sazmatic

Q: Parts missing in my iPhone 5. How is this possible?

Recently my screen cracked on my iPhone 5. I took it to the Apple Store at the Summit in Birmingham, AL to replace the screen. The Apple Store employees took it to the back for repair. When I came back to pick it up, the Apple Representative told me they could not replace the screen because it was missing the following parts:

  • All 3 display cowling screws
  • Display cowling
  • Processor heat shield

 

I have never taken it in to anyplace for repairs and I bought the phone new from Verizon. Can anyone explain how this is possible?

iPhone 5

Posted on Oct 17, 2013 8:07 AM

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Q: Parts missing in my iPhone 5. How is this possible?

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  • by Dave Mishchenko,

    Dave Mishchenko Dave Mishchenko Dec 21, 2013 5:52 PM in response to sazmatic
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    Dec 21, 2013 5:52 PM in response to sazmatic

    I had the same problem being denied a repair due to a missing diplay cowling and all the screws for it.  I took it into another store to speak with a manager about it.  When they opened it up, they confirmed that this was a known issue (i.e. manufacturing defect) and they replaced the diplay under warranty.

  • by kure-ji,

    kure-ji kure-ji Dec 23, 2013 7:56 PM in response to Dave Mishchenko
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 23, 2013 7:56 PM in response to Dave Mishchenko

    Hi Dave,

     

    My screen has got "hyper-sensitivity" (according to the Apple Genius). When they took it in for an inspection, I was also denied a repair due to missing stuff. I know I've never tempered with it.

     

    Which store did you bring it to?

     

    Cheers

  • by Dave Mishchenko,

    Dave Mishchenko Dave Mishchenko Dec 24, 2013 12:45 AM in response to kure-ji
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 24, 2013 12:45 AM in response to kure-ji

    I'm in the Vancouver, Canada area.  The first store I was in was Richmond, BC and the second where it was fixed was Surrey, BC.   I had also spoken with phone support between the visits.  Of the 3 reps that I spoke with, only one was aware of this type of problem, so it may just take another visit to the store with a request that they search their knowledge base.

  • by kure-ji,

    kure-ji kure-ji Dec 24, 2013 3:04 AM in response to Dave Mishchenko
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 24, 2013 3:04 AM in response to Dave Mishchenko

    Thanks Dave for the fast reply! I'm in Australia and hence Canada is as far as it can get. =)

    I'll take your advice and do that before I give up and just pay for a third party repair (I've only got 2 months left on the warranty anyway)

     

    In any case, have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

  • by sazmatic,

    sazmatic sazmatic Dec 24, 2013 8:07 AM in response to sazmatic
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    Dec 24, 2013 8:07 AM in response to sazmatic

    Thanks both of you. I'll try again with apple after the holidays when they are not quite so busy!

  • by Gretchsky24,

    Gretchsky24 Gretchsky24 Feb 14, 2014 4:46 AM in response to sazmatic
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 14, 2014 4:46 AM in response to sazmatic

    Just this week I took my iphone 5 into an apple store to be replaced because I've been having issues with the sleep button. After further testing, the apple genius decided the phone needed to be opened up. My family and I went to dinner, came back and was told the phone is missing parts and they will not fix or repair my phone!! We were totally shocked and treated like criminals/scammers!! They were dismissive and not very nice. It's pretty hard to stand somewhere, find out you are a victim of being sold a defective phone and also looked at as scum! I've had this phone no where else to be looked at or fixed! Why would I, the phone is under warranty...or so I thought!!! I guess quality control is 100% and it couldn't be apples fault!! I have so many apple products and I'm ready for a Microsoft phone. All they had to do was treat me like an individual and help me figure out how this happened to my phone!!! I don't have the money to run out and get a new iphone!! My only option is to wait another year and hope this piece of defective crap remains somewhat functioning. I have nothing to stand on but I will be writing consumer affairs and telling anyone I can about my experience. I LOVED my apple phone...

    I hope you got a resolution and your daughter got her phone fixed or replaced. Doesn't seem like there is much for customer satisfaction anymore. Where one leaves, another steps in.

  • by adamychang,

    adamychang adamychang Feb 26, 2014 8:09 PM in response to sazmatic
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 26, 2014 8:09 PM in response to sazmatic

    My iphone5 purchased Jan 2013 at Walmart had always performed poorly when it came to registering network signals.  But recently this winter, it has gotten to the point where it get's into a "Searching..." for network state that is very difficult to correct.  I usually have to restart the phone or reset the network settings.  And sometimes that doesn't even work. 

     

    I finally took the phone into the Apple store.  The first solution was to provide me with a new SIM card.  That seemed to have fixed the problem initially. But after 2 days, the problem came back.  I went back to the Apple store a second time.

     

    This time they took it into the back and after several minutes, came back and said that they opened it up and found that it was missing a component - the cowling over the video connector, camera connector, and proximity sensor.  That cowling supposedly keeps all of the cables nicely fitted together.  And without it, it's a possible reason why my phone continues to lose connectivity to the wireless network.  He went on to say that it's possible that some one must have tampered with it before I got it from Walmart, and maybe taken the part to refurbish some other model.  He said that it was evident that it was tampered with because there were fingerprints all inside.  He proceeded to claim that this would have never passed QC at from the factory like that due to the measures they take - ensuring a uniform weight on every unit, down the the screw.

     

    Of course that my phone was out of warranty and that it was already tampered with, they couldn't do anything for me.  I was floored by just the mere notion of somehow this product making it out to market through a third party distibutor like Walmart.  Afterall, when I purchased it, it was wrapped in cellophane, just like new.

     

    Now after reading this post, I'm not sure if I'd blame 3rd parties like Walmart, or if Apple is actually covering up some serious QC issues.

  • by Mort468,

    Mort468 Mort468 Jun 5, 2014 5:16 AM in response to sazmatic
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 5, 2014 5:16 AM in response to sazmatic

    I know this is a really old post however did anyone ever get anywhere with this? I recently found out my iPhone 5 was missing parts and a serial number was scratched off on the inside. Apple still completed repairs on my home button for me (the original reason I went in), however it feel totally scammed, and am wondering why I am forced to keep a phone that has obviously been tampered with?!!

     

    The worst part is between Apple and Bell (my provider) no one seems to give a ****!

  • by tamiajackson,

    tamiajackson tamiajackson May 31, 2015 4:06 PM in response to Dave Mishchenko
    Level 1 (1 points)
    May 31, 2015 4:06 PM in response to Dave Mishchenko

    I have a question. I just mailed my phone off to an apple store to be repaired for a battery issue. I'm aware that there are 2 screws missing on the metal plate and the bottom screws that holds the phone and the screen together in place are missing. I'm under a warranty, will they still repair my phone? If not, if I replace the missing screws & take it back... will they then repair it?