time that the 5S is released, but at the same time...what new issues will arise with that? Unfortunately your mom is right, it is much better to wait. It is just difficult to wait through that "Apple fever" that hits when they release something new. I am truly kicking myself for upgrading, and seriously considering going back to my 4S for the time being. AT&T has been wonderful about resetting my contract whenever a return has been made to Apple, but how long will that last? I refuse to settle for a sub standard product that I paid good money for (not to mention signing my soul away to AT&T). My partner made the point of just buying the unlocked versions once they are released. Yeah you pay more, but they carry a higher resale value and that gives them time to work out the bugs. My other option would be the Note 2. I will admit that I have only tried Android once, and absolutely HATED it. In all fairness, that was when T-Mobile released their first Android phone (the G1 maybe?). I am a die hard Apple fan, but this iP5 fiasco has made me want to test different waters. It shouldn't be such a pain in the *** to get a phone that works as it should.

I replaced my black 64GB at my nearest store about a month ago without any problems, that said it's a concern to hear of so many not being so forutunate. I like many others have thought Apple offered quality products and the service to match. They do need to remember the customers who have helped them gain their No1 postion in tech world. I was concerned when I heard the Dixons retail chief was given the top role in charge of Apple stores , I am wondering if this is linked with why some are getting shoddy customer service treatment.

I'm not sorry he has gone as this was the culture of Dixons , blame the cutomer when something isn't right " We don't need to know now we have your money" . I replaced my iphone 4 3 times and never had any problems and that's how it should be.

No one should put up with anything they buy brand new showing signs of wear of of the box and this should be exchanged ASAP with the least amount of inconvience to the customer.I'm hoping the recent managment changes improve the customer service so it's consitient in a positive way no matter where you purchase your item from. If not people will lose faith and start speaking with their wallets , as wonderful as Apple products can be they are consumables. Things can change , just ask Microsoft , RIM and Nokia !

Well said igrant *lifts beer* 😝. I just spoke to the Apple store where I purchased this iPhone, and the girl asked a "genius" who said that cosmetic problems (even out of the box) do not make it defective. I asked about the heating up, and she said if it doesn't shut itself off, then its a non issue. Needless to say I am pretty ticked off. This is the same Apple store that I have always gone to, and have never been treated like this. As a matter of fact, when my old white MacBook had a hard drive fail they replaced it and didn't even charge me. That computer was out of warranty, and I was fully prepared to pay for the repairs. Now that I have a device that is not even 24 hours old that needs to be replaced, I am being told I am SOL. Well, I am going to the AT&T store first thing in the morning to activate a new sim for my 4S and returning this POS. I am going to attempt to speak to a manager and discuss these recent events. I am sure that it will not get anywhere, but it may make me feel a tiny bit better.

Honestly, I owned a Samsung Galaxy S3 for a brief period of time and can say that it had it's good and bad points. But that's true of anything. The reason I use the S3 as an example is because I owned one personally and, for the time being at least, it's considered the best Android phone on the market by most consumers and Android fans. The Android OS itself has been improved over the years, that I can guarantee you. Will you enjoy it anymore now than you did back then? Tough to say. That really runs individual by individual. I liked Android personally. I consider iOS a much more simplified, user friendly OS though. But some people don't want simple. Some people who love using their phones for various things think people that buy Apple products are nuts, simply based of the fact they aren't as customizable as many Androids are. I can say this, when I was purchasing Android phones I never had to worry about getting one that was dinged up straight out of the box. Or that had screen or camera issues right away. But things happen. Like I told the Genius at Apple today, I paid $199 for the device and agreed to roughly $2000 in cell phone bills over the next 22 months or so. That's a big commitment. Should I really be left feeling like I've made a huge mistake for the next 22 months? I think not.

Thank you for your opinion on Android. I understand each OS is going to have it's good and bad points, that is to be expected. You are right though, after spending $199 on the iPhone plus the 2 year agreement there should not be the feeling of a huge mistake. On my way to the Apple store this morning I almost turned around and went home to cancel the order. I was so excited when I got my first iP5, but now it feels like a waste of time and money. If I go with the S3 or Note 2, I am probably going to see about a 1 year commitment or full retail. It is a big expense, but that way I can have a upgrade should the next iteration prove to be better. Or, I may just stick with the 4S for now. It runs iOS6 perfectly, so there isn't a major rush to ditch it.

I sold my iphone 5 on Craigslist and went back to my 4s. I'm glad I still had it. I'm pretty happy with my 4s but did like the 5 a lot. I'm waiting a couple of months while they fix this issue. Then I may try to buy it again.

