Apple offers a 1-year iPhone Case Warranty, which applies to both leather and silicone cases. I was able to successfully get my Apple iPhone Case replaced under warranty twice! Follow the steps I outline below to get your defective case replaced.
Recently the outer silicone layer of my Apple case started peeling apart near the corners where silicone separated from the inner plastic shell. This initially started on the right lower corner and later spread to other parts of the case, eventually reaching all corners. As you can imagine, this was frustrating because official Apple iPhone cases are very expensive (I paid $40 at the AT&T store).
See the photo below showing the defective area where the silicone is peeling away from the inner plastic shell of the Apple Case.
Do Apple Cases Have a Warranty?
Yes! Apple offers a 1-Year Apple Phone Case Warranty protecting against defects in materials and/or workmanship. However, it does not cover accidental damage.
To qualify you must purchase the Apple phone case from an authorized retailer (3rd party or affiliate sites like eBay are not covered). If you bought the case from an Apple store, Apple.com, Amazon, Best Buy, AT&T Store, or Target you are covered. Make sure to keep your receipt as Apple will request proof of purchase should you file a warranty claim.
How Do I Get My Defective Apple Phone Case Replaced?
To replace your Apple case there are a few ways to contact the company to file a warranty claim. The process can be very confusing if you go to Apple Support because as you can see from the screen capture from Apple’s website below, there is no icon on the support page for getting service on an apple phone case or accessories! This is extremely frustrating as your natural inclination is to click on iPhone, but that takes you to a page to get iPhone servicing, which is not the issue.
To avoid the confusion on Apple’s online support page, I contacted Apple Support through Twitter by sending them a direct message. They replied after about 15 minutes asking for details including description of the defect including:
- iPhone serial number
- Store where the case was purchased
- Date of purchase
- Description of issue
After answering their questions they said I needed to send them photos of the defective apple case. They said I needed to speak with someone at Apple support to continue with my case replacement request. I gave them my phone number and a good time to talk, which ended up being 30 minutes from now.
To my surprise someone from Apple called me within 30 minutes and arranged for a mail-in replacement. They also offered to allow me to go to the Apple Store for servicing, but I elected for the mail-in option. The agent required me to send in proof of the defect, which I took two photos and uploaded to a site that they sent me. After providing the necessary information, the agent said they would send me a replacement by mail, and I didn’t have to return my original case!
The replacement iPhone silicone case was sent by FedEx through a company called “Geodis” from 80 S. Middlesex Rd, Carlisle, PA 17015 and arrived four days later. Super easy and I didn’t even have to drive to an Apple Store or provide a credit card!
Tips for Getting Your Apple Case Replace Under Warranty
- Contact Apple Support immediately after you start seeing defects such as the one I experienced. Remember that the warranty is only one year, so you want to make sure your request is within one year after purchase.
- Make sure you purchase your cased directly from Apple, or from an authorized retailer. I’ve seen cheap cases on eBay, but many are likely fake, and eBay is not an authorized retailer anyway.
- Keep your receipt! When I submitted my warranty claim, Apple asked me to send them details on where I purchased my case and when. They did not require a receipt, but it’s good to have that handy just in case.
- Keep your broken/defective case. Apple asked me to mail back my old case after I received the replacement.
Sounds simple, in reality it’s not, at least in my experience. I phoned Apple Support, after being put on hold for over an hour no Apple rep could give me a straight answer. I asked for a call back once they figured it out, no one called me back. Horrible customer service from an increasingly horrible company, and I’m a share holder also!
Same with me, about an hour on the phone talking to 2 different people with the first consulted manger but no use. My case was purchased from Apple and less than 3 months old, the corner chipped away. Haven’t dropped the phone yet and not sure how silicon case would react to a drop, wouldn’t the non silicone bit crack ?
Terrible customer support on my silicone case. Less than 2 months old and the thin area near the power button has torn. 2 days now trying to get satisfaction. Apple care says “I have to pay full retail price for a new one”. Then they say “try to call the apple store where you bought it”. I called the Danbury store and they say “make an appointment to see someone and we’ll then decide if we can help”. Really??? A 45 minute (one way ride) to have them decide if this $50, less than 2 month old defective case is covered. NEVER AGAIN!
It’s unfortunate they don’t care in this example. All other interactions with my macbook pro(s) have been wonderful. To stiff me on a $50 cover is just bad.
After several months I began to frequently miss calls on my iPhone 11 pro. The mechanical mute switch seemed to activate on its own. I puzzled at this problem for a year and now I know the cause. The Apple silicone case is just flexible enough to push the switch off whenever it is squeezed a little in my hand or pocket. This may be a defect in my case or in other silicone cases. My case is now unusable.