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Stelrenz

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 17, 2022
3
3
Long time lurker, first post. While vacationing in Italy last week I bought a new Sport Band at the Apple Store there. As it turns out, the band is defective--it won't click into the watch. It just slides back and forth. I took it to my local Apple Store for an exchange. The guy at the store agreed that it was defective but said they couldn't exchange it and that I'd have to take it back to the store where I bought it (I'd LOVE to go back to Italy! 😄) I called Apple Support and it looks like I'm stuck with the defective band. I don't want a refund, I just want a band for my watch! Has anyone ever had an issue like this?
 
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Hooterville

macrumors 603
Sep 24, 2012
5,427
9,023
Long time lurker, first post. While vacationing in Italy last week I bought a new Sport Band at the Apple Store there. As it turns out, the band is defective--it won't click into the watch. It just slides back and forth. I took it to my local Apple Store for an exchange. The guy at the store agreed that it was defective but said they couldn't exchange it and that I'd have to take it back to the store where I bought it (I'd LOVE to go back to Italy! 😄) I called Apple Support and it looks like I'm stuck with the defective band. I don't want a refund, I just want a band for my watch! Has anyone ever had an issue like this?
Here's a tip: Go into the Apple store and repurchase the same band. Return the defective one and get your money back. Problem solved.
 

28Gauge

macrumors 6502a
Sep 4, 2011
775
583
DFW
Maybe try again at the same Apple store or try to exchange it at a different Apple store if there are more than one in your area. I recently exchanged a defective Nike sport band for a new one. I bought the new band online from Apple, but didn't open up the box for a month. After discovering that the band had a defective locking lug, I went to the closest Apple store to exchange it and was initially told by the Apple employee at the door that they wouldn't be able to exchange it because bands only have a 2 week return window. After politely expressing my dissatisfaction with this, they referred me to a different Apple store employee who said it would be no problem exchanging the band. I left a happy customer!
 
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Panties Hank

macrumors newbie
Nov 17, 2022
9
8
Maybe try again at the same Apple store or try to exchange it at a different Apple store if there is more than one in your area. I recently exchanged a defective Nike sport band for a new one. I bought the new band online from Apple, but didn't open up the box for a month. After discovering that the band had a defective locking lug, I went to the closest Apple store to exchange it and was initially told by the Apple employee at the door that they wouldn't be able to exchange it because bands only have a 2 week return window. After politely expressing my dissatisfaction with this, they referred me to a different Apple store employee who said it would be no problem exchanging the band. I left a happy customer!
Great example of how it never hurts to ask because the worst they could say is ”no,” but they just might say “yes.”
 
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Stelrenz

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 17, 2022
3
3
Thanks for the responses. I emailed Tim Cook--I never expected a response but it made me feel better! I just got a phone call from Apple saying that they would be sending me a new band! Very happy about this!
 
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