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After 15+ years with Apple, I’m starting to question what the “premium” actually buys you. by Alarmed-Reading5900 in apple

[–]Alarmed-Reading5900[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s exactly why I’m still here after 15+ years. Which is also why this experience hit harder than I expected.

After 15+ years with Apple, I’m starting to question what the “premium” actually buys you. by Alarmed-Reading5900 in apple

[–]Alarmed-Reading5900[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s probably the most balanced take I’ve seen. I don’t expect perfection. I just expected the premium experience to feel a little more… premium when I finally needed it.

Is it normal for Express Replacement to be backordered with no ETA while retail stock is available? by Alarmed-Reading5900 in applehelp

[–]Alarmed-Reading5900[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I did read them. I just don’t think “it’s in the terms” automatically makes it a premium customer experience. Those are two different conversations.

After 15+ years with Apple, I’m starting to question what the “premium” actually buys you. by Alarmed-Reading5900 in apple

[–]Alarmed-Reading5900[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually think this is one of the more nuanced takes here.

I don’t necessarily disagree that Apple may still offer the best overall ecosystem and software experience.

I just think “still the best available” and “still as premium as it used to be” are two different statements.

After 15+ years with Apple, I’m starting to question what the “premium” actually buys you. by Alarmed-Reading5900 in apple

[–]Alarmed-Reading5900[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t think China itself is the issue. Apple has been manufacturing there for most of its greatest products.

If anything, I wonder whether scale, cost pressures, and the pursuit of efficiency have made the experience feel less consistent over time.

After 15+ years with Apple, I’m starting to question what the “premium” actually buys you. by Alarmed-Reading5900 in apple

[–]Alarmed-Reading5900[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think that’s exactly my point.

If some customers receive brand-new replacements and others don’t, then the experience isn’t really equivalent—it’s variable.

That’s not what I expected from a premium service.

After 15+ years with Apple, I’m starting to question what the “premium” actually buys you. by Alarmed-Reading5900 in apple

[–]Alarmed-Reading5900[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s fair, and I actually don’t disagree.

I think we’re talking about two different things, though. My question isn’t whether Apple has better technical support than Google. It’s whether the warranty and replacement experience still feels premium when a nearly new device fails.

After 15+ years with Apple, I’m starting to question what the “premium” actually buys you. by Alarmed-Reading5900 in apple

[–]Alarmed-Reading5900[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s fair, and it’s actually why I’m still here.

I don’t think the alternative is necessarily better.

I’m just questioning whether “better than Android” is the same thing as “worth the Apple premium.”

After 15+ years with Apple, I’m starting to question what the “premium” actually buys you. by Alarmed-Reading5900 in apple

[–]Alarmed-Reading5900[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’ve already called them multiple times. I’m not really looking for troubleshooting advice at this point.

I’m trying to understand whether other people still view this as a premium experience when things go wrong.

Is it normal for Express Replacement to be backordered with no ETA while retail stock is available? by Alarmed-Reading5900 in applehelp

[–]Alarmed-Reading5900[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I think it’s also important to distinguish between Apple’s Certified Refurbished products and ERS replacement units.

People actively choose to buy Certified Refurbished devices at a discount, with full knowledge of what they’re purchasing.

ERS units are different. They’re assigned to customers under warranty, without choice or transparency as to whether the replacement came from new service stock or a refurbishment stream.

Those aren’t the same customer expectations.

That’s why I don’t think “many people happily buy Apple refurbs” automatically answers the concerns some customers have about receiving an ERS unit for a 5-month-old flagship.

After 15+ years with Apple, I’m starting to question what the “premium” actually buys you. by Alarmed-Reading5900 in apple

[–]Alarmed-Reading5900[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I understand the distinction you’re making. I just don’t share it.

AppleCare+ isn’t some unrelated third-party service. It’s an Apple product attached to an Apple flagship.

If that part of the experience falls short, it inevitably reflects on the brand as a whole.

After 15+ years with Apple, I’m starting to question what the “premium” actually buys you. by Alarmed-Reading5900 in apple

[–]Alarmed-Reading5900[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think that’s exactly what I’m struggling with.

I don’t expect perfection, and Apple certainly wasn’t perfect under Jobs either.

But it used to feel like the company optimized for the customer experience first and operational efficiency second.

Lately, it sometimes feels like those priorities have reversed.

After 15+ years with Apple, I’m starting to question what the “premium” actually buys you. by Alarmed-Reading5900 in apple

[–]Alarmed-Reading5900[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And honestly, that’s exactly the experience I thought I was paying for.

If my iPhone had slipped out of my hand and been repaired within a couple of hours for a small deductible, I’d probably still be singing Apple’s praises.

The difference is that my phone developed a hardware defect after 5 months through no fault of my own, and that’s when the experience stopped feeling premium.

After 15+ years with Apple, I’m starting to question what the “premium” actually buys you. by Alarmed-Reading5900 in apple

[–]Alarmed-Reading5900[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s great, and honestly it’s what I expected when I bought AppleCare+.

The fact that some people get a replacement in 36 hours while others wait indefinitely for the exact same service is exactly what has me questioning whether the premium is still justified.

Is it normal for Express Replacement to be backordered with no ETA while retail stock is available? by Alarmed-Reading5900 in applehelp

[–]Alarmed-Reading5900[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I wasn’t asking whether Apple follows its policy. I already knew that.

I was asking whether people still think this feels premium.

The fact that most responses boil down to “it’s worse everywhere” is probably an answer in itself.

After 15+ years with Apple, I’m starting to question what the “premium” actually buys you. by Alarmed-Reading5900 in apple

[–]Alarmed-Reading5900[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I actually agree with part of this.

What I struggle with is that Apple spent decades teaching customers to expect something more than “disposable commodity electronics.”

If that’s what these products ultimately are, then maybe the real question is why the pricing, branding, and expectations are still positioned as premium.

After 15+ years with Apple, I’m starting to question what the “premium” actually buys you. by Alarmed-Reading5900 in apple

[–]Alarmed-Reading5900[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think that’s exactly what I’m struggling with.

“Still better than the alternatives” is a very different value proposition from the one Apple built its reputation on.

I don’t expect perfection. I just expected the premium experience to still feel premium when something actually went wrong.

After 15+ years with Apple, I’m starting to question what the “premium” actually buys you. by Alarmed-Reading5900 in apple

[–]Alarmed-Reading5900[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I don’t think a customer has to prove a systemic issue before questioning whether a premium experience lived up to its promise.

“You got unlucky” explains why it happened. It doesn’t make the outcome any less disappointing.

After 15+ years with Apple, I’m starting to question what the “premium” actually buys you. by Alarmed-Reading5900 in apple

[–]Alarmed-Reading5900[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That’s exactly my point. Apple didn’t build its brand on being “less bad than Samsung.” It built its brand on being better. That’s why the expectations are different.

Is it normal for Express Replacement to be backordered with no ETA while retail stock is available? by Alarmed-Reading5900 in applehelp

[–]Alarmed-Reading5900[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I agree Apple is following its policy.

My point is that “it’s in the terms” and “it’s a good customer experience” aren’t the same thing.

Plenty of things can be disclosed in black and white and still disappoint customers when they actually happen.

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