Does Apple Warranty Count For Anything In Thailand?

fletchsmile · October 4, 2012

We have an IPad2. Bought from a proper I Studio in Central Rama 3. After 4 months it got stuck in the recovery mode and won't work any more.

The wife took it back and after testing it and trying all the things I'd done from looking up problems on the internet, they said there was nothing they could do. They told my wife she could have a new one in exchange but only for 30% discount off full price. So pay 70% the cost of a new one for a replacement!

Examining the IPad it also has a few scratches/small dents on the corners and they asked if it had been dropped. The wife said yes the kids had dropped it from time to time. So they used this to further their case.

Not wanting to accept being fobbed off I took it back myself later. They did the same checked and give the same response no replacement or repair just 30% off a new one. They said it had been dropped. Now the points I made were:

1) The kids have also dropped the IPad1 from time to time - no problems. Apple makes pretty resilient equipment, same as the IPhones

2) It was not being dropped that was the problem. It didn't stop working after being dropped. It worked well afterwards. Just one day for no reason stopped working.

I showed them the original box. original case. Original receipt from their store, and then showed the 1 year limited warranty which is in both Thai and English. I said that says for a major fault they will replace or refund.

They seemed to know nothing about a warranty and Apple having this worldwide. So they called a guy that dealt specifically with repairs etc in the shop. (The others were I think just sales people). He confirmed yes Apple does have a warranty. No they wouldn't refund but they would send away for checking, and it would take about 1 month. So we did that.

Unfortunately we were going to Vietnam next day which limited my hand, but we could come back in a month anyway. I left my contact details: phone and email, and they would let us know when back. I said I was going abroad and could they email. 6 weeks later nothing. The wife called from Vietnam. They said they had called but no response from us. She asked what about email. No answer.

Anyway we are now back at square 1. They are saying it can't be fixed and 30% discount only off a new one! Of course IPad 3 is out now anyway, so the "deal" look even worse

So my question:

Is there any way I can enforce the warranty in Thailand? or anything I can do?

The argument about it being dropped is just an excuse in my view. Apples are resilient and built to last, plus it worked for ages after.

As we are now based in Vietnam, this is even more of a hassle. We will be going back to Thailand next week though.

After the whole experience, I am reluctant to buy another Ipad for 12k+, for obvious reasons: What happens if the same happens again. How do I even know what am I getting, whether it is genuine, or a rebuild. How do I even know the first one wasn't a rebuild that cheated me? Being based in Vietnam I don't want the hassle if it goes wrong again, and certainly don't want to pay another 12k for that risk

I have to say I'm thoroughly disappointed with all this and expect more of Apple. Funnily enough the Ipad1 got stuck in recovery mode once and I unblocked it hooking up to the internet via iTunes etc, so this obviously happens from time to time, and their internet global support has this as a FAQ. The diff with the Ipad 2 was the online fixes wouldn't work

I've zero confidence in the shop. Any suggestions on options? Any one else had the same or similar experience in Thailand?.

There is supposedly a global warranty obligor in Patumwan, but not sure whether it's worth trying as our time in BKK next week will be limited.

As it stands I see little other option than vote with my feet. the wife seems to think paying another 12k is the best option, which I think just risks throwing good money after bad. I was thinking of getting an Ipad3 (as there are 4 of us and only 2 IPads) but this has put me off buying Apple ever again. $700+ is too big an amount to have zero recourse and no chance of repair. Funnily enough I was also due a new phone and was going to get an IPhone. So that's 2 sales they could lose. I doubt Apple Thailand cares even if globally they might.

So what should I do?

Edited October 4, 2012 by fletchsmile

joeed · October 4, 2012

Hi,

I would say that you are better off trying to fix it yourself or by going into any other shops where someone a bit more experienced will be able to fix it for you.

As long as the ipad is booting, it can be restored, fixed and there is probably no hardware problem.

I would try to boot it in advanced recovery mode then hook it up to your computer with latest version of itunes installed and running. From there you should be able to restore it.

At this current point it time though you will only be able to restore it to the latest version of iOs and you will lose the jailbreak in case you were relying on it.

Let's hope Apple decides to open an Apple store in Thailand anytime soon as they are usually helpful and often covers their products even outside of the warranty period.

joeed · October 4, 2012

Forgot to mention, just check google or even better youtube about how to access the advanced recovery mode.

negreanu · October 5, 2012

Escalate it at the Apple call centre. Couple of years ago i got a imac repair refused. Kicked up shit eventually got a senior customer agent rep in singapore. Sorted in hours.

Take it to a different service centre / retail store. They should honour it. unless its in such a bad state from drops.

Although a drop i dont think would stick it in recovery mode. If its in recovery mode you should be able to get it back.

Edited October 5, 2012 by negreanu

thaicruze · October 5, 2012

Warranty is world wide.
The warranty doesn't cover misuse and abuse.
The argument that "we've dropped the other one and there's nothing wrong with that one" doesn't really matter.
Apple first inspects physical damage. If they ask whether you dropped it and you say "YES", that's all you need to say.
No apple store anywhere in the world will fix it under watrranty after that. It has nothing to do with Thailand.
IF the repair guy inspect the iPad and he then determines that the damage to the iPad did not cause the issue, then they will fix it without charging you anything. You just have to wait.

This is what will happen anywhere. Take a look at this. Eventually the guy got the repair fixed under warranty. This is the Official Apple Store in Sydney, Australia. All because they saw a ding on the side and the "genius" said it may be because he "dropped it". The guy said he didn't drop it, but I think the guy actually dropped it and lied. Anyway, apple hooked him up in the end.

FFW to 6:00 to skip the BS.

Basically, you don't listen to the "geniuses". They're not qualified to tell you what caused the issue. That's why they send it off to the Tech. It is the Tech that will say, YES covered or NOT covered. Just ignore the store monkeys and let them send it off.

Edited October 5, 2012 by thaicruze

fletchsmile · October 5, 2012

Hi,

I would say that you are better off trying to fix it yourself or by going into any other shops where someone a bit more experienced will be able to fix it for you.

As long as the ipad is booting, it can be restored, fixed and there is probably no hardware problem.

