Apple refusing to repair IPad due to minor screen damage? Any experience/advice?

[NeilF]

Working in the Apple Store we see this very regularly , and as a consumer first I do sympathise with you.

Unfortunately as others have said, it’s outside of the 1 year Apple Warranty, and any damage to a device will invalidate any warranty anyway.

Had it been purchased from Apple directly, we could possibly cover the replacement as Consumer Rights supersede warranty and state damage doesn’t automatically invalidate your rights to a repair or replacement unless certain conditions are met.

As a consumer it’s your liability to prove the iPad was faulty from manufacturer and no damage (remember, not all damage is seen on the outside .. any drops without breakage can damage internal components..) which is difficult, and this Argument needs to be with John Lewis.

Thanks for the help...

But having spoken to JL this afternoon, they say they base their view on an Apple Accredited engineer, this being a local store who have denied the repair based on that superficial damage, which of course (let's be realistic!) is in no way responsible for the seeming internal hardware (eg: main board) error...

You're saying to talk to JL. And JL are saying to talk to Apple... Huh!?!


Is it likely I can go to Apple Reading tomorrow and for them to confirm that the unit has failed and that tiny crack is not (likely) to be responsible for it, so I can then forward the matter with JL with some ammunition? ie: It's failed after 18 months, and the tiny crack top left is nothing to do with it etc...

 

[VaderDSL]

JL warranty claims are dealt with by Apple depot within year one, and use their own refurb stock after usually.

Cheers! Good to know

 

[NeilF]

Get the glass replaced locally and then go back to JL for them to repair / replace.

I don't think that's possible as you'd need to go to an accredited store for a pucker Apple screen. And they won't replace the screen as the unit isn't working (ie: the mainboard has most likely failed).

 

[koolpc]

Well, surely there are plenty of businesses around who can just replace the screen for a genuine one and then go from there?

 

[Alpherah]

Thanks for the help...

But having spoken to JL this afternoon, they say they base their view on an Apple Accredited engineer, this being a local store who have denied the repair based on that superficial damage, which of course (let's be realistic!) is in no way responsible for the seeming internal hardware (eg: main board) error...

You're saying to talk to JL. And JL are saying to talk to Apple... Huh!?!


Is it likely I can go to Apple Reading tomorrow and for them to confirm that the unit has failed and that tiny crack is not (likely) to be responsible for it, so I can then forward the matter with JL with some ammunition? ie: It's failed after 18 months, and the tiny crack top left is nothing to do with it etc...

The damage is irrelevant at this point to Apple.
It’s outside of the 12 month warranty so all they can offer is replacement at cost. Some technicians might state something along the lines of “damage unlikely to be cause of issue” but see it from the side of JL or Apple, blunt force can cause failure internally, and there is evidence of drops having taken place ..

As I said, you need to research making a consumer law claim and this will be against JL.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

Well, surely there are plenty of businesses around who can just replace the screen for a genuine one and then go from there?

No such thing as a genuine Apple screen that isn’t from Apple or an authorise repairer.

People that advertise their screens as genuine are scamming you. It might at most have a genuine LCD scavenged from another broken iPad but the glass and other glued components will be 3rd party.

It’s 100% obvious if one of these has been opened before and had a 3rd party screen replacement, a trained technician will spot it a mile away. They’ll also be able to see any authorised repair history on their system.

Your best option is to juke it out with JL, that’s who your contract is with. At the end of the day if you just kick up enough of a fuss even though you are in the wrong (like the guy in MacBook Pro thread) they’ll likely just roll over and replace it.

 

[NeilF]

Well, surely there are plenty of businesses around who can just replace the screen for a genuine one and then go from there?

I suspect Apple would spot a replacement screen/part they hadn't been involved with.

 

[NeilF]

No such thing as a genuine Apple screen that isn’t from Apple or an authorise repairer.

People that advertise their screens as genuine are scamming you. It might at most have a genuine LCD scavenged from another broken iPad but the glass and other glued components will be 3rd party.

It’s 100% obvious if one of these has been opened before and had a 3rd party screen replacement, a trained technician will spot it a mile away. They’ll also be able to see any authorised repair history on their system.

Your best option is to juke it out with JL, that’s who your contract is with. At the end of the day if you just kick up enough of a fuss even though you are in the wrong (like the guy in MacBook Pro thread) they’ll likely just roll over and replace it.

"Even though you are the guy in the wrong" - But this clearly isn't the case. That superficial damage from a year ago has nothing to do with Apples hardware not being able to last 18mnths.

Why should I pay another £290 on top of the original £400+ because Apple hardware is at fault?

The quandary seems to be JL says they'll only listen to Apple Accredited advice...

