Bought your phone at an Apple store and now it is not working correctly? Follow these easy tips to make the process as painless as possible.
1. Do a Restore before you go. If you do not, they will send you home and have you do one or make you do it in the store. Either way, you will not go home with another iPhone unless you do this, so you might as well do it before you go in the store and see if this fixes your problem(s). (Allow for enough time post-Restore to verify that your problem is/is not resolved.)
2. It is a good idea to book an appointment with a Genius as the Apple stores are typically backed up for awhile with problems right now and may not be available when you show up (or for the next few days for that matter). You can do this online at Apple.com
3. You must bring your original box in order for you to receive your new iPhone. They need to scan the info on the bar codes on the back. (You can bring your accessories too but it doesn't matter.. if you don't bring your accessories, they will just remove the new ones out of the box of your new iPhone and put them in the old box). So obviously... NEVER THROW OUT YOUR BOX! (At least for a year to cover warranty).
4. If you have a FAN discount or some other business discount, you must remove it or Apple will not be able to help you. If you choose not to, you will have to deal with AT&T. (For example, as soon as I received my original iPhone a couple of weeks ago I went home and signed up for a FAN discount through my college email address. Now Apple is unable to help me. I asked the guy at Apple, "Can I call AT&T and have the FAN discount removed... then call back and have it put back on?" He said, "We are not supposed to suggest this." I said, "I suggested it." He laughed and brought me a store iPhone to call 611 and have it removed. Then he was able to activate my new iPhone.)
Just found out why they are not supposed to suggest this. I just entered my email address to have the FAN discount re-added and the website states that this email address has already tried to use a FAN discount. I called the 1866 CINGULAR number and they stated they cannot add it on right now but will be following up by calling me back on Monday at a certain time to make sure everything is correct. Hmmm. Will update Monday with my results.
Hope this thread helps someone so they have less hoops to jump through.
1. Do a Restore before you go. If you do not, they will send you home and have you do one or make you do it in the store. Either way, you will not go home with another iPhone unless you do this, so you might as well do it before you go in the store and see if this fixes your problem(s). (Allow for enough time post-Restore to verify that your problem is/is not resolved.)
2. It is a good idea to book an appointment with a Genius as the Apple stores are typically backed up for awhile with problems right now and may not be available when you show up (or for the next few days for that matter). You can do this online at Apple.com
3. You must bring your original box in order for you to receive your new iPhone. They need to scan the info on the bar codes on the back. (You can bring your accessories too but it doesn't matter.. if you don't bring your accessories, they will just remove the new ones out of the box of your new iPhone and put them in the old box). So obviously... NEVER THROW OUT YOUR BOX! (At least for a year to cover warranty).
4. If you have a FAN discount or some other business discount, you must remove it or Apple will not be able to help you. If you choose not to, you will have to deal with AT&T. (For example, as soon as I received my original iPhone a couple of weeks ago I went home and signed up for a FAN discount through my college email address. Now Apple is unable to help me. I asked the guy at Apple, "Can I call AT&T and have the FAN discount removed... then call back and have it put back on?" He said, "We are not supposed to suggest this." I said, "I suggested it." He laughed and brought me a store iPhone to call 611 and have it removed. Then he was able to activate my new iPhone.)
Just found out why they are not supposed to suggest this. I just entered my email address to have the FAN discount re-added and the website states that this email address has already tried to use a FAN discount. I called the 1866 CINGULAR number and they stated they cannot add it on right now but will be following up by calling me back on Monday at a certain time to make sure everything is correct. Hmmm. Will update Monday with my results.
Hope this thread helps someone so they have less hoops to jump through.