Buying Apple in Thailand - Warning

[Macthehat]

My heart goes out to you but before you consider switching to an android like Samsung as I did ...make sure you buy from a Samsung shop and not NBK as I did ....one week after I bought I had problems and when I went to Samsung in Surin they informed me the phone was out of warranty (1year and 6 months ) the shop I bought from had the phone in stock  (sealed ) in the box and was opened in front of me but because it was old stock it was no longer under guarantee . long story short I had to cough up 10k b to have it fixed . 

As someone has already stated buy nothing electrical of value in Thailand unless it's from the main reputable suppliers with a real guarantee . 

Lesson learned for me 

[Generalchaos]

3 hours ago, dotpoom said:

Me too....does it cook the breakfast and do the laundry as well as being a phone? 

Guess you can "Crack one off" watching a bit of porn....still not worth 30K! Some people must be crazy.

[jonw8uk]

7 minutes ago, balo said:

Why would anyone buy Apple ? Never understood the hype . 

 

Samsung Galaxy is half the price and will do almost anything. 

 

 

Not really, an s7 edge is 27k with 32gb, add the price of a 128gb sd card. 

 

Its a bit cheaper yes, not half though

[jonw8uk]

25 minutes ago, Beats56 said:

Yes bought a Samsung tv at Tesco. It went on the fritz shortly after so went to Tesco and they sorry can't fix. The sales girl said just buy a new one. Well I gave her a mouth full she just slunk away. I was hot. End up taking the tv, computer repair shop and they fixed it well I waited. It was the power supply or something. Repaired for about a 1000bt.

They will get my return visit if needed in the future.

 

 

I had a similar issue with my samsung TV, twice it blew the power card within 12 months, I assume from being overly sensitive to voltage spikes (a sony bravia i was replacing lasted 7 years in the same socket, and died of something else). Initially i contacted the shop, they didnt want to know. This is where the online warranty registration comes in, or even the postal card in the box. Luckily when i bought it i did register it. So i called samsung directly, they came out and fixed it at no cost, twice. After the second time, i bought a decent brand surge protector. No problem since. 

 

My point is, and applies to apple too, go direct to the manufacturer, the sellers dont want to know. Not how it should be, but it is what it is...

[elgordo38]

3 hours ago, dotpoom said:

Me too....does it cook the breakfast and do the laundry as well as being a phone? 

I think it has a PTO for a vibrator. 

[elgordo38]

11 minutes ago, jonw8uk said:

 

I had a similar issue with my samsung TV, twice it blew the power card within 12 months, I assume from being overly sensitive to voltage spikes (a sony bravia i was replacing lasted 7 years in the same socket, and died of something else). Initially i contacted the shop, they didnt want to know. This is where the online warranty registration comes in, or even the postal card in the box. Luckily when i bought it i did register it. So i called samsung directly, they came out and fixed it at no cost, twice. After the second time, i bought a decent brand surge protector. No problem since. 

 

My point is, and applies to apple too, go direct to the manufacturer, the sellers dont want to know. Not how it should be, but it is what it is...

The sale is done we got your money goodbye we never want to see you again.

[Dan5]

An alternative is buying from one of the service providers, True, DTAC, etc. I've found them to be good about replacements.

[GOLDBUGGY]

Had a problem sort of like that with my last Lap Top Computer I bought.

 

The CD Player didn't work from day one. It kept popping open on its own to. Took it back to the store and after 2 days it now became warranty work. Which took a full month to fix. If I paid they would have fixed it in a day, barring not needing a part. 

[madusa]

On 27/12/2016 at 4:42 AM, ukrules said:

Better still, I will avoid Apple completely.

good thinking

[amjamj]

On 12/27/2016 at 7:42 PM, ukrules said:

Better still, I will avoid Apple completely.

 

What kind of people except people who will never understand anything about technology still buy iphones ?

 

All bar girls now have an Android S6 or better because they think that only stupid people buy an iphone !!!

 

 

[ukrules]

4 hours ago, madusa said:

good thinking

 

I'm thinking differently these days....

 

 

[ukrules]

1 hour ago, amjamj said:

 

What kind of people except people who will never understand anything about technology still buy iphones ?

 

All bar girls now have an Android S6 or better because they think that only stupid people buy an iphone !!!

 

 

 

I bought some Apple devices a few years ago, namely an iMac, Macbook pro and an ipad but I've always stuck with Samsung for the phones. I have a Galaxy S4 right now which is a few years old and still works perfectly fine.

 

I will only change it when it breaks.

 

[zoza]

8 hours ago, HHTel said:

 

Agree absolutely.  The threat of contacting the Consumer Protection Board often forces the retailer to 'cave in' and act accordingly.

 

 

has anyone actually tried to contact the consumer protection board in Pattaya? I have and have never got an answer yet ? 

[jacko45k]

20 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

If you want to buy anything at all of value, do so outside of Thailand if you possibly can. I like to buy in Europe where I often get a free two-year warranty and where most retailers will just replace an item that shows a manufacturing defect within the first few months, with the faulty one going back to the manufacturer.