Methinks you should send an e-mail to upper managment as well detailing why Apple has lost another sale over this issue.Cosmetic damage is a flaw , you don't see marks or scuffs on the Apple site pics , just a supposed perfect device as held aloft at their keynote speech.Apple make reference about how light and thin this phone is and how well constructed it is and don't say at any stage " Oh by the way it comes with scuffs and cosmetic flaws as part of it's unique features before you even lay your hands on it" !

Someone on a higher level than an obviously poorly trained blue shirter needs to be made fully aware of the substandard customer service you have received. I would be very disturbed to hear if your complaint isn't escalated and dealt with in a more professional manner. I also hope you took note of this person's name , I normally make sure that's the first thing I do when encountering such indifference. Let me know how you get on .

I've considered that actually. Going top level with this whole thing. Some dude here said he went top level (Tim Cook I believe) and was given a $150 Apple gift card. What about my time and energy spent on this debacle? Anyone got an e-mail for Tim Cook or whoever? We already know how Paul Schiller feels about the situation, so I wouldn't even bother asking him to lend an ear. He'd probably tell me that the blurry camera photos my iPhone was taking was "completely normal".

Any reason that post was edited?

They have no excuses , you paid top $ for one of their premuim products and they have failed to honour their end of the contract. Also remind them that their customer service is supposed to be as much a part of the Apple ethos along with the software and hardware . Ask them if you have some how got that wrong and get them to clairfy it for you and put it in writing so it's in black and white.

I can't see where they can go with that one other than to resolve it to your satisfaction or lose your custom but like I said earlier it's the pesron you face on the shop floor that determins the retail expereince , not very good in your particular instance so far. You wouldn't see Rolls Royce , Ferrari or BMW behaving like this as they pride themselves on great customer service which is integral to the their products. Apple claim time and time again how things 'just work" and how they aim to ensure by buying one of their products you are owning a premium product .I would quote this time and time again until their ears bleed as they cannot escape their own walled garden !

@igrant Oh yes, I definitely made sure to take names of those I have dealt with in store. I am going to take this as high as I can, even after I return it. The higher ups need to be made aware of the appalling customer service some of us are receiving.

I just sent Tim Cook's office an e-mail. Let's see what happens.

"Their own walled garden." That's good stuff.

I sent an email as well. It will be interesting to see if we get a response.

Here is the email I sent.

Dear Mr. Cook,

I do not know if this email will reach you, but here it goes anyway. As many did, I preordered the iPhone 5 the moment they went up for sale. I was ecstatic when delivery day came, and I honestly felt like a child on Christmas morning when FedEx arrived at my door. You can imagine my disappointment when I opened the box to find that my long awaited iPhone 5 was scratched and scuffed before I even had a chance to use it. I was baffled to say the least. Prior experience told me to take it to the Apple store, surely I would be taken care of there. This is where I hope I have your full attention, because I was dead wrong.

I went to the Apple store with my cosmetically damaged iPhone 5, only to be told that the scuffs do not make it defective. I was shocked. I just paid a premium for this device, as well as signed a 2 year contract with my carrier. I was expecting a new device, not one that looked worse than my 1 year old iPhone 4S. I inquired again, only to be told that it does not make it defective. They offered a service part phone, but told me they only offer one and if it is worse then I just have to deal with it. Take it or leave it. Well, it appeared that the best option was to return the phone and start the whole order process again.

Three days later I managed to get a phone as a walk in at my local Apple store. Well long story short, same issue. Scratched right out of the box. I called the Apple store as soon as I had opened the phone and noticed, and I had the same response as before. They can offer a replacement, but only one and it is a take it or leave it deal. So for the second time, I returned the iPhone 5. Not only was I forced to return 2 phones due to obvious manufacturing defects, I now had to deal with my cellular provider. After the second return, they had to create a special case to reset my upgrade. While it was taken care of, it could have been avoided had I received better customer service at my store, or had not received the defective devices in the first place.

At this point, you would I think I would have learned my lesson. Well wrong again. Today I managed to get a White 16GB iPhone via online reservation. I honestly had my doubts, but being heavily invested in Apple products I decided to give it another try. I opened the box in the store and all seemed well. I brought my iPhone home with high hopes that this nightmare was finally over. Upon further inspection, the top lip of my brand new iPhone is brown and it is getting extremely hot. Needless to say I am at a loss here. I truly love Apple products, but I can only put myself through so much before I have to wipe my hands of the whole thing. To quote Albert Einstein- "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". That should pretty much sum up how I feel about this whole situation. I have been spoiled over the years buying Apple products. I have come to expect quality, and I have not gotten that with the iPhone 5. Tomorrow I will be returning my iPhone, and going with a different manufacturer. I sincerely hope that Apple will address the concerns of their customers in the future. Thank you for your time.