Apple iPhone 4s - hardware/software malfunctions

Momoneyman

So I bought my girlfriend a mint condition fully working iPhone 4s on ebay and it's was working very well until I updated the software to the latest ios 7.1, so straight away after updating I noticed the wifi stopped working. This is a massive issue for these phones and apple are not interested in recalling. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of these phones doing this.

So anyway I can't return to the person I bought the phone from, its out of its apple measly 1 year warranty, they will replace with their out of warranty replacement service but that's £160 so if I paid that I would have paid over £300 for a phone with a three month warranty.

Can apple be held responsible for this issue? There are a lot of threads online and lots of people are taking this into their own hands and trying to fix the phones with hairdryes and freezers of all things! What a joke! Can anything be done to challenge apple about this?
Do I have any options in terms of consumer rights law considering I have bought this phone second hand?

The worst thing is that apple are completely lying over the phone and claiming this is not a wide spread problem but there are literally hundreds of posts about, and more recently with the update to 7.1

Here's some threads: ah it won't let me post links as I'm a new user, so anyway if you google iPhone 4s greyed out wifi ios 7 or ios 7.1 you'll see how common this is. I'm going android next time. Apple are too cocky and thing they can charge a massive premium for a phone that lasts you a year, erm no!

grumbler

Momoneyman wrote: »

Can apple be held responsible for this issue?

In a word, no. UK law holds only the supplier responsible, not the manufacturer.

....
Do I have any options in terms of consumer rights law considering I have bought this phone second hand?

Generally, the law doesn't exclude second hand goods, but enforcing it against a ebay seller is next to impossible even ignoring the fact that the 'reasonable time' that the item is supposed to last according to the law is far too vague term even for new goods.

MSE article: Consumer Rights Armour

I'm going android next time.

You should have done this the last time.

Apple are too cocky and thing they can charge a massive premium for a phone that lasts you a year, erm no!

Sure.

gik

Momoneyman wrote: »

So I bought my girlfriend a mint condition fully working iPhone 4s on ebay and it's was working very well until I updated the software to the latest ios 7.1, so straight away after updating I noticed the wifi stopped working. This is a massive issue for these phones and apple are not interested in recalling. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of these phones doing this.

So anyway I can't return to the person I bought the phone from, its out of its apple measly 1 year warranty, they will replace with their out of warranty replacement service but that's £160 so if I paid that I would have paid over £300 for a phone with a three month warranty.

Can apple be held responsible for this issue? There are a lot of threads online and lots of people are taking this into their own hands and trying to fix the phones with hairdryes and freezers of all things! What a joke! Can anything be done to challenge apple about this?
Do I have any options in terms of consumer rights law considering I have bought this phone second hand?

The worst thing is that apple are completely lying over the phone and claiming this is not a wide spread problem but there are literally hundreds of posts about, and more recently with the update to 7.1

Here's some threads: ah it won't let me post links as I'm a new user, so anyway if you google iPhone 4s greyed out wifi ios 7 or ios 7.1 you'll see how common this is. I'm going android next time. Apple are too cocky and thing they can charge a massive premium for a phone that lasts you a year, erm no!

Did you buy the phone from Apple? If not they have had zero money from you...why then are they liable?

d123

Momoneyman wrote: »

I'm going android next time.

And end up with a Samsung where the screen cracks just by looking at it too hard? Plenty of general faults with Android handsets as well...

Maybe spend a little extra and buy a new phone (or at least a second hand one with a warranty) next time.

You took the risk of buying a second hand phone, it's always a risk, this one didn't pay off for you.

grumbler

gik wrote: »

Did you buy the phone from Apple? If not they have had zero money from you...why then are they liable?

They produced this phone and this iOS update that broke it. And they had their money from someone. Does it make any difference that the owner changed?
Just common sense, not supported by any law unfortunately.

d123 wrote: »

Maybe spend a little extra and buy a new phone (or at least a second hand one with a warranty) next time.

And make sure it's a proper 2 years' warranty, not a pathetic 1 year.

Momoneyman

Thanks for the replies, to be honest it's mainly the fact that they are completely denying this is an issue with this model that is most annoying, I have written on a few threads and I am getting daily updates about the issue from people all over the world.

Their support are so patronising and weird, it's like talking to androids. Haa.

Anyway do not buy second hand apple is my advice, they will break your phone/iphone with an update down the line. I wouldn't be surprised if it's all part of their plan to get people buying the newer models in some messed up way.

They should design these products to just dissolve after a phone contract, they don't want them to last. I mean how can they create a software update that breaks thousands of phones that are a few days to a year out of warranty, disgusting.

Towards the end of last year Tim Cook Apple's boss CEO said "There's always a large junk part of the market," going on to say, "we're not in the junk business."
I would argue that's exactly the market they are in, expensive styled junk.

gjchester

Momoneyman wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, to be honest it's mainly the fact that they are completely denying this is an issue with this model that is most annoying, I have written on a few threads and I am getting daily updates about the issue from people all over the world .

My Wife has my old iPhone 4 and has no issues, so its not a everyone affected, out of the millions sold it's only a small amount affected. That does not help you but remember people tend to only be vocal to complain, not to praise.

Momoneyman wrote: »

Anyway do not buy second hand apple is my advice, they will break your phone/iphone with an update down the line. I wouldn't be surprised if it's all part of their plan to get people buying the newer models in some messed up way.

That may seem the case but you get update with Apples for a lot longer than others. Most other phone makers tend not to care once they are out of the door, look at how many people moan that the Android maker released one update then stopped and they have to use custom roms. (Sony is a prime example here)


It may not seem it to you but Apple have one of the better support setups.

SimonD316

gjchester wrote: »

My Wife has my old iPhone 4 and has no issues, so its not a everyone affected, out of the millions sold it's only a small amount affected. That does not help you but remember people tend to only be vocal to complain, not to praise.

That may seem the case but you get update with Apples for a lot longer than others. Most other phone makers tend not to care once they are out of the door, look at how many people moan that the Android maker released one update then stopped and they have to use custom roms. (Sony is a prime example here)

It may not seem it to you but Apple have one of the better support setups.

I totally agree with all of this. Apple's latest iOS still works on the iPhone 4 released in June 2010. Most Android manufacturers stop releasing official updates within 18 months.

Lost2

I had the same problem with my iPhone after up dates
mine was a brand new one purchase at Apple shop
after up dates it keeped on dropping out of wifi
I was told to switch off the phone then take out the sim card
replace it then turn on the phone I did this a couple of times
till eventually it did work
if I remember correctly I took out sim card while phone was still on
then replaced card then turned off it did work
I found out it was nothing to do with Apple but Vodafone who had not updated there side of things it took them ages to replay to my post
they sent me an update via text message

grumbler

Lost2 wrote: »

.....
after up dates it keeped on dropping out of wifi
....
I found out it was nothing to do with Apple but Vodafone who had not updated there side of things it took them ages to replay to my post
they sent me an update via text message

Sorry, but this is nonsense. Vodafone have nothing to do with WiFi.

Handsome90

OP, was the eBay seller a business seller? If you bought it from his/her personal account you wouldn't have any comeback unfortunately. If you bought it from a business seller, you'll have consumer rights under Sale of Goods Act. When did you buy the phone?