Apple's policy change on out of warranty iPhones

I made a trip this morning to the Genius Bar. My wife's iPhone had an issue whereby people could not hear her on the other end of calls, so it appears something had gone awry with the microphone. [Some husband's might actually pay extra for an iPhone like this].

Her iPhone was purchased in June of 2010, so it was well out of Apple's 1-year warranty. It's not Apple's responsibility to fix an iPhone out of warranty. Beyond 1-year, it's my responsibility to either get Apple Care or deal with the consequences if things go bad. I've had incredibly good luck with my iPhones in the past. If memory serves me correct, this was the first trip to the Genius bar with an iPhone.

Having spent a fair amount of time here on the everythingiCafe forums, I've seen a number of stories regarding amazing levels of support from Apple. In many cases, going above and beyond, including for devices that were out of warranty. My expectations were high based upon things I had read from others. Plus, I figured the condition of her iPhone was something that would be considered. It's got screen protectors on back, front and has a custom Case-Mate case. There are no scratches, marks, dings or any visible signs of damage. To her credit, she's done a good job keeping her iPhone in tip-top shape.

Hardware isn't perfect. Things break. The microphone being a relatively important part of any phone, we had no choice but to attempt to get it serviced. I was there promptly at 9:05 for my 9:00 appointment, but the Genius' were still not available. My support session got underway at around 9:15. I informed him of the issue and he used the store phone to call the iPhone. This came after he inspected the iPhone for water damage using some sort of pocket flashlight. The problem was verified and he said he could replace the iPhone. I thought great, everything I had heard about heroic Apple support was coming through for me. He entered a few things into the iPad and then boom. "Unfortunately, your iPhone is out of warranty. I do notice that you are out of contract, so you could consider getting an iPhone 4S". I explained that we did not want to extend our contract, considering the new iPhone would be coming out soon enough. His dry reply, "There is no new iPhone". To which I said, "C'mon we all know there is a new one coming this fall." He continued with to use verbal head fakes along with a poker face that makes me think he should consider becoming a professional card player. Either that or he was attempting some Jedi mind trick to make think there wasn't a new iPhone coming at some point in the not so distant future.

He then said he could replace her iPhone for $149. I asked nicely, explained that it seemed like a lot of money, which was essentially the cost of a new phone. He said I could go to AT&T and get a free iPhone 3GS. Again, I reminded him of my contract situation and that I wasn't looking to get into a new 2-year contract.

He wouldn't budge. No way to fix it. The only option was to replace it.

My wife needs a phone. She explicitly told me that she "wasn't go to use some Android phone"(actually, I was going to put her into a Windows Phone).

Given the choice of no iPhone or $150, I opted for choice B.

Once we started processing, I told them about all of those stories of Apple going above and beyond -- many times to out of warranty iPhones. He explained that Apple Care Plus came out in October. With it came a new corporate policy that doesn't allow any flexibility. If your iPhone is out of warranty, the only option is to pay for the repair (to receive a refurb). The previous policy wasn't consistent said this Genius. I could see that. He said that the new policy provides him with no flexibility.

Let me reiterate, it's not Apple's responsibility to replace and/or repair an out of warranty device. I'm sure that could get costly and I'm sure a good number of folks don't care for their iPhones, thus resulting in a need for replacement. My expectations of what would happen today during my Genius bar appointment were based upon their unwritten policy. A policy that wasn't fiscally great for the company, one that did result in conflicting results for customers, but also one that resulted in customers applauding them for heroic service.

The service I received today was fair under the terms of my purchase. Apple didn't wrong me in any way. They are just like every other company who explicitly follows the warranty period. Before today, I thought they were something more.

That's the definition of change. You'd never find it written, but they previously had flexibility that allowed them to make decisions on a case by case basis. Prior to October, chances are that my iPhone would have been replaced for free. I'm basing that on the conversation I had this morning at the Genius Bar.

I do remember hearing something about how the launch of Apple Care Plus would affect how they handled these situations. Today, I found out for myself. If you're out, you're out.

I went to the DMV yesterday. Been a fun week.

Here's what you get for $99.

Every iPhone comes with one year of hardware repair coverage and 90 days of telephone technical support. AppleCare+ for iPhone extends repair coverage and technical support to two years from the original purchase date of your iPhone and adds coverage for up to two incidents of accidental damage due to handling, each subject to a $49 service fee.1 With AppleCare+ for iPhone, Apple experts can help troubleshoot issues over the phone or at an Apple Retail Store. They’ll answer questions about iOS, Apple iPhone apps such as Mail, iMessage, and Calendar, and help you solve interconnectivity issues between your iPhone and Mac or PC. And if your iPhone needs service under the plan, Apple technical support representatives can even set up a repair during the same call.

Not at all. I think it's a good deal. The Genius Bar eval is free. It's your choice if you want to pay for the work if it isn't covered under the manufacturer's warranty. It extends that warranty from one year to two. Water damage and broken glass aren't covered in the regular warranty, so you'll have to pay $200 for the repair if you don't have Apple Care+. It's only $49 if you do have it. You also get free shipping (it's $29 without Apple Care+) if you don't want to drive to an Apple Store for the replacement. It's pro-rated, too, so you'll get a portion of the $99 back at the end of the year if you sell it after a year and upgrade to a new phone.

No, it's not automatic. You have to call them and request a cancellation and refund for the remaining months. The other option is to sell it with the Apple Care+ and have it transferred to the new owner. It might slightly increase the resale value. I'd rather go with the refund and use it towards Apple Care+ on the new phone.