I would try to boot it in advanced recovery mode then hook it up to your computer with latest version of itunes installed and running. From there you should be able to restore it.

At this current point it time though you will only be able to restore it to the latest version of iOs and you will lose the jailbreak in case you were relying on it.

Let's hope Apple decides to open an Apple store in Thailand anytime soon as they are usually helpful and often covers their products even outside of the warranty period.

That's the problem as it gets stuck booting. I tried the methods suggested at:

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4097

and get unable to restore / update etc. The error code is no.9 and something to do with USB. I tried different connectors, as well as different PCs and notebooks but still no joy

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3694#error9

Yes I think the Apple Shops and I Studios are way behind what they should be. MAybe they look similar to other worldwide stores (like many Thai copies of things) but the substance of the stores isn't there.

fletchsmile · October 5, 2012

Warranty is world wide.

The warranty doesn't cover misuse and abuse.

The argument that "we've dropped the other one and there's nothing wrong with that one" doesn't really matter.

Apple first inspects physical damage. If they ask whether you dropped it and you say "YES", that's all you need to say.

No apple store anywhere in the world will fix it under watrranty after that. It has nothing to do with Thailand.

IF the repair guy inspect the iPad and he then determines that the damage to the iPad did not cause the issue, then they will fix it without charging you anything. You just have to wait.

This is what will happen anywhere. Take a look at this. Eventually the guy got the repair fixed under warranty. This is the Official Apple Store in Sydney, Australia. All because they saw a ding on the side and the "genius" said it may be because he "dropped it". The guy said he didn't drop it, but I think the guy actually dropped it and lied. Anyway, apple hooked him up in the end.

FFW to 6:00 to skip the BS.

Basically, you don't listen to the "geniuses". They're not qualified to tell you what caused the issue. That's why they send it off to the Tech. It is the Tech that will say, YES covered or NOT covered. Just ignore the store monkeys and let them send it off.

Compared to the guy in the video. Ours is a small dent on the corner of an IPad, nowhere near any ports or buttons, and not impacting the screen.

The problem with 2 young kids is it will get dropped. If it's not resilient enough to withstand that, or they will use it as an excuse, then basically it's no use if you have kids.

Anyway they said they had sent it off to tech. Whether they did or not I don't know. They never contacted us, and we contacted them. I guess I'll find out when back in Thailand. I'll ask for proof they did send it up.

Looks like taking it somewhere like MBK to be fixed - if they can - may be better.?

Or try the warrany obligor on 25th Floor, Suite B2, Siam Tower, 989 Rama 1 Road, Patumwan.

joeed · October 5, 2012

Hi,

I would say that you are better off trying to fix it yourself or by going into any other shops where someone a bit more experienced will be able to fix it for you.

As long as the ipad is booting, it can be restored, fixed and there is probably no hardware problem.

I would try to boot it in advanced recovery mode then hook it up to your computer with latest version of itunes installed and running. From there you should be able to restore it.

At this current point it time though you will only be able to restore it to the latest version of iOs and you will lose the jailbreak in case you were relying on it.

Let's hope Apple decides to open an Apple store in Thailand anytime soon as they are usually helpful and often covers their products even outside of the warranty period.

That's the problem as it gets stuck booting. I tried the methods suggested at:

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4097

and get unable to restore / update etc. The error code is no.9 and something to do with USB. I tried different connectors, as well as different PCs and notebooks but still no joy

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3694#error9

Yes I think the Apple Shops and I Studios are way behind what they should be. MAybe they look similar to other worldwide stores (like many Thai copies of things) but the substance of the stores isn't there.

This is the standard recovery mode, try the advanced one where the screen remains blank.

It could also come from the usb drivers installed on your computer for apple devices.

So :

1. Try with advanced recovery mode

2. Try removing all Apple Usb drivers. Look it up on apple support site, there is an article describing how to do that.

3. If it still fails, try on another computer running latest version of itunes. Ideally a clean one where itunes has never been installed before.

4. Go to MBK and find a guy who knows how to fix that for you.

In any case, it's most probably not a hardware issue and in a real apple store the genius would have solved your issue without arguing about the small damage.

Good luck.

thaicruze · October 6, 2012

Warranty is world wide.

The warranty doesn't cover misuse and abuse.

The argument that "we've dropped the other one and there's nothing wrong with that one" doesn't really matter.

Apple first inspects physical damage. If they ask whether you dropped it and you say "YES", that's all you need to say.

No apple store anywhere in the world will fix it under watrranty after that. It has nothing to do with Thailand.

IF the repair guy inspect the iPad and he then determines that the damage to the iPad did not cause the issue, then they will fix it without charging you anything. You just have to wait.

This is what will happen anywhere. Take a look at this. Eventually the guy got the repair fixed under warranty. This is the Official Apple Store in Sydney, Australia. All because they saw a ding on the side and the "genius" said it may be because he "dropped it". The guy said he didn't drop it, but I think the guy actually dropped it and lied. Anyway, apple hooked him up in the end.

FFW to 6:00 to skip the BS.

Basically, you don't listen to the "geniuses". They're not qualified to tell you what caused the issue. That's why they send it off to the Tech. It is the Tech that will say, YES covered or NOT covered. Just ignore the store monkeys and let them send it off.

Compared to the guy in the video. Ours is a small dent on the corner of an IPad, nowhere near any ports or buttons, and not impacting the screen.

The problem with 2 young kids is it will get dropped. If it's not resilient enough to withstand that, or they will use it as an excuse, then basically it's no use if you have kids.

Anyway they said they had sent it off to tech. Whether they did or not I don't know. They never contacted us, and we contacted them. I guess I'll find out when back in Thailand. I'll ask for proof they did send it up.

Looks like taking it somewhere like MBK to be fixed - if they can - may be better.?

Or try the warrany obligor on 25th Floor, Suite B2, Siam Tower, 989 Rama 1 Road, Patumwan.

none of that matters. it doesn't work. "did you drop it" thy asked. Answer "Yes". If you were an Apple employee you would say the same thing. We will send it off, but can't guarantee that it will be covered. The sales guy at the store has no way of knowing. YOU have no way of knowing.

