iStore Third Party Battery Replacement Fiasco

johnmccullough123 wrote:

First, you can give people information without being condescending. Apple is overcharging all of us, we´re in the same boat here. Second, this quote you listed is for Iphone´s still in their warranty periods, no? Is there anywhere in their policies that states they won´t touch let alone do any work at all on an iphone after it´s had a repair (for example battery replacement) from a third party store? Real reason seems they want people to buy a new phone.

I understand your frustration given that Apple doesn’t state this clearly. However, Apple has their own internal guidelines. You can certainly find this information. I won’t go any further.

Battery replacements were $99 for the iPhone 6 when I had it done in California (did it for a family member before I wised up, I still have the receipts! 🙂). That was years ago, you know, when it would have been pertinent to have this replacement program. If you were to have it replaced by Apple, then you would not be able to take part in this current replacement program anyway. Do you not understand? I don't know about the Motorola Droid, but I've had every other iPhone since the first one and the 6 was the only one to actually fail like it did. Do you or have you owned an iPhone 6? I'm surprised you're not more upset if you have/do. Practically everyone I have known with one has had the battery fail on them spectacularly, slightly before or after their 2 years marks.

Here are some options that Apple could take:

1. Have a disclaimer when you request a battery replacement over the phone that they will not replace 3rd party batteries.
2. Tell you when you take it into the store that, before they take your iPhone for 3:30 hours, they will not be able to replace a 3rd party battery.
3. Place an option in their Settings where you can override the 'throttling feature'.

I, unknowing of Apple's policy, had my battery replaced by a 3rd party repair shop. Now I am stuck because I can't get a genuine battery put in and my phone is throttled because it thinks my battery is faulty. I'm going to make the assumption - although I could be wrong - that any third party battery is going to show as "Service" even if it holds are charge and is fine because it is not a Apple battery. Can anyone verify this?

siburrman wrote:

So if you replaced your car battery with a 3rd party battery that instantly voids your warranty???

How does apple get away with this?

Replacing the battery in your car does not require disassembling other parts of the car.

Maybe not in your car, but more premium cars have much more electronics attached to the batteries themselves and would require disassembly. Getting a company who specialises in battery's to replace it would not invalidate any manufacturing warranty.

I think your forgetting why Apple have agreed to slash the price replacement batteries. They admitted to slowing phones down otherwise why would any company give this sort of goodwill on phones which are 3-4 years old and are way beyond their warranty period.

Again - "damage resulting from".

You seem to get hung up on those thee words.

But I don't see it saying "damage resulting from unauthorized service and unauthorized modification.

This is how I see it...

• damage resulting from accident
• disassembly
• UNAUTHORIZED SERVICE and UNAUTHORIZED MODIFICATIONS

My 2 cents.

Car analogies don't work very well with small electronics. Other than hybrids/electric cars I do not know of any car that has a battery that you have to disassemble key parts of the car. But going back to the hybrids/electric cars it is expressly stated in their warranty that having someone other than their employees and using batteries other than theirs voids the warranty. On the battery in my car if the battery is not calibrated by a the dealership using hardware/software from the manufacturer it voids the warranty.

So if you replaced your car battery with a 3rd party battery that instantly voids your warranty???

How does apple get away with this?

The entire problem is that Apple's batteries were insufficient to begin with. You would be a fool to have gone back to Apple and gotten a second battery for $99, when you could have one for $29 at the repair shop in the same mall.

Who is this replacement for? People who let their iPhone 6 die, put it in a drawer, and bought the 6s in the middle of their contract?

siburrman wrote:

So if you replaced your car battery with a 3rd party battery that instantly voids your warranty???

How does apple get away with this?

Legally no, depending on specific warranty laws. Effectively yes, since who would really hire an attorney who would likely cost more than the value of the device? Apple doesn’t actually state it in its warranty terms however. This would apply for the US:

FTC Staff Warns Companies that It Is Illegal to Condition Warranty Coverage on the Use of Specified Parts or Services | …

However, few user replace batteries during the warranty period. After the warranty is up there’s no obligation for a manufacturer or it’s authorized agents to provide service.

