International Warranty - Yes or No?

[Sambora]

Hello,

 

I was told by an iStudio employee that purchases made at the Apple (Online) Store are covered by a one year international warranty, whereas resellers such as iStudio only give a one year Thailand-only warranty for purchases made from there. Is that correct? What are your experiences with warranty cases here?

[recom273]

It depends upon what you buy. I think generally, it’s an international warranty. but it seems iPhones may be local only.

 

https://www.apple.com/legal/warranty/

 

Why don’t you call Apple and ask them.

 

‭001 800 656957‬

 

It’s a weird number but you will end up in Singapore and pay local rate charges. 
 

Helpful and efficient service.

 

I wouldn’t believe anything an istudio employee told me. 

[Searat7]

I have always bought from Apple.com here because I was told the warranty was different at the I-Studio stores. Now you can buy products at the Apple store too which is the same as buying from their website.

[SWW]

iStudio (as a reseller) only cover products that were bought from them, and only have a presence here in Thailand. However, if you buy any Apple product anywhere, it is covered by Apple (as the manufacturer) worldwide.

 

Back in the day, I bought an iPhone from a dodgy seller in MBK before it was available in Thailand. Eleven months later I went to the US for business. During the four(!) flights it took me to get to the hub of civilisation that is Indianapolis, the iPhone's screen had started to delaminate, so I had a smudge at the top quarter of the screen. Fortunately there was an Apple store near where I was staying in Indianapolis, and I took the phone there to see if I could get it repaired. The person at the store said "oh, that's not right. Let me check the warranty". I said I had not bought it first hand and had bought it overseas, and she said the hardware was covered by their warranty no matter where it was bought. She said it still had eleven days of warranty left, and told me to come back in an hour when she would give me a replacement. I told her the phone was sold as 'unlocked' (no carrier lock) and she said she would make sure the replacement was unlocked too.

 

Total cost was zero, and I have bought iPhones ever since.

[ExpatNP]

1 hour ago, recom273 said:

It depends upon what you buy. I think generally, it’s an international warranty. but it seems iPhones may be local only.

 

https://www.apple.com/legal/warranty/

 

Why don’t you call Apple and ask them.

 

‭001 800 656957‬

 

It’s a weird number but you will end up in Singapore and pay local rate charges. 
 

Helpful and efficient service.

 

I wouldn’t believe anything an istudio employee told me. 

Good luck with that, they haven't been answering for 3 weeks now. ????

[ExpatNP]

This probably doesn't help, but years ago, I had a Powerbook repaired in the UK that had been purchased in Singapore.

[Sterling]

I bought an iPhone X brand new in the US with Applecare+ (note the plus at the end) which they advertise as having international coverage. The phone broke in the Philippines and when I took it in, they refused to cover it because the Applecare (no plus) there only covers inside the country. I was able to get Apple in the US to repair it for free but it had to be sent to Singapore first and was a pretty stressful experience. I was told had I been in Thailand, it would have been exactly the same.

 

If the device you are looking at offers Applecare, check if it is Applecare+ or regular old Applecare (no plus) and read the fine print about international coverage. Good luck!

[Jaxxper]

I bought my iPhone 7 in Central Festival Pattaya and an iPad. Was told both were covered on international warranty. Haven’t tested the warranty on either yet though. 

[Billpro785]

Bought a new Mac Air at i studio in Trat this year. Called Apple in the states, gave them the serial number, and was told the one year warranty was good anywhere in the world at any apple center. Also could extend the warranty, for a price of course   

[tomazbodner]

3 hours ago, SWW said:

iStudio (as a reseller) only cover products that were bought from them, and only have a presence here in Thailand. However, if you buy any Apple product anywhere, it is covered by Apple (as the manufacturer) worldwide.

 

Back in the day, I bought an iPhone from a dodgy seller in MBK before it was available in Thailand. Eleven months later I went to the US for business. During the four(!) flights it took me to get to the hub of civilisation that is Indianapolis, the iPhone's screen had started to delaminate, so I had a smudge at the top quarter of the screen. Fortunately there was an Apple store near where I was staying in Indianapolis, and I took the phone there to see if I could get it repaired. The person at the store said "oh, that's not right. Let me check the warranty". I said I had not bought it first hand and had bought it overseas, and she said the hardware was covered by their warranty no matter where it was bought. She said it still had eleven days of warranty left, and told me to come back in an hour when she would give me a replacement. I told her the phone was sold as 'unlocked' (no carrier lock) and she said she would make sure the replacement was unlocked too.

 

Total cost was zero, and I have bought iPhones ever since.

Was standing next to a guy who bought from Lazada (US model originally) around the time it launched in Thailand, and service centre told him they only accept warranty or repair for items bought in Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. Told him to send it back to US for repair.

 

Makes sense though. iPhone is not the same everywhere. US model (and China model for instance) have different modems.

[Grusa]

Yes.

 

My iPad, purchased at Powerbuy, suffered a wifi failure within warranty period. I went to Powerbuy, told go to iCare in Chonburi. Went there, told yes no problem, there will be a Thb10,000 charge because ??????(bulls**t reason).

 

I said, you do not want to argue on this, because I will win. Go away, they said.

I phoned Apple in California, who gave me a number in Ireland, and I ended up speaking to an Irish lady in Cyprus, who said, No problem. I have the authority to authorise a free replacement. Give me 24 hours then contact I Care again, here are my contact details if you have any problem. iCare replaced the pad foc without further argument.

[recom273]

13 hours ago, ExpatNP said:

Good luck with that, they haven't been answering for 3 weeks now. ????

Really? I called the other night, About 2 weeks ago, at about 9.30 pm - I had an issue with apple store app accepting my debit card, they put me through to a Thai girl who knew more about Kasikorn bank than the bank did after 3 days of investigations, “well sir, it might be this .. what do you mean might be?”.
 

She talked me thorough the procedure to re-verify my card and assured me in 24 hours time that I would be able to purchase an iPad via the app on my phone. 
 

I put the phone down, and an hour later, 10.30 pm I got a call back “sir, if you want to buy the iPad, you can transfer via the app” I thanked her, I knew this already, I just wanted to get the debit card registered once and for all.

 

24 hours later - I used the app to purchase the iPad with my card.

 

I am not doubting you, but I know for a fact they are answering calls and the service is top notch. It must have been that thousand baht the missus scammed off me to spend a weekend down the temple.

[ncc1701d]

This should help with what you want to know. You can change location down the bottom of the page, but don’t think it matters.

 

https://checkcoverage.apple.com/hk/en/;jsessionid=node013xda06y9jolbfwzl6bs7zlu640427.node0

[Ex Machina]

iCare and all these places aren't as good as Apple in the US. 

 

For an Apple-in-the-US customer experience, you need to go to the official Apple Store at Icon Siam in Bangkok.

 

iCare wanted to keep my computer for 3 weeks for a battery replacement - Icon Siam Apple store ordered the part for me, and I only needed to bring it in when the part was there. Was still 2 days because they're so backlogged / overwhelmed with work but it was a good experience. Certainly better than 3 weeks.

An employee even suggested I could buy a new MacBook while mine was being repaired, then return it free of charge inside the 14 day return window. I thought I'd do that but then changed my mind. I wanted to see what it's like to have no computer for 2 days - strangely enough I was working a lot, on the phone - and I also didn't want to abuse the system, like what are they gonna do with the returned machine, refab it and sell it cheaper? It didn't feel right for many reasons.