Returning iPhone 15 four hours after purchased

[GON]

Earlier today I purchased a I phone 15 from a company owned Verizon location.

I paid the store $35 USD to setup the phone. The store could not get my Apple ID to work. I had an Apple ID that I haven't used since 2018 for an iPad where I purchased e-books.

The store told me just to go home and work on it. I spent the afternoon trying to get my ID to work, or establish a new apple ID account. The store stated I had 30 days to return, with a $50 USD restocking charge. I will be paying the restocking charge. I can't get the phone to do anything past the enter your Apple ID screen.

Neither worked. After trying a few hours, I could not find a way to contact Apple. I am sure there are ways, but Apple is not making it easy.

Guess I am sticking with Android- I assume google is no better if one needs support, but I have never needed google support.

 

[walterjay]

It is a nightmare trying to contact Apple. About three years ago I got locked out of Apple for a password problem. It took me over a week to get help.

 

[dishdude]

I had a friend lose his iPhone, took a week for him to get back in.

 

[GMBoy]

I would NOT be paying the restocking fee and requesting my $35 set up fee back. You cannot use the phone and they couldn't set it up - return it for 100% refund on the phone and set up service!

 

[jeepman3071]

The phone stores are useless when it comes to the actual devices themselves. Anything beyond selling you a phone plan and they just throw up their hands. Telling a customer to "go home and hopefully you can figure it out" is laughably bad customer service. An Apple store could've likely straightened it out. I doubt an Apple ID not used since 2018 is still active, but they could've assisted you setting up a new account.

 

[Cujet]

That's too bad. I have no trouble what so ever with my Apple ID and/or data from Apple's cloud.

Now that I'm retired, I find Apple products acceptable. But when I was working, they were utterly infuriating to conduct business with. Files would not open, specialized APP's were required to save and send, none were free, even then the "fill in the blank" forms could not be filled out without some form of keyboard jujitsu of backspaces, and learning what characters were Verboten.

I spend agonizing hours on my phone with reading glasses, trying to provide a single document with regard to an aircraft purchase agreement. In the end, I had to have someone write it for me at midnight, email it to me, review it, then have it edited. By 2 or 3AM, I was done. Could have been an hour long project. Ended up taking 8 hours of struggle.

 

[RooflessVW]

That's too bad. I have no trouble what so ever with my Apple ID and/or data from Apple's cloud.

Now that I'm retired, I find Apple products acceptable. But when I was working, they were utterly infuriating to conduct business with. Files would not open, specialized APP's were required to save and send, none were free, even then the "fill in the blank" forms could not be filled out without some form of keyboard jujitsu of backspaces, and learning what characters were Verboten.

I spend agonizing hours on my phone with reading glasses, trying to provide a single document with regard to an aircraft purchase agreement. In the end, I had to have someone write it for me at midnight, email it to me, review it, then have it edited. By 2 or 3AM, I was done. Could have been an hour long project. Ended up taking 8 hours of struggle.

Samsung DeX has saved my bacon a few times.

 

[joekingcorvette]

Too bad it didn't work for you. I love Apple products and have the watch, Iphone and a couple Apple laptops. It is difficult to get that password if you don't have it.

 

[SC Maintenance]

I agree. You should demand 100% refund. They couldn't get it working, nor can you. There problem not yours.

I have never had any iPhone switch issues, but I have had a iPhone inclusively for years.

My wife on the other-hand has nothing but trouble when upgrading. So last time we went directly to the apple store to get help. They were all but useless.

The prices have gone crazy. I think this will be our last round of iphones.

 

[GON]

Just returned the I phone. I was not successful getting the $50 restocking fee waived. Verizon actually charged sales tax in the restock fee, so total to my charge card was $54 and change.

In 2014 I was transferred from Arizona to Pennsylvania. I was a happy t mobile customer. In Pennsylvania I could not get a t mobile signal. T mobile sent me a signal booster. The booster didn't solve the no signal. T mobile ended up charging me $500 for the booster because I cancelled the phone.

After the 2014 issue, I indirectly swore off all three cell phone providers. I purchased new phones for cash, and went with prepaid plans. I was with smarttalk powered by Att, until I discovered in Wyoming att won't pay for smarttalk to use certain towers in Wyoming. I since switched to att prepaid, and have been paying about $70 per month to att prepaid.

I forgot about the big three games. This morning I was put through the car dealership f n I sales pitch for everything from phone insurance to buy streaming services. The insurance for the phone is a joke, $20 USD per month, and $99 for any repairs. The issue is there is no performance guaranteed on the repairs, so really worthless unless one has spare phones.

I had no cell phone for 48 hours. Drive from Seattle to El Paso with no phone. Did just fine.... Makes one wonder ...

