Apple's error 53 kills your iPhone, bad news for Irish Apple owners!

drunkmonkey

This could effect thousands of consumers in Ireland as there is no official apple repair centre outside of Apple themselves.

Full article from the Guardian here http://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/feb/05/error-53-apple-iphone-software-update-handset-worthless-third-party-repair

Apples response says its there to protect security http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/feb/06/apple-says-iphone-error-53-is-to-protect-customers-security
(It's a point but I don't believe that's the true motive)

The problem is if you broke your screen and got it repaired with anyone besides Apple and you upgrade the software on your phone it becomes bricked and unusable again as well as making your data unrecoverable.

This is like Volkswagen making your car swerve off the road and kill itself against a wall all because you used Mr Windscreen when you broke your car windows and the claiming it's a health and safety issue why your car needs to die as its not as safe without a Volkswagen fitted window screen.

Not only is this ludicrous for Apple to do to it's customers it's also going to destroy the repair business in Ireland of Apple products containing Touch ID like iPads and iPhones.

Is there anything in the law here or the EU to protect consumers from this kind of practice from manufacturers?

v10

Is it not just the case if the phone was repaired with non-genuine parts ?

Also Fonfix (fonfix.ie) are an Apple Authorised Repair Centre, there is probably more too.

gctest50

drunkmonkey wrote: »

This is like Volkswagen making your car swerve off the road and kill itself against a wall all because you used Mr Windscreen when you broke your car windows and the claiming it's a health and safety issue why your car needs to die as its not as safe without a Volkswagen fitted window screen. ..................

No, it's more like replacing the central locking setup with a cheap spurious part

And then whinging when it won't open the doors and you can't get your USB stick off the dashboard that has all your kitten pictures on it

If the car was stolen your USB stick would be gone anyway

Back your stuff up - it's not rocket science

And then more whinging when the cheap spurious central locking unit blitzes every electronic component in the car

drunkmonkey

v10 wrote: »

Is it not just the case if the phone was repaired with non-genuine parts ?

Also Fonfix (fonfix.ie) are an Apple Authorised Repair Centre, there is probably more too.

Call Apple, there is no authorised Apple repair centre, fonefix is Vodafone as far as I'm aware they are not official and Apple will not send you directly to them.

drunkmonkey

gctest50 wrote: »

No, it's more like replacing the central locking setup with a cheap spurious part

And then whinging when it won't open the doors and you can't get your USB stick off the dashboard that has all your kitten pictures on it

If the car was stolen your USB stick would be gone anyway

Back your stuff up - it's not rocket science

And then more whinging when the cheap spurious central locking unit blitzes every electronic component in the car

Don't agree with you, as for stating back up your stuff not most people do it every day. Also the central locking system can be repaired with a genuine part if the oem one doesn't work. The same can't happen with your phone as once you try the oem part Apple will never fix your phone while VW will fix your car.

machiavellianme

gctest50 wrote: »

No, it's more like replacing the central locking setup with a cheap spurious part

And then whinging when it won't open the doors and you can't get your USB stick off the dashboard that has all your kitten pictures on it

If the car was stolen your USB stick would be gone anyway

Back your stuff up - it's not rocket science

And then more whinging when the cheap spurious central locking unit blitzes every electronic component in the car

Probably the exact same part made in the exact same factory by the exact same worker except they don't get stamped with a little apple logo.
What if I happen to make my own version and fit it myself to my own phone? Do I need to be protected from myself? Even though I'm a capable, competent and certified chartered engineer and the chap in the factory making it on apples behalf is little more than an unskilled worker drone?

If I pay for something and own it outright, I expect to be able to do as I please with it (as long as within the bounds of the law). I wouldn't like the builder of my house to burn it down because I replaced a broken door handle with one I got in woodies and not one from him - this is the equivalent of what apple are doing.

gctest50

Better example : Suppose you've a 737 as a private jet

You won't be getting that fixed by some random engineer

drunkmonkey

gctest50 wrote: »

Better example : Suppose you've a 737 as a private jet

You won't be getting that fixed by some random engineer

You'd expect to be able to change a tire in what ever airport you get the puncture in without the plane switching to auto pilot and killing everyone on board as you didn't fly a Boeing engineer to knock to fix the puncture.
This is malicious software breaking a working product, it's about as anti consumer as you can get, I know of no other manufacturer who deliberately makes a product you own useless for no other reason than you didn't use an authorised Apple repair Center when no such repair centre exists in Ireland. Apple themselves send any repairs out of the country to I think Germany for repair.

