iPhone 4 - Complaint

Moneytroubles_2

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone could help me. I am wanting to send a letter of complaint to Apple regarding the iPhone 4 as my OH purchased one of these and not 5 days later it fell off the sofa and on to our living room floor, the back of the phone smashed and my OH got shards of glass in his hand.

He rang Apple up and long story short after making OH emailing them pics of the phone the customer service rep told him that it looked like he had purposely smashed the phone and there was nothing they could do and also that they had not experienced this problem with anyone else and suggested he took it into the Apple Shop. (two things annoyed me about this comment... 1. does that mean it didnt happen then just because no one else has had that problem and 2. when searching the internet it turns out that a lot of people have infact had the same problem - but anyway...)

I took the phone to the apple shop yesterday and was told by the man in there, that there was nothing they could do as they dont cover accidental damage, I explained that on the internet apple boast that they have a strengthen back and have been tested by being dropped 5ft onto concrete and yet all this did was fall off the sofa and its a mess.

So now I wanna complain to them, one because of the state of the phone but also because of how we have basically been accused of lying and i wanna question why they think someone would buy the phone and purposely smash it themselves afterwards???

Searched all the website for complaint details and procedure and no luck (bit cocky if you ask me!)

Thanks in advance x

Oscar_The_Grouch

Let's look at this from Apple's point of view. You have an iPhone that they have tested. They have specially toughened glass that is designed to take the odd knock or two. Then suddenly, your husband has broken the back of the phone and in the process, ended up with a piece of it in his hand.

They can't see how a phone dropping on the floor can result in your husband getting a piece of glass in his hand. Their immediate thought is likely to be "Hello, we've got some muppet here who decided to show his mates how tough the glass is and has made a wally of himself".

Rather than sending in a letter of complaint, perhaps you should consider contacting your mobile phone provider to see if they gave you some free insurance, or getting in touch with your home insurers to see if you paid for the additional Accidental Damage cover.

Oh - by the way - a warranty and guarantee is there to show that the phone is mechanically sound; they NEVER provide accidental damage cover.

wlf

Plenty of people have had their's replaced instore at Apple after smashing the back.

If they won't do it for free they'll def do it for £139.

Otherwise, has he got insurance?

drbesty

Why would they do it for free? Its accidental damage, how it happened is irrelevant, they've probably heard all kinds of stories in their time, whether you dropped it 2 feet off a sofa or 200 feet off a cliff it's still not covered under warranty

robt_2

I agree.

Your ONLY complaint is the way that staff have dealt with you.

As a company, they have no liability at all. It was accidental damage. Is it covered under your home contents insurance?

Moneytroubles_2

Thanks for the replies... We are going through insurance to get the phone fixed, thats fine, but I still want to complain about the back and basically give feedback and also complain about the general way in which the matter has been treated. Oscar the grouch... I understand what your saying and I agree that there are people out there who are 'testing' it, but to be honest I dont care, each case should be treated individually and I know exaclty what happened as I was there myself and I saw him knock it off the sofa and onto our wood floor and then it smashed!!

My OH spent alot of money on his iPhone and he's not an idiot who would just mess about chucking it about just to show his mates and im annoyed by the comment suggesting that he is!! (not that I should have to explain that on here anyway!)

It really irratates me that when people tell the truth, like we have, you just get fobbed off or your get made to feel like your in the wrong, at the end of the day it shouldnt have smashed from the height it fell and maybe if it was just explained straight off that he would have to go through insurance and the reasons why I wouldnt be so angry but the fact they have told him that he is lying as really peed me off quite frankly!

So if anyone does have details of how to complain that would be great x

bingy_burge

I have seen a iphone 4 dropped from waist hight to laminate floor and it off came unscaved.

However I noticed the back of my has a hairline scratch, so I don't think the new glass is that super-doper.

The front screen does seem better than the 3g.

I don't know why you expect apple to replace it as its not a land rover phone sold to be robust.

4743hudsonj

Hardness and Fragility are two separate things, whilst the glass is extremly hard (virtually scratch resistant), it is know to be extremely fragile (not resistant to sudden shocks and excess flexing).

I suppose whether it cracks or not depends alot on how it lands. On the metal band or edge and itll probably be ok, but on a corner..... your doomed.

Moneytroubles_2

I don't expect apple to replace it for free...

I only went into the shop as thats what the man on the phone told me to do... why I don't know? as it was a waste of time... When I went in the shop I explained to the man what had happened and told him we had rang apple up and they had told us to bring it in and show them... we are getting the back fixed through insurance. my complaint is the way they spoke to OH and also for them generally wasting our time.

thatsean

Write to them then, contact details, from the uk/ireland site are:


Apple Sales International
Hollyhill Industrial Estate
Hollyhill, Cork
Republic of Ireland

Registration Number: 157192
Registered at the Companies Registration Office, Ireland

robt_2

Moneytroubles wrote: »

my complaint is the way they spoke to OH and also for them generally wasting our time.

Just to play devils advocate - were you not wasting there time when you knew they had no liability for accidental damage and were claiming through your insurance anyway?