For all we know the kids were playing with it in the bathtub. All, it's just one of those things that through no fault of your own, it's just not working. In that case, if it's under warranty, they will fix it.

As to the question of where they send it, I'm sure they have an Apple service center. Do you think that Australian Apple Store sent it to Cupertino and Steve Jobs himself fixed the laptop? Get real.

Just your question whether or not the warranty means anything in Thailand. The answer is, the warranty is the same everywhere and I showed you how what they said to you is the same thing any other Apple store would say to you anywhere. Yes, even if it's a small dent.

Edited October 6, 2012 by thaicruze

fletchsmile · October 6, 2012

This is the standard recovery mode, try the advanced one where the screen remains blank.

It could also come from the usb drivers installed on your computer for apple devices.

So :

1. Try with advanced recovery mode

2. Try removing all Apple Usb drivers. Look it up on apple support site, there is an article describing how to do that.

3. If it still fails, try on another computer running latest version of itunes. Ideally a clean one where itunes has never been installed before.

4. Go to MBK and find a guy who knows how to fix that for you.

In any case, it's most probably not a hardware issue and in a real apple store the genius would have solved your issue without arguing about the small damage.

Good luck.

Thanks for the tips. We don't actually have the IPad at the moment, as we've been in Vietnam for the last few weeks while hopefully they have sent it away for checking.

Hopefully will get chance to try them. We did try various USB connections, and I downloaded ITunes for the first time on my wife's notebook and my PC.

fletchsmile · October 6, 2012

none of that matters. it doesn't work. "did you drop it" thy asked. Answer "Yes". If you were an Apple employee you would say the same thing. We will send it off, but can't guarantee that it will be covered. The sales guy at the store has no way of knowing. YOU have no way of knowing.

For all we know the kids were playing with it in the bathtub. All, it's just one of those things that through no fault of your own, it's just not working. In that case, if it's under warranty, they will fix it.

As to the question of where they send it, I'm sure they have an Apple service center. Do you think that Australian Apple Store sent it to Cupertino and Steve Jobs himself fixed the laptop? Get real.

Just your question whether or not the warranty means anything in Thailand. The answer is, the warranty is the same everywhere and I showed you how what they said to you is the same thing any other Apple store would say to you anywhere. Yes, even if it's a small dent.

Seems like in Australia the Apple guys are trained first to find excuses why the warranty might not be valid. Then after that send it away to check it. At least they offer to send it away for checking and see what they can do, even if they are looking for ways not to pick up any costs.

Compare that to Thailand:

- They offered my wife 30% discount on a new one. No offer whatsoever of a repair. No offer of sending it away for checking. No mention of a warranty. This is an Apple Shop. They should know their policies and should be adhering to Apple Standards.

Only because I know Apple have warranties, and only because I went back and tried again, not accepting that 30% off the new one was the only solution.

I mentioned the warranty. I took it out of the box to show them in English and Thai. They got another guy in the shop to look at it, and he told them yes there were 1 year warranties. They either didn't know or didn't want to know. I said they should send it away for checking.

As to the question of where they send it, I'm sure they have an Apple service center. Do you think that Australian Apple Store sent it to Cupertino and Steve Jobs himself fixed the laptop? Get real.

Rather a childish comment. Of course I know there will be a service centre somewhere. That's why I went back to the shop myself and asked them to send it away to be looked at or repaired. The point being, which seems lost on you, they should have offered this to my wife. Not me coming back, telling them and insisting on it being checked and a repair if possible.

Just your question whether or not the warranty means anything in Thailand. The answer is, the warranty is the same everywhere and I showed you how what they said to you is the same thing any other Apple store would say to you anywhere. Yes, even if it's a small dent.

Obviously you don't get it. Do you think the treatment we received is Apple's global standard, and reflects what should happen? As above your post showed what should and could happen in Australia. Contrast this with Thailand where: sales staff apparently didn't know there was a warranty, certainly didn't want to bother with it, didn't offer sending it away to be checked etc

The warranty can be the same in writing in Thailand as it can be in another country. Whether the Thai staff will adhere to the policies or even know there is another warranty, and whether they will even recognise it or just ignore it, are questions as to whether it has any meaning or whether it is actually worth the paper it is written on.

Thanks for your original post anyway. If nothing else the video shows that the service and enforcement of a warranty, and the procedures to measure against it are sub-standard in Thailand.

thaicruze · October 6, 2012

none of that matters. it doesn't work. "did you drop it" thy asked. Answer "Yes". If you were an Apple employee you would say the same thing. We will send it off, but can't guarantee that it will be covered. The sales guy at the store has no way of knowing. YOU have no way of knowing.

For all we know the kids were playing with it in the bathtub. All, it's just one of those things that through no fault of your own, it's just not working. In that case, if it's under warranty, they will fix it.

As to the question of where they send it, I'm sure they have an Apple service center. Do you think that Australian Apple Store sent it to Cupertino and Steve Jobs himself fixed the laptop? Get real.

Just your question whether or not the warranty means anything in Thailand. The answer is, the warranty is the same everywhere and I showed you how what they said to you is the same thing any other Apple store would say to you anywhere. Yes, even if it's a small dent.

Seems like in Australia the Apple guys are trained first to find excuses why the warranty might not be valid. Then after that send it away to check it. At least they offer to send it away for checking and see what they can do, even if they are looking for ways not to pick up any costs.

Compare that to Thailand:

- They offered my wife 30% discount on a new one. No offer whatsoever of a repair. No offer of sending it away for checking. No mention of a warranty. This is an Apple Shop. They should know their policies and should be adhering to Apple Standards.

Only because I know Apple have warranties, and only because I went back and tried again, not accepting that 30% off the new one was the only solution.

I mentioned the warranty. I took it out of the box to show them in English and Thai. They got another guy in the shop to look at it, and he told them yes there were 1 year warranties. They either didn't know or didn't want to know. I said they should send it away for checking.

As to the question of where they send it, I'm sure they have an Apple service center. Do you think that Australian Apple Store sent it to Cupertino and Steve Jobs himself fixed the laptop? Get real.

