iphone 5 warranty void due to scratch/dent

[sao]

Hi

The power button on my iphone 5 is malfunctioning. The exact problem is that it sometimes works and sometimes not. I went to the local apple dealer and complained about the phone. They accepted the fact that the power button was malfunctioning and agreed to replace it. However, they noticed a small dent/scratch and said that due to this warranty is void and they will not be replacing the phone with a new one.

The dent/scratch is very similar to the pic here

 

[sao]

Hi

The power button on my iphone 5 is malfunctioning. The exact problem is that it sometimes works and sometimes not. I went to the local Apple dealer and complained about the phone. They accepted the fact that the power button was malfunctioning and agreed to replace it. However, they noticed a small dent/scratch and said that due to this warranty is void and they will not be replacing the phone with a new one.

The dent/scratch is very similar to the pic attached.

Could you please give your opinions/advice as to whether this really voids the warranty. Please keep in mind im requesting a replacement due to malfunctioning power button and not due to the scratch/dent.

 

[TattooedMac]

Well that is a fair dent/scratch. To me the force that would be required to produce that would be quite significant, so in hand, the force that made that scratch/dent on your phone, could well be enough force to displace things, move things, crack things, and do all sorts to the phone, that is a electrical device, with very sensitive electronics.
IMO i think Apple has all they need to say that they won't replace the phone. Its not there fault that damage got done to it, so why would you expect them to supply you with a new one, for damage not covered in the Warranty.
They could very well fix it for you for a price, but that will come out of your pocket.
Sorry that has happened, is why i case/cover is a good idea. If you had of dropped it with a case on it, and the phone showed no cosmetic damage, then Apple probably would of replaced the phone, but with evidence its been damaged. . . . Nah not IMHO

Cheers

 

[chscag]

You could have purchased Apple Care Plus when you bought the phone. Then, you would have been covered for the accidental damage less a $49 deductible. Now, the best you can do is get a refurbished phone from Apple which will probably cost you $250 or more.

 

[nmw]

Hi
I have an iPhone 4 and there you may be able to get around this using "Assitive Touch"
On my phone it is via settings, general, accessibility, Assistive Touch.

 

[oppside]

I also have same problem

I'm a japanese user who have same problem.
Can't understand a little dent caused a reason of exemption of replacement....

how is going? haven't resolved yet??

 

[dazzw]

the drop that caused that dent in no way would cause the power button to fail. the bezel is made from soft aluminium and would dent when dropped from a relatively low height. this is why you should case your phone. i learnt this the hard way, i knocked a 4s off a pool table onto a concrete floor which resulted in a dent near the headphone socket but this didn't break anything on the phone.
this sounds like another case of apple happy to take your money but not provide decent after sales care, which i've heard a fair few people gripe about.

 

[chscag]

this sounds like another case of apple happy to take your money but not provide decent after sales care, which i've heard a fair few people gripe about.

I suppose after you have had an accident with your auto, you expect the dealer to replace it with a new one?

Your statement above makes no sense whatsoever. As stated previously, that's why Apple sells Apple Care Plus to cover incidents such as dropping your phone. Same reason why you have auto insurance.....

 

[piddley]

i agree, I know it must be frustrating to break your phone but it is hardly Apples fault? I really dont see the logic there. Get a cover for your phone and dont have to worry about that.

 

[NeenCoole]

Seems odd to me that they wouldn't replace the phone because of a small dent.... Same thing happened to my last IP5 and they replaced it no problem. The thing is bound to get some sort of cosmetic wear.... I did purchase apple care + but I was not charged for the replacement. and my other phone had a dent as well!

 

[harryb2448]

Cosmetic wear? Really must stop my wife wearing cosmetics if that is cosmetic wear.

 

[Ctrl-Opt-Del]

due to [a small dent/scratch] warranty is void and they will not be replacing the phone with a new one.

I believe that the reason why this invalidates the warranty even though you're not claiming for the cosmetic damage is when Apple swaps a broken device for a new one they then take that device, fix it, replace all the parts that can wear-out (in the case of an iPhone that would be all the buttons, the headphone & charging/sync ports, and the battery) fully valet the device and then resell it as "refurbished / as new" at a 10-20% price reduction; due to you damaging the casing it could never be restored to "as new" condition, even if they replaced all the hardware I listed above with new parts, and so they couldn't resell it.

Understandable they wouldn't be willing to just eat the cost of a $649-849 (before tax) phone because you dropped it, or scuffed it against a wall, or did whatever it was that you did to dent the rim of the casing like that...

 

[chas_m]

This could be just the way its been photographed, but that looks like QUITE a drop onto a hard surface to me to cause that kind of damage.

 

[FURiOUS]

Try a different store

Hi

The power button on my iphone 5 is malfunctioning. The exact problem is that it sometimes works and sometimes not. I went to the local apple dealer and complained about the phone. They accepted the fact that the power button was malfunctioning and agreed to replace it. However, they noticed a small dent/scratch and said that due to this warranty is void and they will not be replacing the phone with a new one.

The dent/scratch is very similar to the pic here

I had the VERY same problem. Bought my iPhone 5 back in September and within less than a week, my iPhone slipped out of my pocket while I was sitting down and landed on the tile. Ended up with the EXACT same looking debt just on the corner near my sleep/power button. It wasn't until last month, that button started to work 50% of the time. I took my iPhone to a local Apple store and explained what was going on. They replaced my iPhone with a brand new iPhone 5---no questions asked. Further more, there was some tiny paint scratched in various places around the phone. I would try taking it to a different store. I really think it depends on the apple employee as well. :/ good luck

 

[mrplow]

I believe that the reason why this invalidates the warranty even though you're not claiming for the cosmetic damage is when Apple swaps a broken device for a new one they then take that device, fix it, replace all the parts that can wear-out (in the case of an iPhone that would be all the buttons, the headphone & charging/sync ports, and the battery) fully valet the device and then resell it as "refurbished / as new" at a 10-20% price reduction; due to you damaging the casing it could never be restored to "as new" condition

All the refurbs get brand new casings.

They also connect iPhones to a diagnostic tools that displays a lot of data about the device - including impact data. They even showed me the data when I took a 3GS back for having a cracked shell (in that instance it was a known defect and no impact above tolerance had occurred so it was replaced with a refurb on the spot)

I would expect that that data comes into play when determining if 'cosmetic' damage has the potential to point to further 'trauma'.

 

[TattooedMac]

All the refurbs get brand new casings.

They also connect iPhones to a diagnostic tools that displays a lot of data about the device - including impact data. They even showed me the data when I took a 3GS back for having a cracked shell (in that instance it was a known defect and no impact above tolerance had occurred so it was replaced with a refurb on the spot)

I would expect that that data comes into play when determining if 'cosmetic' damage has the potential to point to further 'trauma'.

With a accelerometer in the device, they would be silly not to take advantage of it, in the background and for diagnostics.

 

[GaryCooper]

I think it depends on the apple repair centers. Before some time same problem came with me. But apple employees easily replaced my phone with new phone.