Let me give you this example, you live in Bruff, both your parents have just been killed in the private jet which flew itself into a mountain as quickfit in knock just changed a tire, you drop your phone in shock hearing the news and crack the screen, now the guy down the road can have it back to you on 20 minutes fixed for €80 or do you call Apple and wait two weeks for it to be repaired costing €160 and miss out on contacting a lot of people for the funeral as you don't have their numbers and your phone wasn't backed up, you can only get your data if the local store does it as Apple will not fix your phone without deleting the data.
Well what do you do, and do you still think it's a fair practice by Apple?

Pat Mustard

gctest50 wrote: »

No, it's more like replacing the central locking setup with a cheap spurious part

And then whinging when it won't open the doors and you can't get your USB stick off the dashboard that has all your kitten pictures on it

To use a similarly VW themed example, if you replaced the locks in your VW car, using a non-VW mechanic, you wouldn't expect VWs software to make your car completely undriveable forever and for VW to refuse to resolve the issue, subsequently.

I imagine that there would be a product recall accompanied by a cringing apology and the issue would be resolved quickly.

And if it the issue was not resolved, people wouldn't just whinge. They would be likely to take advice regarding legal action.

It's a bit flippant to dismiss this issue as 'whinging'.

drunkmonkey

Pat Mustard wrote: »

And if it the issue was not resolved, people wouldn't just whinge. They would be likely to take advice regarding legal action.

A class action suit has begun in the states and some apple stores have started to replace 3rd party screens,
http://www.macrumors.com/2016/02/11/apple-facing-error-53-class-action-lawsuit/

We're in trouble here though as there's no Apple Store in the country and anyone that's used any of the networks repair centers is potentially carrying a ticking time bomb.
Would the consumer agency here get involved or would it be up to an individual to take legal action.

thisistough

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Call Apple, there is no authorised Apple repair centre, fonefix is Vodafone as far as I'm aware they are not official and Apple will not send you directly to them.

This isn't true, I smashed my screen yesterday, called Apple this morning who advised that compuB are authorised. They advised using them as opposed to sending direct to apple as it is quicker and they don't need to put a hold on your credit card while the repair is being done.

drunkmonkey

thisistough wrote: »

This isn't true, I smashed my screen yesterday, called Apple this morning who advised that compuB are authorised. They advised using them as opposed to sending direct to apple as it is quicker and they don't need to put a hold on your credit card while the repair is being done.

I didn't know compuB were authorised for phones, did they tell you anywhere else or just them?

gctest50

drunkmonkey wrote: »

......

Would the consumer agency here get involved or would it be up to an individual to take legal action.

Is their ass covered in the warranty ?

(f) to damage caused by service (including upgrades and expansions) performed by anyone who is not a representative of Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (“AASP”);


http://www.apple.com/legal/warranty/products/uk-ireland-universal-warranty.html

drunkmonkey

gctest50 wrote: »

Is their ass covered in the warranty ?

I can't see how, there breaking working phones via a software update, that's malicious.
It looks like their in breach of American and UK law, my question is there anything in the law here that stops rouge companies like Apple doing this.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Solution: don't buy Apple products. :pac:

Seriously though, that's ridiculous.

thisistough

drunkmonkey wrote: »

I didn't know compuB were authorised for phones, did they tell you anywhere else or just them?

Well I had called compuB first so when I called apple it sounded like they were checking a list for the area and when he said compuB we just started talking about them as they're the most convenient for me. I thought it was interesting though that apple actually recommend using compuB as opposed to the apple service due to timeframes. CompuB told me they send the device to apple if I heard them correctly. Afair they quoted approx €144

Discodog

Many years ago there was an issue, in the UK, where BMW said they wouldn't honour warranties unless the car had been dealer serviced. I think that they were taken to the European Court because they backed down.

They also tried to stop non authorised dealers selling new cars & they lost that one too.

Victor

gctest50 wrote: »

Is their ass covered in the warranty ?

I would think not. As I understand it, it is the action of Apple that has rendered the phones inoperable, sometimes long after the repaired.

Losty Dublin

Victor wrote: »

I would think not. As I understand it, it is the action of Apple that has rendered the phones inoperable, sometimes long after the repaired.

A lot of electrical and mechanical equipment warranty's stipulate that repairs or servicing by unqualified or unregistered people or repair centres may render the warranty invalid. How strictly they adhere to such clauses is another thing

BattleCorp

Non legal opinion here but I would think that the apple warranty would clear them of liability if anybody went to them with their phone after unauthorised work by a third party. In this event they would have no liability for repair or replacement.

However, I doubt there is a warranty that would allow you to purposely break a product because of third party repairs.