 

No one here seems to willingly accept responsibility for anything.

Fine if one regularly travels between these places.

Terrible advice if one goes there perhaps once a year.

 

One of Apple's selling points is they should have a worldwide warranty.

[crazygreg44]

9 hours ago, jonw8uk said:

 

Not really, an s7 edge is 27k with 32gb, add the price of a 128gb sd card. 

 

Its a bit cheaper yes, not half though

 

the ONE Plus is half the price than iPhone,  with almost identical specs.  Not a Samsung phone, though

[cpbkk]

Time for some public shaming.  If everything you say is true (and I have no reason to doubt you) post this on Facebook (Bangkok Expats is a good place to start) or even Pantip if you can write in Thai.  Let it go viral.  Maybe you'll get a call in a few days.  If you don't, at least you've helped others.  I certainly won't buy anything from them.  Thanks for your post.

[TulipBulb]

17 hours ago, DaveBKK said:

 

Let's see, can your Nokia take near DSLR quality photos? Can you do photoshop quality photo editing right on the phone? Does your Nokia take 4K quality videos? Can you do video editing on the phone? Can your Nokia handle modern encrypted communications.... or all your calls and SMSs out there for anyone with a bit of competence available for intercept?  

 

Can your phone markup a PDF for work "on the go"? Can it hold a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation than you can connect to any monitor and run a presentation on the go? Can you make quick edits on that presentation before hand if need be? Can your Nokia download podcasts, music, etc to listen to on the go? Can in hold high quality movies again where you can plug in to a HD TV and see anywhere? Can it handle Netflix? 

 

Can it securely store important files and documents you can access if need be almost anywhere? That's for your Samsung....is it secure? Answer: no it's not. 

 

Everyone has different needs and resources. 35k is literally like nothing to me for all I do with my iPhone. Totally justified.  

 

Kindly forward 35,000 Baht to my bank account forthwith. I await your PM confirmation.

[Jeffrey346]

15 hours ago, impulse said:

I'm curious whether the OP bought an IPhone specifically made for the Thai market, or did they sell him a bootleg import?

No such device.. There are carrier specific iPhones mostly for the US market and the international version for the rest of the world..

[twizzian]

On 28/12/2016 at 8:31 AM, KittenKong said:

 

If you want to buy anything at all of value, do so outside of Thailand if you possibly can. I like to buy in Europe where I often get a free two-year warranty and where most retailers will just replace an item that shows a manufacturing defect within the first few months, with the faulty one going back to the manufacturer.

 

No one here seems to willingly accept responsibility for anything.

 

Last time I went back to Europe, I saw a nice washing machine there but couldn't take it on the plane..

[impulse]

1 hour ago, Jeffrey346 said:

No such device.. There are carrier specific iPhones mostly for the US market and the international version for the rest of the world..

 

The devices may be exactly the same (or maybe not- I don't know), but I guaranty you Apple knows by S/N which country your phone was to meant be legally distributed into.  They have to protect their authorized distribution network and their profit margins by preventing phones crossing borders, often with different import rules and VAT/GST taxes and very different profit margin expectations on the part of their legal distributors.

 

For example, products going into the USA also have to factor in a hefty $$$ reserve to cover the onerous tort system. 

[maxcorrigan]

On 27/12/2016 at 8:35 PM, ChiangMaiThai said:

Yes seriously looking at Huawei for my next phone:

http://consumer.huawei.com/en/mobile-phones/p9/index.html

Yes dual lenses camera and i think no audio plug inlet, things that apple copied from the chinese but never mention.

[retarius]

I have changed from Apple in 2016. I am tired of their labour practices in China where you would think the richest company that ever existed might be able to pay a living wage and offer decent conditions but no! Also their deplorable tax avoidance schemes (deemed illegal in the EU)…you would think that out if all that profit they might contribute a little back to the societies that allow them to sell their stuff….but no, the greedy so and sos have zero morals.

 

No more iPhones, iPods, MacBooks for me. No more Apple full stop.

[jonw8uk]

4 hours ago, Jeffrey346 said:

No such device.. There are carrier specific iPhones mostly for the US market and the international version for the rest of the world..

 

Actually the ones for the thai market have a 'TH' in the part number. 'ZP' indicates hong kong. 

 

 

[Glock3am]

On 12/28/2016 at 4:27 PM, maxisrael said:

Another store Power Buy not to deal with ! bought a Samsung 4K 49" curved smart TV paid for 3 years warranty extra, great TV works very well however after 6 weeks there was a small accident with made a crack in the very thin 'glass?' of the screen so lost half of the picture .

 

After calling the service center telling we have a 3 year warranty contract with covers damages like this we are waiting for more than 10 days now calling almost daily but no response at all they should send a expert to see if if can be fixed or pay about 70% of the value but NOTHING at all they simply don't care at all so STAY AWAY from Power Buy.

 

Was the "small accident" that cracked the screen a result of you or somebody else's actions, e.g. an object fell on the screen or hit the screen? No warranty covers this here in Thailand or anywhere else in the world, I'm afraid. Manufacturer defects or parts failing, yes, but an outside element damaging the screen? Never.

