Appalling service from Apple Help

teachergirl

On the 18th September I traded in my Iphone Promax 17 for the 18 version. I bought it online but picked up in store.

The phone randomly switches itself off. I call support where they run diagnositics tests and say the phone has a hardware fault and I need to return it.

below is a diary of what has happened so far

I speak to someone in aftersales? For 55 minutes. They want me to return this phone before they send out the new one. I explain this is unacceptable as I cannot be without a phone. 

21/09/26- I am on the phone for 2 hours and 32 minutes. I have to buy another phone at the cost of £800 which apparently they will refund me when I send it back

22/09/26- New phone arrives. It has much less memory and therefore I do not have full functionality. On the phone for 1 hour and 24 minutes. I ask for a returns label for the 18 pro max

23/09/26-on the phone for 1 hour 10 minutes trying to get a returns label

24/09/26-they try to deliver a returns kit to my house and I have to rearrange for 25/09/26

25/09/26- Returns kit arrives. I have to drive to next Villiage to post. Label will not scan . Total of 1 hour and 25 minutes on the phone over 3 calls

26/09/26-13 minutes on the phone I get a returns label for a different company. Have an hours round trip to leave with a different courier.

I have been told they will release my replacement phone as soon as they have evidence of postage. I send this . It cannot be seen. I send it twice more

28/09/26-My parcel is picked up in store . They have the tracking number . The replacement is not released. 7minutes on the phone and they say they will pass the message on to the person dealing with it.

29/09/26- I can see they have received the faulty phone. This does not appear to have triggered the release of my replacement. I have sent two messages on my priority email and still nothing. They are talking about compensating me for the poor service but currently I would just settle for a phone that worked. I can never speak to the same person twice and they do not seem to care. Every person I have spoken too is very nice but I still do not have a replacement phone..

anyone have any ideas…currently on hold again

teachergirl

So having been on the phone for another 44 minutes Nina has escalated the case to Elizabeth . Who will call me back or not! in 24 hours.

I have told them I cannot be at home for a phone delivery on either Thursday or Friday so looks like I will not be getting my replacement this week 😭

dumpster_fire2025

I'd say that you've been unreasonable in expecting a replacement before they've even had a chance to look at your phone and it's all snowballed from there.

teachergirl

Hi Dumpster-fire2025. It was Apple who told me they want to replace the phone no the other way around. It has an apparently one in a million hardware fault. They told me they needed to replace it not the other way around.

The support guy assumed the problem would be software related until he ran the tests. Then he said he needed me to send the phone back !!

Aylesbury_Duck

Hmm. I would say it was unreasonable of you to expect them to ship you a second phone worth £1300 without you having returned the faulty one. With hindsight, a cheap get-you-by handset would have been the sensible thing to do while the exchange took place. Why was it unacceptable for them to leave you without a phone? What sort of functionality do you require that won't operate on an £800 phone? Did you purchase the phone for business use?

Given where you are I would just tell them you want to cancel and unwind the deal. They should return your old phone to you or send you the trade-in value. I suspect if you don't, their next step will be to say that they can't replicate the fault you describe and send it back to you.

Ergates

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82152617#Comment_82152617

I don't think it's unreasonable since Apple ran diagnostics on the phone and were the ones who said it was faulty.

I can understand why Apple wouldn't want to send the new one out until they've had the faulty one back - but that's Apple's problem. They shouldn't have sold a faulty phone in the first place.

teachergirl

Aylesbury Duck. I was led to believe it would just be a couple of days. I have a daughter who has just had a baby who was sick and I need a way for her to contact me in an emergency.

I also run a small charity where people may need to get hold of me in an emergency to provide children clothes etc etc.

Most stuff I can get to work on the computer, but for example WhatsApp messages I have to log in via a QR code . I can't open the camera because it doesn't have enough memory.

I had to close an account the other day that also required me to log on via an app.

basically until you don't have a functioning phone you do not know how much you need it. As I said I thought it was just a couple of days in which case it would be acceptable.

I agree shipping to me would be a risk for them as a company. So I asked them to ship the return to my nearest Apple Store (40 minutes away) where I would drive to exchange the phone. Apparently because I bought the phone online and only picked it up in store they can not do that…hence on a consumer rights forum.

born_again

As you picked up instore, why not return to store & let them hopefully replace it there & then ?

teachergirl

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82152673#Comment_82152673

If only this was an option!!!!! I have suggested this several times but as I said ,possibly whilst you were posting I ordered it online and only picked it up in store…hence my battle with the faceless giant of a company

Aylesbury_Duck

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82152672#Comment_82152672

I see. Mind you, I'm amazed that an £800 phone can't run a few apps and take photos of QR codes simultaneously. My £130 Samsung A16 will do that comfortably, although it's not as instantaneous as more expensive handsets will do it.

I would go into the store and make a (polite) fuss in front of other customers, to see if it generates a sense of urgency.

teachergirl

I would consider going to the store to make a fuss but as I said it is a 40 minute drive away and if they really cannot do anything yet another waste of time.

My take away from this and I have been a loyal customer for years is do not buy online.

my normal phone has 516 of memory and this only has 128 . I have a lot of photos as I use it as my camera. I am happy to buy the extra space to do this