Having problems exchanging AT&T iPhone 5

[Napoleon Lopez]

I need to exchange the iPhone 5 i got because of the amount of issues i am having with it. I purchased it online through AT&T premier. The stores flat out refuse to exchange the phone for me. Even if they have stock available, because they say that stock is reserved for sales only. I called AT&T customer service and they said i have to go through Apple. They did say i can return the phone to AT&T for a refund, but it would be a restocking fee of $35.00. Or i can get an exchange for another phone (like a Samsung Galaxy) and they would waive the restock fee. Apple 800 number says they require me to have a card they can charge me the full price of the iPhone, and it would be refunded once they receive my old phone back (while the exchange is processed). Problem is i don't have a credit card they can authorize that has that amount to charge as of now. And they have no stock right now in Apple stores to try and change it through an Apple store.

 

[VOLS34]

I would keep trying at the Apple store as they're probably getting replacements in stock pretty regularly & they are way less of a hassle to work with to get exchanges & problems rectified.

 

[Zanthe]

Make an appoinment with the Genius Bar at the closest Apple store. Bring it in and they wil exchange it for you.

I should have done that when I received my scratched iPhone 5 but I didn't. Now I'm waiting another 2-3 weeks.

I talked with the store today and they tell me they have phone for "exchanges" purposes. So...give it a try.

 

[VOLS34]

I had my iPhone 5 replaced for battery issues although they didn't exchange it the first time. I had to do a DFU restore & set it up as new. The battery issue was better after that but still pretty bad so I went in 5 days later & they exchanged it. I had a couple of very smalls dings on the chamfer & he noted that but no big deal. Seems like my replacement is more durable & less scratch/ding prone but it may just be in my head. The battery is better too.

 

[Napoleon Lopez]

I will try to keep checking the Apple stores themselves. Every time i call they say they are completely out. So there is no way for them to swap them. And yeah i did everything including a dfu restore. Part of the problem i am having is my phone wont give me any notifications, or vibrate. And the other part is on the calls, no one can hear me. And they have static coming through on the line.

 

[jmp316]

I will try to keep checking the Apple stores themselves. Every time i call they say they are completely out. So there is no way for them to swap them. And yeah i did everything including a dfu restore. Part of the problem i am having is my phone wont give me any notifications, or vibrate. And the other part is on the calls, no one can hear me. And they have static coming through on the line.

That sucks. You would think Apple and AT&T would be able to help you... Can't you get the restocking fee waived as a Premier member?

 

[imutter]

I made an genius appointment for sons phone we bought at AT&T store
They did diagnostic and the camera was bad. Of course it was we had purple lines everywhere LOL
But they had no replacement iPhone 5 64 GB black so they ordered one took 2 businesss days and they called me. All done and son is sporting a great working phone now!

 

[Zanthe]

OK, this is getting to be a nightmare.

As I mentined I waiting 3 weeks for two iPhone 5s. They finally arrived and one of them was scratched. So the AT&T store credited me for the one phone and re-entered a new order for a replacement. What's that mean? It means I satered al lover again with the process of obrtaining my phone.

So I got the order confirmation email and it said 14-21 days. that's where it stgands right now exxcept...

I called AT&T to see if anybody could move the process along. Now I find that 1) No they can't because according to them they don't have any phones and 2) now they are telling me the phone will ship between October 30 and November 8th. I re-ordered on Octotober 10th. WOW.

The thing is on the first order I received the shipping information exactly on the 21st day after my order. Coincidence? Maybe. Sounds fishy to me. I told the lady I didn't think it was fair to be put "back in line" after having already waited almost a month for the original phone. ``Sir, we're a big company...." yada, yada, yada. Actaully she was very nice and is crediting me $25 for the inconvenience. I'd rather have the phone but bottom line is I'm waiting because there is no other choice.

So had I known what I know now I would have taken the scratched phone right over to the Apple store and had them replace it. Today at the Apple Store they told me that is what I should have done because they do have phones for replacements but not "for sale"...

The End.

 

[Napoleon Lopez]

That sucks. You would think Apple and AT&T would be able to help you... Can't you get the restocking fee waived as a Premier member?

Well the strange thing is AT&T keeps insisting i deal directly with Apple. But, if i return the phone before 30 days is up, they will send me an Android phone of my choice. They gave me the option of going with an HTC, Samsung, or LG. They said they could charge me less for the Android phone, and refund the difference. They said they could waive the $35.00 restock if i did that. And would give me a credit (although they didn't say how much) to my bill for the inconvenience. But only if i went with another type of phone. Otherwise i can send them the phone and get a refund, minus the restock fee. Or see what Apple can do for me. That is what the premier ppl told me.

 

[jmp316]

Well the strange thing is AT&T keeps insisting i deal directly with Apple. But, if i return the phone before 30 days is up, they will send me an Android phone of my choice. They gave me the option of going with an HTC, Samsung, or LG. They said they could charge me less for the Android phone, and refund the difference. They said they could waive the $35.00 restock if i did that. And would give me a credit (although they didn't say how much) to my bill for the inconvenience. But only if i went with another type of phone. Otherwise i can send them the phone and get a refund, minus the restock fee. Or see what Apple can do for me. That is what the premier ppl told me.

The AT&T response is BS! If a customer wants an iPhone, they should expect one working properly. Why are they giving you the runaround? Why push an Android phone onto someone who doesn't want one? I would be on the phone 24/7 with customer service until I got resolved.

I think your best bet is to go through Apple though. Make a genius appointment and even if they don't have a new one in stock, they can order one for you. Maybe it will be shipped quickly (as mentioned above). Ugh. Good luck.