Genius practically laughs at me over screen issues.

[JMMARICH]

So I have had an iPhone for a week now. Everything was good till I downloaded some Serenity videos and noticed how it was DAMN NEAR impossible to see anything that is black or dark. If the screen is 80% light..its all good..but throw some dark in there and I feel like I am trying to watch a 1984 40 inch projection screen TV from the side at 20 feet.

It is awful. I try and ignore it for a few days and finally call Apple about it. The lady is really nice, and comes back saying its a known issue, and she makes an appointment at a local Apple store to get it replaced. I ask her if I need to worry about getting another bum one and she says "Oh no. Its specific to certain serial numbers, and we are aware of it." Fair enough I think.

I go into the store, wait my turn, and when I explain my problem the guy flat out tells me thats only with the touch..and he won't be replacing it. He then looks up my ticket # and gets mad because the lady on the phone told me they would replace it. He claims she was mistaken, but issues me a new one saying he is making a note that he won't replace any more.

This was my first time in an Apple store (I order online from them) and I was impressed and being sucked into it until this guy.

--Josh

 

[Nikos]

Same thing happened to me. I had a screen that I really wasn't happy with and they told me to replicate the issue. I told them to compare it to any other iPhone in the store and they refused, telling me that's not replicating the issue. Needless to say, they did not replace the iPhone on that visit because the guy who looked at it told me HE didn't see anything wrong with it.

Apple was great when I had AppleCare on my iBook. They ended up replacing it with a black MacBook (I paid the difference) and I was very happy. This doesn't seem to be the case with the iPhone though, especially since I don't have AppleCare on it (not even sure if you can get it for the iPhone).

 

[iBen]

especially since I don't have AppleCare on it (not even sure if you can get it for the iPhone).

You can get it for the iPhone i got it for mine

 

[Indy]

Oh, I believe I'd of had to make a scene!

How frustrating, so they stood there and told you to your face that there was nothing wrong with your iPhone, even when comparing it to other phones on display?!

Could it have just been the specific video you were trying to watch? Maybe pull up the same video on youtube and compare in store, random 'dark' video and compare...

 

[skinsgamer]

They replaced mine in 5 minutes. I showed them a website showing different black levels, we compared it to two employee phones, and they replaced it. This was in charlotte, nc.

 

[Zachary Vex]

What website is that?

 

[JMMARICH]

Update guys. I got home and reloaded the stuff on my iPhone and played the same video again (Serenity Episode 1). The screen difference was like night and day. I could make out all the details, and it wasn't just black.

The more I think about this, the more pissed off I am. Yeah he replaced it, but he made me feel like I was doing something wrong by bringing it in. I am going to call Apple today and complain.

--Josh

 

[chevychic55]

Update guys. I got home and reloaded the stuff on my iPhone and played the same video again (Serenity Episode 1). The screen difference was like night and day. I could make out all the details, and it wasn't just black.

The more I think about this, the more pissed off I am. Yeah he replaced it, but he made me feel like I was doing something wrong by bringing it in. I am going to call Apple today and complain.

--Josh

Good, I hope you do complain. people are turning into rude jerks these days.

 

[Youngbinks]

That's really messed up that the Genius responded like that. I would have made a scene as well if they straight up refused to acknowledge a problem with the iPhone.

 

[JMMARICH]

I sent an email complaint to the SJOBS@APPLE.COM email as I have heard things get replied to fast through that box and that you can expect things to get attention that go there. Who knows if thats true.

It sucks because when I walked in there, I was in awe. I played with a Mac, and saw some of the cool stuff they could do. I was actually contemplating buying a new Apple computer from there in the near future and then when this happened..well..who knows how I would be treated if I got an issue with a screen or something on a 2500 buck system.

--Josh

 

[Silverado]

Doesn't sound like good conduct from a customer service type person.

The whole "Genius" label is soo pretentious, it's unbelievable. I couldn't believe it the first time I went into an Apple store and saw that. Who else would call their product specialists geniuses?! No one; only Apple.

 

[FlyersPhanatic9]

im glad you complained
whats the first rule: the customer is always right
businessses need to get that back into their heads

 

[ravman]

People at the Genius Bar are useless tits.

