Apple warranty terms. Replacing an iPhone under warranty with a new one or getting a refund - what to do and where to go

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"Ignorance of the law is not an excuse"- everyone has heard this saying, but only a few have learned to use it. A back side expressions are rights about which we know even less.

A simple example: Russian iPhones have a two-year warranty instead of one. You may be surprised, but this is a fact. And him need to use.

Two years of warranty - the whim of our legislators

Apple gives one year warranty on iPhone. This is the manufacturer's standard commitment period, which it offers to extend with three years of AppleCare. This is indicated on the smartphone box, the company’s official website, and so on.

But Russian legislation interferes in the matter. Article 19, paragraph 5 of the Law “On Protection of Consumer Rights” reports:

In cases where the warranty period provided for in the contract is less than two years and defects in the product are discovered by the consumer after warranty period, but within two years, the consumer has the right to present to the seller (manufacturer) the requirements provided for in Article 18 of this Law if he proves that the defects of the goods arose before its transfer to the consumer or for reasons that arose before that moment.

If you understand the confusing turns of text, Russian iPhones two year warranty instead of one. And it’s not too early to rejoice.

Apple confirms compliance with Russian laws

The manufacturer who ignores Russian market due to its low solvency in many matters, it respects the legislation of the country. Therefore, a note on this matter is hidden in the wilds of Apple’s official website.

The consumer has the right to free repair or replacement by the seller of goods that do not meet the terms of sale, as well as a discount or refund of payment by the seller. These rights are valid for two years from the date of delivery of the goods.

In accordance with the Law of the Russian Federation “On the Protection of Consumer Rights,” if a product is defective or does not meet the terms of sale, the consumer may choose to: (a) have it repaired free of charge; (b) replace free of charge; (c) demand a reduction in price or (d) cancel the contract by returning the product for a full refund. These rights are valid for two years from the date of delivery of the goods. The consumer may make claims against the seller or the seller's authorized representative or the manufacturer, although the latter does not have the authority to reduce the price. If the product has a fatal defect, the consumer may claim free replacement or refuse the contract by returning the product in exchange for reimbursement of its full cost to the importer of the goods in Russia.

In accordance with the Law of the Russian Federation “On the Protection of Consumer Rights,” the burden of providing evidence of a defect or non-compliance of a product with the terms of sale, as a rule, lies with the consumer.

The only thing that confuses me here is last paragraph. But what concerns me more is not the theoretical, but practical side question.

In real life this can and should be used

We made sure that Apple complies with Russian laws before we began work on this note.

Through social media two months ago, our reader Nikolai M. contacted me, who shared a story about a free smartphone replacement after a problem with the speaker a year and a half after purchase. And a couple of days ago Nikita T. reported this in the same way - he had problems with the iPhone screen.

And after calling the official service Apple Centers and communication with hotline company, the issue was sorted out.

Apple technology really obliged to serve two years warranty. But the second responsibility is not taken by the manufacturer itself, but by the seller and service centers. This is also indicated by the sign on the company’s website.

It’s a pity, in this case we are only talking about phones that were officially purchased - the gray market does not count. Please.

IN Lately There is talk on the Internet about a two-year official Apple warranty in Russia. It is a myth. As always, someone heard something, didn’t understand it, but blew it to the whole world false information. It's time to figure out how long the warranty lasts for the iPhone in the Russian Federation and for other company devices.

Let's jump ahead a little.

Warranty for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch in Russia is exactly one year from the date of purchase. It's official.

Journalists and bloggers who talk about just two years are mistaken. The only device with a two-year warranty is the Apple Watch Edition, the most expensive, made of gold and released back in 2015.

Now more details.

Three types of guarantee in Russia

First of all, let's figure out what warranty applies to Apple technology in Russia and what it means.

First, Apple shares warranty obligations under the Consumer Protection Act, its own one-year limited warranty and an AppleCare Protection Plan.

Separates, but does not limit the operation of laws Russian Federation. By at least, so say the company.

Roughly speaking, by law we have 100% of the rights, within the Limited Warranty we have 120%, and with AppleCare we have all 300%. For the latter you will have to pay extra.

