Apple Watch StrapGate is not done. You still need to return your entire watch in some cases

“StrapGate” is not over.

Apple still doesn’t allow you to return just the strap for your Apple Watch, or at least it does so inconsistently. The result is that Apple customers could be without their watch for a week or more, just because a strap fails.

Immediately after launching Series 6, Apple had a problem.

People who bought the new Solo Loop or Braided Solo Loop adjusted to the wrong size were being forced to return the entire purchase: Apple Watch Y Apple Watch strap to … just … get … a … new … strap. It was like having to return a new car due to the wrong tires, and Apple quickly permanent situation, allowing customers to simply exchange a band without returning the entire purchase.

But not for everyone, and no consequently.

Nor, as I have recently learned, for all bands.

I’ve been testing the Apple Watch Series 6 for a couple of months (it’s pretty good, a long-term review is coming), but I have a problem: the strap I bought with the watch is broken. My watch came with the Silver Milanese Loop bracelet, and I enjoyed using a strap that can be infinitely adjusted to different sizes, rather than a strap that requires you to choose one or the other gradation, which may or may not fit your wrist.

Unfortunately, the strap is faulty:

One end of the watch strap doesn’t snap into place on the body of the Apple Watch, making it risky to wear, as you can see in the video above. If it comes off while walking or exercising, I risk losing or damaging the entire Apple Watch.

So I chatted with Apple support online and got disconnected several times. Then I called Apple tech support old-fashioned, only to be told that I had to return the entire watch to get a new strap.

That was a first for me, having heard about the revised Solo Band policy.

And that just doesn’t work for the most demanding Apple Watch users. Like many others in a similar situation, I had already given away my Series 5 and I track daily workouts and activity levels with my Apple Watch. Being without it for a week or more to ship it, Apple to review it, and Apple to ship a new one is not an option. And it was surprising: Has Apple no longer changed its policy for Solo Band? Why not for other straps?

So I contacted Apple PR, who had good news.

First.

“We confirmed that we can replace only the Milanese Loop, so again, I am sorry to hear about your experience,” a representative responded by email. “Just to rectify this completely, can you please confirm if you tried in store, happy to call the store directly for you or online? Either way, it will qualify. “

That sounded good, but was it just a complaining journalists policy or a blanket Apple policy?

In response to further questions, it became apparent that the PR rep was referring to the Solo Loop policy and actually for my band I needed to go to an Apple Store in person or fall back on the default policy of shipping the watch. . . That’s not a great option for a lot of people, myself included. For me, the closest Apple store is an hour away, and that means maybe three hours out of my day if all goes well at the Apple Store.

Others may live further away and not be able to do this at all.

So I clarified that this was not a customer service complaint that I was addressing to Apple PR, but a request from the media about whether people who don’t want to enter a store or cannot access one locally can get the same service, during a global pandemic, like who can.

That was two weeks ago and despite the follow-up, there has been no further comment from Apple PR.

Which leaves me with the understanding that if you have a problem with an Apple Watch strap other than Solo’s, you’re out of luck. Even though you bought it online and Apple is happy to accept your money online, apparently Apple will not support the purchase of a band and will replace defective products without a full refund of the entire purchase and shipping all over again.

That’s not great for the customer reasons mentioned above. It’s also not smart for Apple, which now has more handling, more returned products to be sold as refurbished, and more costs.

It is not good for the environment and it is not smart during a global pandemic.

Businesses selling online must provide support online, in a customer-friendly manner. And that includes Apple.