You know what happened on 11 January 2015? Don’t burden your brain. Someone ordered an iPhone 6 Plus 128gb as a gift for me from the US of America. Isn’t that a wow moment? Hmmm. Wait guys! The story is not done yet!
I was feeling really proud to hold it and I bought SPIGEN tough armor series cover and scratch guard for its safety and security. And I never allowed my little ones to touch it since I was worried they would do any harm.
Here comes the twist in the story.
Despite all these efforts, in September 2015, After 7 months of use( I got it on 26th Jan and started using on 27th Jan) people started complaining that they can not hear me when I make any call. Then I started using my headset for making calls and everything was okay. So I realized that there is some issue with the microphone and took the online support and followed all the steps suggested by the lady who attended me. Still there was no luck. I was told by my husband that it could be hardware issue and to my worst nightmare it came true.
I went to the authorized Apple service center INDSYS in Trivandrum, Kerala, India. They checked the device and confirmed that it is a hardware issue. The person who attended me on Saturday 26th September that it will be replaced by Apple and he also removed the scratch guard screen. He assured me that it will be replaced and he just have to take approval from Apple and it won’t be a problem at all!
He didn’t call me back as he promised and I called him on Monday the 28th September 2015. The person was on leave and his colleague told me that they checked with the support and it is not replaceable in India since it was bought from the US of A. Wow! Here come the next twist!
I started with the Apple support again and started chatting with them. They were telling me that they don’t have any issues in replacing the phone in India. I called the Indsys guy again and told him(of course blasted at him) and he said he’ll check again. Funny though he sent my husband a screen shot where it’s clearly mentioned that it’s not possible.
I contacted the apple support again through chat and they were again happy to help me! Wow!
She send me a list of other support guys and asked me to contact them. And I contacted ample. The guy told me that they can replace it on some conditions. I was happy again. He told me that I have to call apple and confirm this two things.
The model should be available India
The phone should be unlocked
I told him the phone is unlocked, but have to check the first point. He gave me apple support number and I dialed the number with lot of expectations. Yeah, you guessed it right, it’s another twist! Be ready to have a good laugh!
Devaraj assisted me this time. I explained him all the things you have read so far. And to my least expectation he said "it is replaceable madam". Again the Wow moment, but I held myself back. Wait girl!
Again Devaraj’s voice came. "Only thing is that you have to produce some documents". I again went to the symbol "?". "You have to produce a copy of your visa and your return ticket(of course to the USA)". What?! You know what, I have never been to USA. Didn’t you laugh? Common guys, give it a laugh now!
I told him the story again and he was telling that it’s the policy that the iPhone bought from any other country could not be service in India. I lost my control and blasted at him. He connected me to a senior adviser and while I was talking( read it as fighting) with him, the phone got disconnected. I tried the number again, but it was not connecting because the time was over and I got a call back from a Singapore number which I could not pick up.
So if you are on an assignment to the USA and buying an iPhone from there, do make sure that
When you are about to buy the iPhone, please read all the policies carefully(yes, be ready to spent half a day)
You don’t come back to India at least for five years(you should get back at least your$1000)
If you do so, sell off your phone there and buy a new one from India once you are back
If you could not manage both 1, 2 and 3 at least get a return ticket for a later date so that you can repair your iPhone when it gets a problem
No one asks anyone if you are an Asian, European, Australian, African or Indian(yes man, we are so much important) when buying an iPhone from the USA. Then why during servicing!
I request apple to take my iPhone back and give me the$949, not a penny more, not a penny less! I will buy a Nokia 1100 using which I can make calls for years and can throw it here, there, anywhere and everywhere and still make calls!
Thanks a lot apple making me understand that quality never depends on the amount spent!
NB: the charger and headphones also of very bad quality that it started showing off every now and then these days! Won’t last more than a few months!