Rather a childish comment. Of course I know there will be a service centre somewhere. That's why I went back to the shop myself and asked them to send it away to be looked at or repaired. The point being, which seems lost on you, they should have offered this to my wife. Not me coming back, telling them and insisting on it being checked and a repair if possible.

Just your question whether or not the warranty means anything in Thailand. The answer is, the warranty is the same everywhere and I showed you how what they said to you is the same thing any other Apple store would say to you anywhere. Yes, even if it's a small dent.

Obviously you don't get it. Do you think the treatment we received is Apple's global standard, and reflects what should happen? As above your post showed what should and could happen in Australia. Contrast this with Thailand where: sales staff apparently didn't know there was a warranty, certainly didn't want to bother with it, didn't offer sending it away to be checked etc

The warranty can be the same in writing in Thailand as it can be in another country. Whether the Thai staff will adhere to the policies or even know there is another warranty, and whether they will even recognise it or just ignore it, are questions as to whether it has any meaning or whether it is actually worth the paper it is written on.

Thanks for your original post anyway. If nothing else the video shows that the service and enforcement of a warranty, and the procedures to measure against it are sub-standard in Thailand.

You said you took it in, the sales kid didn't know, so he called someone who did know, and he told you the same thing any store would tell you.

These aren't Apple Stores, They are apple resellers. If you look at the box it should say 'iStudio by ____", those are the people who are selling it to you.

I bought my Mac at Comseven (iStudio Central Pinklao), and all the sales people working there know about all the warranties. I was explained the warranty when I was looking at the computer, when I was buying it and when I went to pick it up by 4 different sales people and the manager. I was also explained that I could get Apple Care and extend it for 2 more years anytime within the first year and that the warranty was worldwide, if I went back to my country.

This was 4 different sales people including the Manager and another manager I met when I picked up the computer who explained to me what they would do in case something went wrong with the computer.

This thread should be - iStudio at Central Rama 3 sucks. Instead you are saying all apple resellers in Thailand are crap. I received the same sort of treatment at the uStore in a university. Warranty and service questions. They answered everything. All you have to do is not go to that iStudio anymore. They are crap. Certainly not the experience I had at the iStudio I went to.

Look up on the internet and read all the Apple Store horror stories from the USA and all over the world how service changes from Apple store to apple store sometimes. Has nothing to do with Thailand.

Edited October 6, 2012 by thaicruze

nikster · October 6, 2012

- Find an official Apple store somewhere. I mean one owned by Apple, not an authorized dealer. The official Apple stores are much better at honoring warranties.

- Whatever you do, don't tell them "the kids dropped it"

- Ideally, return it in an Apple store in the USA. They'll probably just hand you a new one no question asked. In my experience they're MUCH more lenient when it comes to warranties in the US than anywhere else.

If you can't, try to get it independently fixed. The upside of the rather crap service here in Thailand is that there's lots of little repair shops in the malls.

I had a broken screen on my iPad 2 - kids dropped it, guess what. Apple dealer in Chiang Mai offered me a staggering 1000 Baht off a new iPad. Thanksalot, guys! No option to repair, or exchange. I went around the corner to a little shop, 2,000 Baht and 1 hour later my iPad was like new.

Escalating the issue is normally going to work if the dealers are being a-holes. I did that myself once, I wrote an email to steve jobs to complain about a dealer breaking my motherboard during a repair for which they would not take any responsibility, and a replacement motherboard cost 30k baht, and there was no way to fix it. The computer was out of warranty. A few days later a manager from Singapore contacted me and sent a new motherboard free of charge.

But in your case the dealer's case is strong: There's a dent in the iPad, and you've said the kids dropped it. So I don't think that will work. Dropping clearly falls under accidental damage. There's kid safe iPad cases, by the way - I've yet to see them in Thailand but in the US they're not expensive and they're basically very large foam cases. Thinking about getting these myself, actually.

thaicruze · October 7, 2012

- Find an official Apple store somewhere. I mean one owned by Apple, not an authorized dealer. The official Apple stores are much better at honoring warranties.

- Whatever you do, don't tell them "the kids dropped it"

- Ideally, return it in an Apple store in the USA. They'll probably just hand you a new one no question asked. In my experience they're MUCH more lenient when it comes to warranties in the US than anywhere else.

If you can't, try to get it independently fixed. The upside of the rather crap service here in Thailand is that there's lots of little repair shops in the malls.

I had a broken screen on my iPad 2 - kids dropped it, guess what. Apple dealer in Chiang Mai offered me a staggering 1000 Baht off a new iPad. Thanksalot, guys! No option to repair, or exchange. I went around the corner to a little shop, 2,000 Baht and 1 hour later my iPad was like new.

Escalating the issue is normally going to work if the dealers are being a-holes. I did that myself once, I wrote an email to steve jobs to complain about a dealer breaking my motherboard during a repair for which they would not take any responsibility, and a replacement motherboard cost 30k baht, and there was no way to fix it. The computer was out of warranty. A few days later a manager from Singapore contacted me and sent a new motherboard free of charge.

But in your case the dealer's case is strong: There's a dent in the iPad, and you've said the kids dropped it. So I don't think that will work. Dropping clearly falls under accidental damage. There's kid safe iPad cases, by the way - I've yet to see them in Thailand but in the US they're not expensive and they're basically very large foam cases. Thinking about getting these myself, actually.

There are no official Apple Stores in Thailand. Only resellers.

I don't know where you people are going, but I've had good experiences with Apple resellers here. and the warranty is very straight forward. 1 year, doesn't cover accidental damage. Same story at every reseller I've been to in Thailand.

In your dreams they'll hand you a brand new iPad "no questions asked" in the USA. You're dreaming. The only way they'll do that is if they know it is a manufacturing defect, which this is not.

And you wanted the store in Chiang Mai to exchange your iPad because you broke it? hahahahahahah

In what planet do you live in? Once you break it it's up to you to fix it. You can ask them to send it into repair, but that will take many weeks to get back. In that case, just go somewhere else (I wouldn't advise this for iPhones).

