Free iPhone 5 Battery Replacement Program in Bangkok?

[Lammbock]

Hi Guys,

Currently Apple announced it will replace the Battery for IPhone 5 sold between September 2012 and January 2013.

My iPhone is eligible according to my serial number. (I do really have battery problems.)

My question is if the Apple Authorized Service Providers in Bangkok are participating in the program? Or is there a "real" Apple store in Bangkok where I could make an appointment at the Genius Bar?

https://ssl.apple.com/support/iphone5-battery/

Any infos from you would be much appreciate, thanks.

Lammbock

[RichCor]

Suggest you use the official Apple website and see what it indicates locate.apple.com/th/en/ and call them to see if they are participating and what the wait time is going to be.

Oh, and backup your data! Having the battery swapped can cause issues and they may need to reset the phone.

Apple Authorized Service Centers (Bangkok) for AIS DTAC TRUE MOVE

[Gulfsailor]

Don't have the link, but the Apple site to check if your iPhone 5 is eligible has a link to all the participating service centers as well. Several in Bangkok and a couple around Pattaya. Nothing in the South though so I have to call a few if I can EMS my unit as I am in the South. Carriers like True or AIS unfortunately do not participate, so you need to go to a service center.

[Lammbock]

Thanks for you suggestion. I will just call them up to see if they are participating.

[samuijimmy]

Official Apple repair centres listed here...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/722640-apple-mac-warranty-centres-in-thailand-official-places/

if anyone knows of other OFFICIAL places for Apple / Mac in Thailand, please add!

[Lammbock]

Been to....

UNITY PROGRESS CO.,LTD.3.3 km

113-115 NARATHIWAT-RATCHANAKARIN ROAD,CHONGNONSI, YANNAWA

BANGKOK, BANGKOK 10120

02-6782566

They insist that my iPhone Battery is fine and will not change it. I explained my case but they only reply is that they check with their system and the system say the battery is ok. Witch is not true.

I will check out another service tomorrow.

[RichCor]

You may need to contact apple via email or by phone on how to proceed. They may need to contact your service center to clarify what qualifies for the battery replacement program.

[bubba]

Did you check your serial number to determine if your phone is available?

https://ssl.apple.com/support/iphone5-battery/

On checking the serial number, I found that my phone is eligible but I have heard that to do the battery replacement, you will need to leave your phone with Apple for a few days. That's not very practical for me.

[Lammbock]

@bubba, yes my iPhone indeed is eligible. I called up iServe at Amarin plaza and they told me I have to bring in my iPhone, than they will check it for 1 to 2 hours and than it takes up to 1 month for the battery to be delivered. But i don't need to leave my phone there for one month. Once the battery arrived they would call me and replace it within one day.

I have to admit, the Apple service in Thailand is very bad but that might be because we do not have a "real" Apple store with genius bar. Friends of me do not face such difficulties in Europe.

Currently I don't know what to do. All this hassle just to replace a fxxxing battery??? Maybe just wait for the iPhone 6.

Edited September 3, 2014 by Lammbock

[Gulfsailor]

Well that was rather disappointing.

I have an iPhone 5 which I didn't use anymore and decided to give to my kid. The battery (or maybe something else) was pretty bad where it would fully charge in 30 minutes or so but then also discharge again much faster than expected. Many times the device simply shut down when the battery indicator said there was still 20 to 30% left.

So when Apple announced that some iPhone 5 batteries are faulty I checked my phone and hey presto, my phone is eligible. Great I thought; I get a free new battery installed and my kid has a good phone for years to come.

Because I am in the south, I called Apple and asked where I could have the battery replaced by mailing it. They again checked the serial number of the phone and confirmed it was eligible and gave me the number of a repair shop in Phuket who would accept the phone sent in via mail.

So I called this shop and they could remotely run a diagnostics, so I didn't gave to send it to them yet. Result; all is fine with the phone and battery and so it is not eligible for a free battery swap. They did offer to swap the phone for a completely new one though for THB 11,500. Rather disappointed...

Edited September 4, 2014 by Gulfsailor

[Lammbock]

This whole free battery replacement does not not work very well in Thailand.

[Deelectro]

Is anybody having any luck with this in Pattaya?

[merijn]

Well that was rather disappointing.

I have an iPhone 5 which I didn't use anymore and decided to give to my kid. The battery (or maybe something else) was pretty bad where it would fully charge in 30 minutes or so but then also discharge again much faster than expected. Many times the device simply shut down when the battery indicator said there was still 20 to 30% left.

So when Apple announced that some iPhone 5 batteries are faulty I checked my phone and hey presto, my phone is eligible. Great I thought; I get a free new battery installed and my kid has a good phone for years to come.

Because I am in the south, I called Apple and asked where I could have the battery replaced by mailing it. They again checked the serial number of the phone and confirmed it was eligible and gave me the number of a repair shop in Phuket who would accept the phone sent in via mail.

So I called this shop and they could remotely run a diagnostics, so I didn't gave to send it to them yet. Result; all is fine with the phone and battery and so it is not eligible for a free battery swap. They did offer to swap the phone for a completely new one though for THB 11,500. Rather disappointed...

If they run a diagnostic on your phone or not does not really matter.

As Apple says that the phone is eligible for a battery change the battery should be changed.

Maybe you should be more ( maybe you did ) firm in your request (demand) of a battery change.

many shops are reluctant to do this change as they can't make money from you.

[Gulfsailor]

Well that was rather disappointing.

I have an iPhone 5 which I didn't use anymore and decided to give to my kid. The battery (or maybe something else) was pretty bad where it would fully charge in 30 minutes or so but then also discharge again much faster than expected. Many times the device simply shut down when the battery indicator said there was still 20 to 30% left.

So when Apple announced that some iPhone 5 batteries are faulty I checked my phone and hey presto, my phone is eligible. Great I thought; I get a free new battery installed and my kid has a good phone for years to come.

Because I am in the south, I called Apple and asked where I could have the battery replaced by mailing it. They again checked the serial number of the phone and confirmed it was eligible and gave me the number of a repair shop in Phuket who would accept the phone sent in via mail.

So I called this shop and they could remotely run a diagnostics, so I didn't gave to send it to them yet. Result; all is fine with the phone and battery and so it is not eligible for a free battery swap. They did offer to swap the phone for a completely new one though for THB 11,500. Rather disappointed...

If they run a diagnostic on your phone or not does not really matter.

As Apple says that the phone is eligible for a battery change the battery should be changed.

Maybe you should be more ( maybe you did ) firm in your request (demand) of a battery change.

many shops are reluctant to do this change as they can't make money from you.

Sorry, missed your comment. Apple informed me beforehand that the service center will run a diagnostic first to see if the battery is faulty. Only if it is (according to in my opinion faulty test) will they actually replace it.

[Deelectro]

For those in Pattaya, you have to go up to the icare desk at TukCom in Chonburi. It is just past the Central Mall and Tesco. I went Monday, they were closed. I now have their phone number, I will post later.

[Deelectro]

For the Chonburi iCare shop, I called them and they said that you have to come there, they will check the phone, and then it will be one or two weeks to order the battery, then you come back to install the battery after it arrives. Not sure why they do it that way, its a heck of a drive for me. Their phone # 084.700.1315.

It is right beside the Apple iBeat store. Closed Monday, check their hours

[DMC1]

^ icare is in Central Shopping Mall in Chonburi as posted in the pinned thread at the top of the page, for those in this area.

[Deelectro]

^{There is one in Tuk Com. It appears to be new, Perhaps it moved. Anyways they only accept phones from SE Asia, so I'm skunked again}