As part of Apple's Annual Limited Warranty, we have all the rights provided for by Russian law, but with nuances from the corporation itself.

For example, according to the law, the consumer has the right to choose what to do with poor quality goods: demand a refund, demand repairs, or replace a faulty product.

If a claim regarding a low-quality iPhone is filed directly with Apple, the latter will decide what to do: repair the faulty device, replace it, or return the money paid.

Personally, I don’t quite understand how Apple believes that this does not limit current legislature. Anyway.

In any case, most often the company or service centers simply replace the broken device with a new one. In any case, this is much better than gutting your old device, replacing the faulty part, and giving it back to you. Agree.

There is also a third type of guarantee - AppleCare, which must be purchased separately, and which costs quite a lot of money. We won’t talk about it today; we’ll limit ourselves to “free” service options.

Disadvantage and significant disadvantage

This is a small but important digression. It is not directly related to our topic, but it will not be superfluous to understand it.

According to the law, any smartphone is a technically complex product (has touch screen, satellite communications and so on). Accordingly, you can exchange it or get a refund for it only within the first 15 days after purchase, but only if any defect has been identified. This could be, for example, a broken speaker, a stuck button, or something like that.

After 15 days after purchase, we have two options: either agree to repair or wait for detection significant shortcoming. The latter assumes a newly identified defect after it has been eliminated, the presence of various defects (two or more) or a defect that cannot be eliminated without losses incommensurate with the cost of the device. For example, a smartphone costs 50 thousand rubles. If you have to change motherboard, which costs 26 thousand rubles, then congratulations - this is a significant drawback. It can be expressed not only in money, but also in time. For example, it takes more than 45 days to eliminate such a defect for one reason or another. After this we can demand a refund. The only way.

In Russia, the warranty is 1 year

We figured out that in Russia there are several types of guarantees. At least, there are only two free ones: under the Consumer Protection Act and Apple’s One-Year Limited Warranty. The latter is one year and period. There is nothing more to discuss here.

But according to the law, we have a slightly different situation. I'll explain now.

During the one year warranty we can contact:

Apple
directly to the salon where we bought the device in white
to the authorized service center

During the first year of the warranty, the warranty from the seller or the manufacturer will always be valid - there is not much difference.

What to do if the marriage manifests itself after a year and a half?

Then the second year of warranty will apply, provided only by the law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights”. For the “second year of statutory warranty” to take effect, the simultaneous presence of three important components.

First- the product must have been guaranteed by the manufacturer or seller. If, for example, the iPhone was bought in Russia, in white, then there are no problems - the warranty will always be for a year, which means the first condition is met.

Second- if the gadget breaks down during the second year of use, the first warranty should expire by this time. It’s logical, but believe me, situations can be different. For example, the second year of use has already begun, but the seller’s warranty has not yet expired, since the device was being repaired; accordingly, the warranty period is extended during the repair.

Third and most important— you will have to prove that the product is defective. Quality control, examination - if you are deployed to an authorized service center (they really can), you will be required to carry out all these delights yourself and at your own expense. And only with an official piece of paper that there is a manufacturing defect in the smartphone will you be able to contact the service center, and the latter will be obliged to accept your product.

If the organization hesitates, you can always go to court and punish the negligent service with compensation for moral damages, a fine, penalties, and so on.

Why is everyone talking about year 2?

Firstly, Apple itself caused confusion by not very correctly posting this wording on its website.

Moreover, it is not clear what kind of “delivery” we are talking about there. The law has a clear concept - transfer of goods to the consumer, which in reality implies the date of purchase. And yes, sometimes the goods can be delivered to the consumer. Perhaps this was what was meant.

Secondly, knowing everything that I talked about above, authorized service centers meet the consumer and without any delay accept the defective product within the second year from the date of purchase. And this is where the myth came from that in Russia Apple equipment has a two-year warranty.

But one more time. Any service center has the right to accept the device for repair for the second year after the expiration of the main warranty, but is never obliged to do this. It's at his discretion.

