Apple swapped my brand new 4S for a refurb

[lori321]

Exactly a week ago I received my new iPhone 4s in the mail, ordered from AT&T. Immediately noticed the battery drain problem - about 50 percent in two hours. Apple care tried to fix the problem this past weekend and couldn't. They made an appointment at an Apple store, where diagnostic equipment showed the battery was basically useless. Without asking me, they agreed to swap the phone out but not before assuring me that it was a brand new phone after I specifically asked to make sure I wasn't getting a refurb. As I was searching the phone today, I found that the lifetime call-use on the phone of 33 days! A call to Apple Care confirmed my suspicion that this is likely a refurb. If the guy at the Apple Store had been honest with me I could have taken the phone back to AT&T since I'm still within the 30-day return period and swapped it out for a new phone. I called the store to ask if they would replace the phone with a new one and the manager said no. I called Apple Care with the same request and they essentially said I should be happy to have a phone at all. So after spending $328 on a new iPhone a week ago I'm left with a 4S with battery life no better than my 2-year-old 3Gs, with a settings app that appears to crash every other time. Wondering if anyone else has had this experience and what you've been able to do about it, if anything.

 

[FFAP1234]

You won't like what I will tell you. If this were me, since you are under the 30 days warranty I will return it and get my money back, then I will either order again or just buy a new one from the store. That way you will open a brand new case which is what you deserve. It is too bad that you would need to go through all these steps but that will get you where you want.

I had a similar case but at the end it worked out better. I had problems with 2 phones and when I went for the 3rd one they didn't have the 32GB that I originally purchase. Instead they gave me a 64GB plus added the Apple care plus for me. ( I did open a new case every single time, but only because I spoke to a manager) I wish you good luck. Just be patience and make sure you are treated with respect.

 

[lori321]

Thanks for responding. I called AT&T after I posted that first item. With them you can luck out and find someone really good. I wasn't lucky. She kept telling me to take the phone back to AT&T but after a while I realized she thought they were the ones who swapped it for the refurb in the first place. To your suggestion, I'm not sure AT&T would take back a phone that Apple swapped out. Why would they? It is not the phone they sold me and they'll know that because the serial number is different, right?
I'll return to the store and talk to the manager directly. When I talked to him by phone today, he made it sound like they never do what they did for you, give brand new phones to people who come in with service-related problems.

 

[FFAP1234]

Basically I made a summary of what happened to me. I didn't tell you the details. I realized the new phone I just got had problems before I left the Apple store. I requested a new one and they wanted me to do what you did. I told them I wanted a new one, they said the only way for me to get a new one was by going back on line and order it between 9:00 and 12:00 pm, as an idiot I would try that for 3 consecutive days but not luck. Finally the 4th day it went trough but at the end I got a massage saying I wasn't eligible ( of course I just got one) I got very angry with Apple for been advised something wrong. The day after I called to the store and asked to talk to a manager, they wanted me to tell them what about. I told the whole story again and was told I would be called within 20 minutes. Of course they never called me back, so 2 days later I went to the store and talked to another manager and explain everything again, that is when I got my first replacement. Any way I am in Kansa and it is very late, I can tell you more tomorrow. Again, I would go back to Apple and return it and get my money back, then I will star all over again : (

 

[lori321]

I think you are missing the part of the message where I said I bought it online from AT&T, not Apple. Thanks for your suggestions, anyway.

 

[FFAP1234]

I see what you are saying. It is an Apple product and to this point they are the one who replace your phone from AT&T if I understood correctly.

Once I bought a MacBook Pro from Best Buy and it was defected, I went to the Apple store and they exchange it for me. ( one that I open a seal box)

 

[Tnakajima702]

You should of bought from Apple !

 

[Rugaby]

You should of bought from Apple !

That isn't very constructive or offer any help to the OP.

 

[Tnakajima702]

Can't just complain to Apple and tell them it's a refurb and get a new one ?

 

[FFAP1234]

I think when you are loyal to a brand they also have to be loyal to you!

