Share your Apple store experience.

[Reneo]

I had been having extremely poor battery life on my Iphone 6 for months, it was to be expected, iv had the phone for quiet some time now. It just wouldn't hold a charge, id listen to one podcast in the morning while getting ready for work and before i could walk out the door i'm already at 50%. I went in on a Wednesday, just to check price and time because i was really busy that day. The guy at the counter didn't make eye contact and didn't smile ( Im okay with this, i dont really expect anyone working customer service to be happy their working in customer service, its just that, its APPLE!!! you know)

He quoted me R490 for the replacement and an hour of wait time and i didn't have to make an appointment if the store was quiet. This was great, i expected R1000 with a longer wait time. I decided to make an appointment anyway for the next day, just in case. I show up on time say i have an appointment and im attended to by a different guy, the guy i spoke to on the previous day wasn't there. New guy types away at his computer, doesn't look up once, proceeds to remove the sim from my phone and then tell me i will receive a message when my phone is done in an hour (i had given another contact number) and tells me the price for the replacement is R650, am i okay with that?

Baffled, i explained i had been quoted R490 the previous day, he said that the price is on his system, going back and forth i decided not to make a fuss about it, it probably was just labor that wasn't added to the R490 and it was still cheaper than what i expected, so whatever, right? I hand in the phone get my ticket number and go off to eat. An hour and 45 go by and still no sms. I go back to the store, to find my phone had been ready 45 minutes earlier and no one bothered to message.

Eyes almost popping out of their sockets now I accept my phone back from a completely different guy who asks me to insert my sim go to the battery tab in settings and wait. While waiting he hands me my receipt, my total is now R987!!! I kicked off, how is this possible? Why have i been given three different prices? How can you do this to your customers? blah blah blah. The guy said he couldn't do anything for me, and like an idiot i didnt have any of the quoted prices on paper.

The ticket i received earlier just had a reference number and no price. Feeling like a mad person i caved, paid for my phone and sulked all the way home. Im curious to know if this was just a random set of circumstances or if anyone else has had a bad experience?

TLDR- I was quoted three different prices for a battery replacement and ended up paying the price i expected!

 

[gfmalan]

All my interactions with Canal Walk iStore were positive.

My 6s battery were replaced under the replacement program few years back, all I didn’t like was the time it took for a battery replacement, WeFix do screen and battery replacements while you have a meal, iStore took 10+ days.
(but I were givin an estimate date)

I would bring poor customer service up with management, if it was Checkers, I don’t care, but a premium brand store would hear from me! I spend a lot of money with them, they can atleast smile and be friendly while they take my money!

 

[The Darkness]

Just be aware that WeFix use generic parts and their batteries are unverified and the phones don't pick up the diagnostics. The iPad screen they replaced for me was sub standard. Will NEVER use WeFix ever again as they don't tell people this fact at all. I avoid them

 

[gfmalan]

Just be aware that WeFix use generic parts and their batteries are unverified and the phones don't pick up the diagnostics. The iPad screen they replaced for me was sub standard. Will NEVER use WeFix ever again as they don't tell people this fact at all. I avoid them

I agree with you, did 2 screen replacements, and it just “feel” different, luckily it wasn’t my phones.

That’s why I waited for iStore...

 

[Asgard85]

iStore has almost put me off of using Apple products as long as I am in South Africa. I have dealt with the branch in Clearwater Mall and have found them to be unhelpful and apathetic.

My Apple TV has been packed away in a cupboard because after numerous in-store appointments and sending the thing away they finally told me that the remote had packed up and I needed to replace it at a cost of R1850.90. They are beyond bonkers.

I would only enter their store if I desperately needed to relieve myself à la that FNB client because as far I am concerned they are a toilet. I really like Apple products and am well integrated into the ecosystem but I refuse to do business with the local representatives directly. I have not bought a new Apple product since and won't while mine are still in working order. When they give up I will re-evaluate my options.

To summarize:
Aftersales = piss poor
Staff attitude = piss poor
Replacement quote = f*cking crazy

I don't think they do a very good job representing the most valuable brand in the world.

 

[The Darkness]

iStore has almost put me off of using Apple products as long as I am in South Africa. I have dealt with the branch in Clearwater Mall and have found them to be unhelpful and apathetic.

