Apple iPhone

jimgoose187

Hi All,

Looking for some feedback and opinions from people who have the same experience, or similar.

In December 2022 we purchased a brand new iPhone 12 on a 24 month contract. The phone was sold to us by Affordable Mobiles and the contract was with Vodafone at £40 a month.

After 19 months, still within contract, the phone died. I took it to my local Apple store for a test and they provided me with a report stating it had died internally and needed a repair for at least £419. They stated there was no damage to phone.

They said they could not help me as I didn't buy it from the store and that I needed to take it up with Affordable Mobile as they supplied the phone.

I contacted Affordable Mobiles only to be told that the company who used to own them had gone into administration and that they had new owners. I was told to take it up with the Administrators. I contacted them and filed a report to have the phone replace and I have so far been ignored.

I then contacted Vodafone, as they are the only company in this saga who have ever had any money off me. They said I only pay for the sim (£40 a month) and that the phone isn't there problem.

So I then decided to write to Apple head office and explain everything and ask for a replacement phone as the repair isn't economically viable.

They replied by telephone saying that although the phone is only 19 months old it is out of warranty and that I need to take it up with the company who sold me it.

I then took Apple to the small claims court. Without going into too much detail this has been a complete waste of time as they have just used solicitors to bully me and threaten me by saying that legally Apple aren't at fault and if I take them to court they will win and make sure I have to pay all their costs etc.

So, as it stands I have been paying £40 a month since December 2022 and since July 2024 the phone hasn’t work. The contract ends next month at which point I will have paid Vodafone almost £1000 for the contract and I won't even have a phone at the end of it which I can use or sell.

I assume that legally Apple know what they are talking about and as such are not responsible for replacing the phone as they didn't supply it to me directly but as the supplier who did sell it me doesn't exist any more and Vodafone say I don't pay them for the phone, I am completely screwed as it stands.

I cannot understand how Apple can make a phone which doesn't even last 2 years, then not give a damn about the customer.

I also cannot understand how Vodafone aren't responsible for the phone as they are the only company who have had any money off me.

We all know that under the consumer rights act, a product such as this should last a few years at least.

Any thoughts or opinions would be welcome.

Regards,

TadleyBaggie

Your consumer rights were solely with the retailer that sold it to you, not Apple, not Vodafone. If Affordable Mobiles is toast then so are your consumer rights.

oldernonethewiser

jimgoose187 said:

Hi All,

Looking for some feedback and opinions from people who have the same experience, or similar.

In December 2022 we purchased a brand new iPhone 12 on a 24 month contract. The phone was sold to us by Affordable Mobiles and the contract was with Vodafone at £40 a month.

After 19 months, still within contract, the phone died. I took it to my local Apple store for a test and they provided me with a report stating it had died internally and needed a repair for at least £419. They stated there was no damage to phone.

They said they could not help me as I didn't buy it from the store and that I needed to take it up with Affordable Mobile as they supplied the phone.

I contacted Affordable Mobiles only to be told that the company who used to own them had gone into administration and that they had new owners. I was told to take it up with the Administrators. I contacted them and filed a report to have the phone replace and I have so far been ignored.

I then contacted Vodafone, as they are the only company in this saga who have ever had any money off me. They said I only pay for the sim (£40 a month) and that the phone isn't there problem.

So I then decided to write to Apple head office and explain everything and ask for a replacement phone as the repair isn't economically viable.

They replied by telephone saying that although the phone is only 19 months old it is out of warranty and that I need to take it up with the company who sold me it.

I then took Apple to the small claims court. Without going into too much detail this has been a complete waste of time as they have just used solicitors to bully me and threaten me by saying that legally Apple aren't at fault and if I take them to court they will win and make sure I have to pay all their costs etc.

So, as it stands I have been paying £40 a month since December 2022 and since July 2024 the phone hasn’t work. The contract ends next month at which point I will have paid Vodafone almost £1000 for the contract and I won't even have a phone at the end of it which I can use or sell.

I assume that legally Apple know what they are talking about and as such are not responsible for replacing the phone as they didn't supply it to me directly but as the supplier who did sell it me doesn't exist any more and Vodafone say I don't pay them for the phone, I am completely screwed as it stands.

I cannot understand how Apple can make a phone which doesn't even last 2 years, then not give a damn about the customer.

I also cannot understand how Vodafone aren't responsible for the phone as they are the only company who have had any money off me.

We all know that under the consumer rights act, a product such as this should last a few years at least.

Any thoughts or opinions would be welcome.

Regards,

It is unfortunate the phone failed, these things happen no matter the company, however you are not a customer of Apple.

DullGreyGuy

jimgoose187 said:

Hi All,

Looking for some feedback and opinions from people who have the same experience, or similar.

In December 2022 we purchased a brand new iPhone 12 on a 24 month contract. The phone was sold to us by Affordable Mobiles and the contract was with Vodafone at £40 a month.

After 19 months, still within contract, the phone died. I took it to my local Apple store for a test and they provided me with a report stating it had died internally and needed a repair for at least £419. They stated there was no damage to phone.

They said they could not help me as I didn't buy it from the store and that I needed to take it up with Affordable Mobile as they supplied the phone.

I contacted Affordable Mobiles only to be told that the company who used to own them had gone into administration and that they had new owners. I was told to take it up with the Administrators. I contacted them and filed a report to have the phone replace and I have so far been ignored.

I then contacted Vodafone, as they are the only company in this saga who have ever had any money off me. They said I only pay for the sim (£40 a month) and that the phone isn't there problem.

So I then decided to write to Apple head office and explain everything and ask for a replacement phone as the repair isn't economically viable.

They replied by telephone saying that although the phone is only 19 months old it is out of warranty and that I need to take it up with the company who sold me it.

I then took Apple to the small claims court. Without going into too much detail this has been a complete waste of time as they have just used solicitors to bully me and threaten me by saying that legally Apple aren't at fault and if I take them to court they will win and make sure I have to pay all their costs etc.

So, as it stands I have been paying £40 a month since December 2022 and since July 2024 the phone hasn’t work. The contract ends next month at which point I will have paid Vodafone almost £1000 for the contract and I won't even have a phone at the end of it which I can use or sell.

I assume that legally Apple know what they are talking about and as such are not responsible for replacing the phone as they didn't supply it to me directly but as the supplier who did sell it me doesn't exist any more and Vodafone say I don't pay them for the phone, I am completely screwed as it stands.

I cannot understand how Apple can make a phone which doesn't even last 2 years, then not give a damn about the customer.

I also cannot understand how Vodafone aren't responsible for the phone as they are the only company who have had any money off me.

We all know that under the consumer rights act, a product such as this should last a few years at least.

Any thoughts or opinions would be welcome.

Regards,

The iPhone 12 was released in 2020 and they stopped making them in 2021 so your phone was 18 months old when you bought it, even if it was brand new when you got it. 

From what Vodafone is saying you have a sim only deal with them so must have paid for the phone up front? Did you pay a deposit or anything on the day of purchase? It's plausible that the phone would have been cheap given its well beyond the end of production and so could have been covered by a combination of the deposit and the commission they get from Vodafone.

They are right that you cannot sue apple, manufacturers are only liable for material injuries their products cause not for the products breaking down. If it is sim only Vodafone would also be in the clear. 

In mid December 2022 the Affordable Mobiles website was run by company 04455131 looking at the public records on Companys House it appears they are in the process of being liquidated. If you go to companies house and search for the above number, go to Filings you will see a document on the 6th February appointing the administrator. If you click that then on the second page there is the name and telephone number of the administrator. You would need to contact them and register yourself as an unsecured creditor using the Apple repair report as the basis of the claim. 

As an unsecured creditor you are at the bottom of the pile when it comes to getting paid and typically if you get 5p for every £1 you are owed you arent doing badly. A very quick scan of the progress report from the administrators suggest that they may not being doing too badly given the £2.2m for selling the brand etc to AO.com but its early days

There is nothing stopping you putting the Vodafone sim into another handset and therefore not "waste" the airtime. 

voluted

jimgoose187 said:

Hi All,

Looking for some feedback and opinions from people who have the same experience, or similar.

In December 2022 we purchased a brand new iPhone 12 on a 24 month contract. The phone was sold to us by Affordable Mobiles and the contract was with Vodafone at £40 a month.

After 19 months, still within contract, the phone died. I took it to my local Apple store for a test and they provided me with a report stating it had died internally and needed a repair for at least £419. They stated there was no damage to phone.

They said they could not help me as I didn't buy it from the store and that I needed to take it up with Affordable Mobile as they supplied the phone.

I contacted Affordable Mobiles only to be told that the company who used to own them had gone into administration and that they had new owners. I was told to take it up with the Administrators. I contacted them and filed a report to have the phone replace and I have so far been ignored.

I then contacted Vodafone, as they are the only company in this saga who have ever had any money off me. They said I only pay for the sim (£40 a month) and that the phone isn't there problem.

So I then decided to write to Apple head office and explain everything and ask for a replacement phone as the repair isn't economically viable.

They replied by telephone saying that although the phone is only 19 months old it is out of warranty and that I need to take it up with the company who sold me it.

I then took Apple to the small claims court. Without going into too much detail this has been a complete waste of time as they have just used solicitors to bully me and threaten me by saying that legally Apple aren't at fault and if I take them to court they will win and make sure I have to pay all their costs etc.

So, as it stands I have been paying £40 a month since December 2022 and since July 2024 the phone hasn’t work. The contract ends next month at which point I will have paid Vodafone almost £1000 for the contract and I won't even have a phone at the end of it which I can use or sell.

I assume that legally Apple know what they are talking about and as such are not responsible for replacing the phone as they didn't supply it to me directly but as the supplier who did sell it me doesn't exist any more and Vodafone say I don't pay them for the phone, I am completely screwed as it stands.

I cannot understand how Apple can make a phone which doesn't even last 2 years, then not give a damn about the customer.

I also cannot understand how Vodafone aren't responsible for the phone as they are the only company who have had any money off me.

We all know that under the consumer rights act, a product such as this should last a few years at least.

Any thoughts or opinions would be welcome.

Regards,

All devices will have an MTTF (Mean Time To Failure) rating in hours.

Some devices could last decades, some minutes, and most will last somewhere in the middle. That middle is probably well past the point that the average user would still be using said device. Most devices that are going to fail prematurely fail in less than a year, hence the one-year warranty.

At the end of the day, Apple has decided to not offer anything past the warranty period (which they're not even obliged to offer.) This is not unusual. They could warranty it for 6 or 10 years if they wanted, but the cost of that would ultimately be borne by the consumer and I'm not sure most would be happy to pay extra for phones with extended warranties.

Vodafone is not responsible as the device was supplied by someone else. It is unfortunate that the company you got the phone off is in administration but that's the way it is. Desperately trying to pin it on someone else is a waste of your time. 

Ergates

jimgoose187 said:

They said they could not help me as I didn't buy it from the store and that I needed to take it up with Affordable Mobile as they supplied the phone.

They were correct

jimgoose187 said:

They replied by telephone saying that although the phone is only 19 months old it is out of warranty and that I need to take it up with the company who sold me it.

They were correct, again.

jimgoose187 said:

I then took Apple to the small claims court. Without going into too much detail this has been a complete waste of time as they have just used solicitors to bully me and threaten me by saying that legally Apple aren't at fault and if I take them to court they will win and make sure I have to pay all their costs etc.

Yes, it was a waste of time, because Apple aren't liable.
And when you say they "used solicitors to bully me" you mean they used solicitors to defend themselves against an incorrectly filed claim.  They aren't at fault, your contract and consumer rights are with the retailer.

jimgoose187 said:

I cannot understand how Apple can make a phone which doesn't even last 2 years, then not give a damn about the customer.

Because you're not their customer and they didn't sell you a phone.  You bought it from Affordable Mobiles, who were the customer for Apple.

jimgoose187 said:

I also cannot understand how Vodafone aren't responsible for the phone as they are the only company who have had any money off me.

Vodaphone aren't responsible for the phone because they didn't sell you the phone.  You have a SIM from Vodaphone which, presumably, still works fine.  If you bought another phone you could put that SIM into it.  They're also not the only company who have had money off you - Affordable Mobiles will have had some too - I doubt they gave away phones for free (unless that's why they went out of business).


The people you need to pursue for this are the administrators.  They're generally not quick to respond to small claims (it's likely that Affordable Mobiles owe a lot of money to a lot of people), and even if you were to get something back it wouldn't pennies on the pound.

In short:  You're in an unfortunate position and there isn't a great deal you can do about it.

SiliconChip

If you want an opinion, mine is that you'd have been a lot better to have raised the issue here much sooner and particularly before you chose to take Apple to court, as we'd have told you that they are not liable and you'd have at least saved the fees that you've paid unnecessarily and avoided the "bullying" by Apple's solicitors (although I expect all that happened was that they told you there's no case to answer).

eskbanker

jimgoose187 said:

In December 2022 we purchased a brand new iPhone 12 on a 24 month contract. The phone was sold to us by Affordable Mobiles

How did you pay?

Okell

eskbanker said:

jimgoose187 said:

In December 2022 we purchased a brand new iPhone 12 on a 24 month contract. The phone was sold to us by Affordable Mobiles

How did you pay?

This ^^^

DullGreyGuy said:

jimgoose187 said:

Hi All,

Looking for some feedback and opinions from people who have the same experience, or similar.

In December 2022 we purchased a brand new iPhone 12 on a 24 month contract. The phone was sold to us by Affordable Mobiles and the contract was with Vodafone at £40 a month.

After 19 months, still within contract, the phone died. I took it to my local Apple store for a test and they provided me with a report stating it had died internally and needed a repair for at least £419. They stated there was no damage to phone.

They said they could not help me as I didn't buy it from the store and that I needed to take it up with Affordable Mobile as they supplied the phone.

I contacted Affordable Mobiles only to be told that the company who used to own them had gone into administration and that they had new owners. I was told to take it up with the Administrators. I contacted them and filed a report to have the phone replace and I have so far been ignored.

I then contacted Vodafone, as they are the only company in this saga who have ever had any money off me. They said I only pay for the sim (£40 a month) and that the phone isn't there problem.

So I then decided to write to Apple head office and explain everything and ask for a replacement phone as the repair isn't economically viable.

They replied by telephone saying that although the phone is only 19 months old it is out of warranty and that I need to take it up with the company who sold me it.

I then took Apple to the small claims court. Without going into too much detail this has been a complete waste of time as they have just used solicitors to bully me and threaten me by saying that legally Apple aren't at fault and if I take them to court they will win and make sure I have to pay all their costs etc.

So, as it stands I have been paying £40 a month since December 2022 and since July 2024 the phone hasn’t work. The contract ends next month at which point I will have paid Vodafone almost £1000 for the contract and I won't even have a phone at the end of it which I can use or sell.

I assume that legally Apple know what they are talking about and as such are not responsible for replacing the phone as they didn't supply it to me directly but as the supplier who did sell it me doesn't exist any more and Vodafone say I don't pay them for the phone, I am completely screwed as it stands.

I cannot understand how Apple can make a phone which doesn't even last 2 years, then not give a damn about the customer.

I also cannot understand how Vodafone aren't responsible for the phone as they are the only company who have had any money off me.

We all know that under the consumer rights act, a product such as this should last a few years at least.

Any thoughts or opinions would be welcome.

Regards,

... There is nothing stopping you putting the Vodafone sim into another handset and therefore not "waste" the airtime. 

And this ^^^