Janeway Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 (edited) I had my iPhone replaced through AT&T. I had phone insurance. It was subcontracted through Asurian which is what all the mobile providers use. I received a replacement in June. I actually got the blue screen of death this morning-on my iPhone! So, after calling Apple and not being able to fix it, I took it in to the store, the genius bar. Apple told me it was a knock off phone!!! Not kidding! And they showed me the differences. I am livid. I called AT&T on the way and told them what happened. It took 3 calls to resolve anything at all. And even then, I think they should 100% refund me and they did not. I figure I would have to go higher up the ladder to get a refund for 100%. I Googled Asurian and found thousands of complaints and even mainstream magazines doing articles about it. So, heads up. If you have cell phone insurance through your mobile company, you may wish to read the fine print. Turns out, it says they can use 3rd party materials. But seriously, I do not think that should mean this. I am unsure if what they are doing is even legit. But, they say it is in their contract. Edited August 31, 2016 by Janeway 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in CA Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 OHHHH! I would be livid too. That is really bad. I am so, so sorry. I don't know what I would do, but I would not let go of such fraud. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 That's crazy! I would keep complaining until they replaced it with a real one. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38carrots Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 That's crazy! I would keep complaining until they replaced it with a real one. :iagree: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Yes. I would NOT let this go. And I would let them know you're going to let people know how they're scamming the public (ie via the local news "bad business" segment). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanalouwho Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Oh yeah. I would complain long and loud about that. Every potential customer in a hundred mile radius would hear me. Sent from my HTCD200LVW using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Not with an iphone, but we have been messed over by AT&T more than once. I am not a fan of AT&T!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn121 Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 I absolutely would go higher to get a full refund! That is just wrong. You insured a real Iphone, It should have been replaced with a real iphone. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TX Native Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Curious, what is it that the Apple person showed you that gave your phone away as a fake? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in CA Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 I should admit that I have been scammed by AT&T myself in a different way. They conned dh into buying an expensive cell tower for our home that they KNEW would not work. I can't stand those guys. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 OP: Third party materials is one thing. Counterfeit iPhones is another thing. If the phone you received is Counterfeit, that is not the same as them replacing a defective battery with a non OEM battery (one not made for Apple and branded for them). I believe it is extremely common, for a warranty to give them the right to use Used or Remanufactured parts, or to replace the item with one that is Used or Remanufactured, but to provide the purchaser with a Counterfeit item, to replace a genuine item, does not seem correct to me. Several years ago, there was an "Extra" on Fox News Channel, about Counterfeit goods arriving in the Port of Long Beach. I watched that "Extra" many times, when viewers in the USA were getting commercials. Every day, many thousands of containers arrive there. Some are flagged for inspection, because U.S. Customs has a reason to suspect them. Others are inspected, at random. There are *huge* numbers of Counterfeit goods arriving in the USA, every day. You might contact the Federal Trade Commission. Also, U.S. Customs, if they imported Counterfeit iPhones... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 I absolutely would go higher to get a full refund! That is just wrong. You insured a real Iphone, It should have been replaced with a real iphone. +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janeway Posted August 31, 2016 Author Share Posted August 31, 2016 (edited) Curious, what is it that the Apple person showed you that gave your phone away as a fake? It was a 5s. The edges..on the side....so..going from back to side to front..that direction, were rounded. On the real one, they are sharper. On the real one, it is an etched nickel on the sides and back, but then shiny silver on the edges. On the real one, the parts are...hard to describe this..but...the parts are flat and squared? The fake was rounded and not so flat. It puffed out and was not lined up..the parts. I wish I had taken a picture of it. But finally..the battery was not an apple battery and it had expanded. The coloring was slightly different. Edited August 31, 2016 by Janeway 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janeway Posted August 31, 2016 Author Share Posted August 31, 2016 I should admit that I have been scammed by AT&T myself in a different way. They conned dh into buying an expensive cell tower for our home that they KNEW would not work. I can't stand those guys. We want to switch providers ASAP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 My wife is in the Kitchen now and I went in and told her about what they did to the OP and what my reply was. My wife's immediate reaction was that the OP is the victim of FRAUD. Here in Colombia, this would be a Criminal matter. The OP bought an iPhone which was later replaced with a COUNTERFEIT phone. The OP thought she had an iPhone, when she went into the Apple store. The OP did not purchase a Counterfeit phone. The OP purchased an iPhone. There's a big difference. We would raise hell if we were victims of this kind of fraud. The OP is the innocent victim of fraud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Whatever you do, try filing a police report and a report with the attorney general of your state. It's reports like this that get them to file class action lawsuits on behalf of consumers in your state. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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