How Apple fixed my AirPods Pro for free four years after I bought it. this also happens

I bought my first generation AirPods Pro at the end of 2019, so they are over four years old.

The crack replacement warranty expired three years after purchase, which was the last period of service for any reason at all.

So in fact, Apple doesn’t owe me anything, no matter what problem I come to them with.

But from a moral point of view, I still have the same question. The headphones cost 19,000 rubles, so they believe that they will be used for many years without additional payment for maintenance.

I believe, that in such an expensive accessory of any manufacturer it is his responsibility. This time we won’t talk about the annoying noise that everyone is hearing.

Below I’ll share how I spent a month looking for outside help, how I almost burned Apple itself, and how I defended my right to get a standard fix.

The essence of the problem. The silicone tip blocked my ear.

The silicate part came off, but the hard plastic part remained.

A movable latch that holds the nozzle. The detached bases of the nozzle were difficult to remove

When I wrote my review about using AirPods after 4 years, my hearing broke.

While removing the silicone attachment on the left AirPod, it first tore and then completely fell off the plastic base.

The nozzle is stuck on the speaker and I’m left with only one condition subsom.

It stuck tightly in the mechanism it was clinging to. There was an attempt to break it.

Yes, who doesn’t know. Apple headphones have a built-in movable element that moves slightly when put on and snaps the tip so that it does not start. If it gets damaged, you will have to replace not the silicone ones, but the entire headphones.

It would be strange to start repairing with such a problem and first try to figure it out on your own.

No reseller sells earbuds for AirPods Pro

Silicone turns yellow when planted and gradually decomposes.

I was very surprised when Apple introduced AirPods Pro with special rubber earbuds, which they then decided to sell separately for $8 instead of replacing them.

After 4 years, I was even more surprised when I realized that the rubber had aged, had come off, and it was impossible to find a replacement in offline sales based on the Apple Store specifications.

I visited a dozen stores, from direct resellers to dubious basements. The result was zero, everyone looked at their ears strangely enough, blinked their eyes in confusion and said goodbye.

Delivery services don’t sell them either, which is understandable. There is no point in choosing a place to store goods that will be purchased at best once a month.

By that time, I was tired of walking around with one earphone for a month. It would be possible to order a pair from AliExpress, but I did not have such an opportunity.

I went straight to the Tim Cook branch.

The first Apple Store demanded money

Apple Zorlu, here they gave a counter on the nozzle

In turn, he willingly connected the Apple Store. I come in and explain the situation. I ask if there are any attachments for sale. I am taken to a table with service and asked to wait.

The second onboarding person wants to know about the problem again. I felt like I was at an appointment in a state clinic, where therapists change every six months.

I wish I could come up with, well, here are the AirPods Pro, here I am, here is the collapsed attachment. Just give me this piece of replacement rubber and we’ll say goodbye.

But no, even for such a low-tech thing as the silicone type, the Apple employee asked for my last and first name, email from Apple ID and AirPods Pro serial number.

After a few minutes of processing, I finally said what I already knew. The case is not under warranty, you need to buy attachments.

I thought they wanted 300 rubles from me for them. But I forgot where I was. For two pairs of M-sized attachments, Apple bought 900 rubles.

He thanked him and left. I decided to go the next day and start from a different angle.

The Worldwide Apple Store had doubts, but compromised

Apple Bagdat Caddesi, the employees here are more understanding

This time, without preludes, I asked a simple question: can you replace the nozzle for me?

It didn’t work. I was again dragged through checks by two different managers. And again they offered to buy attachments.

But here I already asked, like, “the rubber itself fell apart, is it really supposed to be like that?” This can somehow be resolved without paying for repairs, where is my fault?”

The employee hesitated and asked.

Surprisingly, it was not he who returned, but the third person, this time more open, smiling and relaxed.

I repeated it completely without any negativity, but out of pure curiosity whether it is possible to replace the nozzle without purchasing it. To prove that there were no losses, the remains of last week were placed on the table. I started to feel like some kind of beggar.

The manager immediately said that during warranty replacement of AirPods, some customers refuse new additional tips, so he can choose the appropriate size from among them in the warehouse. “M” was not available, but “L” was suggested. They approached me, thanked me, and ran away.

No money, no paper to sign.

Again I was convinced that it is easy to achieve a normal attitude in the Apple Store.

AirPods Pro with the latest tips

It’s a pity that this company doesn’t pay me for my words, but the situation once again reminded me how nice it is to be an Apple customer.

On the one hand, you would like to heat the money carefully. But it’s worth showing your view of the situation in simple language, and employees will react to this situation.

Moreover, this is not the first time. These stories took place not only in Turkey, but also in China. There were also problems in Shanghai, because of which Apple did not return back.

The Chinese Apple store returned the money for PowerBeats Pro, although I had expired this opportunity

One time, the company agreed to pick up my PowerBeats Pro after the end of the company’s 14-day, no questions asked, money-back period. I just needed to show that the one day delay was due to a flight delay.

Another time, the Apple Store accepted it without any problems and even replaced it with a new iPhone 6S, on which the camera suddenly stopped working. And this is provided that it was previously purchased as “restored”.

Therefore, if you are near company stores, go ahead and prove why the company should help. If common sense is truly on your side, you are more likely to hear.

This is the third time this has happened to me.

📸 All photos in the article: