Time for Iphone Funeral?

September 7, 2009 1:30 PM

So we now have 2 non-functioning Iphone 3Gs, both not working because of charging issues. What can we do with them?

- # 1 Iphone 3G is not working because my 2 yr old daughter yanked the charger cable out of the phone. This cause the charging pins in the Iphone, which normally look like a straight row, to become crooked, bent or some pins missing. Needless to say, it won't charge anymore. It's past the warranty, and even when it was, I took it to the Apple store and they said it wasn't covered in the warranty anyways. What can we do with this one?

# 2 Iphone 3G is not working because it will not charge. This Iphone worked perfectly, no problems, but one day, it did not recognize the charger. At first I thought something happened to my charger, so I tried other people's chargers, but to no avail. There is no water damage. I just went over the 1 yr warranty a month ago, so no help there. I live in Maui, so the closest Apple Store is in Honolulu and I'm not going there anytime soon. I called Apple support, they said warranty is over, so no help there. I once had an Ipod that would not charge in a similar way, and I took it to the Apple Store where they did a 'potent special charge' and it brought that Ipod back to life. If that's what happened, how can I get a similar experience like that again? There is an AT&T store here, should I ask them about it? Any ideas? I miss my Iphone....

- Purchasing new/used ones is not really an option. Trying to pay off debts...

- Should we sell it? Is that a market for non-functioning Iphones?

- If we do sell it, how can we be sure that all our info that's inside the phones won't be compromised if someone somehow restores it?

Thanks in advance. We're lost here on this issue.

posted by dealing away to computers & internet (14 comments total)

Yes there is a market for non-functioning phones, but don't expect much.

Have a look at kijiji/craigslist for iphone repair services. I just searched those sites and found quite a few for my area. Then again, I'm sadly not in Maui.
posted by FusiveResonance at 1:35 PM on September 7

Any chance you used an Amex?
posted by rbs at 1:38 PM on September 7

I would be interested in buying them for a decent price. PM me. Maybe it would be less painful if you sell it to me, a mefite? Certainly make sure to remove your sim cards. Other than that, if you can access the phone, you can delete the settings.
posted by Napierzaza at 1:48 PM on September 7

To expand on rbs' answer; if you paid with a credit card check your card agreement and see if they offer an extended warranty (many cards offer a warranty equal to the length of the manufacturer's warranty, after the initial warranty expires.). The card warranty won't cover accidental damage, but it should cover a phone randomly not charging (#2).

My Visa card does not require me to pre-register a purchase to claim this warranty, but they do require a copy of the receipt if you don't pre-register the item in question.
posted by Science! at 1:54 PM on September 7 [1 favorite]

Is anyone you know or trust heading to Honolulu soon? Perhaps you could give them your phone and a couple bucks for the trouble of bringing it by the apple store for you?

Alternatively, I'm not very familiar with the islands, but I don't imagine it would be terribly difficult to send (via mail or courier) your phone to a friend in Honolulu to do the same?
posted by pkphy39 at 2:10 PM on September 7

iResQ fixes iPhones for not all that much money, especially if you don't need same-day service. No connection to them, but I've used them before and been quite satisfied with their service. Perhaps fixing one or both of them could be the simplest solution. I believe they will also buy back iPhones, even broken ones, as they can use them for parts. Their website has all the details. And yeah, credit card warranty extension++
posted by zachlipton at 2:16 PM on September 7

A coworker of mine buys up broken iPhones to fix and resell. As you can see from other comments, there's definitely a market for it.
posted by pwnguin at 2:31 PM on September 7

Great suggestions so far.

- We bought it with our Visa CC so I'll check on that front.

- So, if we remove the SIM cards, all of our info will be gone? There will be nothing on the note pads, texts, website history, etc?

- Checking out IresQ also, may go that route.

- Napierzaza If none of the options above work out, I'll contact you.

Living in Maui is great but sometimes I miss the conveniences of a bigger city. I guess that's the price one has to pay to live here. Thx all! I really appreciate the help.
posted by dealing away at 2:34 PM on September 7

Removing the SIM card will NOT delete the info on your phone. Contacts, notes, emails, apps, music, etc, etc, etc will all remain on the phone. That's something you'll want to keep in mind before shipping it off to someone, MeFite or not.

I'm not sure as to how you can delete all your info since it sounds like you can't get the phones to turn on, period.
posted by ASM at 4:53 PM on September 7

Apple will repair them for $199 (any damage really) -- and unlock them and sell them on ebay for $600-$900/ea.
posted by SirStan at 5:27 PM on September 7

^^ My iPhone 3G just returned from Apple after going through the dash, and having the screen smashed. I was very clear that it went through a spin cycle -- and they charged me $199, and a week later I had a phone in hand that was fully operable. This is probably your best bet if you have $400 to lay out to make $1200-$1800 on 'em.
posted by SirStan at 5:29 PM on September 7

ipodjuice.com will also fix iphones.
I had my ipod video fixed there and recommend it.
posted by soelo at 6:58 PM on September 7

missionrepair.com also does iPhone repairs, including $79 for iPhone dock connector repair.

No connection to them, but my wife just used them to repair her broken glass on her iPhone 3G. Quick turnaround, and phone looks as good as new.
posted by dirt at 8:27 AM on September 8

Ebay it yourself. The broken ones still get decent money. The only problem is your data. It was never safe on the iphone anyway.
posted by bravowhiskey at 11:12 AM on September 8