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Difficulty with customer service for iPhone X hardware defect

TazX14

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I apologize for the length of this post as I'm sure it will annoy many. However, I figured I post this here to see if anyone could provide advice and, once resolved, hopefully provide information should anyone ever have a similar issue...

Part 1:

My previous iPhone 7 Plus (purchased a year ago) died due to a defective cpu and upon attempting to have it repaired at the local iPhone shop was told that I could not as I did not have the receipt (despite Apple's own website and representatives stating that a receipt is NOT required). Fast forward to 5 weeks ago when I purchased 2 iPhone X's for myself and my wife. My iPhone had an issue with the earpiece sounding like it was blown so I contacted Apple support on my holiday and scheduled a callback for when I returned.


They got the number wrong and I had to contact them once again. I was told by the first representative that he felt it was a software issue and that I should just return the phone to the place of purchase, though I explained that I'd purchased this from an online retailer and that this would incur me further costs and time in order to receive support. I was then disconnected. The same day I contacted another person who explained that I could return it to a repair shop to have it repaired, despite my request for an exchange, and that no receipt would be required. I also requested another callback with customer care to have this resolved.


I then went to my local store which they gave me the address for and was once again told that nothing could be done without a receipt, despite me explaining this was purchased through an online distributor and thus without receipt and that I was told by the Apple reps that receipt would not be required. Once again, I received no callback (though I received an email saying they attempted this, despite me sitting and waiting next to my phone at the scheduled time of 5-5:30pm).


Once again, I contacted them again today, and have yet again requested a callback. The return date from my online distributor has now passed and the shop has refused me service twice in the past year despite both online and phone representatives saying I would not have issue. At this point, I just wish for the issue to be resolved by apple directly as soon as possible. Purchasing a $1000 phone, only to have it not work and refused customer service (twice in a single year) is absurd. I do not want to wait an additional 2 weeks (10-15 business days) with a much older phone as a replacement during the period in which they repair a phone which was broken out of box and wish to be contacted by phone to resolve this issue (a number I have given them no less than 6 times now, 4 times in the past week).



Part 2:

I was contacted by someone who identified them-self as a representative in Shanghai Executive Relations. Initially, he had told me that all I would need to do is go to the store and explain that this representative had investigated this issue, then this situation would be rectified. He then later said that I would have to look up the initial store's address and then contact him to inform him of the information from the initial encounter, then inform him which store I would be going to BEFORE going to the store, then go to the store, then explain to them the situation, then hopefully receive customer service.


Throughout the call with Weng Yue Wong, the Apple Shanghai Executive Relations Representative, I asked him whether the initial advice or the latter advice was incorrect. He said neither were incorrect and that all was correct. I asked him how that could be considering the differing advice and steps he'd added throughout the call and he reaffirmed that all the information he provided was correct.


I asked numerous times what progress had been made on my previous emails and calls and he said he did not have any of this information and did not deal with this sort of information. When I asked what his role is, he expressed that he deals with Government responses. I asked him what could be done to resolve this issue and expressed that I'd already been refused service due to lack of receipt and that I did not wish to spend more money and time travelling without a guarantee that the terms and serviced entered would be honored as per all Apple documentation.


After nearly two hours of dealing with this representative's conflicting information, I requested a supervisor which he explained to me that there were none. He provided me support in Chinese and when I requested English support he refused, and when I requested clarification of this information he then hung up on me, still not providing clear details of which information to follow.


Since my initial complaint, I have sent an additional 4 emails asking for a resolution to this issue.


I still have not been contacted by Customer support to resolve this issue, nor have I been contacted by a supervisor as per requested. It has now been 4 weeks since purchase without support and I'm still waiting...


Hopefully I can be contacted by a representative who can provide me clear, concise information that resolves this issue for me without further expenses on my part. I have contacted an attorney and have been advised to retain all receipts for costs incurred by this issue for reimbursement due to the company's refusal of services despite adhering to all terms and services.

SInce this, I have contacted the BBB to hopefully resolve this issue...
 
I think legally you have a case against the on-line seller. Goods should be "fit for the purpose" and you are entitled to a refund plus carriage costs if they are not. Why don't you try contacting them.
 
Unfortunately, the refund policy here is 14 days (which I happened to be over due to my honeymoon and work. I should have attempted this once back, and I’m completely to blame for not just refunding it). This is in conjunction with apple’s suggestion that I just take it to one of their stores and all would be resolved from my initial call with them, assuring they could resolve it once I returned
 
It sure looks like they deliberately dragged things out to make sure the refund period would expire without them giving you satisfaction. BTW, Apple should have offered to give you warranty service even if the phone was not purchased directly from Apple.
 
Have you taken the phone to an Apple Store? It sounds like this repair center is a third party shop and not an Apple repair center.

Are you speaking with Apple or a representative of the company you purchased the phone from?
 
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This is what Apple says in relation to receipts -
If you need their help, could you not print the on-line transaction details?
 
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