Iphone 5: Scratched Right Out of the Box! Late January!

[flashhh]

This is my second iphone 5. I exchanged the first one, which amazingly, was scratched while being kept inside a case the entire period of it's brief ownership.

I inspected the second one before taking it home; it seemed fine, except that it seemed quite dirty: a lot of lint in the crevices of the chamfers, I thought?

Now that I've inspected it more carefully, it's clear that these acre indeed scratches. There are several along the top right and side right. I tried rubbing off the 'lint' with a clean microfiber cloth, but they're not coming off since it is scratched metal, not debris.

I don't know what to do now. I've called apple before and they told me that as long as the phone is fully functional, there's nothing they can or will do. Unbelievable.

I know it's just a phone, but apple's unwillingness to help me with this issue makes me want to punch someone.

 

[Garz]

This is my second iphone 5. I exchanged the first one, which amazingly, was scratched while being kept inside a case the entire period of it's brief ownership.

I inspected the second one before taking it home; it seemed fine, except that it seemed quite dirty: a lot of lint in the crevices of the chamfers, I thought?

Now that I've inspected it more carefully, it's clear that these acre indeed scratches. There are several along the top right and side right. I tried rubbing off the 'lint' with a clean microfiber cloth, but they're not coming off since it is scratched metal, not debris.

I don't know what to do now. I've called apple before and they told me that as long as the phone is fully functional, there's nothing they can or will do. Unbelievable.

I know it's just a phone, but apple's unwillingness to help me with this issue makes me want to punch someone.

If your within your return period, they should exchange or return it if your not 100% satisfied. My wife's came with a nick on launch day. Went to Apple and got a new in box unit no questions asked. They just exchanged it.

 

[flashhh]

Thanks. I'll ask at the store. Again. I picked this up at wal mart as an exchange within the 15 day return period for my original. I don't know if I get a new 15 day return period as this is an exchange. Will update pending their answer.

My broader concern is that the choice of materials is inherently soft. It just cannot seem to withstand the normal shipment to a retail store. It may even have been damaged before leaving the factory.

I am just completely perplexed: no amount of care can seemingly prevent scratches to the black iphone 5.

edit: this is an enormous problem and most consumers with the issue right out of box are being told an exchange is not possible.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4326970?start=1290&tstart=0

This is turning out to be an epic fail for apple.

 

[Jeremy]

Thanks. I'll ask at the store. Again. I picked this up at wal mart as an exchange within the 15 day return period for my original. I don't know if I get a new 15 day return period as this is an exchange. Will update pending their answer.

My broader concern is that the choice of materials is inherently soft. It just cannot seem to withstand the normal shipment to a retail store. It may even have been damaged before leaving the factory.

I am just completely perplexed: no amount of care can seemingly prevent scratches to the black iphone 5.

edit: this is an enormous problem and most consumers with the issue right out of box are being told an exchange is not possible.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4326970?start=1290&tstart=0


This is turning out to be an epic fail for apple.

Open in it store to inspect it first. Do not accept it if it's not to your liking. After you bring it home and notice something like that you have zero proof it came out of the box that way.

 

[anon(4698833)]

This is turning out to be an epic fail for apple.

Mine was perfect out of the box, my wife's was too...I'm guessing a pretty staggering majority falls into the same category as well. Does it suck that some are coming in damaged? Yup...but if you left the store with the iPhone without checking it, you can only blame yourself for the inconvenience of it all.

 

[flashhh]

Like I said, I thought it was just a few specks of dust, which I could clean off with a micro-fiber cloth when I got home. Upon closer inspection, those 'specks of dust' turned out to be shiny spots of exposed metal.

 

[Wildo6882]

Mine was perfect out of the box, my wife's was too...I'm guessing a pretty staggering majority falls into the same category as well. Does it suck that some are coming in damaged? Yup...but if you left the store with the iPhone without checking it, you can only blame yourself for the inconvenience of it all.

You can only blame yourself for taking a brand new $650+ item home and not thoroughly inspecting it? Are you kidding me?! I think people should turn a bit of the blame toward Apple and not the innocent consumer who pays a good chunk of hard earned change for their products. I've had two brand new ones that have come damaged (ordered online since no Apple store near me). I just got one this month with scratches around the speaker holes. Brand new in box. That I paid $900 with tax and AppleCare+. Apple has been very accommodating, so I do appreciate the customer service. But to put the blame on the consumer is stupid. Apple really did mess this up. It was their fault and no one else's. I've heard of numerous people with similar situations to me. We probably are pickier than some who don't inspect. But the blemishes, scratches, scuffs are still there. And not anyone's fault but Apple's.

