Despite the suspension of official deliveries of Apple equipment to Russia at the initiative of the company itself, neither the iPhone nor other devices of the brand disappeared from sale. There was not even any tangible deficit, which we were promised by everyone and sundry since March. The market and the indulgence given to it in the form of permitted parallel imports did their job and filled Russian retail with iPhones, iPads, Macbooks and other electronics that we were so afraid of losing. Yes, at first the prices for them rose quite noticeably, but over time everything settled down. Only one question remained open – who is now repairing damaged equipment, which, from Apple’s point of view, was illegally imported into the country and a priori cannot be serviced at authorized service centers.
Warranty for iPhone from the US and other countries
Explanations of the Russian government to the permit law parallel import say that the responsibility for all products imported under the new rules, including warranty after-sales service, is borne not by the manufacturer, as it was before, but by the seller. In other words, retail chains must now repair damaged smartphones for new ones or replace defective parts. If you do not want to get involved with this, there is only one way for you – to a regular service center.
In words, retailers did not abandon their obligations, as a result of which some of them even began to make notes on the cards of parallel imported devices with the text “Seller’s Warranty“. For example, at first M.Video and Eldorado did this. Thus, the networks marked devices for warranty repairs of which you need to contact the store directly.
Then it was justified, because the sale included both iPhones imported into the country in parallel, and devices from distribution supplies. And such a mark gave the consumer an idea of \u200b\u200bwhere to go with problems if he encounters them. Today, neither M.Video nor Eldorado make these notes, because official iPhonesthere is no more left from Apple itself. But the question is who is now repairs iPhone in Russiaremained unanswered.
Warranty for iPhone 14 in Russia
The whole problem is that Apple technology just can’t be repaired. According to the rules, authorized service centers should do this. They not only have the exclusive right to purchase licensed components, train their employees, but also have access to unique equipment used in repairs. These are all kinds of devices for verifying parts and calibrating, without which the same iPhone simply will not “accept” either the face recognition sensor or Touch ID, nor will it be able to adequately assess the remaining battery capacity.
Therefore, she M.Video Repair iPhones and other Apple technology cannot. Even if we assume that the network will bring components for repairs by parallel imports from abroad, two questions remain:
- Where will M.Video get equipment for new iPhone repairwhose distribution among authorized SCs Apple monitors very carefully?
- Who will train network employees who have never repaired either new devices or old ones before, and even more so will give their “visa” for the replacement of components?
iPhone 14 in M.Video
It turned out that there was no need to go far with this question. All that was needed was to simply contact the retail chains themselves and ask them directly, and I did it. Here is what they answered me in M.Video:
Surprisingly, the authorized service center I called was disappointed. I was told that the components for iPhone 14 repair no, and it won’t, because Apple supplies parts for repairing only Rostest iPhones, and the company does not supply the 14th model to our country. We can’t help, sorry, concluded in the service center.
iPhone repair prices (by model)
iPhone 14 repair in Russia
And who is lying? It’s hard to believe, but no one:
- iPhone 14 in Russia although it is certified, it is not imported by official distributors cooperating with Apple, but by local retailers at their own risk under the parallel import program.
- licensed spare parts for iPhone 14 repair not in the country. Perhaps they will appear, but they will come here only by parallel imports.
- Equipment for repairing the iPhone 14, as well as the corresponding skills of service center employees, are not available in Russia either. But it will be much more difficult to bring them here – especially with regard to skills.
- M.Video is responsible for the warranty obligations that the law imposes on the network, and most likely even changes defective iPhones on new ones, but does not repair them on its own.
- Probably, M.Video still has partnerships with authorized services throughout Russia, and they still carry out some simple repairs of iPhones up to model 13 inclusive. But the iPhone 14 will no longer be repaired here – there is no doubt about it.
- On a commercial basis, iPhones imported into the Russian Federation from abroad are also repaired at the ASC, even if they are not covered by the warranty. But only on condition that the countries of the Eurasian Economic Community were the source of import. And Japanese, American and other devices are no longer repaired here.
But what about non-warranty cases? And here in M.Video they demonstrated the highest level of diplomacy in dealing with the press. During the dialogue, representatives of the press service said that the consumer who needed non-warranty iPhone 14 repairhas the right to apply for repair to an authorized service center on a reimbursable basis.
It has the right to have the right, but who said that the ASC is obliged to agree to the repair? Of course, no one. It’s just that M.Video avoids sharp corners in such a way so as not to bring into the public space everything related to the after-sales service of Apple’s new generation technology. So it is logical that you will not wait for any repair of a broken iPhone 14 purchased in official retail. The most you can count on is a warranty replacement. But, if you yourself damaged the smartphone, you don’t have to wait for miracles and only a third-party service center remains.
Why is the iPhone so expensive?
As I see it, in this scenario, any the point of buying an iPhone, regardless of generation, in large retail chains, and primarily because of the high price, which does not give any privileges. If earlier we believed that retailers are asking for such a lot of money for Apple equipment, because they manage by hook or by crook to maintain the same level of service, now it becomes obvious that this is not so.
Highly likely high iPhone prices, imported by parallel imports, are not at all dictated by retailers’ expenses for certification and maintenance of smartphones at home, but by the difficulties they face at the purchase stage. As explained Mikhail Korolev, owner of AppleInsider.ruwhich in the old days kept its electronics store in St. Petersburg, foreign retailers with great reluctance agree to sell a large batch of iPhones to stray merchants.
Previously, he explained, this was due to the fear of losing accreditation from Apple, and now the fear of getting a cap from the supervisory authorities of their country has been added to it. After all, now abroad punishment is provided for those who helps Russian companies circumvent sanctions. And the sale of a large batch of smartphones or other equipment will not go unnoticed, not to mention the fact that Apple can tritely follow where this batch actually went.
Thus, retailers are forced to either go for tricks and purchase equipment through laying companies, or use other gray schemes so that they are not figured out. Whichever method they use, it is clear that purchases are made in small batchesso that it does not arouse suspicion and stop the party at the stage of customs clearance, or completely turn off the actual contraband devices already upon arrival in the country of destination.
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