I had AppleCare for an iPhone 16 Pro and paid ₹8,900 for the replacement service. Apple provided a replacement device dated June 18, which I physically received on June 20. On the day I received it, the phone showed "SIM Locked" under Carrier Lock. An authorised service centre checked it and said Apple's systems showed the phone as unlocked, so the status was supposedly displaying incorrectly and would resolve on its own. I continued using it for about one to two weeks while the service centre escalated the matter to Apple.
I also opened a case with Apple Support and have the case IDs. Apple eventually asked me to submit the phone, which I did on August 7. I was told it would be examined by the Bangalore team. I am now being told that the replacement phone was opened and repaired, including replacement of the motherboard and display, and the service centre wants me to collect it.
My concern is not simply whether the repaired phone works. I reported the problem almost immediately after receiving the replacement, and I do not want to accept a replacement device that has since been opened and had major components changed. I have spent nearly two months calling, visiting the service centre and using a loaner phone. A Senior Advisor is reviewing and escalating the case, and I have asked Apple for the diagnostic and repair reports, including an explanation for why the display was replaced for a Carrier Lock issue.
I am willing to continue using the loaner while the matter is reviewed. If Apple refuses to provide another replacement, what practical options do I have in India? Has anyone handled a similar dispute through Apple's senior support team, the National Consumer Helpline or a Consumer Commission?
3 Answers
Apple’s service terms generally allow it to repair a device with new or previously used genuine parts that pass its functional testing, or exchange it for a device made from those parts. From that perspective, Apple may consider the repaired phone an acceptable resolution, especially if it passes diagnostics and remains covered by AppleCare.
Keep everything documented: the original replacement paperwork, the date you received the phone, photographs or screenshots showing the Carrier Lock status, service receipts, case IDs, loaner details and every written response from Apple and the service centre. Ask the Senior Advisor for a written final position and for the repair report. If Apple will not offer another replacement, you can make a formal complaint through the National Consumer Helpline and then consider filing before the appropriate Consumer Commission, focusing on the immediate defect, the delay, and the remedy you are requesting rather than arguing that Apple can never use repaired parts.
A Carrier Lock message could indicate a baseband or logic-board problem, which might explain the motherboard replacement. The display change is less obvious, but it could have been required because of part pairing, damage during service, or a failed component discovered during testing. If Apple used genuine parts and the phone passed its refurbishment checks, it may be functionally equivalent to a replacement device, even though it has been opened.
That is possible, but I do not want to rely on speculation. I would specifically request the failure diagnosis, the reason the display was changed, and confirmation that the replacement parts were genuine and properly calibrated.
I understand that Apple may have the contractual right to repair a device. My concern is that this was supplied as a replacement and the issue was reported almost immediately. I would ask Apple to explain why both the motherboard and display were replaced and provide the full diagnostic and repair report before deciding whether to accept it.