Iphone 3g home button is becoming unresponsive

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sonex

37 posts

Geek

Topic # 43560 20-Oct-2009 20:40

As the title states, my iphone 3g home button (now 13 months old) has become a quite unresponsive and it just gets annoying sometimes...

The phone's warranty ran out last month, Is there anything I can do to get this fixed somewhere by someone??? any ideas on the costs ??

Thanks for the help!

sonex

37 posts

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Reply # 266601 24-Oct-2009 20:23

wow not a single reply. great :D

LennonNZ

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Reply # 266602 24-Oct-2009 20:27

Take to the place you got it from and claim under the CGA.. I personally see no problem with them replacing/fix/refund you after 13 months. An iphone should last alot longer

josephhinvest

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Reply # 266610 24-Oct-2009 20:56

Yah my 1st gen is having same problem. Sometimes does not register home button being pressed. Have seen a taken apart iPhone with a lot of dust and junk that prevents button from clicking properly.
I will put off opening up my phone until it becomes much worse!

sonex

37 posts

Geek

Reply # 266721 25-Oct-2009 18:55

hmm claiming remedy under the CGA sounds alright but doesnt that remove the purpose of the warranty?? I mean people could claim goods to be fixed or replaced under CGA even though the warranty has run out...

you are right though its a $1000 device and having something so stupid breaking on it is just unacceptable. This phone doesnt even have a scratch on it ( it has been very well looked after) and now i get this problem with the home button...

What do you suggest i say to the person at the counter ( who is probably clueless and will most likely tell me to piss off after finding out my warranty has expired)?? This phone was bought in vodafone St Lukes.

Thanks

boby55

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Reply # 266723 25-Oct-2009 19:22

sonex: hmm claiming remedy under the CGA sounds alright but doesnt that remove the purpose of the warranty?? I mean people could claim goods to be fixed or replaced under CGA even though the warranty has run out...

you are right though its a $1000 device and having something so stupid breaking on it is just unacceptable. This phone doesnt even have a scratch on it ( it has been very well looked after) and now i get this problem with the home button...

What do you suggest i say to the person at the counter ( who is probably clueless and will most likely tell me to piss off after finding out my warranty has expired)?? This phone was bought in vodafone St Lukes.

Thanks

Thats the point, If you warrenty has expired your $1100 phone should still last for a Reasonable amount of time. That is why we have such laws

LennonNZ

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Reply # 266724 25-Oct-2009 19:25

sonex: hmm claiming remedy under the CGA sounds alright but doesnt that remove the purpose of the warranty?? I mean people could claim goods to be fixed or replaced under CGA even though the warranty has run out...

you are right though its a $1000 device and having something so stupid breaking on it is just unacceptable. This phone doesnt even have a scratch on it ( it has been very well looked after) and now i get this problem with the home button...

What do you suggest i say to the person at the counter ( who is probably clueless and will most likely tell me to piss off after finding out my warranty has expired)?? This phone was bought in vodafone St Lukes.

Thanks

Yes you hit it on the head.. thats the purpose of the CGA.. things should last a certain amount of time and for a $1000 Phone it should last longer than 13 months.

A warrenty is a contract which says for example "I will fix the device if things go wrong for 12 months".

Just say something like. "My iPhone is faulty and under the CGA (Consumer Guarentees Act) I would like it to be fixed as it should last longer than 13 months". If they say anything about the warrenty tell them the warrenty has nothing to do with the problem as it doesn't. The CGA is what is expected under NZ Law.. The Warrenty is the contact which has expired between you and them.

See: http://www.consumeraffairs.govt.nz/mediacentre/wordofadvice/2005/extendedwarrant.html about warrenties and the CGA

sonex

37 posts

Geek

Reply # 266858 26-Oct-2009 13:26

ok thanks for the replies, I am gonna go to them in a week or two and ill report back what happened.

I think they might argue that the currently damaged home button isnt really making the phone unusable, but i tend to use the double tap function (for ipod) a lot, and its really just impossible to get the double tap of the home button to happen ( the button is only sensitive to the left side side and double tapping usually only registers one tap). Its just a freaking hassle and i do want it fixed.

sonex

37 posts

Geek

Reply # 271045 8-Nov-2009 18:06

Hey again,

Ok here is what happened. I went to the vodafone shop in St lukes today where i bought my phone. I told this clueless retard that the phone is not covered under the warranty but it should be under the CGA, but he just kept saying that it has nothing to do with them and refered me to this Phone Repair place on Great South RD where I once had my ipod mini repaired many years ago. I then asked him if this place will consider repairing the phone under the CGA free of cost and he said 'probably not i dont know' etc..

