Faulty iPhone, 18 months old

Clubsport

Hello,

I bought an iPhone 15 Pro Max in December 2023 and all was well until recently it got 2 thick white lines down the left side of the screen, then shortly after started going black for various amounts of time.

I took it to the Apple Store, they investigated the phone and wrote a report saying no visible damage and no water damage.  They couldn't do anything with it being outside of their 12month period and advised I return it to Currys as a next step.

I took it to Currys yesterday, I bought it through their subsidiary Mobiles . co . uk.  They couldn't help and advised I contact Mobiles directly.

Today I spoke to Mobiles, advised them of my visit to the Apple Store and they said they were unwilling/unable to help.  They said to take it to Currys and pay for a repair.  I told them that (I think) they should arrange a free repair because it's undamaged and faulty, I quoted the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and explained that I reasonably expect an expensive product to last much longer then 18months.  They still said no.

My question is, if anyone can help, is this:  Am I within my rights to expect Mobiles to repair or replace it for free or am I wrong with how I interpret my Consumer Rights?

Thanks for and advice offered.

DullGreyGuy

Clubsport said:

Hello,

I bought an iPhone 15 Pro Max in December 2023 and all was well until recently it got 2 thick white lines down the left side of the screen, then shortly after started going black for various amounts of time.

I took it to the Apple Store, they investigated the phone and wrote a report saying no visible damage and no water damage.  They couldn't do anything with it being outside of their 12month period and advised I return it to Currys as a next step.

I took it to Currys yesterday, I bought it through their subsidiary Mobiles . co . uk.  They couldn't help and advised I contact Mobiles directly.

Today I spoke to Mobiles, advised them of my visit to the Apple Store and they said they were unwilling/unable to help.  They said to take it to Currys and pay for a repair.  I told them that (I think) they should arrange a free repair because it's undamaged and faulty, I quoted the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and explained that I reasonably expect an expensive product to last much longer then 18months.  They still said no.

My question is, if anyone can help, is this:  Am I within my rights to expect Mobiles to repair or replace it for free or am I wrong with how I interpret my Consumer Rights?

Thanks for and advice offered.

After 6 months the duty is on you to prove the item is inherently faulty or of insufficient durability, apple only saying there is no obvious signs of external damage or water ingress is insufficient to prove either. 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Hello OP

Looking at their terms Mobiles.co.uk is Currys 

https://media.secure-mobiles.com/tandc/mobiles/terms_and_conditions-may22.pdf

"Us/our/we" means Currys Retail Limited, a company registered in England and Wales under the

number 02142673 with registered office located at 1 Portal Way, London W36RS; 

As above after 6 months the burden of proof is upon yourself but that is balance of probability (50/50) coupled with Currys probably not wanting to go to court over an iPhone repair.

You could 

1) Get a local phone shop to inspect, if they confirm a manufacturing fault* seek the cost of repair + the inspection from Currys or,

2) Complain higher up at Currys via the CEO email contact on the CEO email website or,

3) Bluff with an LBA or,

4) File small claims after the LBA and hope Currys don't want to defend or the court accepts the info given to by Apple.

I don't know anything about phones so the caveat is if what you are descripting is commonly caused by misuse then you have less grounds to bluff, and vice versa.

*Regarding a manufacturing fault, goods are required to be of satisfactory quality so if something doesn't last as long as it should without the user causing damage do then that counts as the goods not confirming entitling you to a remedy of repair/replace (very likely repair in this instance).