Yeah, same thing with my car.

I went to go get it serviced at the dealership and the mechanic pulled me aside and solemnly explained that my car had previously been "tampered" with by and "unauthorized third party" and for that reason they were unable to fix my car.

I immediately gasped in horror and began fighting for every breath. After a somber few moments I regained my composure at the thought of an unauthorized third party daring to tamper with my car. Who gave them the right to treat something that wasn't theirs with such malicious disregard?

"What happened?" I inquired, "What did they do to my car?" I had to put my hand on the mechanics shoulder to steady my shaky legs while bracing myself for the answer...

I could tell that the mechanic was hesitant about giving me an answer and glanced toward his manager who was looking on with his arms crossed and a stern expression on his face. It was peculiar to me, but I had to get to the bottom of the injustice that was just served, so I asked the mechanic again what happened in more earnest.

The mechanic let out a deep sigh and replied, "I'm sorry but...w-w-we found that the oil is uh..." he again glanced at his manager for some emotional support, but he instead found his boss narrowing his eyes at him...

The mechanic cleared his throat and continued, "An unauthorized third party" uh..."tampered" with your oil..." With that announcement he was left unable to meet your gaze any longer and diverted his eyes to the floor.

"What do you mean?" I asked,

The mechanic looked up at you to reveal that his face was blushing red before replying, "Well somebody other than our dealership changed- I mean..."tampered" with it."

I was dumbfounded. "What the heck are you talking about?!" I challenged,

The mechanic didn't even have the heart to look up at you when he countered, "Well you have to get it changed here or by an "authorized" mechanic. Otherwise we call it "tampering..."

You were astonished and shouted back, "Are you kidding me?! You guys charge waaay more! The other auto shop didn't "tamper" with it. They changed the oil just fine! They didn't break anything!"

The mechanics manager who moments before looked like a psychopath, immediately shape shifted into a creature that seem capable of mimicking empathy and stepped in to address your concerns.

"Sir," He pleaded with feigned empathy that couldn't be hidden under his cold eyes. "Nobody, is more upset at this unfairness more than us. We really wish we could fix the engine in your car, but alas we are unable to. You see, we don't know if its "safe" to work on your engine because you paid to have somebody other than us- I mean..." He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath before continuing. Because an "unauthorized third party" has "tampered" with your car..."

You looked at him incredulously, "So you're choosing NOT to fix my car?"

He appears unmoved, "I'm afraid we're simply "unable" to. It's not "safe" you see?"

You countered, "Well fine, I'll just buy the parts and have someone else do it."

A smirk breaks across the managers face while the embarrassed mechanic stands behind him, hiding his face in shame. "We can't sell them to you anyone other than authorized dealers."

"Well what am I supposed to do now?" You ask,

Now his smirk breaks into a bright smile, "I'm really excited to go over some other options with you. Have you seen our new inventory? We offer great financing options!"

Yeah this is the scenario that actually played out in the apple store. No joke. She kept saying the buzzwords, "tamper," "unauthorized third party," and "unsafe."

First, the phone belongs to ME! I'M the one who decides who is and isn't authorized to crack it open to replace the battery! I, THE OWNER, AUTHORIZED the other phone repair shop to work on it!

Second, the other repair shop wasn't "tampering" with the phone. They were fixing it! Nice try though...

Third, the "unsafe" excuse is total nonsense. Unsafe for who? If the tech is too scared to do it I offered to take the battery and install it myself. They said no.

Unsafe for the phone? Go ahead and risk it. They said no.

If they want to hide behind a 3000 page EULAs full of fine print, then fine. They have the right to do that. I'll exercise my own right to move to their competitor as a result and recommend others do the same. I've been using iPhones for about 10 years and its extremely irritating how unaccommodating they've become...