Out of warranty hardware problem...where to go next?

Desmo

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My iPhone 6 recently developed a problem where it won't receive a signal from the SIM card. It just sits on "No Network" or "Searching...".

I grabbed a Genius Bar appointment thinking they'd be happy to either swap out or fix free of charge. I mean, it's the famous Apple service we've all heard about right? First time I've ever needed to visit a store with a problem. It's a good condition 2 year old phone and I don't feel that an internal hardware problem is acceptable.

Of course their only solution was for me to pay £270 to get a new iPhone 6 as a replacement. Wasn't happy with this and got the guy to speak to the manager...he stuck to his guns.

So...where do I go from here? Are there any other known email addresses or numbers to take this further?
 
Have you tried contacting the network to swap the SIM. It may be a faulty SIM rather than phone. My wife had a similar problem and a new SIM sorted it.

If you can prove it's a hardware fault then the Sale of Goods Act 1979 states "Under the Act goods must be ‘as described’, 'of satisfactory quality', and 'fit for purpose'. The Act means consumers have the right to ask the retailer to replace or repair any faulty item for up to six years after an item is purchased".

But you have to prove its a manufacturing fault and not wear and tear which could be difficult to prove so long after its manufacture date as you would be claiming the fault was there from new.
 
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The same SIM works in my old iPhone 5 I'm using as a temporary phone. I know the SOGA should help cover me but I'm not sure where to go next? Apple store weren't interested at all. I'm wondering whether email support might be better or maybe a moan on twitter? I'm not really a twitter user although I have an account set up.
 
If it was bought from an Apple store and still within the 2 years they are usually open to repairs FOC.
 
It was September 2 years ago so just over that period. It was a launch day 6.
 
The Sale of Goods Act has also been reinforced by the Consumer Rights Act and your statutory rights last up to six years. The above poster is correct though. You will need to show it is a hardware fault that you did not cause. A replacement SIM or even borrowing someone's SIM (provided the handset is unlocked) will go towards this.
 
Apple have cut back on the adhoc replacements these days partly due to folk taking the micky really with what they were getting replacements for. Sadly that minority have ruined it for the majority and people with genuine issues are having fights to get things sorted. That said what they provide is still streets ahead of other manufacturers.
 
I'd try a different store.
It looks like everything was tracked on their internal system at the time so I assume rocking up to a different store will still show I've visited another with the same problem.
Apple have cut back on the adhoc replacements these days partly due to folk taking the micky really with what they were getting replacements for. Sadly that minority have ruined it for the majority and people with genuine issues are having fights to get things sorted. That said what they provide is still streets ahead of other manufacturers.
Ain't that the truth. Another guy sitting at the same table had a broken phone and claimed he dropped it because it was too hot. The Apple tech looked up the device on their system and said he'd been in for a replacement a while ago with exactly the same issue. The guy just sat there with a straight face and said "yes, I dropped it again because it was too hot"....idiot.
 
Ain't that the truth. Another guy sitting at the same table had a broken phone and claimed he dropped it because it was too hot. The Apple tech looked up the device on their system and said he'd been in for a replacement a while ago with exactly the same issue. The guy just sat there with a straight face and said "yes, I dropped it again because it was too hot"....idiot.
Cracking example right there....Apple had to at some point start cutting down on the amount of free replacements they were giving out.
 
It looks like everything was tracked on their internal system at the time so I assume rocking up to a different store will still show I've visited another with the same problem

Yes, no doubt but it would give you an opportunity to stand your ground and say you don't agree with it and maybe get a more sympathetic response from a different store manager.
 
I often see this so here's a few things to try (if you haven't already):

Hard reset the phone with power+home keys until it reboots.

Clean the SIM card. Even though it works in another phone it's worth a try. A pencil eraser will do a good job without harming the SIM.

Try an air duster aerosol to blow into the SIM slot in case there's dust in there.

If still no joy pinch one of Sinead's emery boards & see if that will fit in the SIM slot to clean the contacts. May need a bit of trimming & go easy!
 
I've not tried all of those....can't hurt to give them a go :)
 
Are you sure it's not a phone provider problem. I had a week of issues with EE where my profile was being relived from their system daily (sometime several times a day) meaning my 6S showed no signal, and the phone would not work with any other SIM card (I have a business sharing account and several handsets). Each time it happened I had to phone EE, they reset my profile, and I could then restart my phone to get back onto the EE network again (until he next time it failed). It happened constantly until on day 5 they managed to 'fix' the underlying problem. Touch wood it's been fine the last few days!
 
@Desmo Vaguely remember this issue a few years ago on my iPhone 4. It was something to do with setting date & time (or time zone) manually rather than network provided - try that?
 
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