 

[flashhh]

Mine was perfect out of the box, my wife's was too...I'm guessing a pretty staggering majority falls into the same category as well. Does it suck that some are coming in damaged? Yup...but if you left the store with the iPhone without checking it, you can only blame yourself for the inconvenience of it all.

That is incorrect. A recent poll on macrumors found that only 46% of black 5's were 'flawless' out of box. That is an abysmally low percentage. And where did you get YOUR figure? That's right, you made it up.

iPhone 5 - black version scuffs (merged) - MacRumors Forums

 

[Jeremy]

That is incorrect. A recent poll on macrumors found that only 46% of black 5's were 'flawless' out of box. That is an abysmally low percentage. And where did you get YOUR figure? That's right, you made it up.

iPhone 5 - black version scuffs (merged) - MacRumors Forums

Looking at that poll you have to remember nearly another 20% we flawless and put a case on and/or scratched it on their own during use. So I'd say 46% is a bit misleading.

 

[flashhh]

This is my first experience with iphones and I used to think that many of these so-called issues with iphones were a result of OCD whining and 1st world sense of entitlement.

Now that I have purchased an iphone, I can see where these complaints are coming from. Iphone owners simply want their phones to work correctly. They want undamaged items. They want apple to acknowledge and fix these problems in a forthright manner. That is not happening with alarming regularity. Apple figures they have a monopoly, so why do anything unless it's absolutely necessary? It's the arrogance and pattern of denial which is what's really irksome.

I've used apple computers and products for over 20 years with few issues, but this past year has seen apple hit the skids of terms of customer service, as well as with hardware and software design. Apple is in danger of becoming a second rate company, if they are not that now.

 

[flashhh]

Open in it store to inspect it first. Do not accept it if it's not to your liking. After you bring it home and notice something like that you have zero proof it came out of the box that way.

Spoken like a true apple employee. I'll bring my attorney, a DSLR camera, two witnesses with affadavit, along with a forensics team next time. Thanks for the helpful suggestion.

 

[flashhh]

Apparently none of us have yet read the warranty terms. Applecare provides 1 year protection "against defects in materials and workmanship when used normally in accordance with with apple's published guidelines, ie information in tech specifications, user manuals and service communications."

Unless there are user guidelines which say you can't use or touch your phone, you are protected against 'defects in materials and workmanship' for one full year.

 

[anon(4698833)]

If i go to a car dealership, see a car i want and drop dollar on it without test driving it and having it inspected, I'm not only responsible for inconveniences arising from issues after i bring it home, I'm also an idiot.

The same applies here. If you buy an iPhone and you know that a common complaint is that some are shipped with cosmetic defects, if you don't check yours before you leave the store to assure yourself that the one you purchased is defect free, well...refer back to the analogy above.

Also, to speak on your "46%" stat...you apparently don't have a very real grasp of how many iPhone 5's have been sold since release vs. how many people that little macrumors poll covered. I'm not going to google the numbers for you or do the math for you, but to say your comment was humorous is quite the understatement...

 

[cpc12]

If you don't like Apple products.... be gone

Go buy a BB or an Android

Crybaby

 

[flashhh]

"Your" too dumb to realize that you signed your own post as crybaby. Grade A stupidity.

Now that I've pointed out, on numerous occasions, your inability to spell, to read, or even comprehend what you are opining about, you are left with the lame: 'go buy an android.' Uber lame.

If you don't like Apple products.... be gone

Go buy a BB or an Android

Crybaby

 

[flashhh]

There is a great deal of butthurt in this post. Why are you so mad?

Also, are you a statistician? A sample of 1631 is very sizeable; much more than adequate to generalize to a wider population. You clearly have no idea what you are talking about. The sample size of the poll, widespread reports from every country where iphones are sold, along with acknowledgements from apple hq itself, clearly indicate you are a butthurt troll who has chosen to stick your head in the sand rather than acknowledge the reality of the situation.

If i go to a car dealership, see a car i want and drop dollar on it without test driving it and having it inspected, I'm not only responsible for inconveniences arising from issues after i bring it home, I'm also an idiot.

