Originally Posted by moox:
“So an Apple employee used a known design fault to get you a replacement phone? I would hope that's an isolated case.
(can't replace for dock connector issues. can replace for cracked plastics).”
Why do you hope its an isolated case... Do Apple's practises directly affect you in any way? Are you a shareholder or on the board of directors? By the way you're slating Apple I sincerely doubt it therefore it is no business to you how and why Apple replaced my handset.
If you must know and want me to go into details...
I bought my 3GS in July 2009. By November, I was getting a message on the screen telling me that I had connected an accessory that wasn't supported by this handset. I booked a Genius Bar appointment, they attempted to clean the dock connector but the message kept on appearing, so they replaced my handset.
Roll it on to May 2010 when the same message started appearing again. Replacement handsets have a 90 day warranty, which expired at the end of February. I booked another Genius bar appointment, and when I explained the problem and showed the girl the details of the last repair/replacement, she asked me if there was anything else wrong with the phone. She spotted the crack, and replaced the handset for me, no questions asked, 65 days out of the warranty period.
Now call me stupid, but I use that as a typical example of excellent customer service. It doesn't matter if it was a fault or not the point is, 3 months out of warranty, I walked into an Apple store with a problematic handset and walked out 30 minutes later with a brand new replacement.
Interestingly, you can tell people who slate Apple for no reason. In one thread I mention this issue and told by one Anti-Apple poster that "its no surprise that my phone was replaced as there is a well documented problem with the dock connector" and in this thread I'm told "they can't replace for the dock connector". So all I say now is, if you don't know about the workings of Apple and how their phones then I suggest you keep out of it to stop yourself looking a fool.