 

Power Buy is not at fault in this regard. I've always had great dealings with them myself including product exchanges and returns. Besides, after buying from them generally any warranty claims need to be taken up with the manufacturer's service centre, not the retailer. Samsung has a number of them around the country, so you could try getting a screen replacement, but usually the cost is not worth it as it is close to that of a new TV, being that it is the major expense of the unit.

 

PS. Extended warranty is nearly always a rort, especially on devices like TVs that get obsolete very quickly. You're best off saving that extra money and putting that towards the next upgrade in a few year's time. Apple's is one of the few extended warranties that is worth it (mainly for their notebook and desktop lines) but for the amount it costs, you'd hope so!

[impulse]

8 hours ago, maxcorrigan said:

Yes dual lenses camera and i think no audio plug inlet, things that apple copied from the chinese but never mention.

 

I've got a Huawei.  Great phone with great specs.  But the OS is buggy, the updates have failed a hundred times. and it locks up  a couple of times a week.  And nobody in our IT group knew how to root it.

 

So I use it solely as my 4G wireless router and bought a 6,000 baht Asus phone (ZenFone Selfie) for everything else.  Couldn't believe the difference a good OS makes.

[Fookhaht]

I bought an iPhone through TrueMove. When the screen began to delaminate from the body of the phone, it was an obvious defect. The big problem was that it was one year after the warranty ran out.

For the heck of it, I took it to TrueMove and asked if this was a long-standing problem with iPhones and if they were repairing these problems. Of course, they looked at me like I had come from another planet. I was waived away like a nagging schoolboy.

Afterwards, on the advice of a Thai friend, I took my iPhone to an iCare center, run by Apple. They said they would send it to their Singapore headquarters and would see what they could do without giving me any promises. Fair enough.

In a month's time, they sent back a brand-new phone and had me pick it up. I essentially got a brand-new phone over one year after the warranty had run out on the old one. I was incredulous.

To say the least, I became a loyal customer to Apple, but not to the resellers with their "I-could-care-less" attitudes. The very least they could've done was to direct me directly to Apple.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[maxisrael]

13 hours ago, Glock3am said:

 

Was the "small accident" that cracked the screen a result of you or somebody else's actions, e.g. an object fell on the screen or hit the screen? No warranty covers this here in Thailand or anywhere else in the world, I'm afraid. Manufacturer defects or parts failing, yes, but an outside element damaging the screen? Never.

 

Power Buy is not at fault in this regard. I've always had great dealings with them myself including product exchanges and returns. Besides, after buying from them generally any warranty claims need to be taken up with the manufacturer's service centre, not the retailer. Samsung has a number of them around the country, so you could try getting a screen replacement, but usually the cost is not worth it as it is close to that of a new TV, being that it is the major expense of the unit.

 

PS. Extended warranty is nearly always a rort, especially on devices like TVs that get obsolete very quickly. You're best off saving that extra money and putting that towards the next upgrade in a few year's time. Apple's is one of the few extended warranties that is worth it (mainly for their notebook and desktop lines) but for the amount it costs, you'd hope so!

It is a 3 year insurance ( sorry not warranty) with you can buy for about 2.000 baht and covers accident(s) and repairs in this period with are not the 'normal' defects within the warranty period of the manufacturer, luckily today they ( insurance company) will   pick-up the TV for repair if the damage is greater than 70 to 80 percent of the value they will pay that one out, this percentage is going down over the 3 year period, so we will see what will happen bought in the meantime a 2 year old  43 inch LG 3D TV .....................

[HerbalEd]

On 12/27/2016 at 8:33 PM, Seligne2 said:

My sympathies and thanx for the info. I am stunned that people pay 36k baht  for a phone.

It's much more than a phone, don't you know? 

 

When I think about all the very-many things my smart phone can do, and enable me to accomplish, B36K seems very cheap. In fact, my life would be much less efficient without it, and I'd make a lot less money.

[HerbalEd]

On 12/28/2016 at 4:40 PM, johninbkk71 said:

There's been a recall on iPhone 6's. If it is one of the ones that has been recalled it will be replaced for free. Retailers were meant to return any they had not sold.

There has been no recall on iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus. 

[Glock3am]

15 hours ago, maxisrael said:

It is a 3 year insurance ( sorry not warranty) with you can buy for about 2.000 baht and covers accident(s) and repairs in this period with are not the 'normal' defects within the warranty period of the manufacturer, luckily today they ( insurance company) will   pick-up the TV for repair if the damage is greater than 70 to 80 percent of the value they will pay that one out, this percentage is going down over the 3 year period, so we will see what will happen bought in the meantime a 2 year old  43 inch LG 3D TV .....................

 

Ah OK, my apologies then mate. That's pretty rare to have cover like that, it seems pretty open for abuse, e.g. once the TV is nearing the end of a good amount of value within the cover amount, an "accident"  may happen, and you get compensated and buy a nice upgraded model!