Apple Watch repair

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Level 1

103 points

Apple Watch repair

Does anyone have a recommendation where else you can repair an Apple Watch? My series 1 watch originally broke from physical damage, got the replacement for $199. One year later the replacement watch which has no warranty is not working anymore. It doesn't charge or turn on.

I took it to Apple and they said I would have to pay $199 to have it fixed, if it costs less they will refund me. Only if it costs more will they contact me. Why couldn't they contact me if it's going to cost more than $79 to replace the battery? A brand new Series 1 is $249, seems Apple forces customers to buy a new watch! Why would I invest another $199 on a watch that already cost me $500 or for another $49 I get a new watch with 2 years warranty vs. 90 days?

- Disgusted broken Apple Watch owner.

iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015), OS X El Capitan (10.11.3)

Posted on Mar 1, 2018 9:32 PM

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Answer 1

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deggie

Level 10

167,177 points

Mar 2, 2018 11:02 AM in response to foredogg

You can check with 3rd party repair sites in the area but it is extremely unlikely you will find one that can do it due to the non-availability of parts and the low repairability of the Watch. There is no fee in between $79 and $199, they do not repair the Watch if it is not a battery issue, they provide you with a service replacement unit.

They are not forcing you to do anything, even on the iPhone Apple for the most part does not do diagnostics and repair board level parts. They replace the screen, the battery or the entire phone. It is up to you what to do next.

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Answer 2

foredogg Author

Level 1

103 points

Mar 4, 2018 9:54 PM in response to deggie

Deggie thanks for the info on the 3rd party repair and good point on the iPhone repair as I recall that's what they did previously to a phone I had brought in years ago.

To your point Apple is not making me buy a new watch but they are creating a path for you to buy a new watch. With the iPhone the $199 replacement fee is far less than buying a new iPhone so I would not hesitate to pay $199 for a replacement. For the watch, it's only $49 more for a new one, so in essence you are forced down a particular path but yes it's up to you what to do next; 1) do nothing; 2) buy a replacement for $199 with 90 day warranty or 3) spend $49 more for a new watch with one year with option to buy Apple Care.

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Answer 3

foredogg Author

Level 1

103 points

Mar 5, 2018 11:30 PM in response to deggie

I forgot about that keyword "out-of-warranty" replacement fee! 😁 In that case you're right and all paths eventually lead to a new device. 😉 I think I'm not going to bother finding a 3rd party repair. Thanks Deggie.

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Answer 4

deggie

Level 10

167,177 points

Mar 5, 2018 8:47 PM in response to foredogg

The out-of-warranty replacement fee for an iPhone is much higher than the $199 for an Apple Watch.

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Apple Watch repair

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