What do you guys think i should do?? How can i get in touch with apple or someone that will actually be able to help me.

I have just finished contract law at the University and I studied the whole CGA. I am therefore well aware that Apple should fix this phone as it it is not free from minor defects and especially after taking the price of the good in to consideration...

Any help please ??

Thanks

LennonNZ

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Reply # 271051 8-Nov-2009 18:32

You shouldn't have to contact apple concerning it.. As you know under the CGA it is between you and the place you got it from . If the person in the shop cannot help you .. ask for the manager and go higher....

Shagy

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Reply # 271661 10-Nov-2009 14:47

same problem with mine
iphone 3g home button is completely unresponsive now
yet to do battle with the shop I purchased it from

josephhinvest

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Reply # 271674 10-Nov-2009 15:31

Yes, the Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA) might be the way to go.

You can read the full act on the .govt.nz website.
You should be aware that it is the "Consumer" guarantees act, and does not cover goods purchased for commercial purposes.
The CGA is not just like a warranty, you have to go to small claims court every time you claim under the CGA.

I think the parts that are relevant to you are;

Guarantee of acceptable quality
Goods must be:
• fit for the purpose they are made for
• safe
• durable - last for a reasonable time

Spare parts and repair facilities
This is a guarantee that a manufacturer must give. Unless the manufacturer has let you know that it is not possible, You have a right to repair facilities -some place that can fix your goods - and spare parts for goods you buy.
This right applies to all new goods.

Rights if goods are faulty
The Act requires the retailer who supplied the goods to sort out any problems. This means a retailer can not tell you to take the problem to the manufacturer. You can choose whether to seek a remedy for the problem from the trader or the manufacturer.

The main grey area, and it is a very big area, is the phrase "for a reasonable time".
I think you could quite reasonably claim that 18 months, say, is an unreasonably short life span for a premium mobile phone.

I would escalate your complaint to the head office of the reseller, do it in writing, and keep records of your correspondence. If you do need to go to Small Claims, you'll need copies. Particularly of letters YOU send.

My only personal comment would be to keep it polite, you're likely to be dealing with minions, not the big boss, there's probably nothing they can personally do about it!

Cheers,
Joseph.

Shagy

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Reply # 274726 20-Nov-2009 12:48

here's what I've done , called apple Australia 0080076667666
described the fault plus the hairline cracks in case
I was given a case number with authorized the replacement of the iphone
was told to go to the nearest VF shop give them the case number
and they will order a replacement - iphones are not repaired they are replaced

went to local VF shop with case number in hand was basically told to go away and
to take the iphone myself to some repair center that's the way Apple insist it's done

called Apple again, Apple said that is incorrect the VF shop should handle all of that for you
we do not repair iphones they are replaced and you should not have to deliver the iphone to any repair shop yourself
Apple then called VF while I was on the line and sorted VF out. VF called the shop I went to and put them straight.

I would recommend calling Apple discussing the problem with them
then tacking the VF outlet, seems their shops don't know the correct procedure
that way your armed with the correct information
Apple are very customer conscious, the help and support I received was fantastic, totally opposite
to the reception I received in the VF shop.

paul151

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Reply # 274897 21-Nov-2009 08:17

Shagy: here's what I've done , called apple Australia 0080076667666
described the fault plus the hairline cracks in case

I would recommend calling Apple discussing the problem with them
then tacking the VF outlet, seems their shops don't know the correct procedure
that way your armed with the correct information
Apple are very customer conscious, the help and support I received was fantastic, totally opposite
to the reception I received in the VF shop.

This is good info Shagy.. thanks for posting it up.

Shagy

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Reply # 275048 21-Nov-2009 22:51

glad to help out :)

Shagy

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Reply # 276399 26-Nov-2009 09:05

follow up on my situation with iphone hairline cracks and unresponsive home key
armed with my Apple case number I took my iphone to mobilefone repairs
in Ellerslie

Mobilefone were very good basically the procedure is their tech checks out the iphone for signs of water damage
being dropped etc and confirms with Apple. They also provided my with a loan ph

I dropped my iphone in at lunch time they called me to let me know the replacement was ready, just as they said they would.
I had my replacement iphone in my hot little hands the same day