Dan Polifka

Review of Encore technologies

I wanted to take advantage of Apple's discounted r...

I wanted to take advantage of Apple's discounted rate to replace my iPhone battery. The Apple website steered me to Encore Technologies, which seemed to have the benefit of not having to go to the Apple Store. I set up an appointment. The next day Encore sent me an email confirming my time, which was different than what I signed up for. I corrected the time (no big deal) and then asked "just to check, I am getting the $29 replace battery program through Apple?"

Encore's response stated "Please send us the serial # of your phone and we can check with Apple to see if the battery would be under the replacement plan," which I did minutes after the request. Four days later I had not heard back from Encore, so I went to the appointment.

When I arrived the man at the desk informed me that Encore does not do $29 battery replacements, but that they are $60+ (even though this is not specified on the Apple website nor on the confirmation email from Apple nor in the confirmation email from Encore!). I showed him the email from Encore requesting my serial # (which, again, I sent you), and he said that I should take it up with "Global Headquarters."

This was entirely avoidable: a simple response to my email from Encore informing me why they cannot offer the $29 replacement would have done the trick. Instead, their response suggested that assuming I had a phone covered under Apple's discounted repair plan (I do) I would get the rate. That was misleading and false. The upshot is that I wasted half an hour of my workday for a totally avoidable reason. It's a lack of transparency that I wouldn't expect to get away with at my work.