Steve

Speaking as an engineer, there is probably something in the 3rd party replacement that is not 100% compatible with the OS.
When an update is released that invokes a feature that the spurious screen doesn't support then it bricks itself.

Now, given that we all carefully read the t&c before pressing 'I accept' (lol) then it's not unreasonable to think there was a warning in there somewhere.

adox

Aren't Mactivate now an authorised repair centre for iPhones?

Losty Dublin

adox wrote: »

Aren't Mactivate now an authorised repair centre for iPhones?

They have been pretty much since the first iPhones came out here.

drunkmonkey

Losty Dublin wrote: »

They have been pretty much since the first iPhones came out here.

Why have Apple never said that any time I've been on the phone to them, I've used compuB and mactivate for Mac repairs but any time I've called with iPhone issues they said there is no authorised repair centre for iPhone.
Not doubting you just don't know why they would send me to one for my Mac but not for my phone repair.

whippet

There is nowhere in the republic of Ireland that is an authorised iPhone or iPad repair centre.

The reality is even apple themselves don't repair these devices. If you smash a screen or dunk it in water Apple will take it back and replace it with a refurb or new unit at a cost . something in the region of €200 - they call it a repair.

All these independent shops repairing these devices do so with parts they have sourced themselves (probably china) and are not supported or quality checked by Apple.

I had a iPhone 4 which had it screen replaced by an independent shop and the proximity sensors never worked after the repair.

If you bring your iOS device to any of the Authorised repair centres they will just facilitate the return to Apple - they will not open or replace parts (officially).

drunkmonkey

That's my understanding as well Whippet but 2 posters have stated that Mactivate and CompuB repair them, I find this hard to believe as it contradicts what Apple support say.
I believe they can drop them in but they are not repaired by either business they only facilitate the return to Apple.

Regardless of who repairs what the issue here is Apple breaking working phones. That can not be legal. At the very least a warning should pop up when doing a software update stating that if this phone has ever been repaired by anyone besides Apple you should not update the software as it will render your phone unusable and your data will not be recoverable. Burying some legal term on page 35 of the t's & c's is not anywhere acceptable.

gaz wac

Ive had iPhone for the past 6-7 years...would never have even thought of changing...until I heard this! Got a number of stuff fixed in the local "phone shop", still not cheap, but this is redic!

Tar.Aldarion

The excuse is pathetic that they are giving btw, quite transparent. They could have easily just disabled that one kind of security and allow the normal pin/swipe to get into your phone.

Dyr

Apple are technology gypsies, I wouldn't trust them with anything

Lat time I checked there was no apple repair option for the Ireland...phone has to be sent off to the UK

thisistough

drunkmonkey wrote: »

That's my understanding as well Whippet but 2 posters have stated that Mactivate and CompuB repair them, I find this hard to believe as it contradicts what Apple support say.
I believe they can drop them in but they are not repaired by either business they only facilitate the return to Apple.

Regardless of who repairs what the issue here is Apple breaking working phones. That can not be legal. At the very least a warning should pop up when doing a software update stating that if this phone has ever been repaired by anyone besides Apple you should not update the software as it will render your phone unusable and your data will not be recoverable. Burying some legal term on page 35 of the t's & c's is not anywhere acceptable.

When I talked to Compu. They confirmed that they return device to Apple for repair

Losty Dublin

drunkmonkey wrote: »

That's my understanding as well Whippet but 2 posters have stated that Mactivate and CompuB repair them, I find this hard to believe as it contradicts what Apple support say.
I believe they can drop them in but they are not repaired by either business they only facilitate the return to Apple.

Regardless of who repairs what the issue here is Apple breaking working phones. That can not be legal. At the very least a warning should pop up when doing a software update stating that if this phone has ever been repaired by anyone besides Apple you should not update the software as it will render your phone unusable and your data will not be recoverable. Burying some legal term on page 35 of the t's & c's is not anywhere acceptable.

All I know and can say is that Apple's website lists CompuB and Mactivate as iPhone service agents. What they both do with faulty handsets when presented with them is up to them

gctest50

ERROR 53 FIX FROM APPLE

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205628

drunkmonkey

gctest50 wrote: »

ERROR 53 FIX FROM APPLE

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205628

I don't see any mention of a fix there besides contact apple support.

A class action has launched against Apple, BMW lost in court on pretty similar ground and thus was born the right to repair. Hopefully the people taking the case now don't back down and win the rights to repair.

gctest50

drunkmonkey wrote: »

I don't see any mention of a fix there besides contact apple support.

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For anyone who experienced error 53, Apple has released an update to iOS 9.2.1 to allow you to successfully restore your device using iTunes on your Mac or PC.

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