Don't get your panties in a bunch. Any email you send from here to Apple goes to someone in Singapore. How do you know they "BROKE THE MOTHERBOARD"? For all we know it WAS a motherboard issue and you didn't want to pay for it and you nagged and nagged until you got a free motherboard.

Edited October 7, 2012 by thaicruze

thaicruze · October 7, 2012

His case ISN'T clear. What you are saying doesn't make sense. What the repair guy will do is open it. If he determines that the dent has nothing to do with the issue then he will fix it under warranty.

That "dealer" doesn't make the decision. They wait to see what the tech says. If the tech says no charge then it's no charge.

[quote name='Fletchsmile'

]

I said that says for a major fault they will replace or refund.

I missed this one. hahahahahahah

You mean to tell me you believe that they'll refund or replace it after you've had it for months and it was working fine?

What it means is, when you buy a product, like when I bought my Mac, they open the box right in front of you and turn it on to make sure it's working. If it's DOA, or the screen is bad, or yellow, or something wrong with it, then you can ask for a refund or they'll give you a new one. Once you take it home, it's yours. If something goes wrong while it's in YOUR care then they'll bring it into service. If it's under warranty they have to determine whether it was caused by accident, which isn't covered. If you say "I dropped it", then you're screwed. The arguments that you've dropped the other one or that I dropped it and it worked fine for days after that don't matter.

Anyway, if anyone here doesn't believe that resellers in Thailand are fine, go to my store. iStudio by Comseven Central Pinklao and speak to the manager. She is short and has short hair colored light brown. Almost everyone there speaks english and they'll explain everything about warranties and repairs.

My sales girl was Elf. That's her there when I was picking up my Macbook

and they explained everything to me about the warranty and what happens if something goes wrong.

the guy at the end was checking something wrong with an iPad. I think he was prepping it to be sent to service. After that another guy showed up with a plastic white Macbook. They were checking it and were talking about service.

Edited October 7, 2012 by thaicruze

fletchsmile · October 7, 2012

- Find an official Apple store somewhere. I mean one owned by Apple, not an authorized dealer. The official Apple stores are much better at honoring warranties.

- Whatever you do, don't tell them "the kids dropped it"

- Ideally, return it in an Apple store in the USA. They'll probably just hand you a new one no question asked. In my experience they're MUCH more lenient when it comes to warranties in the US than anywhere else.

If you can't, try to get it independently fixed. The upside of the rather crap service here in Thailand is that there's lots of little repair shops in the malls.

I had a broken screen on my iPad 2 - kids dropped it, guess what. Apple dealer in Chiang Mai offered me a staggering 1000 Baht off a new iPad. Thanksalot, guys! No option to repair, or exchange. I went around the corner to a little shop, 2,000 Baht and 1 hour later my iPad was like new.

Escalating the issue is normally going to work if the dealers are being a-holes. I did that myself once, I wrote an email to steve jobs to complain about a dealer breaking my motherboard during a repair for which they would not take any responsibility, and a replacement motherboard cost 30k baht, and there was no way to fix it. The computer was out of warranty. A few days later a manager from Singapore contacted me and sent a new motherboard free of charge.

But in your case the dealer's case is strong: There's a dent in the iPad, and you've said the kids dropped it. So I don't think that will work. Dropping clearly falls under accidental damage. There's kid safe iPad cases, by the way - I've yet to see them in Thailand but in the US they're not expensive and they're basically very large foam cases. Thinking about getting these myself, actually.

There are no official Apple Stores in Thailand. Only resellers.

I don't know where you people are going, but I've had good experiences with Apple resellers here. and the warranty is very straight forward. 1 year, doesn't cover accidental damage. Same story at every reseller I've been to in Thailand.

In your dreams they'll hand you a brand new iPad "no questions asked" in the USA. You're dreaming. The only way they'll do that is if they know it is a manufacturing defect, which this is not.

And you wanted the store in Chiang Mai to exchange your iPad because you broke it? hahahahahahah

In what planet do you live in? Once you break it it's up to you to fix it. You can ask them to send it into repair, but that will take many weeks to get back. In that case, just go somewhere else (I wouldn't advise this for iPhones).

Don't get your panties in a bunch. Any email you send from here to Apple goes to someone in Singapore. How do you know they "BROKE THE MOTHERBOARD"? For all we know it WAS a motherboard issue and you didn't want to pay for it and you nagged and nagged until you got a free motherboard.

I don't think you've added anything constructive or useful to this thread since your original post. Which was welcome. Thank you for that.

From there you just seem intent on antagonizing people.

Phrases like "Get real", "do you think Steve Jobs repairs it himself", "what planet do you live on", "hahaha", "don't get your panties in a bunch" aren't adding anything constructive to this thread since then, particularly when people are offering experiences and suggestions.

So thanks for your initial post, and no need to post anything further

Edited October 7, 2012 by fletchsmile

fletchsmile · October 7, 2012

- Find an official Apple store somewhere. I mean one owned by Apple, not an authorized dealer. The official Apple stores are much better at honoring warranties.

- Whatever you do, don't tell them "the kids dropped it"

- Ideally, return it in an Apple store in the USA. They'll probably just hand you a new one no question asked. In my experience they're MUCH more lenient when it comes to warranties in the US than anywhere else.

If you can't, try to get it independently fixed. The upside of the rather crap service here in Thailand is that there's lots of little repair shops in the malls.

I had a broken screen on my iPad 2 - kids dropped it, guess what. Apple dealer in Chiang Mai offered me a staggering 1000 Baht off a new iPad. Thanksalot, guys! No option to repair, or exchange. I went around the corner to a little shop, 2,000 Baht and 1 hour later my iPad was like new.

Escalating the issue is normally going to work if the dealers are being a-holes. I did that myself once, I wrote an email to steve jobs to complain about a dealer breaking my motherboard during a repair for which they would not take any responsibility, and a replacement motherboard cost 30k baht, and there was no way to fix it. The computer was out of warranty. A few days later a manager from Singapore contacted me and sent a new motherboard free of charge.

But in your case the dealer's case is strong: There's a dent in the iPad, and you've said the kids dropped it. So I don't think that will work. Dropping clearly falls under accidental damage. There's kid safe iPad cases, by the way - I've yet to see them in Thailand but in the US they're not expensive and they're basically very large foam cases. Thinking about getting these myself, actually.

