AppleCare - They Dont

Brein

Hi Everyone,

The moral of the story is dont expect help from apple to fix their OS software defect is you have previously replaced a broken screen using a non apple store.
However they weill adivse you to bring your device to a non apple store to try and fix!! Here is my story...
While upgrading the OS on my I phone 3gs to IOS 5 the phone would not complete its initialisation. The set up goes right to the last stage then after about 3 minutes a message pops up on the device stating that the server connection has failed. Note at the same time the phone is connected to ITunes..I tunes is saying there is no ISM in the Phone. This is untrue. After several attempts I contacted Apple care. They ran through the following trouble shooting techniques:
Turn off firewall on laptop
Get rid of Security software on my Laptop
Check validity of the SIM
Change connection ports
Reset factory settings
Reinstall I tunes
After several attempts and hours spent Apple opened a repair case. I sent my phone off to Apple Care to get fixed.
A few Days later I received the phone back…with a note stating
‘Due to unauthorised modifications to your iphone, the phone was inoperable or became inoperable during service. The inability to use your iphone due to unauthorised modifications is not covered under warranty. Note: Unauthorised modifications include, but are not limited to, software, aftermarket housings or other non- apple parts.’
I was angered by this so I called Apple to get more details.
They asked me if there were any changes made to the phone; I advised that I had to get the screen repaired a few months ago. The tech guy said well then that’s the reason why your phone will not be fixed by Apple care. Once a non apple tech person opens the phone Apple will not support you even though the screen repair is not related
to an OS update. In fact there is a flaw with IOS5 that needs to be resolved but apple will not help.
In my mind Apple are just looking for an excuse not to assist. I put it to them that my issue was a common problem and asked if they have found a resolution for it yet, they informed me they had not! I advised the tech person that my phone (still worth €350)
Is now useless is there anything I can do other than buy a new phone?
They sympathised and said try bringing it to a non apple phone repair shop!
So for now I’ am back to using my old Nokia that I have for years with no issues there is a lot to be said for a non Smart phone at the end of the day.
Please assist if you know anyway to get my iphone back up and running.

seamus

To be fair, you did have the phone opened by an unauthorised tech during the warranty period, so they're well within their rights to refuse your repair.

Have you tried doing a reinstall of iOS using a different computer? One thing I'm thinking is that the software you downloaded could be corrupt as I've had that problem in the past.

Deep Thought

Apple have no way of knowing what else the UA repairer may have done that could have caused a problem with the phone.

They have no way of knowing if you knew there was a problem post this mod and you may have been chancing you arm (not saying you did..dont get offended)

With regards to the OS update, it may be Apples servers are getting hammered and this can cause problems.

When I was updating to IOS 5 it took 3 goes as the severs were being inundated with requests

Whats ISM? or is that SIM

Its possbile that the SIM is corrupt, I have to get new sim due to SIM being banjaxed

DT

biko

I don't see a problem. You voided the warranty and now Apple noticed and won't touch it in case it's been broken by someone else and you're trying to pin it on them.

Did you try updating OTA (from the phone itself)? With itunes without SIM?

JDxtra

In my opinion Apple have a truely outstanding after care support service - once the warranty is not voided of course!

CathalDublin

Delete any apple entries in your hosts file and try install again.
I fix issues like this every day and unless your baseband was updated to the ipad baseband you should be able to fix it easily enough

dingding

Have a problem with my iPhone 5.

It is a loose and rattleing battery.

http://news.yahoo.com/most-common-iphone-5-glitches-fixes-185357862.html

The agent I rang was very pleasant he had not come across this before.

As a result he suggested I go for the option of sending the phone back for them to assess it before sending out another as if I paid the 29 euro and the fault was my fault they would charge my card.

The issue is I could send the phone back and the issue would be if the phone was dropped on the way back, then I would loose the cost of the phone.

Looks like my only option is to bring it to the apple store in belfast and get someone to look at it in person.

The customer is presumed guilty.

120_Minutes

Thats what happens when you use a non apple tech to fix your phone.

moral of the story: if you're not getting apple, or an authorised apple repair company to fix your phone, then you're never dealing with apple again once its fixed, cos they wont deal with you.

I dont think you'll get any sympathy round here OP.


*edit* just realised i replied to a zombie thread, OP is probably long gone...