Is an Authorized Repair Shop Charging Too Much for an AppleCare+ Screen Repair?
Asked by
MellowCedar47
My daughter cracked the screen on my iPhone 13 Pro, so I scheduled a repair through Apple at an authorized Best Buy service location. Since I pay monthly for AppleCare+, Apple's website indicated that the screen repair should cost $29.
When I arrived, the technician ran a diagnostic and said the battery also needed replacement. I haven't noticed any battery problems, but I checked AppleCare+ coverage and believed the battery replacement should be free. The technician initially quoted me $99 for the entire repair and said Apple requires them to fix all known issues at the same time, meaning I couldn't decline the battery replacement.
I called Apple Support while I was there, and the representative suggested that the charge didn't sound correct. During the call, the technician then said he had found a "workaround" that would allow both repairs to be completed for $29. Is this how AppleCare+ repairs are supposed to work, or was the shop handling the claim incorrectly?
Answers
The cracked display and the battery issue should be treated as separate things. The screen repair should be processed as an AppleCare+ accidental-damage claim with the $29 service fee. If the battery qualifies for Apple’s warranty or AppleCare coverage, that replacement should generally be free rather than added to the accidental-damage charge.
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This sounds more like a misunderstanding or an incorrect repair entry than a requirement that you pay $99. The shop may have bundled the repairs under the wrong claim type, which could explain the higher quote. The fact that they later found a way to process both repairs for the expected $29 suggests the original pricing or explanation was wrong.
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MellowCedar47: That makes sense. The battery had never caused any problems before the appointment, and it wasn’t related to the cracked screen.