Apple has been accused of profiting from a battery replacement program by finding unnecessary failures in iPhones. When the U.S. company announced it was slowing down its iPhones last December to "extend battery life," it apologized for not telling others sooner. Facing a backlash from consumers, it promised iPhone 6 owners and more modern models discounts or free battery replacements.
"It is only because of your belief and support that we can do the work we love - and we will never forget or take it for granted." But some Watchdog viewers have since told the program that their faith in the company Seriously shaken after trying to get Apple to accept its offer.
Apple asked some customers to pay 10 times the sum it mentioned in its apology. The company told customers it was because damage to their phones would compromise battery replacements. But the Watchdog investigation found that wasn't always the case.
Two days later, he got an email from Apple pointing out a small dent on the edge of the phone and citing a cost of more than £200 before it could get its battery under good warranty. He replaced the battery at a local repair shop with no issues, which means he has no warranty.
"They're trying to regain trust and they'll come back to you, 'give us more money than you originally planned.' I think it's just shocking, they have enough money, they're Apple," he told the BBC.
His phone is in good condition, but the battery needs to be replaced. This time, there was no visible damage on the outside, and Apple told David that there was damage on the inside of the phone. The company said the front microphone and speakers were faulty, citing more than £250 to fix the problem. But David insists the components work perfectly. He asked for a call back, and the watchdog sent his device to a mobile repair specialist.
It told the show: "Obviously these things are working and they shouldn't say they're wrong." Experts also had no problem replacing the battery, something Apple refused to do without fixing the microphone and speakers first.
So, does Apple apologize for that? Apple's repair site does state: "If your iPhone has any damage that would preclude a battery replacement, such as a cracked screen, then that issue needs to be addressed before the battery is replaced."
It offers a brand new 90-day warranty on any device it services, even if the original warranty has expired. In addition, some Apple customer service representatives - contacted online - said the company stated in the warranty that "any and all damage" must be repaired before the battery can be replaced.
但看门狗和纠纷解决律师都没有发现任何此类要求。有人在节目中表示：“我认为消费者正在变得恼火，因为在苹果重建信任时，他们似乎正在为人们修理手机设置障碍。”
苹果公司向BBC发出了以下回应：
“当谈到更换iPhone电池时，如果你的iPhone有任何破坏电池更换的损害，例如破裂的屏幕，这个问题将需要在更换电池之前解决。在某些情况下，可能有一个与维修相关的成本。“