Apple FlatIron Crossing — Local services in Broomfield

(This is long but worth the read. I hope corporate sees it and makes an intentional effort to change management in this store. "Poor" does not capture how negative my experience was. )

This has hands down been the worst experience with an Apple Store in my life. First, they didn't let me check in a little early to drop off the phone. I went in for a simple repair for my phone screen, only for them to fail in every possible way afterwards.

The repair was supposed to take one hour. When I arrived to retrieve my device, they said that it wasn't ready yet because they "disable" it to complete the repair and can't reenable it because their system was down. Mind you, they never shared that they would need to disable the device, but did share that they would contact me if they run into any issues to talk about next steps. I wasn't contacted in any way. I was told that they didn't know how long their system would be down, but could not do anything about it. I provided my friend's number after they requested it to say they could use it to contact me with updates. I waited for nearly 5 hours and, after receiving no update and with closing being near, I went back to the store.

During the time I was waiting for an update, I used my iPad to message Apple's support try to get some information and updates. The representative kept saying that they were going to set up a phone call. I kept explaining that I can't get calls because THEY HAVE MY PHONE. While reviewing my account, they mentioned that my "send in repair would be 3-5 days." I said that I didn't request a send in repair and it was unacceptable. Eventually my friend arrived and I was able to use his phone to talk with Apple. This representative contacted the store and only found out that my phone was "preparing for pick up." I go back to the store.

While at the store, they informed me that they were unable to reenable the phone I sent in for repair and replaced it, without my permission, with a new phone. Now, this sounded great, but also ended up being baffling. The replacement fee was $29. Because they were unable to reenable my old phone, they replaced it and charged the $99 fee, which would be discounted back to the $29 fee. However, they charged the total for the $99 fee and only took off $70, completely ignoring that the tax was calculated using the $99 fee. I declined to pay and asked them to update the price, they did.

After I paid, they informed me that I would then have to active the phone at the Verizon store. Again, this was after I paid. I go to the Verizon store who would have charged me $40 to active this new phone swapped without my permission and related to a botched repair. I went back to the Apple Store and shared the $40 activation fee and the staff said, "Oh they are charging $40, it used to be $35." I explain that the cost was not shared with me by Apple and seemed unfair. THEN this representative tells me that I was actually getting a discount with the phone repair because it's usually $99 and they are only charging me $29. I became immediately frustrated and explained that no, I'm not getting a discount because I came in for a screen repair, not a replacement.

While trying to explain my activation issue, the above representative kept saying the issue was me not being able to have cellular data. I had to keep reiterating that I need to activate my phone. This conversation resulted in nothing. I asked if I can use my old phone to activate my new phone with one of the options they said, "Oh we already erased it."

To make matters even worse, I got not a single acknowledgement of this extremely negatively experience and not a single apology. Jeff, the manager, never spoke a word to me. At the end of the day, literally sat in the back of store near the repair.

Not a single employee made any attempt to make anything right. Not. A. Single. One.

My phone is still not activated.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU AVOID THIS...

APPLE CUSTOMERS BEWARE!!

I broke my screen on my phone so my wife made an appointment to get it fixed. She made an appointment for 1:40PM, yesterday. She got there at 1:30PM. There was only one person in line other than her and several apple associates in the store. She was told the phone would not be complete until 4:30PM. We don't live close to the store, and she has one baby and one toddler in tow. So she had to burn 2.5 hours in the mall. She was okay with this.

She gets there at 5PM, the phone is not done. She is told to wait at one of their tables. She waits an hour. 6PM rolls around. The technician shows her that their machine broke the phone when trying to replace the screen. They give her a new phone. They do not check it with her but send her on her way.

Half-way home, she gets a call from a stranger, "You have my daughter's phone." Our baby is screaming his head off by now because he's tired, restless and hungry; so my wife does not turn around but comes home to tell me what is happening; and she's not even really sure what is happening.

