iPhone5 replacement battery scheme - Help please!

Hi. Thanks so much for the replies, and apologies for the monologue. I get carried away sometimes.

To try and bullet point my issue:

+ I have an iPhone5 which is eligible for Apple's battery replacement scheme (which Apple started Aug 2014 IRRC - close to two years after the iPhone5's release) as they have admitted to manufacturing the phone with a faulty battery.

+ I received lots of conflicting information from various people inside and outside of Apple as to whether Apple would replace my battery FOC as my phone has a cracked screen, which (depending with whom I spoke to) would need to be fixed prior to replacing the battery.

+ I finally took my phone to Apple last week and they confirmed I would need to pay to have the screen replaced in order for them to replace the battery. About £99.

+ Normally if a product is sold with a fault one can ask the retailer who sold the item to rectify this. Unfortunately the retailer the phone was purchased from has ceased trading.

+ Apple knew there was a Power issue with my phone while it was still within warranty (and prior to any screen damage). However, they denied this was the case at a later date (post warranty).

There is lots of other things which I am annoyed about, which, if you can be bothered to read my OP, are explained.

However, the main crux of my issue is that; Apple say that by replacing the battery they will likely cause more damage to my phone. Even though they are the ones that will cause the damage, they want me to pay for it.

In my eyes, rightly or wrongly, I am allowed to do as I please with my phone, ie. crack my screen (I think there is even a legal term for this), however Apple supplied a product faulty. Surely they should feel (if not legally) obliged to sort this problem out.

I have seen the youtube videos of batteries being replaced. I cannot see how the very small crack in the corner of my phone (not covering the screen) could be exasperated from that procedure. And, as Apple staff have told me, quite often the screen isn't broken during the procedure.

To further annoy me. It seems that Apple has replaced the batteries, with no charge, for people who also have damaged screens.

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In response to a post above. The 3G problem was long before the screen was cracked. But thank you for your response.

I can honestly say I won't be purchasing any more Apple products if the MO is to build and sell faulty products, not admit that they are as such, then when they do the warranty is out of date and they make up a flimsy excused to charge money by proxy for the repair, with some customers getting charged and others not.

Thanks again for the responses. If anyone has any advice on how this can be sorted without me being out of pocket it would be great. ATM I have contacted the retailers administrators, so hopefully they can offer a solution.

Happy Christmas/Holidays peoples :-)

EDIT - it's not that I couldn't be bothered to make an appointment with the Genius Bar, more that I cannot know my movements more than a couple of days in advance. If appointments are only available a minimum of 4 days in advance there was a strong likelihood I wouldn't be able to make the appointment. Thus, I was contacting Apple by phone and calling in stores while in the near, trying to get a definite on whether the screen would need replacing before the battery was. Thus, saving me from trying to make an appointment, only to be told I would need to pay money I don't have, or need to pay (the cracked screen does not effect usage).