Thanks for the post. I hadn't realised the distinctions between various Apple shops when I started the thread. So after some searching I found the following which I'll also check out for service centres, as there's one near us. Shame the IStudio never told us that, as one of the service centres is only about 1-2 km away from the shop

http://www.apple.com/th/service/

I think you're right on the customer experience. US would be much stronger. Thailand's consumer laws are much weaker. That's what I was trying to get at originally. Yes I may have a warranty, but is it any use in practice, and does it mean anything.

No-one seems to have posted anything successfully getting things done thru Apple in Thailand. Seems to be taking it to other places is better. So ignore the warranty and just find your own way, seems to have been the consensus.

Yes, unfortunately having dropped it could cause problems. We were honest in saying so. All I was hoping was the retailer would be honest in return. Tell us what the procedures were, and then check what the issue was, and then was it caused by: 1) a defect, 2) us dropping it/ impact damage (so warranty doesn't apply), 3) can't ascertain. My take is dropping it probably caused superficial damage but not the issue to stop it working. On the other hand if it's properly checked and they say otherwise I can live with that.

Cheers to the people offering solutions. At least we have some ideas to take it forward, including finding an apple service locator nearby to try as well. So fingers crossed when we're back next week

Edited October 7, 2012 by fletchsmile

nikster · October 8, 2012

Anyway, if anyone here doesn't believe that resellers in Thailand are fine, go to my store. iStudio by Comseven Central Pinklao and speak to the manager. She is short and has short hair colored light brown. Almost everyone there speaks english and they'll explain everything about warranties and repairs.

....

In your dreams they'll hand you a brand new iPad "no questions asked" in the USA. You're dreaming. The only way they'll do that is if they know it is a manufacturing defect, which this is not.

Just some comments - I need to set you straight here

1 - Thanks for posting about your shop - sounds great, and I'd certainly go there if I was in BKK. There are not too many Apple resellers in Thailand that have a good reputation. The more the better.

2 - I know it's up to Apple to decide on repairs, and also Apple will actually pay for repairs/replacement, not the reseller. So you would think they resellers would be happy to send stuff to Apple. But for reasons I am not private to, they resist warranty cases tooth and nail. Maybe they have a quota?! Maybe it's something else? I don't know. But they certainly act like each warranty case is a loss of money to them. Certainly the shop in Chiang Mai, I've had multiple bad experiences with them over the years. They eventually sent my laptop off for a warranty screen replacement - Apple replaced it for a well known but hard to see defect. But getting them to actually send it off took me going there multiple times, being accused of lying, and all sorts of ridiculous statements by the owner of iStudio CM.

3 - I've had Macs for over a decade - the US stores are WAY more lenient on warranty. It used to be you could get anything from them if you just stood there at the genius bar and whined enough. More recently a friend took in her iPad in with a broken screen - the conversation went like this: "What happened". "I don't know - I think my niece dropped it but she wouldn't tell me". "Ok, at least you're honest.... "..... she left the store with a new iPad. That's service that goes above and beyond duty, and that's what you can pretty much expect in US stores.

Edited October 8, 2012 by nikster

fletchsmile · October 8, 2012

...

2 - I know it's up to Apple to decide on repairs, and also Apple will actually pay for repairs/replacement, not the reseller. So you would think they resellers would be happy to send stuff to Apple. But for reasons I am not private to, they resist warranty cases tooth and nail. Maybe they have a quota?! Maybe it's something else? I don't know. But they certainly act like each warranty case is a loss of money to them. Certainly the shop in Chiang Mai, I've had multiple bad experiences with them over the years. They eventually sent my laptop off for a warranty screen replacement - Apple replaced it for a well known but hard to see defect. But getting them to actually send it off took me going there multiple times, being accused of lying, and all sorts of ridiculous statements by the owner of iStudio CM.

......

I'm not sure what the margins are on an Apple products for the resellers. I suspect though when they offered us a new IPad at 70%, that this covers their cost. They then take your old Ipad and anything they make on that is profit for them. [Not unlike used car salesmen really, but probably an even lower level of integrity than a used car salesman though. Similar principle: good price on the new model, but they make their profit on the old one/ trade in]

In the case of an IPad: At 70% they cover their cost. Then ways to make money on the old one would include:

1) Send it up and actually use the warranty. Then sell the repaired product.

2) Have it repaired. Then sell the repaired product

3) Use it for a rebuild

4) Canabilize the parts

5) Worst case scenarion they're stuck with a dud, but nothing lost.

The first method would be particularly profitable: as say 30% profit on first sale; no profit on the "sale at cost" on the exchange; then sell say repaired product at half price = 50% profit for free. Total on 2 Ipads = 80%. This is better than selling 2 Ipads@30%, plus makes a "sale" that would never have normally have been made and a bonus on volume too. In all likelihood they might get more than half price particularly if they can pass it off as new one, or it's in good condition. The loser of course is you: effectively paying 170% retail price for a single IPAD

Rebuilds and repairs and then even sometimes passing off as new are very common at places like MBK with phones. I've bought a phone or two where the silver paint comes off - on the first occasion I believed I was buying a new phone, second time it was implied but I realised there was a chance I wasn't ! So wouldn't surprise me if this now extends to IPads. You've also got to wonder if they also recycle them within the shop itself. Let's face it Thailand is full of scams, even if a great place in many other ways.

So all the above could be good reasons why they fight tooth and nail not to enforce a warranty. No profit in it for them. Similarly why they never offered us to send it away to be checked and possibly repaired. With their policy: Worst case you leave and they save on the admin. Best case they end up with more than double profit on a single customer!

T.I.T

Edited October 8, 2012 by fletchsmile

thaicruze · October 9, 2012

Anyway, if anyone here doesn't believe that resellers in Thailand are fine, go to my store. iStudio by Comseven Central Pinklao and speak to the manager. She is short and has short hair colored light brown. Almost everyone there speaks english and they'll explain everything about warranties and repairs.

....