Therefore, do not be surprised if some, even a triple-authorized service center, suddenly refuses you warranty repairs in the 15th month of using your smartphone. In this case, it will be you who will prove the existence of a marriage. Accordingly, you cannot demand examinations or quality checks - this is only at your own request and at your own expense.

Third year warranty. It happens?

Yes, this is not a mistake. In case of a defect, you can demand a refund even in the third year from the date of purchase.

You can make a claim regarding a defect in the device even within 3 years!

Few people know about this, but it is true.

Law “On Protection of Consumer Rights”, namely, Part 6 of Art. 19 gives us this opportunity. But this, of course, did not come without additional conditions.

First- the deficiency must be 100% significant. We have already discussed above what this means. Second— you will have to prove the presence of a significant deficiency yourself. Third- You can apply beyond two years from the date of purchase, but during the entire service life of the product. For Apple it is always 3 years. Hence the deadline for appeal. For example, if you bought a sofa, and its passport indicates a service life of 10 years, then you can contact us about its defectiveness two years after use, but within these same 10 years.

According to the logic of the law, at the end of the service life of a product, it must be thrown away. In fact, it is clear that no.

Personally, I had no practice in dealing with a deficiency beyond two years. Making a claim after the end of the warranty, but within two years - yes, but I haven’t tested the three-year period the hard way. Share famous cases in the comments, it’s interesting.

When does the warranty begin?

Another common misconception. Many people believe that the warranty begins to expire from the moment of activation. This is true, but only partly.

Activating the device (first time switching on and entering Apple data ID) is a call from the company itself that the device has begun to be used. For one reason or another, Apple may not have information about the sale of the device. In this case, the warranty will begin either from the activation date or from the date the device is shipped to the partner.

In fact official guarantee on an iPhone, iPad or other gadget begins to leak from the date of sale of the device and only if the product was purchased from an authorized partner of the company or directly from an online store Apple Store(there are no physical ones in Russia).

If the site indicates a date different from the date of purchase from the officials, then the site has a special form through which you can contact the support service. You will need to present a copy of the receipt. Subsequently, the warranty start date will change to the current one. Read more.

Checks are different

On its website, Apple always refers to a sales receipt (not a cash receipt). In general, it is not of fundamental importance to contact the service center with a cash or sales receipt. However, in order to avoid problems and misunderstandings in the future, when purchasing an Apple device, it is better to ask the seller to issue, in addition to the cash register, a sales receipt. It won't be redundant.

By the way, there is another pitfall here.

If the seller did not give you a cash receipt, but immediately gave you a sales receipt, then, most likely, this device is not officially sold, and the money you transferred for it will not go to the cash register, but into the pocket of a specific seller. This is fraud, a criminal offense and all that, so you should always ask for a cashier's receipt, that is, a cashier's receipt. The merchandise is just an addition to the cash receipt.

Few Russian citizens can afford such an expensive toy as an iPhone. But even people with good incomes do not intend to throw money away. If an expensive phone turns out to be of poor quality (and this happens), they are determined to either replace the device or return the money paid for the device.

The situation is even sadder when poor buyers, wanting to own a status item, take out a loan, after which it turns out that the phone does not work. Therefore, instructions on how to replace a broken iPhone under warranty with new device or get your money back, will be useful to readers with different income levels.

Until April 2017 for owners iPhone not working There were two alternatives under warranty. By contacting the service center, they could:

demand a refund Money for a device that has broken down;
get a new mobile phone to replace a non-working gadget.

In the second option, receiving new iPhone was conditional. The iPhone manufacturer honestly warned customers on its official Russian-language website that a low-quality device would be exchanged for a “functionally identical” product under warranty. The company did not promise that it had not been used by anyone before. In particular, components from other returned phones could have been used during warranty repairs. About, .

The situation has changed since spring. An elite mobile phone can now be repaired, since Apple company began supplying original parts to Russia. Now a buyer who needs a fashionable device, and not money, has the right to choose what kind of request to contact the service center - for replacement or repair. Owners of failed iPhones 5 and 6 warn that centers are now more willing to repair them than replace them.

