14 DAY TRIAL // Several iPhone owners are accusing Apple of invoking unnecessary iPhone repairs to replace the degraded battery at a discounted price, in an attempt to charge them more and generate profit from the battery replacement program.
Apple acknowledged in late December that it deliberately slowed down older iPhone models with worn-out batteries in order to prevent unexpected shutdowns.
In a public mea culpa, the Cupertino-based technology giant also announced a battery replacement program taking place throughout 2018 that would allow iPhone customers to swap the battery of their device for just $29 instead of the regular price of $79.
But according to a report from the BBC, Apple might charge customers more in order to first fix damage which the company says does not allow the battery servicing to be finalized.
The cited source quotes an Apple customer named Josh Landsburgh as saying that he was asked by Apple to pay more than 200 pounds for a small dent to the edge of the phone (pictured here), with the company saying that fixing this was required before replacing the battery. Landsburgh took his iPhone back and replaced the battery at a local repair shop without any issue whatsoever.
“They're trying to regain trust and they come back to you with, 'Give us more money than you were planning to initially.' I think it's just shocking, they've got enough money, they're Apple,” he explained.
Apple says some damage indeed needs to be repaired
A second iPhone owner called David Bowler explains that Apple tried to charge him 250 pounds for a faulty microphone and speaker, only that he replaced the battery at a third-party service center with no damage found to these parts.
“Obviously these things are working; they shouldn't say that they are faulty,” the service center told the BBC.
Apple hasn’t commented on these accusations, but instead, the company explains that some damage needs to be fixed before servicing the battery. However, Apple says that only damage that impairs the battery replacement must be resolved, and not any damage, as it was the case of the invoked faulty microphone and speaker.
“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,” the firm said.