Apple Genius Team Respond to Unlocked iPhones

Any Genius can tell you that “An unlocked iPhone is not eligible for Genius Bar service or technical support.” Users of unlocked iPhones will find that Apple has posted a warning sign in its retail Apple Stores, denying Genius Bar assistance and technical support to all rebels flying the iunlocked flag. That's exactly what happened to Raleigh, NC resident Alan Einsteen.

"I stood across from the Genius Bar, mad as hell and stared at them for the longest time" said Alan Einsteen, owner of an an unlocked iBrick. "I just stood there staring with my arms folded, stomping my foot and made them feel like complete jackasses." Einsteen was eventually asked to leave the store by security at the 9:30 PM closing time. Einsteen continued his staring contest and foot stomping outside the Apple Store doors until mall security asked him to leave well after 11:00 PM. Einsteen vowed to return when the store reopened. No further incidents were reported at the Crabtree Valley Mall Apple Store. 

(angry Einsteen pictured on right)

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Comments

[Harvey]

Chris,
Thanks for not showing concern for my balls. Tomas (that spellhack bitch) called us out together and now you've ditched me; how could you? Lets work it out.

[mac84]

Apple has contracts with AT&T. when folks go around hacking the phone this is essentially breaking that contract.. its Apple's way of Covering their Ass. I do however, sympathize with the customer and his frustration, but as a customer you've got to understand that the guy behind the Genius Bar isnt the person who came up with the policy. Getting angry with him is only going to get you less help. Maybe try the staring contest with At&T and Apple's Lawyers....

[Chris Myers]

Tomus,

My balls are where they have always been, thanks for the concern.

The ATT/Apple terms for the iPhone are a joke you say? OK, I have no problem with that. In my opinion they ARE a bit much.

Know what?

Then don't buy an iPhone. You don't HAVE to have an iPhone, you don't HAVE to have any phone.

Apple created the product, ATT is the contractual partner for making use of the product and they are entitled to to protect and restrict the access others have to their intellectual property (that means Apple does not want 3rd party hacks because that can cause problems with the parts/software/items that Apple has to make use of to support the iPhone).

Go off and create a product like this from scratch, sell it for a boat load of money and make it open source so anyone can cash in on your work.

Until then, deal with it.

Maybe Mt. Einsteen needs to go stare down his barber.

[Steve J]

hey Einsteen, get a haircut you bricked loser. maybe we should TEACHER tomus how to write.. sounds like he gots ibricked too... oh, they're best friends- figures. hahahaha

[Don Q]

What a tool! This douche probably also screams at the car dealership when the Honda Civic engine he drops into his Corvette fries the transmission out. "But it worked great for months! This isn't my fault! Fix it! FIX IT NOW!!!!" Hope someone shoves that iBrick up his iHole. It's one thing to be a moron and break your $400 toy and not accept responsibility for it, but it's another to take it out on people WHO HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. You don't see him staring like an insane luberjack at the people who erased his IMEI number with their craptastic hack, do you? Mall security should get a restraining order against this guy. I DEFINATELY wouldn't want him within 300 feet of my children.

[tomus]

Very clever Chris and Harvy , its people like you that let companies do this! Where’s your dam fukin balls??? If everyone stood up and teacher these companies a lesson I would guarantee things would change! The iPhone AT&T deal is a joke, it’s about nothing more than greed, contracts and more money and youre the type of person that sit back and take it in the ass.

[Harvy]

This sounds more like a psychiatric disorder than anything else. I say that out of empathy. I painfully remember that I used to do stuff like that.

I really don't understand what people are mad about. Warranties have conditions, and this is a condition that all warranties have. Muck around with a product's innards and the warranty is void. How can anyone expect any company to support all possible hacks and modifications to their products? Mr. Einsteen does not have a tenable position. I empathize with his fury, but he doesn't have a leg to stand on.

What does he expect? That the genius would personally modify the software so that all possible hacks would work? (And note they are "hacks." They are not using a published API.)

If his time is worth anything, he's probably spent more money making faces at geniuses who cannot help him than he spent on the iPhone in the first place.

[Chris]

Hey Mr. Eisnsteen, that whole warranty thing you agree to when you buy your iPhone actually means something. Surprise!

To bad you chose to unlock your iPhone ( I probably would too if I had ATT in my area) but you live with the consequences.

Deal with it, you rolled the dice and you lost. Grow up you big baby. What's next, laying on the ground crying?

Isn't there a protest waiting for you somewhere.