Calling Apple to resolve my Jet Black Apple Watch defect - part 3

I finally got a chance to call Apple about the defect in my Jet Black Apple Watch. I told them about how there is a piece of bare unpainted silver aluminum that is exposed and how it takes away from the Jet Black experience. It seems like a manufacturing defect since the spot where the coating has come off is right where the screen meets the body.

If I was the one who scraped the watch, the screen would also have taken damage, but the screen is perfect.

The Apple representatives were able to validate my claim with photos that I sent them through their internal portal, and they said since I just got the watch a little bit over a month ago, we can just take this back as a return and we will send you a new watch!

I was quite surprised by that, but I was happy that they were addressing the issue. 

What they basically did was process my watch as a returned item like it was still within 14 days, and then they sent a replacement unit out free of charge. I’m still waiting on the new watch, but I will give it a close inspection when it arrives. 

I told them on the phone that I did go to a store a week ago to address this issue, and they confirmed verbally with me that when you call Apple instead of going in-store, they have more leeway to accommodate for certain issues. 

I can confirm this is true because when I had the Vision Pro, they told me over the phone that we are offering people a one-month return window since there are many challenges with people finding the right size and fitment for their face. I did have to swap out a face shield at least once, but I was still not able to get a good fit, and ended up returning the Vision Pro about a month later. 

If you need to get assistance from Apple and they can’t meet your expectations when you go in store, it might be worth your while to give them a call. Be courteous, friendly, and thorough with your explanation, and odds are they will try to accommodate you as best as they can.