Beware: Core Group, WeFix and the Apple 6 Battery Replacement Conundrum

[JFT96]

Took my iPhone 6 to the Tygervalley iStore to book it in for that battery replacement program. For some bizarre reason they have a 15 working day turnaround, and the arrogant service technician threw in a little quip that it'll probably take more like a month...

More than a month to send my phone to the Foreshore from Tygervalley and back to me? WTF? Are they using an ox wagon and going via Mossel Bay?

Obviously a ploy to put people off having this done in the first place. Well it worked. I can't be without a phone for a month.

So next step... WeFix.

The admin lady who books the phones in tells me the battery they will replace with is Apple approved. So I book it in and have the battery replaced. I get it back and there is no difference. Phone still lasts like 4 hours in standby because its running at 20% CPU constantly thanks to iOS11.

I then go back to iStore, this time in Somerset West (because the Tygervalley staff are arrogant, pompous morons) and I deal with a much nicer guy there. But because I have had the battery replaced at WeFix, I no longer qualify for the battery replacement at Apple. After a diagnostic, I'm told i'm ineligible for a battery replacement because I no longer have the original battery in my phone. I tell the guy at the iStore that its an "Apple Approved" battery from WeFix and and he phones Core Group head office.

Apparently there is no such thing as "Apple Approved" parts and they confirm that WeFix supply pirated parts and they are a non-authorised Apple service centre. Apparently If WeFix even open your phone to replace a cracked screen you will lose your warranty.

Corporate greed all around from Core, WeFix and Apple. I'm now stuck with a phone that is good for nothing other than to be thrown at someone.

I'm so invested in Apple tech I'm now forced to upgrade my phone to an 8. My watch and macbook are also slowing down gradually. My watch now lasts 8 hours and the battery is dead (this since the last update) and my Macbook Pro Late 2014 is becoming increasingly slower with more OS and app crashes than ever before as I run more MacOS updates.

Everyone thought Mr Robot's Evil Corp was Dell. No. I now think Apple is "Evil Corp".

 

[scud]

Core are pure evil. A lot of people in the same boat with this situation

 

[Muttley]

Late last year dropped my iPhone, screen destroyed - Discovery Insure sent me to WeFix.
Changed the screen but colours were completely wrong and non vivid.
Complained to WeFix, they then informed me that their screens are not original and after they tried a second screen, still had the same problem.
Forced Discovery to replace my phone as they sent me to a non authorised apple repair shop...

I've previously had issues with Core also- they're beyond useless.

 

[MikeCTZA]

Eish not cool. What was your battery health % before you started the whole process? Mine is at 55% and battery says service, phone was bought on iPhone 6 launch day (24 October 2014). I'mm working around the problem by plugging in more often, for now, but far from ideal. Makes me think twice about doing anything battery related.

 

[Sl8er]

/snip

Wait...so your solution is to throw more money at it?
Oy vey (-_-)

 

[Sinbad]

Wait...so your solution is to throw more money at it?
Oy vey (-_-)

Apple locks you in with all their proprietary crap. Once you're in it's expensive to get out.

 

[JFT96]

Wait...so your solution is to throw more money at it?
Oy vey (-_-)

Well what would you do in my situation?

My Apple devices currently in use in my household by various family members:

2 macbooks
3 ipads
1 apple TV
2 apple watches
1 iphone 7 plus
1 iphone 5
2 iphone 6

So I should now move to Android because of Core Group and my dodgy battery. Don't get me wrong, I'm peeved, but don't you think jumping ship to the other Evil Corp' is a bit extreme.

 

[JFT96]

Eish not cool. What was your battery health % before you started the whole process? Mine is at 55% and battery says service, phone was bought on iPhone 6 launch day (24 October 2014). I'mm working around the problem by plugging in more often, for now, but far from ideal. Makes me think twice about doing anything battery related.

IIRC at the time I was first having the problem The device showed it was around 50%. The first diagnostic at Apple showed 32%

After battery replacement at WeFix the guy said he was not getting a battery health reading which I thought was a bit weird.

