Apple lets us down
I have always defended Apple For me it is the company with the best after-sales service in the world, but since yesterday everything has changed. I am disappointed. I have dropped a totem. That aura that I saw around the bitten apple has completely vanished. I thought that they were by and for the consumer of their products, but that attention and service has an expiration date and it is the last day of the guarantee of their products.
After the warranty of your iPhone, iPad, Airpods,Apple Watch you are lost if it breaks down through no fault of your own. When I say external, I mean a hardware failure not caused by the consumer.
I'm going to tell you everything that happened regarding the breakdown of my Apple Watch. It is something that I would like to share with you so that you know what is the hidden face of those from Cupertino.
Failure in my Apple Watch due to power management problems:
It all started after a swim in a pool. The screen began to fail the watch, it was not clearly visible and, after a few hours, nothing at all could be seen on it.
After leaving it unused for a few days, I took it and tried to reset it, charge it but it gave no signs of life. The only thing it did when connecting it to the original charger of the watch was the image of a cable with the charger and a green lightning bolt appearing on it indicating that it was charging, but after a few seconds the same image appeared with a red lightning bolt and so on. Alternating those two images over and over again, the Apple Watch would get extremely hot and after a while, it would end up automatically disconnecting and displaying the completely black screen.
This was something that had never happened to me and I decided to call Apple support.
Apple support solution to fix my Apple Watch problem:
After contacting Apple support and after doing the pertinent tests with my watch, they decided to refer me to an Apple Store or, to their detriment, to an establishment authorized by them, to carry out the repair and solution of the fault.
There is no Apple Store in my city, so I decided to take it to an authorized store. In it I left the device giving all the pertinent explanations of what was happening to the Watch.
After a week, they contacted me by email and sent me this statement that I'll give you below:
Fault report
While reading this, impotence invaded me. If the failure is from the battery or some component of it, can't they change it?
I knew that the warranty had expired and I was willing to pay for the repair, but when I read that the repair was not possible and that they offered me a replacement for that amount, I refused to accept it. To pay that money I buy a new one.
Seeing that it was a hardware fault and that it wasn't my fault, I considered calling Apple If the reason was that water got into it, why does Apple say in the Back of the watch that can be submerged up to 50 m.?. If the failure is from the power system, what is my fault that it failed?
I contacted Apple's top technical support department and this is what they told me:
I called Apple support again and the person who answered me, seeing that he could not answer my questions, referred me to the upper department.
After a long wait I was attended by a very polite man who, I have to say, put all his effort into helping me.
I told him the whole case and read the report sent to me by the service authorized by Apple, who checked my Apple Watch. The technician made his pertinent internal inquiries about it and this is what he told me. BEWARE!!!:
- There have only been 2 cases in the world, among more than 2,000,000 devices sold, in which an Apple Watch 2 has failed due to a power management problem. One in the US and one mine. With so few people suffering from this failure, I had no place to "hold on" to fight my case.
- Being out of warranty (it took me 6 months) and not being able to fix the device, the only thing they offer me is a replacement for the value communicated in the mail.
- The aquatic devices have rubbers that due to time, excessive heat, cold, limescale, chlorine lose properties and can cause water to get into the device after the sixth month of use.
I was blown away, especially with the last answer.
When I commented that if the power management failed due to an alleged ingress of water into the watch, I didn't understand how a device that Apple categorizes as submersible, can fail like that . The answer left me speechless. Now it's clear to me that I will never take a bath with the Apple Watch again, in case I buy one.
That the superior technical support department tell you that the rubber bands that prevent water from entering the watch fail over time, throwing away all the expectations that I personally had regarding the quality of theApple Watch.
In the end and seeing that the conversation was already taking a certain tense course, this person sent me an email with this address:
Arbitration Boards
In a few words, he told me, without telling me directly, to make a living claiming at the consumer service office.
Things to know about Apple Watch's water resistance:
The Apple Watch isn't as waterproof as everyone thinks. Personally, I thought that I could wear it at all times and get it wet whenever I wanted, without any care. But I was wrong.
The Apple Watch is sold as waterproof and submersible, but it's more fragile than we think in that regard. I copy and paste what it says on its website about it:
From Apple Watch Series 2 onwards, they can be used in surface water activities, such as swimming in the pool or in the sea. However, they should not be used for diving, water skiing or activities that involve high-speed water impacts or deep immersion. (Then why does it say that it can be submerged up to 50m.?)
You can shower with Apple Watch, but exposing it to soaps, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, or perfumes is not recommended as they can affect the hydraulic seals and acoustic membranes.When you clean Apple Watch, don't use s alt water. If the device comes into contact with any liquid other than fresh water, dry it with a lint-free cloth.
Water resistance is not a permanent condition and may diminish over time. Apple Watch cannot be retested or resealed to regain water resistance. The following may affect the water resistance of Apple Watch and should therefore be avoided:
- Drop Apple Watch or expose it to other types of shock.
- Exposing Apple Watch to soap or soapy water, such as when bathing or showering.
- Expose Apple Watch to perfumes, solvents, detergents, acids, acidic foods, insect repellents, lotions, sunscreens, oils, or hair dyes.
- Exposing Apple Watch to high-velocity water impacts, for example, while water skiing.
- Wearing your Apple Watch in a sauna or steam room.
Did you know?. I don't.
Conclusion on Apple's after-sales service:
You learn from everything and from this experience you also draw conclusions to keep in mind and that I share with you:
- Apple is the best in after-sales service as long as your device is under warranty.
- If your device runs out of warranty and suffers a fault not caused by you, they won't do anything. They won't even try to fix it even by making you pay for the cost. Like every company, wants you to spend your money on one of its products again.
- I will never submerge any Apple device in water, even though the specifications guarantee that it is submersible and/or waterproof.
My confidence in Apple products has waned.I feel let down by a company that I have always trusted and that I have always defended. In the end, I get the feeling that they are very close friends with you while you are under warranty protection, but when it is over they give you the kick.
Very bad Apple. Would Jobs have allowed this?.
To finish I share with you an article that talks about this topic and that I recommend you read.
