Hello! No equipment can be insured against manufacturing defects and the iPhone, unfortunately, is no exception. Everyone has problems - there is no escape from them. That is why, in matters of warranty service, how the manufacturer solves these same defects comes to the fore. This is where the true face of the company is revealed...
At Apple, in my opinion, everything happens at the highest level - in most cases, “repair by replacement” is carried out and the user receives a new gadget to replace the defective one.
Great? Yes, I think so. But this replacement still needs to be “arrived” in some way. And although there is nothing special or complicated in the process of handing over an iPhone to service under warranty, there are still some important points in this whole matter that are extremely necessary to pay attention to.
What kind of moments are these? But this is what we will talk about today. Let's go!
So, your iPhone is broken, and the warranty period (do you have the right to service and repair?) has not yet expired.
Consumer rights to repair services
Warranty repairs are provided to all iPhone owners for exactly one year - this is the general standard period for all phones. You can extend your warranty by purchasing an AppleCare Protection Plan.
Under the warranty, the owner has the right:
- take your device for free repair to an official Apple store or an authorized service center;
- receive a replacement while the buyer's property is being repaired (AppleCare Protection Plan holders only);
- Contact technical support within three months after purchase.
Also, do not forget about the consumer protection law - it applies to Apple phones in the same way as to other products. If the phone is faulty, you can always contact the regulatory authorities and get a replacement or refund .
The circulation period is standard two years.
iPhone warranty
Until 2021, iPhone owners had two options when their device broke down:
- Get back the money you spent.
- Replace the device with a new one under warranty.
Replacing an old iPhone with a new one under warranty is quite possible
Under the official warranty, the service center is ready to replace the iPhone with another working device, but it is possible that it has already been used by someone else. Not everyone can afford to buy a new device every time. Fortunately, since the spring of 2021, original spare parts for iPhones began to be supplied to Russia, which made repairing the devices possible. However, there are several cases when the phone warranty will not help and you will not be able to replace your iPhone for free:
- The manufacturer of the device is America, so if the device was purchased on the market in China and manufactured by someone else, it will not be possible to replace it.
- Incorrect use of the phone, mechanical damage caused by the user (for example, if they tried to break the device).
- Moisture has entered the device.
- Any accident or theft.
- Unreadable phone serial number.
- Repair not at the service center.
If there are such problems, replacing the iPhone with a new one or getting a refund under warranty is, unfortunately, impossible. Warranty cases also do not include battery malfunction, dents on the case, damage to protective coatings, and the fact that the battery does not hold a charge well.
It is important for any iPhone buyer to know the following:
- After purchase, the warranty period is 1 year. During this time, you can exchange for a new device for free.
- After the replacement is carried out, the new device also receives a warranty period of 1 year.
Attention! The exchange at the service center does not take much time.
It is recommended to contact the service center with all documents
What to do if your iPhone is broken?
The warranty period is the time during which the buyer can receive services to correct the defects of his phone or get a new one if repair is not possible. Repairs can be carried out either on site (if the user contacts the service) or at another address to which the manufacturer or its representative needs to send the device.
Where should I go – to an Apple store or service center?
The owner of the phone can choose any place where it will be convenient for him to repair the iPhone from those authorized by the manufacturer. The speed of solving a problem depends more on its type, and not on the location of the problem. For minor breakdowns, it is better to go to a service center - they will fix it on the spot. If it is clear that the problem is serious or the phone is generally faulty, it does not matter where you take it - it will be sent further for repair.
Important! Broken iPhones can only be handled in places that are recognized by Apple. In any other case, repairs will not occur under warranty - they will be paid for.
At best, the phone owner will spend extra money, and at worst, he will lose the device (fraudsters can simply disassemble it for parts and sell it).
You can find the addresses of all places where you can safely obtain warranty iPhone repair services on the company’s official website, via AppleID. The program will offer a convenient search for the problem and, after answering several questions, will offer to show the stores or service centers closest to the user.