I check the phone number in Settings, sure enough, it's not my phone number. The people who's phone number is in my phone are waiting at the Apple store in the mall for us to return. I have to take our toddler potty, my wife has to change and feed our baby. On the way back to the Apple store I have my wife call my phone number. A stranger picks up the phone. Sure enough, somebody else has my phone number.

We get to the Apple store at approximately 8:40PM. I ask for the manager. One of the technicians recognizes my wife, "Oh, I helped you earlier," he says. Then he proceeds to come over and ask what is wrong. My wife explains it to him. He wants the phone so he can fix the issue and find out what is going on. I let him know I want to wait for the manager. He argues with me and says, "My manager can't do anything, I will be the one to fix this issue." I say, "I'm certain we will need you, but I want your manager to handle this." He replies, "We are close to closing and he is counting the drawers."

The manager comes out and introduces himself as "John." He tries to explain what happened even though the technician is not there who apparently made the mistake. The SIM cards were switched. The stranger's SIM card was put in my phone and my SIM card put into her phone. I let him know that I'm not happy and that I expect him as the manager to do something for me. He does not offer me anything but continues to explain that my data on my phone is fine and there was no breach of privacy.

I explain to him the major inconvenience this has caused me and that it was not our fault. He accepts that but still refuses to offer any compensation. I tell him "I know as the manager you can do something for me, what can you do?" He finally then tells us to pick any case on the wall and he won't charge us for it.

Furthermore, there definitely was a breach of privacy, as the girl who got my phone texted someone and used Facetime while she had my phone number. I got an email the next day saying, you used Facetime at 7:45pm with your Apple ID. Well, I didn't have my phone number at that time and I didn't use Facetime! Also, I got a text this morning from a stranger saying, "Hi Katie, didn't realize you changed your phone number. I found your prescription in the King Sooper trash." If I was a shady person, I could have acted like Katie and tried to get other personal or damaging information. This was definitely a breach of privacy for her and me!

Ultimately, when we left the store, I had a working phone and a free cord (because I didn't want a case). However, this was one of the worst (if not the worst) experience I have ever had...

I’ve previously had what I thought was good service. Now I’m second guessing and feeling like I may have been taken advantage of before. I don’t trust this store to be honest anymore even though they seem to be very nice. They are either incompetent and can’t fix things that I can google and fix or they try to up-sale from the service department.

My iPhone screen broke (phone still worked) so I made an appointment at the Genius Bar. The tech guy said that my phone was twisted (it is very slightly and all my phones end up that way, it seems like a common complaint online) and that they may not be able to get a new screen to calibrate because of it. “It may just be time to upgrade” but they hadn’t even tried. I asked him to try to replace the screen. He said yes but no guarantee it’ll work. Totally fine. I come back at my time, greeter looks it up into the system, says they are having trouble calibrating it, come back in 15 minutes. I come back and the new person says they are sorry they can’t calibrate it and it’s stuck in a loop where it just won’t load but here’s a replacement for $300. I say no thank you and offer to pay for the service. They say no worries, we’re sorry, we’ll hold your replacement a week. I took my phone home super sad that I now I need to upgrade to a better phone or buy a replacement. My phone just has the apple logo cycling.

Upon looking it up online various boards say they messed up the install—crossing wires on the front camera or the home button will do that. BUT the tech guy told me it was going to possibly be an issue and to upgrade before they even looked at my phone which is maybe possible but also makes me feel suspicious.

I plugs it into iTunes, do a factory restore, then updates from iCloud and my phone works fine. I’m writing this on said phone. Except the fingerprint scanner (which is what I read could messed up on the install).

Surely the Genius Bar should know what a calibration issue on a screen is? And how to do a factory reset? And not to cross the wires on the fingerprint scanner?

And it’s so sketchy to me that all the people used the exact same phrase and I was offered an upgrade when I went in for a screen fix. Then a replacement when it was an easy fix.

I can’t find a way to contact customer service, only costumer support and that’s about the product...