 

[james.miller]

The damage is irrelevant at this point to Apple.
It’s outside of the 12 month warranty so all they can offer is replacement at cost. Some technicians might state something along the lines of “damage unlikely to be cause of issue” but see it from the side of JL or Apple, blunt force can cause failure internally, and there is evidence of drops having taken place ..

As I said, you need to research making a consumer law claim and this will be against JL.

You shouldn't roll over soo easily. Its 6 years under consumer law, and Apple acknowledges that here : https://www.apple.com/uk/legal/statutory-warranty/

The issue for the op would be proving the internal damage isnt a result of the damaged screen or the impact that damaged the screen.

 

[Vince]

Define scuff? It's superficial in that it's small, cosmetic and in no way affects the performance/behaviour of the unit. It's 3mm into a piece of cosmetic glass?

And again, I'd have to say, how is it my fault that Apple hardware can't survive for 18months?

ps: I suspect Apple will turn me down... But if there's the hope they won't or might offer me a better price than £290 for a replacement!?!

This is going to sound slightly shocking but send the wife in. I went in with an iphone that was playing up and met a brick wall. Sent the wife in and the geniuses couldn't do enough for her. She walked out with a new phone in literally 10 mins.

Hot young woman gets top notch service while I an ageing balding bloke got laughed out the door. I would say it's a one off but it isn't, same happened with my sister and her other half, he took phone in and got nowhere, sister went back in with it and magic happened.

 

[koolpc]

If you got no proof that the drop didnt cause the fault then you are stuffed!

 

[NeilF]

If you got no proof that the drop didnt cause the fault then you are stuffed!

Common sense? It's a 3mm chip.

And if I can the 3rd party company that looked it to state in their opinion the damage is superficial and cannot account for hardware failure inside?

 

[Alpherah]

You shouldn't roll over soo easily. Its 6 years under consumer law, and Apple acknowledges that here : https://www.apple.com/uk/legal/statutory-warranty/

The issue for the op would be proving the internal damage isnt a result of the damaged screen or the impact that damaged the screen.

Yes, but claims need to be made at place of purchase

 

[MassiveJim]

Common sense? It's a 3mm chip.

And if I can the 3rd party company that looked it to state in their opinion the damage is superficial and cannot account for hardware failure inside?

Playing devil's advocate here for one second.



who's to say that the device hasn't been dropped (the broken glass is evidence enough on its own that it has suffered a fairly reasonable impact)
And what damage did that cause internally when it happened that has resulted in the device failing a year later?
There could be a hairline crack in the glass that is causing other issues as well.
How does any repair company know how that damage occured ?
I have seen electronics dropped in such a way I would expect significant damage and nothing happened, and equally seen devices dropped that I wouldn't even have expected to get scratched and the screen completely shattered.

You can't really argue that this is superficial damage when it has broken glass.
Superficial would be scratched glass/chassis IMO

 

[koolpc]

Common sense? It's a 3mm chip.

And if I can the 3rd party company that looked it to state in their opinion the damage is superficial and cannot account for hardware failure inside?

Doesnt matter. You can drop an ipad with no outward damage yet have an internal disaster!

 

[NeilF]

Yes, but claims need to be made at place of purchase

And the place of purchase said in effect they defer their opinion for warranty claims to official Apple repairers etc. So it's chicken and egg

 

[MrRockliffe]

The issue is, Apple, and any 3rd party authorised repair shops, won’t have insurance for instances where the removal of a partially broken display assembly. If they remove it and it breaks further, you would be within your legal right to ask them to fix it - they won’t want to put themselves in that position. Their solution? Damage = no repairs.

 

[NeilF]

Playing devil's advocate here for one second.

who's to say that the device hasn't been dropped (the broken glass is evidence enough on its own that it has suffered a fairly reasonable impact)
And what damage did that cause internally when it happened that has resulted in the device failing a year later?
There could be a hairline crack in the glass that is causing other issues as well.


You can't really argue that this is superficial damage when it has broken glass.
Superficial would be scratched glass/chassis IMO

Understood, but:-
1) look at the picture.
2) see it in the flesh and it literally is tiny
3) it's worked for a year since the chip
4) the 3rd party who looked at it agree the chip is superficial

Ps: I agree it's easy to draw your conclusion and Apple&JL can simply sit on their hands repeating that conclusion.

But in reality it's a cynical and unfair outcome.

 

[Alpherah]

And the place of purchase said in effect they defer their opinion for warranty claims to official Apple repairers etc. So it's chicken and egg

I appreciate, however JL are the only possible avenue for success in this scenario, as it’s outside of the manufacturer warranty anyway

 

[NeilF]

The issue is, Apple, and any 3rd party authorised repair shops, won’t have insurance for instances where the removal of a partially broken display assembly. If they remove it and it breaks further, you would be within your legal right to ask them to fix it - they won’t want to put themselves in that position. Their solution? Damage = no repairs.

The 3rd party said they don't repair, as units are replaced like for like.