What to do if your iPhone is broken

Before deciding where to take the iPhone, the buyer needs to decide what to do. The owner of a non-working mobile phone must have a clear idea of what he wants to achieve from the seller or manufacturer:

return of a sum of money in exchange for a phone;
replacing a defective iPhone with a new, working gadget;
device repair.

The request for a refund for the iPhone should be submitted to whom it was paid, that is, to the seller. To request replacement or repair of the device, please contact the service center. Its employees have similar replacement phones and genuine, non-counterfeit parts that allow them to repair expensive equipment.

Experienced iPhone users advise: if the phone breaks down, it is more profitable for its owner to contact the service centers not authorized by the corporation, but directly to the service Apple support. This gives the buyer a number of advantages:

Department specialists have the ability to test a non-working phone remotely. Sometimes already at at this stage the problem of its functioning is solved.
The owner of the iPhone will be offered to carry out the repair themselves by sending a new part (instead of the “dead” one).
If your phone requires replacement or major repairs, shipping and packing costs will be covered by Corporation. The buyer will only have to call the courier.

When they refuse a free replacement

Free iPhone replacement is provided only under warranty. You can make sure that it is still valid on the manufacturer’s official website by entering the serial number of the device. Depending on the type of device purchased, the warranty period ranges from 1 to 3 years. Without a guarantee, even minor operations (for example, replacement glass iPhone 7 plus) free of charge will become impossible.

However, there are a number of circumstances in which there is no point in handing over an iPhone under warranty, since the buyer will be denied free service, including the provision of a new device. This will happen in the following cases:

the serial number is missing or damaged on the product;
you hand over a stolen phone to a service center (even if the new owner has nothing to do with the theft);
damage to the device occurred due to improper use gadget or installation of unlicensed software;
the phone failed as a result of natural disasters: flood, earthquake, fire;
Traces of moisture were found in the device;
you asked for a replacement after they tried to repair your mobile phone outside the service center.

Before you return your iPhone for replacement, you need to check whether it is certified this device on Russian territory. Without this, the device cannot be replaced or repaired. If the phone has external defects (scratches, stains), a replacement will also be refused.

Start and extension of the warranty period

The warranty for most Apple products starts from the date of purchase. But an exception is made for iPhones: the beginning of the warranty period is the moment the gadget is activated.

If the faulty device was replaced with a new one, then from the moment it was received the warranty period begins to run again. That is, the buyer has at least another year to make sure that this time he has purchased high-quality equipment.

How to get money back without a receipt

The buyer has the right to return an iPhone that is under warranty to the seller. In this case, the store is obliged to pay the consumer by returning the full cost of the phone. If the return does not occur on the day of purchase, the citizen will have to write an application and present a civil passport (if a store employee requests it).

Periodically conflict situations arise due to the buyer’s lack of a receipt. Without it, stores often refuse to accept expensive phones back. This position of employees is inappropriate for several reasons:

the store maintains detailed documentation regarding the goods sold, and has the opportunity to check whether it really sold a low-quality iPhone;
The Consumer Rights Act allows goods to be returned without a receipt (Article 18 and 25).

When returning an iPhone without a receipt, a citizen has the right to prove the fact of purchase with testimony. There are enough of them to start the procedure of exchanging goods for money. However, the buyer should not expect that the amount paid for the iPhone will be returned to him on the same day. Most likely, the seller will send the device for examination to make sure that the malfunction was not the fault of the owner.

A significant advantage of replacing an iPhone is that the buyer receives a new device with a nullified warranty period. However, service centers have strict requirements for returned phones. The buyer will not be able to return either “gray” or stolen equipment. But if the purchase was transparent, and the breakdown was not the fault of the owner, the consumer has a high chance of receiving a working gadget in return.

Each product purchased is provided with a manufacturer's warranty. Its essence is that during the warranty period the product will not change its consumer qualities and will perform its declared functions. Otherwise, the buyer has the right to return or replace the faulty sample with a similar one. In this article we will tell you how to check Apple warranty and what types of it are provided on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Standard Warranties

When purchasing any Apple equipment, the user automatically receives two guarantees for the selected product:

Annual limited, provided by the manufacturer.
Two-year (guaranteed by the Russian Law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights”).

