## **Many iPhone users in Vietnam are upset because Apple refuses to provide warranty for the device with the reason that it has been “unauthorized modification” despite insisting that there is no 3rd party intervention.** Recently Here, many iPhone users in Vietnam have reported that Apple has refused to provide a warranty for their device on the grounds that “the product has been illegally modified”. On the disclaimer of warranty, Apple does not specify which components have been modified or replaced. The above users claim not to take the device to repair or replace parts at stores that are not authorized by Apple and that the company is denying the warranty “unreasonably”. “The machine was purchased genuine and is still under warranty, why would I take it to be repaired outside when there is an error to lose my benefits. The machine that bought the original seal that Apple said was modified is too ridiculous,” he said. Trung Duc (District 7, Ho Chi Minh City) shared. ## The reason is not clear Not only Mr. Duc, an AASP representative revealed to *Zing* in the period of late 2022 and early 2023, the number of iPhones refused by Apple for warranty tends to increase. The most rejected cases are iPhone 11 and iPhone 13 Pro Max. Ms. Thu Hien (Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City) said she bought the iPhone 13 Pro Max at an authorized Apple retail store (AAR) in August 2022. However, in April, this machine encountered an error of not turning on and losing signal, so she took the device to the place of purchase to request a warranty. After more than 2 weeks of waiting, she was informed by the store that Apple refused to warranty the device because the device was interfered with. Hien affirmed that she has not used 3rd party warranty and repair services since buying the device. Besides, the iPhone 13 Pro Max has not been dropped or dropped in water during use. “I feel frustrated when I spend money to buy genuine products that Apple refuses to warrant for unknown reasons. The store offered to send the device to a 3rd party warranty center and said that it would support the repair fee but I have not accepted,” Hien said. Explaining the lack of clarity of “Apple defect”, the representative of an authorized Apple warranty center (AASP) in Vietnam said that the company did not disclose details to avoid warranty fraud. The company is concerned that many people who specialize in this behavior will understand the warranty verification process and take advantage of it. He also affirmed that Apple Vietnam will not provide evidence if the device shows signs of unauthorized interference to avoid leaking the process out. The company’s carefulness in the warranty verification process is partly due to the fact that there have been many cases of Vietnamese merchants interfering with products to cheat components and equipment. However, there are still many cases of errors that lead to Apple users in Vietnam not enjoying legitimate warranty benefits. “The center has received many cases of refusal of warranty for unknown reasons. There are even some cases of defective machines that have just been unboxed and sent to Apple but are still denied warranty”, this person revealed. ## The right to decide lies with Apple Representatives of AARs in Vietnam said that the retail chain only plays the role of an intermediary to distribute the manufacturer’s products to users. Warranty is Apple’s responsibility, retailer has no right to affect the product. The AASPs also assert that these units do not have the power to decide whether to refuse product warranties, all must go through Apple’s process. Specifically, according to the company’s regulations, after AASP receives the machine from retail chains or users will perform a detailed diagnosis of the error. Next, AASP will check the system to determine if the machine is warranted directly at the center or must be transferred to Apple Vietnam for in-depth inspection of the problem on the mainboard, the chassis or the identifiers of the components inside. machine. “Where the warranty will be specified by Apple’s system, AASP must follow. The AASP side can only refuse when there is photographic evidence that the device has a condition of water, dents or signs of interference. illegally that the naked eye can see”, a representative of an AASP in Vietnam shared. When the machine is denied warranty, retailers and customers will have to complain through Apple’s call center to be re-checked. However, the percentage of equipment that is successfully warranted in the second and even third times is only about 10-20%. Each warranty center can be refused 10-20 devices / month and the reason that Apple gives is always unclear, often the product has been interfered with and repaired illegally.