 

[Tnakajima702]

True I don't think they care for that though they just want your money.

 

[Iloveiphones]

I think you need to calm down. There's nothing wrong with refurbs. They get more inspection then the new ones. They get a new battery, shell and what ever the problem on the phone. There's no rule that says you can do 1 warranty exchange only. Go back and get another phone if theres a problem!

 

[Europa]

Exactly a week ago I received my new iPhone 4s in the mail, ordered from AT&T. Immediately noticed the battery drain problem - about 50 percent in two hours. Apple care tried to fix the problem this past weekend and couldn't. They made an appointment at an Apple store, where diagnostic equipment showed the battery was basically useless. Without asking me, they agreed to swap the phone out but not before assuring me that it was a brand new phone after I specifically asked to make sure I wasn't getting a refurb. As I was searching the phone today, I found that the lifetime call-use on the phone of 33 days! A call to Apple Care confirmed my suspicion that this is likely a refurb. If the guy at the Apple Store had been honest with me I could have taken the phone back to AT&T since I'm still within the 30-day return period and swapped it out for a new phone. I called the store to ask if they would replace the phone with a new one and the manager said no. I called Apple Care with the same request and they essentially said I should be happy to have a phone at all. So after spending $328 on a new iPhone a week ago I'm left with a 4S with battery life no better than my 2-year-old 3Gs, with a settings app that appears to crash every other time. Wondering if anyone else has had this experience and what you've been able to do about it, if anything.

The 33 days of talk time does not reflect the amount of use of the refurb prior to you getting it. It sounds like you restored it from a backup of your old phone (3GS?), and that is a measurement of your usage on the old device. The iPhone 4S was reset to factory settings prior to you receiving it.

All electronics companies replace defective devices with refurbs. Occasionally, people get a new one, but that is only of they don't have refurbs in stock. They are thoroughly inspected and probably less likely to have problems than a new one. Your battery issues are probably software-related and capable of being fixed with a firmware update. 5.0.1 fixed the problem for many, but not all. Apple is currently working on another fix for the battery bug.

I recommend restoring to factory settings. It will likely fix the problems with apps crashing. That is almost always software-related. I always start fresh and set my iPhones up as a new device each time I get a new one. I restore from backup throughout the year, but I think the odds of problems like these are lower of you set a new phone up as a new device.

 

[FFAP1234]

In my particular case, I knew the brand new phone I just bought had problems, it was before I left the store. They even acknowledge it too, I just paid for a new one, I didn't think it was right for me to get one that was open already.

 

[FuelieNova]

Honestly I have never been able to tell a refurb from new. Apple does a great job on the refurbs.
Tom

 

[FFAP1234]

I had this phone now for maybe 3 weeks, if I have problems with it now (I hope not) as long they replace it with one that woks well I will be happy. To this point it went sometime and I don't expect to be replaced with a new one anymore.
I you went to a store and bought a brand new TV, brought it home and it doesn't work when you turn it on. Are u going to be happy to get an open box TV as replacement? I won't, but if you don't mind it that is fine. It is good that we are all different, I respect your opinion.

 

[RoofMonkey]

In my particular case, I knew the brand new phone I just bought had problems, it was before I left the store. They even acknowledge it too, I just paid for a new one, I didn't think it was right for me to get one that was open already.

Then why, may I ask, did you even leave the store? If you knew it had problems before you left .....

 

[FFAP1234]

Read all over agin and u will get the answer to your question.

 

[IllusionEntity]

I have had refurbs. Most bad. But this time around Apple fixed my phone instead of replacing it. Couldn't be happier!

 

[Europa]

In my particular case, I knew the brand new phone I just bought had problems, it was before I left the store. They even acknowledge it too, I just paid for a new one, I didn't think it was right for me to get one that was open already.

Then why, may I ask, did you even leave the store? If you knew it had problems before you left .....

Read all over agin and u will get the answer to your question.

You noticed the rapid battery drain immediately after purchasing the phone and before you even left the store?