They calculate deadlines differently. In accordance with the law, the warranty begins at the time of purchase or receipt of the ordered product. Apple's limited warranty begins when your device is activated. For example, purchased in advance, as a gift for the day iPhone birth, which has been lying in a box for several months, will receive a company guarantee only at the moment when the birthday person turns it on, registering it under his ID. At the same time, the period determined by law will already be calculated in months from the date indicated on the sales receipt.

Additionally, from the moment of activation of any Apple device, the user receives ninety days of free technical support By telephone line. and the expiration date for the possibility of telephone consultation can be simultaneously on a special page of the company’s website.

Advanced option

In addition to standard, automatically provided privileges, the user can pay for an extended plan warranty service and service. This program is called AppleCare Protection and is not available for all of the company's products. In Russia it can be ordered for the following products:

All types of Mac computers.
iPod music player.
Apple Thunderbolt Display Monitors.
Apple TV set-top box.

The cost varies widely and depends on the category of product for which the extended warranty is purchased. Its validity period is three years. Throughout the entire period, the user receives the right to free contact with the service by phone. Check Apple warranty on tech. Support for this program is available on the same page as the standard one.

Among other things, there is also an international guarantee. It is understood that authorized service centers operating in Russia, as part of its implementation, must service all Apple products, regardless of the country of purchase. In fact, everything is somewhat more complicated. This type of warranty service will only cover those devices that are officially registered and certified for distribution in the Russian Federation.

Service status

As we already said, to find out the service status of your Apple device, you will need to go to special page. Here you can check Apple's warranty. Once on this page, you will find only two text input fields. In the first one you need to indicate the device number, and in the second - a verification captcha.

The issued service status certificate contains a maximum of four points:

Valid date of purchase of the device.
Status of technical support by phone with its end date.
Right to warranty repair.
Status of your AppleCare extended warranty, if purchased.

All items are additionally accompanied by color status indicators. Checkmarks on the green field correspond to valid items, exclamation marks on the orange - expired ones. In some cases, when checking the Apple warranty in Russia, you may encounter Exclamation point on a blue field. For the user, this means that the right to warranty repairs does not apply to his device. The reason will be indicated, but usually it is the purchase of goods abroad.

Check for iPhone, iPad

To check your Apple warranty mobile device, you will need to enter its serial number. For devices running on iOS, you can find it in several ways:

Look at the box the device was in when purchased.
Go to settings, item “Basic” - “About this device”.
If your device synchronizes via Wi-Fi with iTunes, look in the information field.
Go to page Apple management ID and view the serial number for the linked device.

On home page companies in top menu Select "Support" and scroll to the "AppleCare and Warranty" section. To enter your serial number for verification, you will need to select the interactive link “Is my product still under warranty?”

Checking Mac computers

On computers, you can check the Apple warranty by using the menu with the apple logo located on the top information panel. Selecting About This Mac will open a window with the specifications of your device. Serial number will be indicated as the last item. Further actions similar to those already described for mobile devices.

There is another way to check the Apple warranty on an Apple computer. In the opened window with device characteristics, go to the “Maintenance” tab. Select "Check Service and Warranty Status" here. A technical support page will open where you will only need to enter a confirmation captcha. Your device will automatically transmit the serial number and it will be indicated in the appropriate field.

Special programs

On the Apple technical support page you can find information about the company's extended replacement and repair programs for all users of certain types of devices that have been found to have manufacturing defects. If your device falls within the description of the detected defect, you can take it to an authorized service center for a free replacement or repair.

A list of such centers is provided on the page describing the program. Additional information posted there directly warns users that the activities carried out do not affect valid warranty. In other words, you can fix the identified defect free of charge, but the warranty period of your device will not be changed.

One more point additional information informs that if, before the announcement of the repair program, you contacted the service with an identified problem and incurred financial costs for servicing the device, the company is ready to compensate them. Of course, the fact of such treatment will have to be confirmed with a sales receipt.

Finally

We told you about ways to check the Apple warranty for the device you purchased, the types of warranties valid in the Russian Federation and some features related to service. This information will allow you, knowing your rights, to competently communicate with service employees if necessary.