Apple is reneging on its promise to replace iPhone batteries at a discount claims BBC

Last December, when Apple was embroiled in a controversy over the throttling of some iPhone models, the company finally came clean. Apple admitted that in iOS 10.2.1, the company installed technology allowing it to slow down the CPU on units with older batteries. Owners of those devices were finding that when they had their iPhone perform a complex task, the phone often rebooted because of the weak battery. Throttling the CPU was one way to fix this issue. The models involved include the Apple iPhone 6 and later, including the iPhone SE.

Apple said that replacing the battery in these models with a new cell would be the best solution. And to make up for its lack of candor about the whole affair, the company announced that for all of 2018, it would reduce the price of a battery replacement for an out of warranty iPhone from $79 to $29. The 63% price break has drawn so many iPhone owners, that getting an appointment at the Genus Bar in many Apple Stores is harder than scoring ducats to Hamilton.

In Great Britain, the discount on the battery replacement for out of warranty iPhone models brings the price down from £79 to £25 ($34 USD). According to the BBC Watchdog program, in the country some Apple iPhone owners are being told that because of damage to their phone, Apple will need to make an expensive repair before it changes the battery at the discounted price. The result is an invoice that is many times the £25 charge to replace the cell inside the phone.

One U.K. consumer by the name of Josh Landsburgh sent his phone to Apple to have the battery replaced, and was sent an email a couple of days later. In the email, Apple said that a dent on the casing of the device (which was a minor ding) would have to be fixed first at a price of £200 ($271 USD) before it would allow him to participate in the discounted battery deal. The angry iPhone owner had his handset sent back to him without changing the battery, or fixing the dent. He went to a local repair shop where he had a fresh cell installed on his device without a problem.

Another gentleman in the U.K., David Bowler, sent his phone to Apple for a new battery. Despite the lack of external damage, Apple said that there were issues internally with the microphone and speaker, and that these had to be fixed first before it could change the battery. The price to repair these? £250 ($339 USD). And that would be before paying to replace the battery. So David had his phone returned without allowing Apple to work on it. He took it to a specialist who said that there was nothing wrong with the microphone and speaker, and the battery was replaced without any issues.

Apple's website does say that "If your iPhone has any damage that impairs the replacement of the battery, such as a cracked screen, that issue will need to be resolved prior to the battery replacement. In some cases, there may be a cost associated with the repair." But some Apple customer service reps contacted by BBC Watchdog are incorrectly telling the BBC that Apple's warranty says that "any and all damage" must be repaired before a battery replacement. 

Apple's response to the BBC basically repeats the words from its web site. "When it comes to iPhone battery replacement, if your iPhone has any damage that impairs the replacement of the battery, such as a cracked screen, that issue will need to be resolved prior to the battery replacement. In some cases, there may be a cost associated with the repair."


source: BBC