In your dreams they'll hand you a brand new iPad "no questions asked" in the USA. You're dreaming. The only way they'll do that is if they know it is a manufacturing defect, which this is not.

Just some comments - I need to set you straight here

1 - Thanks for posting about your shop - sounds great, and I'd certainly go there if I was in BKK. There are not too many Apple resellers in Thailand that have a good reputation. The more the better.

2 - I know it's up to Apple to decide on repairs, and also Apple will actually pay for repairs/replacement, not the reseller. So you would think they resellers would be happy to send stuff to Apple. But for reasons I am not private to, they resist warranty cases tooth and nail. Maybe they have a quota?! Maybe it's something else? I don't know. But they certainly act like each warranty case is a loss of money to them. Certainly the shop in Chiang Mai, I've had multiple bad experiences with them over the years. They eventually sent my laptop off for a warranty screen replacement - Apple replaced it for a well known but hard to see defect. But getting them to actually send it off took me going there multiple times, being accused of lying, and all sorts of ridiculous statements by the owner of iStudio CM.

3 - I've had Macs for over a decade - the US stores are WAY more lenient on warranty. It used to be you could get anything from them if you just stood there at the genius bar and whined enough. More recently a friend took in her iPad in with a broken screen - the conversation went like this: "What happened". "I don't know - I think my niece dropped it but she wouldn't tell me". "Ok, at least you're honest.... "..... she left the store with a new iPad. That's service that goes above and beyond duty, and that's what you can pretty much expect in US stores.

I think you guys are piling ALL the iStudios in Thailand by your bad experience in a couple of them. After they first bad experience you should've just gone to another store. My manager would've apologized and done whatever to make you happy.

P.S. - you're really dreaming if you think she left with a brand new iPad. Whatever the issue was, they gave her a refurbished one. I really doubt she didn't pay anything for it.

Edited October 9, 2012 by thaicruze

thaicruze · October 9, 2012

...

2 - I know it's up to Apple to decide on repairs, and also Apple will actually pay for repairs/replacement, not the reseller. So you would think they resellers would be happy to send stuff to Apple. But for reasons I am not private to, they resist warranty cases tooth and nail. Maybe they have a quota?! Maybe it's something else? I don't know. But they certainly act like each warranty case is a loss of money to them. Certainly the shop in Chiang Mai, I've had multiple bad experiences with them over the years. They eventually sent my laptop off for a warranty screen replacement - Apple replaced it for a well known but hard to see defect. But getting them to actually send it off took me going there multiple times, being accused of lying, and all sorts of ridiculous statements by the owner of iStudio CM.

......

I'm not sure what the margins are on an Apple products for the resellers. I suspect though when they offered us a new IPad at 70%, that this covers their cost. They then take your old Ipad and anything they make on that is profit for them. [Not unlike used car salesmen really, but probably an even lower level of integrity than a used car salesman though. Similar principle: good price on the new model, but they make their profit on the old one/ trade in]

In the case of an IPad: At 70% they cover their cost. Then ways to make money on the old one would include:

1) Send it up and actually use the warranty. Then sell the repaired product.

2) Have it repaired. Then sell the repaired product

3) Use it for a rebuild

4) Canabilize the parts

5) Worst case scenarion they're stuck with a dud, but nothing lost.

The first method would be particularly profitable: as say 30% profit on first sale; no profit on the "sale at cost" on the exchange; then sell say repaired product at half price = 50% profit for free. Total on 2 Ipads = 80%. This is better than selling 2 Ipads@30%, plus makes a "sale" that would never have normally have been made and a bonus on volume too. In all likelihood they might get more than half price particularly if they can pass it off as new one, or it's in good condition. The loser of course is you: effectively paying 170% retail price for a single IPAD

Rebuilds and repairs and then even sometimes passing off as new are very common at places like MBK with phones. I've bought a phone or two where the silver paint comes off - on the first occasion I believed I was buying a new phone, second time it was implied but I realised there was a chance I wasn't ! So wouldn't surprise me if this now extends to IPads. You've also got to wonder if they also recycle them within the shop itself. Let's face it Thailand is full of scams, even if a great place in many other ways.

So all the above could be good reasons why they fight tooth and nail not to enforce a warranty. No profit in it for them. Similarly why they never offered us to send it away to be checked and possibly repaired. With their policy: Worst case you leave and they save on the admin. Best case they end up with more than double profit on a single customer!

T.I.T

Same. You guys talk about your stores that you keep going into, even though there are many iStudios around, as if THAT was the way it was done in Thailand.

Just say "The iStudio I went to was bad." I am sure there are horror stories like that all over the world from official apple stores.

If you have a bad experience with 1 store, why do you people insist in bringing it back over and over and over and over to argue with the same people? Just pack it up, the first sign of bullshit, and go to another iStudio.

Again, go to mine and let us know of your experience.

Your post is ridiculous. Official Stores in the USA do the same thing. You come in with a broken iPad, they offer you a new one for half the price.

This is straight from the Apple Support page

https://discussions....tart=0&tstart=0

i have ipad i bought it 9 months ago, and it's broken.

i'm wondering how can i fix it, and how it will cost me?

also, i live in place which dosen't have Apple store..

Going to the Apple Store won't help much. They do not replace the screens. If you have AppleCare, they will give you a new iPad for half the price of a new one (still expensive). There are several companies online that will replace your screen, but it may nullify your warranty. The link below advertises the repair for $115, which is the cheapest I've found. The screen repairs are expensive. I guess that's why Apple just elects to sell you a new pad at a reduced price.

http://www.igadgetresq.com/

If you have an issue with an Apple product that needs a repair, then you can take it directly to an Apple Authorized Service Center. Just look here

https://locate.apple.com/th/en/

The warranty status is under the serial number of the device.

In the case of the other guy, he should've skipped going to an iStudio (which is a place to SELL things) and taken it to the Authorized Service Center in Chiang Mai which is called Mac Care. Here it is on the map

https://locate.apple....66005859999996

A reseller ammm SELLS. A service center, services.

Edited October 9, 2012 by thaicruze

fletchsmile · October 9, 2012

Thaicruz.. So you had a good experience on buying in an Apple Shop. The people in the shop where we bought it were nice and pleasant too.