 

[walterjay]

Apple store was of no help to me.

 

[GON]

Apple store was of no help to me.

Surprised about your experience. I would think the world's most valuable corporation with billions in cash would be able to solve your problems and my situation.

This control and associated business practices by a handful of high tech companies is definitely catching my attention more than ever.

 

[KrisZ]

I'm starting to wonder if they haven't sold you an ID locked phone. Those require you to enter the exact same apple ID as the phone used and will not get you passed that screen. It will do this even if you wipe the phone.

 

[pburchett]

Earlier today I purchased a I phone 15 from a company owned Verizon location.

I paid the store $35 USD to setup the phone. The store could not get my Apple ID to work. I had an Apple ID that I haven't used since 2018 for a I pad where I purchased e-books.

The store told me just to go home and work on it. I spent the afternoon trying to get my ID to work, or establish a new apple ID account. The store stated I had 30 days to return, with a $50 USD restocking charge. I will be paying the restocking charge. I can't get the phone to do anything past the enter your apple id screen.

Neither worked. After trying a few hours, I could not find a way to contact Apple. I am sure there are ways, but Apple is not making it easy.

Guess I am sticking with Android- I assume google is no better if one needs support, but I have never needed google support.

Why are you paying a restocking fee on a broken phone? Because they are going to sell it again to someone else as new. They should just exchange it for a new one and send the damaged one back for credit.

 

[GON]

Too bad it didn't work for you. I love Apple products and have the watch, Iphone and a couple Apple laptops. It is difficult to get that password if you don't have it.

I was happy to move over to apple. Heard so much good stuff about apple. Most importantly, I was happy for future FaceTime opportunities with my grandsons.

Mistankly I discovered apple with its oceans full of cash doesn't really care about a individual customer. No place on their website could I break the code of getting through to their customer service.

I company that cared would have a telephone number easily findable on there web pages. I now now it is 800 my apple, but to late as I returned the phone.

My wife is out of state with the grandkids, so I got to watch TV in the background while I tried to fix the apple situation. Breaking bad was on. A line in the show caught my eye. Give the drugs away until you corner the market, then hold the drug buyers hostage. I sense we have a lot of that going on with high tech.

 

[DemoFly]

Too bad it didn't work for you. I love Apple products and have the watch, Iphone and a couple Apple laptops. It is difficult to get that password if you don't have it.

No it isn't.

 

[GMBoy]

Just returned the I phone. I was not successful getting the $50 restocking fee waived. Verizon actually charged sales tax in the restock fee, so total to my charge card was $54 and change.

In 2014 I was transferred from Arizona to Pennsylvania. I was a happy t mobile customer. In Pennsylvania I could not get a t mobile signal. T mobile sent me a signal booster. The booster didn't solve the no signal. T mobile ended up charging me $500 for the booster because I cancelled the phone.

After the 2014 issue, I indirectly swore off all three cell phone providers. I purchased new phones for cash, and went with prepaid plans. I was with smarttalk powered by Att, until I discovered in Wyoming att won't pay for smarttalk to use certain towers in Wyoming. I since switched to att prepaid, and have been paying about $70 per month to att prepaid.

I forgot about the big three games. This morning I was out through the car dealership f n I sales pitch for everything from phone insurance to buy streaming services. The insurance for the phone is a joke, $20 USD per month, and $99 for any repairs. The issue is there is no performance guaranteed on the repairs, so really worthless unless one has spare phones.

I had no cell phone for 48 hours. Drive from Seattle to El Paso with no phone. Did just fine.... Makes one wonder ...

Call your card company and do a charge back - I want you to WIN this!

 

[Cujet]

Just returned the I phone. I was not successful getting the $50 restocking fee waived. Verizon actually charged sales tax in the restock fee, so total to my charge card was $54 and change.

Yeah, no. I'd fight that credit card charge. Product inop, did not work.

 

[joekingcorvette]

I agree if you bought a new phone they should have been able to help you to reset the password and not leave with the phone until it was working properly. Where I live they have a very educated support team that really knows the phones. I have had problems with my different Apple phones through the years but have always had help from their team. Most problems are fixed doing a Google search. It appears to me the store was totally unhelpful in getting your phone to the finish line. Apple, Microsoft and Nvidia are some of the largest companies in the world and for the most part is because they do deliver a good product. There is always a case where a person or customer is unsatisfied and in your case GON it appears they didn't help you too much. I personally have some Apple stock and it has been doing well. I am sorry it didn't work better for you.

 

[fdcg27]

Seller provided a product that didn't work and that they couldn't make work and then charged you to return it?
A no-brainer charge back on your credit card.