Apple services in Brazil
Apple services in Brazil
The title of this column is maybe not right, but…. read on.
Past years we heard about some … crazy experiences with Apple services in Brazil. To prevent any lawsuits from the Brazilian companies against our website we will not mention their company names and locations. Our first experience is a kind of consumer experience… the second one is about a professional services that is needed for Apple video edit and animation workstations at a company that produces corporate videos for major companies.
The consumer experience.
Some time ago an iPhone 5 started to suffer from bad batteries. This device was about 2 years ‘old’ at that moment. The iPhone was bought in Europe. The owner moved to Brazil and is living there. At the same time Apple started to replace defective iPhone 5 batteries back in 2014… for free… worldwide. On the Apple website you could check if your iPhone 5 could get this free battery replacement by adding your serial number on the Apple website. Yes… this iPhone 5 could get new ones for free.
The consumer made an appointment with a Brazilian company that is pointed out by Apple on their own website. So we are talking here about an official Apple iPhone repair center. The consumer traveled off for a 3 hour trip by busses, metro and taxi. This official Apple repair center welcomed the consumer, got his phone and started to work on it. After a 30 minute wait they came back with the phone telling the consumer that they cannot change his battery because the phone was bought abroad. The consumer explained he is a foreigner and that he bought the iPhone in the country that he lived at that time. They said that it is not possible to exchange the batteries in the ‘foreign’ iPhone 5. Sadly they also erased the whole phone because of privacy reasons they said, without asking the consumer in advance. The consumer could't use his phone anymore that day because his backup was only on iTunes on his computer at home and not in his iCloud.
Great!
The consumer went of for a second option, another official Apple service center nearby. Over there he was also told that they do not repair foreign phones. This store told the consumer that it would be better to go to the official Apple Store. After a 1,5 hour trip the consumer arrived. One of the so called Genius Bar people told him the same thing… with an addition. The repairs of foreign Apple phones is forbidden by Brazilian Law (Anatel). The ‘Genius Bar’ person also told the consumer that he could get the new free batteries in Europe. Ok, let’s buy a R$3000 plane ticket than to get some free batteries .. crazy!
So… the consumer who was entitled to get free batteries for his iPhone 5 by Apple did not get this ‘worldwide’ service of Apple because of a specific Brazilian law in forbidding that. Nothing of this is mentioned on Apple’s website… they even point you as consumer out to these official Service centres to get the free replacement batteries. The consumer was now forced to go to a 3rd party who installed some new batteries in his iPhone 5 and they have worked since than without a flaw. The consumer lost at least one whole day by communication, traveling and such and in the end he has to pay for these new batteries. We are honest that Apple contacted the consumer to help him out after this, but yeah… batteries were there and iPhone 5 worked. The help from Apple came too late.
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Service for audio visual professionals.
The second story is from an international postproduction company with edit suites in Brazil, specialized in producing corporate videos for big companies. At their Brazilian edit suites Apple’s are running FinalCutPro X and Motion. The machines they use are high spec and will costs about R$ 15.000 till R$ 20.000 each. Because the Apple products are of very high quality you can use them for editing and such for more than 6 years this postproduction company tells us. After those 6 years they can still be used for a lot of other jobs within the company.
One day one of their edit-machines did not start up any more. The machine was an iMac 27” inch from 2012, almost 6 years old. The machine was normaly left on 24 hours a day… was never turned off for more than a year for sure. But… it had a problem. The company called 2 official Apple service centers in a big city in Brazil. Specialized in repairs and official recommended by Apple on their website.
The phone call was short and clear. The employee explained that they not repairs Macs that are older than 5 years. When they were asked if the iMac must be thrown into the trash than they did not answer… or even trying to give a solution for the Postproduction company who spend already al lot of money in buying these iMac's.. Service with a smile again! By one phonemail the Apple service center lose a client.
The Postproduction company was also forced to turn to a 3rd part repair center and they solved it. After an inspection by the company the ‘old’ iMac was repaired, cleaned and also got a new Harddisk installed for R$ 1500 within 2 weeks. They also installed a new operatig system for free.
Amazing service from this 3rd party repair center.
Conclusion.
It seems that the official Apple centers, repair centers and even the Apple stores themselves cannot deliver the service Apple promises worldwide… even when it is guarantee or a refund for free replacement batteries. As we know a lot of Brazilians buy their phone, laptops and tablets in the USA or Europe and bring this to Brazil after their holiday. If they cannot be repaired by Apple… what will or can Apple do? What can Apple do if we talk here about a special Brazilian law?
The regulation of ANATEL is the basis of any and all commercial contract involving Smartphones in Brazil. If the device is not homologated by ANATEL a repair or refund is forbidden by law. This counts for all Smartphone brands, also Samsung and LG.
Worse it is for Audiovisual professionals who has to turn to a 3rd party when their edit tools are older than 5 years. Of course there will be user experiences from Apple owners who are different than the ones mentioned in this column, but still… just for you to know that nothing is granted, even when you spend your R$’s on a quality Apple product. It would be honest from Apple to mention this on their Brazilian website and also point out maybe to some 3rd party repair centres who can help out to repair these expansive quality devices. We will mention already one 3rd party developer who works very professional and gives a honest good price, iTec-Solution in Santos. If you know also a good quality Apple 3rd party repair centre… contact us. We will be happy to mention them here.
Apple delivers a great service worldwide, but cannot give it in Brazil
would be a better title for this column.
Meanwhile Anatel is not resting in their hammocks, read this article from MacMagazine, Anatel começa a bloquear celulares irregulares.
René Schaap
More info you can find on his LinkedIn: br.linkedin.com/in/connectingmedia follow him on Twitter René_Schaap
mentioned:
Apple
Cnet article - Apple will replace your defective iPhone5 battery for free
Anatel
3rd Party Apple repair centers:
iTec Solution Santos