IPhobia

I've been having a row with Apple over their customer service - long story short, my iPhone4 died after nine months, they replaced it for free, then that one died 13 months later but because it was out of warranty they wouldn't give me a freebie. Had to pay the 'discount' rate of £119 for a new one.

Now, the Sale of Goods Act says items have to be fit for purpose. I don't accept that a phone costing over 500 quid can reasonably be expected to die after less than a year and a half. Letters have been exchanged, phone calls are ongoing - they've offered me a voucher for ten per cent of my claim ... And I couldn't put that toward a new iPhone5 if I wanted to. It's insulting.

Telling them I was actually an Apple fan - iPhone3, 4 and iPad - elicited requests for the serial numbers, as if they were of any relevance - if they want proof for whatever reason, it's in the Apple records.

They basically laughed off the Sale of Goods Act point, saying that only applies if I can supply the faulty product. Which I can't, because the Apple shop worker in Glasgow (EdiSteve and I had to drive across from Edinburgh on both occasions, more expense) wouldn't let me keep it after I handed over that £119. It's now gutted for spare parts, presumably.

Blah blah. Anyway, my pal at work, Claire, runs a consumer column, so lets at least put it all out there and see if anyone else has had this problem. The Consumer Which guy tells us Apple's customer service is generally appalling. I can believe it, they've ignored Claire's phone calls and emails. So the complaint goes in the paper with no comment from them.

Well, they're getting no more of my money unless they learn to value their customers. It's the worst kind of corporate complacency.

Anyway, here I am in today's Scotsman Consumer pages.