How to prepare your phone?
Apple devices are primarily designed with user convenience and safety in mind . The second is given great attention - the latest models of Apple phones turn into a useless piece of plastic and glass if the system is locked.
To submit your device for repair, you will need to provide the technician with login information and disable security features so that he can fully work with the phone and not be afraid of blocking it. This is another reason to contact only authorized service centers - the data from the phone will definitely not get anywhere from there.
What to do before going to the center or store:
- Create a backup copy of your phone data. This does not require special knowledge; iCloud supports this function. A copy can be saved on a computer or any convenient storage medium. A backup copy is not always necessary - sometimes technicians manage to keep the device data intact, but it’s worth making one just in case.
- Disable the device search function (“Find iPhone”) in the settings. Otherwise, when you return the phone to factory settings, the system will block itself.
If the information and all user settings are no longer needed after the repair, you can simply delete them by wiping the phone using a hard reset to its original state.
How to write an application?
Usually, an application is not needed, especially if you contact a service center - a passport and the phone itself are enough. At an authorized center, employees can independently check whether the phone is still protected by the warranty agreement (a year according to the standard and more when purchasing an AppleCare Protection Plan).
Even if the user did not purchase more expensive warranty insurance from the manufacturer, according to the article of the law on the protection of consumer rights in the Russian Federation, he has the right to a warranty period of up to two years (Clause 1, Article 19 of the Law of the Russian Federation). It is more difficult to achieve repairs on this basis - the owner will have to write a statement.
The application must be in writing in two copies, one of which must be kept for yourself. Only the store where the phone was purchased can accept it. There are no particularly strict rules regarding the formatting of the document, but it must contain the following key information :
- terms of purchase of goods and the full name of the store, store address;
- full personal information about the buyer (full name, mobile phone or other contact, home address);
- a detailed description of the defect in the product and clarification that it appeared during operation without the fault of the applicant;
- a clear statement of the requirement - free services to repair the device and bring it into working condition.
On the Internet you can find a ready-made template for such a statement, according to which you can draw up a document correctly and clearly. At the end, you must sign and duplicate your full name.
Do I need a receipt or warranty card?
Apple's warranty (standard or extended) is monitored by the manufacturer . If an original iPhone arrives at an authorized store or service center, which is still covered by any type of warranty, employees will be able to verify this on their own, using the database - they do not need documentary evidence.
If the standard warranty for the iPhone has expired and the AppleCare Protection Plan has not been purchased, the product can still be returned. You will need to provide any proof of purchasing the phone from a specific store. Most often, this is a sales receipt, but if it has not been preserved, any document that contains the date of purchase and the name of the selling organization can be used as evidence of purchase - for example, a standard annual warranty card (clause 5 of Article 18 of the Labor Code).
They sold an iPhone locked to an operator or via iCloud
A certain circle of scammers make money by reselling locked iPhones under the guise of being faulty. First, on websites and message boards, locked smartphones are bought for next to nothing, which can only be disassembled, and then the SIM card slot in them is deliberately damaged.
After this, the gadgets are put up for sale on the same thematic sites under the guise of being slightly faulty. The price is much lower than the working one, but at the same time significantly higher than that of a locked smartphone, this is the “profit” of the scammers.
Such an iPhone is brought to a meeting reset to factory settings. The buyer is assured that all they need to do is make an inexpensive repair to replace the SIM card tray and successfully activate the gadget. The seller himself cannot do this, because he is in a hurry for a birthday, wedding or funeral.
As a result, the buyer pays for repairs and receives a blocked gadget, which cannot be activated after installing the SIM card.
How to avoid getting caught: just avoid such advertisements. You should not buy equipment on the secondary market that you cannot properly and completely test.
On topic: a detailed scheme for disguising a locked iPhone as a new one
How to get your iPhone repaired?