The same applies here. If you buy an iPhone and you know that a common complaint is that some are shipped with cosmetic defects, if you don't check yours before you leave the store to assure yourself that the one you purchased is defect free, well...refer back to the analogy above.

Also, to speak on your "46%" stat...you apparently don't have a very real grasp of how many iPhone 5's have been sold since release vs. how many people that little macrumors poll covered. I'm not going to google the numbers for you or do the math for you, but to say your comment was humorous is quite the understatement...

 

[jjj651]

Actually the amount of iphone 5's that have some sort of physical defect are staggering to say the least. I can't remember a phone that has come out in recent history that has had this many people complain about scratches and what not. No matter how you cut it this phone is kind of soft. Personally I have gotten 2 iPhone 5's that have had scratches straight from the box. Don't get me wrong it's a fantastic phone and the best phone I've ever had but Apple should have used a more scratch resistant metal on the phone given that expectations for it is so high. Maybe that is why the majority of phones are made of some sort of plastic. All you guys that keep saying that your phones are in mint condition will see that it won't be the next time you drop it on a rough surface like pavement. Dropping it on a something like a marble floor won't do anything because its smooth.

 

[bahandi]

If i go to a car dealership, see a car i want and drop dollar on it without test driving it and having it inspected, I'm not only responsible for inconveniences arising from issues after i bring it home, I'm also an idiot.

The same applies here. If you buy an iPhone and you know that a common complaint is that some are shipped with cosmetic defects, if you don't check yours before you leave the store to assure yourself that the one you purchased is defect free, well...refer back to the analogy above.

Also, to speak on your "46%" stat...you apparently don't have a very real grasp of how many iPhone 5's have been sold since release vs. how many people that little macrumors poll covered. I'm not going to google the numbers for you or do the math for you, but to say your comment was humorous is quite the understatement...

Would like to know your response to those not fortunate enough to have a local Apple store and, as mentioned, need to order it online.

 

[anon(4698833)]

Would like to know your response to those not fortunate enough to have a local Apple store and, as mentioned, need to order it online.

So you order a replacement online and have to deal with a couple of tiny scratches for a few days?

Some of you really need to reevaluate what makes you truly upset in this world, lol...or move out of your parents basement so you can get the whole "real world" experience...it's really hilarious to me how upset people have become when they can't have instant gratification or rectification of issues. Patience, it would seem, has become a dying practice.

I can understand frustration with a scratched iPhone 5 you just paid good money for...but what's with the diatribes that come along with it when some of you feel the need to post about every time you have an issue? Do you frequent fast food forums and write essays about issues with individual food orders? Maybe go to your cable/satellite carrier websites and execute a novel for when the signal is down for a few hours.

Come on people, these are cosmetic little scratches...and in no way am I telling you that you should just deal with them, GET A REPLACEMENT! But in the short period of time you don't have that replacement...chill out! Find something to do, like use the iPhone 5 (since these posts don't have any reflection on the performance of the device itself), enjoy the phone, the speeds, the features, the apps...LIVE A LITTLE! Some of you sound like 85 year old women in a crocheting circle with nothing better to do than whine about a microscopic pair of metal scratches and why the prune juice isn't room temperature so it doesn't hurt your dentures.

flashhh...I'll just cut right to the chase when it comes to responding to you, it's very obvious you're here to get a rise out of the board and not offer anything else but such. A whole 1631 people? Sizable (notice how that's spelled, since you want to be a grammar nazi) huh? Let's compare that number to just the iPhone 5's sold in the first weekend...you're talking a minuscule %...and no, I'm not a statistician, I just have an understanding about how numbers work...when MILLIONS upon MILLIONS of iPhone 5's have gone into consumers hands, and you start talking about a number like 1,600...you might as well be talking about 1 user. My initial comment you tried to blast was that my iPhone 5 was flawless out of the box, and that i guessed that a staggering amount of people fell into that same boat...staggering as in millions. You keep on sticking to your poll, it's so irrelevant in number that it's easy to ignore.

And i think one of you mentioned about how it will scratch when you drop it on pavement easily? LOL! No sh*t sherlock! I bet it will scratch easily if i chuck it at a brick wall too! Or maybe drag it behind a semi truck...lob it off a building roof?

You know what else scratched easily when it was dropped on pavement? Every cellular phone ever made in history...

 

[Alli]

Ok...this was the 2nd thread complaining about the same thing. I think both have run their courses.

Take your phone to the Apple store and tell them your story. There's nothing we can do for you here on the forums anyway.