Do you understand the difference between buying a product and trying to use a warranty or ask for repairs? Have you actually any personal experience of trying to claim vs a warranty in Thailand, or any personal experience of trying to have a repair done thru Apple in Thailand. If not what your posting is just irrelevant.... as well as boring and just sounding like a broken record. So you found them helpful in one shop on buying. Yes we know, we understood that first time.

From above no-one has posted of a positive experience on the repair/ warranty side thru Apple in Thailand, which is what I was hoping for, so I could perhaps follow the same path of experience.

Since then, from the wife checking on Thai web-boards and forums there are lots of similar stories on the 70% offers.

Edited October 9, 2012 by fletchsmile

fletchsmile · October 12, 2012

Hi,

I would say that you are better off trying to fix it yourself or by going into any other shops where someone a bit more experienced will be able to fix it for you.

As long as the ipad is booting, it can be restored, fixed and there is probably no hardware problem.

I would try to boot it in advanced recovery mode then hook it up to your computer with latest version of itunes installed and running. From there you should be able to restore it.

At this current point it time though you will only be able to restore it to the latest version of iOs and you will lose the jailbreak in case you were relying on it.

Let's hope Apple decides to open an Apple store in Thailand anytime soon as they are usually helpful and often covers their products even outside of the warranty period.

That's the problem as it gets stuck booting. I tried the methods suggested at:

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4097

and get unable to restore / update etc. The error code is no.9 and something to do with USB. I tried different connectors, as well as different PCs and notebooks but still no joy

http://support.apple...b/TS3694#error9

Yes I think the Apple Shops and I Studios are way behind what they should be. MAybe they look similar to other worldwide stores (like many Thai copies of things) but the substance of the stores isn't there.

This is the standard recovery mode, try the advanced one where the screen remains blank.

It could also come from the usb drivers installed on your computer for apple devices.

So :

1. Try with advanced recovery mode

2. Try removing all Apple Usb drivers. Look it up on apple support site, there is an article describing how to do that.

3. If it still fails, try on another computer running latest version of itunes. Ideally a clean one where itunes has never been installed before.

4. Go to MBK and find a guy who knows how to fix that for you.

In any case, it's most probably not a hardware issue and in a real apple store the genius would have solved your issue without arguing about the small damage.

Good luck.

Do you have any links for the advanced recovery mode. I couldn't find it in their support section. The error code we have is error 9

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3694#error9

joeed · November 11, 2012

Sorry for the late reply as I just see your message now.

Check out this video on youtube which explains how to enter DFU mode on ipad:

Good luck.

End · November 11, 2012

Moving slightly off topic, what is the situation if i want to exchange/trade an ipad2 for an ipad3. Can I do that in Bangkok and how much can i expect to pay?

My ipad2 is in almost new condition.

watcharacters · November 11, 2012

Warranty is good but not for he iPhone.

semoa · November 21, 2012

No Apple store in Thailand.

The Apple Online Store Thailand is a Singapore based store that sells and ships to customers in Thailand. The Apple Store sells and ships products to end user customers only.

The Apple Online Store Thailand does not support shipping items in a single order to multiple shipping addresses. To ship items to an additional address, please place a new order on the Apple Online Store.

Shopping outside Thailand

There are more than 30 Apple Online Stores in countries around the globe. The Apple Online Store Thailand ships only within Thailand. If you would like to purchase Apple products from outside Thailand, please see our International Store Directory to find out if an Apple Online Store serves your country.

nikster · November 22, 2012

Moving slightly off topic, what is the situation if i want to exchange/trade an ipad2 for an ipad3. Can I do that in Bangkok and how much can i expect to pay?

My ipad2 is in almost new condition.

Sell the iPad 2 at one of the little reseller shops in the mall. Then buy an iPad 3 (4, now, really).

I'd actually recommend the mini...

I don't know how much they'll give you but ... well... don't expect the world. Apple authorized dealers don't deal with second hand computers.

fletchsmile · December 5, 2012

As an update: after various tries myself at fixing it, trying various Apple places in Thailand, trying MBK and authorised Apple this and that, the best they could come up with was THB 10k+ for a new one. Even the maps and addresses I got off some places were out of date. On the basis of above I would never again bother with Apple or their warranties in Thailand. Loads of hassle. Poor service.

MBK was the best of the lot. Unfortunately couldn't fix it but tried, then took it to another shop who also couldn't fix it. Didn't want any money when I asked how much.

Part of the problem as above is we were moving to Vietnam for a couple of years, so I was always on limited time and rushing to get done. I finally got round to taking it to the Authorized Apple Service Provider, and as I didn't have high hopes based on the Thailand debacles it wasn't high priority, and I was expecting a few communication difficulties as I didn't speak Vietnamese, unlike Thai.

What a completely different experience!

I explained the problem. They looked at the IPad, said yes it's damaged on the corners, and wouldn't be covered by warranty. I said yes, Thailand had told me the same. I asked what we could do. They said get a new one. How much and how long?

Answer: VND 2,500,000 (or USD 120). Yes that's USD 120 or about THB 3,750. 7 days. Seemed a fair deal to me.

I had a massive smile on my face, and told them Thailand wanted over 10 days. The guy said yes he knows, and Thailand is more expensive too isn't it? No brainer - pay a reasonable fee for exchange or repair, is what I'd expected at the start

They took my name card, filled in a form for me to sign, and said they'd call when ready. In and out in less than 10 minutes, with a clear answer, smooth process, quicker solution and cheaper cost. (Thailand remember wanted THB 10,000+, waiting 10+days).

I'll be buying a new IPhone soon and have asked for the address of a shop they recommended here in Vietnam.

What a rip-off the Apple Warranty Service is in Thailand, as well as an appaling customer experience with most of the Apple shops I went to.

Give me Vietnam any day for Apple Service: one third the price, quicker, clear concise and complete explanations (in English too).

Edited December 5, 2012 by fletchsmile

taninthai · December 7, 2012

^

so you didn't tell the Vietnam shop you dropped it then.

Glad you got it sorted in the end.

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