 

[Sl8er]

Apple locks you in with all their proprietary crap. Once you're in it's expensive to get out.

Well what would you do in my situation?

My Apple devices currently in use in my household by various family members:

2 macbooks
3 ipads
1 apple TV
2 apple watches
1 iphone 7 plus
1 iphone 5
2 iphone 6

So I should now move to Android because of Core Group and my dodgy battery. Don't get me wrong, I'm peeved, but don't you think jumping ship to the other Evil Corp' is a bit extreme.

[OPINION]

I understand that you're invested in the system, but if it were me I would:

1. Have learned a valuable lesson by not putting all my eggs into just the apple basket. (Contrary to apple's terms and conditions, you are actually allowed to buy other devices )
2. Wean myself out of / off of the eco system ASAP. (How? When "upgrade" [or break, in this case] time comes around, not make the same mistake, Ie. Stay in the system / throw more money at it.)

Jumping to "the other Evil Corp" will at least not result in what you're experiencing right now.

 

[JFT96]

[OPINION]

I understand that you're invested in the system, but if it were me I would:

1. Have learned a valuable lesson by not putting all my eggs into just the apple basket. (Contrary to apple's terms and conditions, you are actually allowed to buy other devices )
2. Wean myself out of / off of the eco system ASAP. (How? When "upgrade" [or break, in this case] time comes around, not make the same mistake, Ie. Stay in the system / throw more money at it.)

Jumping to "the other Evil Corp" will at least not result in what you're experiencing right now.

I respect your opinion. My wife doesn't and she told me to tell you to shut up

 

[Sl8er]

I respect your opinion. My wife doesn't and she told me to tell you to shut up

 

[JFT96]

IIRC at the time I was first having the problem The device showed it was around 50%. The first diagnostic at Apple showed 32%

After battery replacement at WeFix the guy said he was not getting a battery health reading which I thought was a bit weird.

Just checked the phone now and the WeFix battery does not display health, so the diagnostic was right.

 

[airborne]

Core are a bunch of k#nts but honestly how can you expect them to replace the battery after wefix has bodged the job. You made the choice to use wefix too late after that.

Should have bought a cheapie 2hnd iPhone for the month core were supposedly going to have the phone for and the resold the cheapie afterwards or kept it as a spare. Actually a great idea would have been to buy another 6 and then have that phones battery replaced once yours was back, then you'd have a spare phone with new battery, win.

 

[epah]

Core is rubbish and yes it shouldn’t take 2 weeks to a month to replace a battery but you decided to take your device to an unauthorized replacement center, Core is not a fault here

 

[reactor_sa]

Just checked the phone now and the WeFix battery does not display health, so the diagnostic was right.

View attachment 514941

Lol, it's more like your old iPhone 6 doesn't have that feature, Apple recommend you upgrade to an X which is the "world first intelligent battery device..... From apple".

 

[SauRoNZA]

This applies to ANY manufacturer who maintains a warranty it’s right there in their terms and conditions and with good reason.

However I agree Core is rubbish.

Digicape wanted me to come in for the diagnosis and then they would order the battery and I can come back for fitment.

My objection to two round trips of 80km later they suddenly changed their tune that in fact diagnostics can be done remotely.

So a phone call and few days later battery was fitted within 20 minutes.

However I'm still not happy with it as the battery health app doesn't detect it.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Just checked the phone now and the WeFix battery does not display health, so the diagnostic was right.

View attachment 514941

My official battery also doesn't display it.

I'm wondering if some kind of reset is required.

It is Beta stuff after all.

The independent Battery Life app reads it just fine though.

 

[tRoN]

My official battery also doesn't display it.

I'm wondering if some kind of reset is required.

It is Beta stuff after all.

The independent Battery Life app reads it just fine though.

Where do you find this battery health menu?

 

[AstroTurf]

Only difference I see between my S7 edge screen replacement and this experience is there are more care stores across the country...

 

[SauRoNZA]

Where do you find this battery health menu?

Need to be on latest iOS.

Then it's under the Settings > Battery section.