Apple watch black spot

My watch has also developed this issue...

My warranty had just expired about a month before this, and I was told it would cost $249 for Apple to repair it.

I wasn’t going to add my input here until I continued to read non-helpful responses continuing to question the prevalence of this issue when searching Google. Like others have already said, for every post on this issue there are many non-posters with the same problem.

Here‘s the deal: One does not want to see a significantly-sized blemish appear — through no fault of your own — on the face of a watch that you paid $1000 for just 24 months earlier. Apple wants to compare itself to other high-end watchmakers: I cant see this type of thing happening with a Tag Heuer.

<Image Edited by Host to Remove Personal Information>

Apple Watch blackspot wrote: Apple doesn't provide a complaint process

When speaking with Apple Support, should you wish to do so, you can explain that you would like to make a complaint. If the person you are speaking with cannot help you with that, they will transfer you to someone who can.

I'm sorry that I misinterpreted the tone of your original post.

However, I'm afraid the Terms of Use don't allow rants either. 😉

Wait and see what the store advises after your watch has been assessed. If you are unhappy with the conclusion and wish to discuss it with Apple, you now know that this is possible.

I have read this complete thread and was first relieved to see I was not the only one with this problem, and second was surprised to read that a persons google search of this issue only yielded one other complaint. I have had this happen to me on 2 apple watches (series 1). My originally purchased apple watch developed a black spot within the first year originating at the top middle of the face and slowly spread in a semi circle fashion. I called apple and they determined it was a defect and sent me a replacement. Now less than a year after I received the replacement it has developed a black spot originating in the upper right corner of the screen. My call to apple this time unfortunately resulted in I would have to pay $249 USD to repair it because my warranty period is ended. Obviously I believe this is the wrong call since the almost exact thing happened to me twice (the origination point was different in both cases), and even more so since this appears to be a common issue among apple watch users. So my question is do I have any recourse to get the watch replaced without having to pay for the repair?

Don't feel bad. I just developed the same thing on my watch. Mine I am sure is out of warranty but must be a common problem. The screen is there, it is just a black semi-transparent black round dot in the upper right of my watch. If I enter the passcode it obscures the last number of the code but a closer look revels it is something over the top of the number. I can see the last digit of the code through the dot if I look closely.

ddphoto1 wrote:

Mine I am sure is out of warranty but must be a common problem. The screen is there, it is just a black semi-transparent black round dot in the upper right of my watch.

Based on postings in this forums, no, it's not a terribly common problem. Why do you think it is?

Do a web search on "black spot on apple watch" and remember most people will not bother to report it, just live with it. Also the search finds similar problems on a lot of other screen types, not just the watch. Seems the spot is always at the same place on the watch and varies in size. It is not a pressure problem since the spot seems to appear on a lot of the reported posts in the "same location". Best bet is to report it to apple and then see if they do anything about it.

ddphoto1 wrote:

Do a web search on "black spot on apple watch" and remember most people will not bother to report it, just live with it.

Remember that doing a "web search" is not a good way to get decent data on anything. I can do a web search on alien abductions and get lots of reports.

I trust the data from this site a bit more than the internet as a whole because it's a specific technical support forum with a registration requirement.

Damage to LCD screens happens all the time. It's not unique to Apple Watches. But, conversely, Apple Watches are not more prone to such damage than other things with LCD screens or than other watches.

If you believe in Alien Abductions I think that the web would be a great place to find the info. I prefer to get information from more places than a "closed forum". And by "closed", I mean a large percentage of Apple users don't even know how to sign in with their Apple ID! They are interested in playing with their iPhone and Apple watches and they are the ones that will post a problem on the web because they are not technical in nature.

That is my opinion, now I am going to do a web search on Alien Abduction and see if I can be convinced!

James_Hunt_II wrote:

Like others have already said, for every post on this issue there are many non-posters with the same problem.

So, let's say that for each the three of you who have posted in this thread with this problem in two and a half years, there are 100 people with the same symptom (which doesn't always mean the same problem). That's still a very small number of people compared to the number of Apple Watches sold. So, I'd say the likelihood that it's a defect are not huge. I'm sure there are people with Tag Heuer watches who've had something bad happen to them within twenty four months of purchase. I'm also not sure how it's really relevant to the discussion.

I also understand that, when it's your watch, it doesn't matter how many other people are affected. It's still frustrating.

Apple Watch blackspot wrote:

So I'm wondering what do you think the chances are they're going to call me and tell me that there's water damage to the watch????

Hi

Welcome to Apple Support Communities!

As a user-based technical support community, I'm afraid we can't tell you what conclusion Apple will reach.

Also, the Terms of Use do not allow speculation on Apple decisions or discussions of Apple policies or procedures.

Apple Support Communities Use Agreement

If you have issues or concerns about your Apple Retail Store experience, you can contact Apple Support:

https://www.apple.com/support/watch/contact/

Apple Watch blackspot wrote:

... The water damage excuse seems to be the latest and greatest by Apple.

What water damage excuse?

A search of this site yields not a single instance of an Apple Watch warranty repair request becoming denied due to water damage. If you have a technical support question, ask. Using this site to whine about a real problem is pointless enough, but you're whining about a problem that may not even exist.

Out of curiosity, I just Googled black spot apple watch to find out about these other cases to which you referred. I found one. The same guy posted here and in the iMore forums. He got his watch replaced. His initial concerns about poor service were down to a local support centre (not Apple itself).

So I'm wondering where you've had the idea that there's an established pattern in which Apple refuses to accept that there's an issue/refuses to replace the device and instead works its way down a list of excuses, now having reached "water damage".

I'm also (separately) curious to know why you don't have a name.