My Apple TV has been packed away in a cupboard because after numerous in-store appointments and sending the thing away they finally told me that the remote had packed up and I needed to replace it at a cost of R1850.90. They are beyond bonkers.

I would only enter their store if I desperately needed to relieve myself à la that FNB client because as far I am concerned they are a toilet. I really like Apple products and am well integrated into the ecosystem but I refuse to do business with the local representatives directly. I have not bought a new Apple product since and won't while mine are still in working order. When they give up I will re-evaluate my options.

To summarize:
Aftersales = piss poor
Staff attitude = piss poor
Replacement quote = f*cking crazy

I don't think they do a very good job representing the most valuable brand in the world.

you don't need the remote. just use the iphone remote app

 

[satanboy]

Just be aware that WeFix use generic parts and their batteries are unverified and the phones don't pick up the diagnostics. The iPad screen they replaced for me was sub standard. Will NEVER use WeFix ever again as they don't tell people this fact at all. I avoid them

Thanks for the heads-up

 

[Spizz]

Just be aware that WeFix use generic parts and their batteries are unverified and the phones don't pick up the diagnostics. The iPad screen they replaced for me was sub standard. Will NEVER use WeFix ever again as they don't tell people this fact at all. I avoid them

I’ve replaced batteries on 2 x 6s with generic batteries.

The one I got at Cellucity in Somerset Mall doesn’t show up in diagnostics, but the one I replaced at some little cellphone repair shop in London does.

But either way, I’m quite happy to use generic as price is a lot less and the instant boost is massive on a failed old Apple battery. And on an old phone, they’ll probably last longer than the phone itself anyway.

 

[Asgard85]

you don't need the remote. just use the iphone remote app

They reset the whole device when they booked it in.
To use the phone app both need to be connected to the same wifi network. To connect the Apple TV to wifi in the first place, effectively starting the device from zero, needs.....a remote.

 

[vinodh]

You could also try getting hold of the old aluminium remote that came with the 2nd and 3rd Apple TVs. They also work on the new Apple TVs but are a lot cheaper.

 

[t_girl]

...
My Apple TV has been packed away in a cupboard because after numerous in-store appointments and sending the thing away they finally told me that the remote had packed up and I needed to replace it at a cost of R1850.90. They are beyond bonkers.
...

My Apple TV remote stopped working a couple of years ago out of the blue - it wouldn't charge, or turn the tv on - nothing had happened to it, it just wouldn't work. I'd had my AppleTV just over a year. I still had my previous AppleTV sitting unused so I just used its remote which worked great, then it started giving out a few weeks ago - I assume it's because it's nearly 7 years old. I went into the istore to find out prices, but then decided to give the "new" one last try and suddenly after charging it worked. Still not sure what the issue was.

 

[Asgard85]

My Apple TV remote stopped working a couple of years ago out of the blue - it wouldn't charge, or turn the tv on - nothing had happened to it, it just wouldn't work. I'd had my AppleTV just over a year. I still had my previous AppleTV sitting unused so I just used its remote which worked great, then it started giving out a few weeks ago - I assume it's because it's nearly 7 years old. I went into the istore to find out prices, but then decided to give the "new" one last try and suddenly after charging it worked. Still not sure what the issue was.

Ja I have all but given up on my Apple TV.
I eventually managed to set my iPhone up as the remote by plugging the Apple TV into the router to get them on the same network, but then after a while the Apple TV stopped recognizing any Wifi networks at all and my router is not in a useful place. So back into the cupboard it went.
Utter rubbish, those things, in my experience.

 

[Jase]

When my ATV4 stopped working (It wouldn't connect to my network) I took it to core the iStore to get a diagnosis. I was quoted R2500 or thereabouts just to book it in. Apparently they just replace the unit and don't do repairs. I took it to WeFix and they discovered the network module was fried (probably lightning) and provided me with a report so I could claim from insurance.

More recently, I took a iPod Nano in as the screen has become 'unglued' (It still works). After a 40 min wait the service agent told me they do not repair but replace and cannot assist as the nano was too old.

So in my books the score 0/2 for core/istore.

 

[TheAssister]

Walked straight in and walked straight out..

Sales rep said I was wasting him

Ended up taking a s10 contract

 

[Wasabee!]

I don't have any Apple products.