If you contact the service center with a minor breakdown, the phone will not go anywhere - local technicians will carry out the repair, and if in the process it turns out that the breakdown is more serious, they will send it on.
Important! The result of any repair must be a working device (you need to check it when picking it up after repair) and a receipt.
If the service does not provide any evidence of its operation, it does not bear any responsibility for the consequences of its interference with the integrity of the device.
When accepting a warranty repair, according to the law, the buyer writes a claim , a copy of it for himself, attaches to the first all the necessary documentary evidence and leaves it in the store along with the device. After this, all that remains is to wait for an answer - whether the claim is satisfied or rejected.
They promised to return the iPhone, but they cheated me out of money
If the iPhone was lost, there is a chance that a respectable user will find it and decide to return it for a reward. Users who have lost their gadget often post corresponding messages on thematic message boards.
They indicate the gadget model, color, accessories, and even the wallpaper installed on the lock screen. Such an advertisement is immediately noticed by attackers and they try to profit from it.
The victim is contacted and an appointment is made, with hints about the expected reward. A symbolic sum of a couple of thousand rubles for the return of an expensive gadget will not confuse anyone.
But the scammer is in no hurry to come to the meeting and smoothly leads the victim to the payment terminal. Instead, the gadget must be returned by a sister, wife or secretary who is afraid to handle other people's funds and will exchange the smartphone for a check from the terminal.
According to the scammer, the victim is already waiting on the street with the check and his iPhone. In some cases, the victim is simply forced to enter the details and the transfer amount; on some terminals, after this it is no longer possible to cancel the operation.
How to avoid getting caught: if you want to increase the chance of returning your lost smartphone and want to post an advertisement about its loss, do not indicate all the external signs of the gadget and use stock photos from the Internet.
So, during a telephone conversation, you can weed out such scammers by asking a few leading questions.
On topic: how those who have lost their iPhone are scammed
Replacing a phone while it's being repaired
While the iPhone is being repaired, the client must be given a replacement so that he can use mobile communications regardless of whether his device is defective. The law states that a replacement phone must perform the functions of a faulty one - that is, it must satisfy the client’s needs to the same extent (Clause 2 of Article 20 of the PZPP).
In the warranty application, you must indicate your need to replace the phone , otherwise the store will not be obliged to provide it. Some sellers violate this rule by deliberately misleading the user and selling phones from other manufacturers instead of new iPhones, which are much cheaper and of worse quality. This is illegal and the buyer can demand satisfaction of his rights by refusing such a replacement.
Receipt for goods: meaning for buyers
The receipt for the goods is documentary evidence of the fact of purchase of the goods and the conditions of its sale. There are two main types of receipts: cash receipts and sales receipts.
In some cases, sellers are exempt from the obligation to issue cash receipts and may be limited to sales receipts only. Sales receipts, if there is a cash register, are not mandatory and are issued at the buyer’s request. Another purpose of the check is to certify the fact of payment.
The check does not have a unified form, but it must comply with the requirements of 402-FZ.
Legal service period
Reference! According to the law, a phone handed in for repair cannot remain there for more than 45 days (clause 1, article 20 of the Labor Code).
Immediately after the end of this period, the client must receive his fully repaired device, a new completely similar device (happens often if the breakdown is not completely minor) or money back.
Also, if the deadlines under Art. 23 of the PZPP, the buyer has the right to demand compensation (1% of the amount daily) , but for this he will have to go to court.
iPhone repair or exchange under an insurance policy
Yes, an iPhone Seven or another model can be either repaired at the expense of the insurer or exchanged for a similar model if an insured event occurs.
However, repair or exchange is possible if the appropriate form of compensation is established in the Insurance Rules or in the contract of the parties. The contract and the Rules may indicate that the choice of compensation method is at the discretion of the insurer - then the policyholder does not have the right to choose, for example, compensation in money if the insurer decides to make repairs.
