Faulty iPhone 5s

Question

Faulty iPhone 5s

My iPhone 5s has died. Bought in January 2015 in Florida Mall during our holidays, barely 8 months old. Cost, approximately £ 400. The problem? It's fallen victim to a hardware fault commonly known as the Blue Screen of Death (Google it). Now I have entered into a bureaucratic battle with Apple to either get it fixed or get a replacement under their worldwide guarantee scheme.

Take it to the nearest Apple Store ( La Cañada, Marbella,Spain) I hear you say. After trying to book an appointment... (yes, "book" an online appointment to visit a shop) for the last 5 days, I am told by one of their reps from that particular shop to keep trying, especially "at midnight" since their Genius Bar service,(yes that's the name they give to a place where you want a £400 phone fixed) that the service was very much in demand and "very popular". Very popular with customers returning faulty products, perhaps. Thus appointments are only open for one day at a time, 7 days in advance.

Anyway, so apparently, "at midnight", the appointments diary opens for the next set of appointments in 7 days time. But wait for it , here's the killer, even if and when I succeed in making an appointment to visit some geek in a shop 50miles away, the Marbella Apple store won't be able to provide a product replacement, since I bought, wait for it, "an American phone" and not a European one. Well blow me down with a feather, there was me thinking that Apple was a global brand started by some American geek sitting in a garage whilst taking a bite off a popular fruit.

I then try my last throw at the dice. I decide to call the US Apple tech support hotline and explained my predicament. The Dude keeps me on the phone for 25 minutes suggesting all sorts of possible remedies. No luck. I then suggest sending my phone back to the Florida Mall Apple Store where the story began with a smiley Customer Rep handing me a white box after having reassured me about the worldwide guarantee in the unlikely event my phone developed a fault. "You're Welcome, Sirrrr!" She got her commission, I got a dodgy phone.

The Dude on the phone is stumped by my simple suggestion using the old fashioned carrier pigeon method (well ok, FedEx), so I then suggest that he consults someone in the know and email me a solution, or details on how to proceed to claim under the guarantee. Two hours later I receive an email. It provides me with Apple Europe's Tech support telephone hotline. I call it and get a French lady on an answering machine. Gee thanks Apple.

CAN ANYBODY HELP ME OUT THERE?

iPhone 5s

Posted on Sep 1, 2015 4:04 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Ethan7988

Level 4

1,749 points

Sep 1, 2015 4:30 PM in response to billfromgibraltar

The warranty is only good in the country it is purchased it. If you purchased it in the U.S., you can get it replaced only in the U.S. If you were on the phone for 25 minutes with the Apple Support agent, then chances are you've tried all the troubleshooting steps that were possible (if you haven't tried restoring it, try that).

Another couple of questions are, (1) Have you ever dropped it? And (2) is it jailbroken?

Reply

Answer 2

Sep 1, 2015 5:13 PM in response to Ethan7988

1. warranty. I was told it is covered by a worldwide warranty by the Florida Mall store rep. since I've posted this I have also been told by someone with a similar problem that they managed to get a replacement phone in Europe even though they bought on holiday in Florida.

2. No I have never dropped it. In fact it is in perfect condition since the store rep at Florida Mall also managed to convince me to buy a cover at an inflated price.

3. Of course it's not jailbroken. I bought it straight from the Florida Mall store, in fact the tech support people verified this with me over the ohine after I gave them the IMEI serial number and exact details of my VISA card purchase.

The fault is well known. Google it. I just can't understand why I'm being sent on a runaround for something which Apple themselves have identified as a fault on iPhone5s.

Reply

Answer 3

Ethan7988

Level 4

1,749 points

Sep 1, 2015 5:19 PM in response to billfromgibraltar

This is the warranty information for the iPhone 5S:

Apple One-Year Limited Warranty Summary

Apple warrants the included hardware

product and accessories against defects in materials and workmanship for one year from

the date of original retail purchase. Apple does not warrant against normal wear and

tear, nor damage caused by accident or abuse. To obtain service call Apple, visit an Apple

owned retail store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider—available service options

dependent on country in which service is requested and may be restricted to original

country of sale. Call charges and international shipping charges may apply depending

on location. Subject to the full terms and detailed information on obtaining service

available at www.apple.com/legal/warranty and www.apple.com/support, if you submit

a valid claim under this warranty, Apple will either repair, replace, or refund your iPhone

at its own discretion. Warranty benefits are in addition to rights provided under local

consumer laws. You may be required to furnish proof of purchase details when making a

claim under this warranty.