O*M*F*G

The other night, the little hardware "Silent" switch fell off the side of my year-old iPhone 3G when I was taking it off mute. As this seemed to result from a defect, and not damage, I decided to see if I could get it fixed under warranty.

I first rang MagnumMac to see if they could tell me if it was covered under warranty, as they are Wellington's only Apple specialist store.

MM: I can't really say for sure. You could try MobilefoneRepair to see if they know, as they're the official repair providers.

Fair enough, I thought, so I gave them a ring.

MFR: Sir, you'll need to bring it in so we can assess to see if there's liquid or impact damage as these will affect the warranty.

Me: But it's only a little switch on the side.

MFR: Sir, we'll still need to check it. Our address is...

Me: Isn't that Auckland? I'm in Wellington.

[...]

That conversation didn't go anywhere near where I needed it to go, so I went into the flagship Vodafone store near work to see if they could help.

VF: It sounds like it should be covered under warranty. Ring this Apple hotline number and they'll give you a case number. Bring that in and we'll get the ball rolling.

I dutifully rang Apple and a very helpful chap told me that the damage would be covered under warranty, and gave me a case number for Vodafone to use. The next day, I took my phone and case number back to the store.

VF: I'm sorry mate, we can't do anything without proof of purchase.

Of course, I wished that they had told me this the day before (rassle frassle). That night, I trawled through boxes and eventually found the original paperwork I was supplied. Next day, back to the store I went.

VF: I'm sorry, this is your contract; we can't do anything without the actual proof of purchase.

Me: But Apple have all the details in their computer.

VF: Sorry, policy says we need the receipt. If you go to the store where you bought it, they'll be able to print your off a copy.

Wearily, I trudged up to Digital Mobile in Manners Mall, where I explained the situation to them.

DM: Oh, we've changed hands since you bought the phone and our records archived. We'll need to send a request to head office in Auckland for a copy, then we'll give you a call and you can come and pick it up.

Me: o_O

Luckily, he thought to ask if I had email (sure... a guy wearing a suit and holding two smartphones doesn'thave email). This means that once he receives the copy, he can forward it onto me, and I can go back to the Vodafone store.

This has been one long drawn-out process, which makes me want to drink. The light at the end of the tunnel is that I'll be given a brand-new iPhone 3G, as they don't do repairs on them. Until then, it's a game of waiting to see what the next blocker will be.