iPhone 6+ problem... Apple just wants my moola.

[indydude345]

I have an iPhone 6+ that I got at the beginning of the year, and around March or April it got stuck in a reboot loop. I tried flashing it, forcing new OS, restoring, all that jazz, and nothing worked. The nearest Apple store (for me) is about 140 miles, so I just decided to get another phone, problem solved, for now. When I finally did get around to taking my phone to the Apple store in August, they told me I had to pay $150 for a replacement! And it wasn't even user error, it was a defect in the logic board! So after I went ranting and raving about that, I just put the phone in a drawer, and it sits there now. So is there any possible way I can fix this problem without paying that much money, when I already paid $500 for it? Please, I need help.

 

[mikegg]

Was the iPhone within the warranty? Did you get it second hand?

I've never experienced issues with dealing Apple on replacements if my product was in warranty.

 

[Ichinisan]

Less than a year...was it second-hand?

 

[indydude345]

Less than a year...was it second-hand?

It was not second hand, it was brand new. They told me the logic board was not covered under warranty, which I thought was strange.

I'm wondering now if I could buy another one with a broken screen or something of the sort, and just do some kind of hardware swap between the phones. I know the Touch ID won't work anymore, and there might be other issues, but perhaps I could find a broken one for less than $150 and fix it myself.

 

[TheStu]

It's almost certainly not going to be any cheaper than $150 to fix it yourself, or to get someone other than Apple to fix it. That being said, if the Apple store weren't so stinking far away from you, I'd go back there and ask to talk to a manager. If it's within the 1yr warranty period AND was a hardware defect there's no reason that they should have turned you away.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

It's almost certainly not going to be any cheaper than $150 to fix it yourself, or to get someone other than Apple to fix it. That being said, if the Apple store weren't so stinking far away from you, I'd go back there and ask to talk to a manager. If it's within the 1yr warranty period AND was a hardware defect there's no reason that they should have turned you away.

I agree with this provided:
The iPhone was purchased new, as in from a store or a reputable merchant. Not some whacky white box deal or eBay seller that said it was new
The iPhone has no liquid damage
The iPhone is in pretty good shape, not severely dented or cracked anywhere. Scratches are OK
You did not jailbreak it or attempt to modify it in some way.

*Former wireless guy here, what you are describing sounds like warranty stuff provided it meets the above.
*Apple is notorious for never taking blame for product failures, its always someone else's fault.
*I am assuming OP is in the US

 

[indydude345]

I agree with this provided:
The iPhone was purchased new, as in from a store or a reputable merchant. Not some whacky white box deal or eBay seller that said it was new
The iPhone has no liquid damage
The iPhone is in pretty good shape, not severely dented or cracked anywhere. Scratches are OK
You did not jailbreak it or attempt to modify it in some way.

*Former wireless guy here, what you are describing sounds like warranty stuff provided it meets the above.
*Apple is notorious for never taking blame for product failures, its always someone else's fault.
*I am assuming OP is in the US

Yes, you are correct on all marks. I have since purchased a new iPhone, but I would like my *broken* as an extra. So if it were to come down to it, would it really be worth it just to have them replace it? I did think about fixing it myself, bu there are no iPhone 6+ models that I could find for cheap, also I would need to buy a toolkit, and that is even more money.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Yes, you are correct on all marks. I have since purchased a new iPhone, but I would like my *broken* as an extra. So if it were to come down to it, would it really be worth it just to have them replace it? I did think about fixing it myself, bu there are no iPhone 6+ models that I could find for cheap, also I would need to buy a toolkit, and that is even more money.

Your carrier should be able to process a warranty exchange however the prepaid carriers don't generally like to do that. Apple will do an exchange by mail.
Either way works similar essentially if you prepay to secure an iPhone replacement with a credit card to ensure that you return the first iPhone and/or it is indeed not damage to the device. Apple or your carrier sends out a replacement model. The replacement is usually a re-certified return or refurb but regardless what you are returning in't new so that should not be a problem. They usually include a 90 day warranty, for example if you are on month 11 and do the exchange you will effectively have 2 additional months of warranty coverage.

 

[KeithP]

When I finally did get around to taking my phone to the Apple store in August, they told me I had to pay $150 for a replacement!

The Apple Limited Warranty covers your iPhone and Apple-branded accessories against manufacturing defects for one year from the date you bought your product. Our warranty is in addition to rights provided by consumer law.

Our warranty doesn't cover damage caused by accidents or unauthorized modifications. See the warranty for complete details. You can check your warranty status online and update your proof-of-purchase information if there's an error in our records.

Forgive me…either we aren't getting the entire story or the Apple employee made an error. If you phone is under a year old and a user accident/modification wasn't the cause of the problem it would be covered by the warranty.

-KeithP

 

[mikegg]

Agreed. No way what you're describing isn't fully covered under the warranty.

Sounds like you're not telling truth or the Apple employee made an error.