My iPhone malfunctioned last week. I lost access to a portion of the touch screen, and it was frustrating me. I couldn't find help on the message boards, so I called Apple Support. After about a five minute hold waiting for the "next available technician," my relatively new tech assistant walked me through the process I would need to follow to return the product to Apple. (There is an option to take the product to an Apple Store, but I'm hours from one of those.)
Long story short: they sent me a package via FedEx that I would use to pack up and send back my iPhone for repair and/or replacement.
The packaging itself is idiot proof. Open the box, follow the directions from an 8-page printed booklet, put the iPhone in the box, surround it with the provided padding top and bottom, then seal the package with mailing tape (also provided).
Then you tear off the outside portion of the mailing label - what FedEx used to get the box to me - and show the inside portion, pre-set to mail to Apple with the repair order number, tracking number and all the other info on the new label, shipping cost pre-paid.
Then call FedEx (Apple strongly suggests you don't just drop it in a FedEx box because then the burden that it gets out is on you, not FedEx) for pick-up, and it's off on its 2-day journey.
I tracked the package on the first and second day, but I didn't need to. Apple sent me an email notifying they had received the package with a link to its repair status. And when the repair status changed, they sent me another email with an update, the most recent informing me that a replacement was shipping today, the same day they received the iPhone.
Make no mistake, I didn't like the fact that the phone malfunctioned in the first place, and I didn't relish the idea of losing about a week's time of use (though it's been much easier to go without a mobile phone than I imagined). In this particular case, however, the process and service in working with Apple to resolve the issue ... well, it's been as good as the iPhone itself.
I'll let you know if the new iPhone fails to live up to my expectations, which, frankly, are greater now that (a) I know it's a new one shipping and (b) I have had such a positive - if unexpected - experience with my return.
Posted by Mark
1 comment:
Postscript: I sent the iPhone out for repair on Friday, 28 December. It arrived via FedEx this morning, 2 January 2.
Apple replaced my malfunctioning product with a new one. It's syncing now.
(And, for the record, I didn't really miss having a mobile phone. Granted, it was a holiday weekend, but I really didn't miss it.)
Post a Comment