I took an iPod in there (was 2 hours old) and complained that the hard drive was not working and making weird noises. They said it was in my head and I was making it up. He listened when I told him my fist would be in his head if he didn't look at my iPod.

Turned out I was right and then they wanted to just replace the hard drive in the unit and not the whole unit. I reminded him of his head again and BANG, I got a new iPod.

Apple will do everything possible not to take their over priced crap back!

I am really getting used to the American way of "Violence solves everything".

 

[Silverado]

My experience with the "geniuses" so far has been positive (except for hating their name). They replaced my iPhone twice with few questions for display anomalies.

 

[aawong]

They replaced mine in 5 minutes. I showed them a website showing different black levels, we compared it to two employee phones, and they replaced it. This was in charlotte, nc.

What is the website?

 

[Indy]

People at the Genius Bar are useless tits.

I took an iPod in there (was 2 hours old) and complained that the hard drive was not working and making weird noises. They said it was in my head and I was making it up. He listened when I told him my fist would be in his head if he didn't look at my iPod.

Turned out I was right and then they wanted to just replace the hard drive in the unit and not the whole unit. I reminded him of his head again and BANG, I got a new iPod.

Apple will do everything possible not to take their over priced crap back!

I am really getting used to the American way of "Violence solves everything".

LoL Fist in head...some of these geniuses seem a bit full of themselves...man, I swear, I will always use the resorting to violence as a last resort to solve an issue, but let one of these punks tell me I can't replace my defuncted unit after I saved my hard earned cash for so long to purchase this prize....arrgh! derty weirds!

 

[iamtko]

Oh, I believe I'd of had to make a scene!

it's funny you mention this because when i was on the way to the Apple store to get mine fixed/replaced i said:

"Ryan(my friend went with me), if i don't get a new iPhone or this one fixed, i AM going to make a scene. i'm just telling you now because i'm going to FLIP out if i'm screwed out of $400+ dollars and i may be escorted out by the fine gentlemen we call mall security"

he laughed, but i was serious

fortunately i didn't have your problem, even though my experience wasn't the best(i mentioned this in a previous post of mine) i did go down nearly as bad as yours.

i'm sorry that dude was being a jerk, maybe he was just having a bad day?(you have to think about how many times he gets asked "how come one of my speakers doesn't work?!")

 

[Indy]

it's funny you mention this because when i was on the way to the Apple store to get mine fixed/replaced i said:

"Ryan(my friend went with me), if i don't get a new iPhone or this one fixed, i AM going to make a scene. i'm just telling you now because i'm going to FLIP out if i'm screwed out of $400+ dollars and i may be escorted out by the fine gentlemen we call mall security"

he laughed, but i was serious

fortunately i didn't have your problem, even though my experience wasn't the best(i mentioned this in a previous post of mine) i did go down nearly as bad as yours.

i'm sorry that dude was being a jerk, maybe he was just having a bad day?(you have to think about how many times he gets asked "how come one of my speakers doesn't work?!")

yes, he probably does hear a lot of BS, but hey, if you are comparing your phone "in store" to a genius and he's telling you that nothing is wrong with your phone.....i mean, wtf?!

Lemme ask you this OP did you ask to speak to a manager or anyone else? I would have been asking everyone there to see what they thought of it, yes that's right, I'd of went to EACH employee and showed them what the problem was and ask if they thought this was right. Then I might go as far as asking other shoppers to just take a minute of their time and tell me if they notice a difference and ask which one they would pay 400 bucks for...

 

[skinsgamer]

What is the website?

Go to techmind.org/LCD/greyscale.htm on a proper screen the box furthest left should be darkest. On my old phone that box looked like a messed up grey.

 

[greenjbhsd]

People at the Genius Bar are useless tits.

I took an iPod in there (was 2 hours old) and complained that the hard drive was not working and making weird noises. They said it was in my head and I was making it up. He listened when I told him my fist would be in his head if he didn't look at my iPod.

Turned out I was right and then they wanted to just replace the hard drive in the unit and not the whole unit. I reminded him of his head again and BANG, I got a new iPod.

Apple will do everything possible not to take their over priced crap back!

I am really getting used to the American way of "Violence solves everything".

Why are you buying it if it is overpriced crap? Just plying devils advocate there, since you could have just returned it if you got it 2 hours earlier and moved to a different device for your mp3s. Sounds like it would have been easier.