No More Free iPhone Replacements, Apple Ditches Its Unofficial Genius Bar Policy

Apple is known for its customer service. I cannot tell you how many times I have walked into an Apple Store with a broken gadget only to walk out a few minutes later with a free replacement. No questions asked. To call Apple’s Genius Bar awesome is an understatement. But today that all changes. 

Apple is putting an end to the Genius Bar’s unofficial replacement policy. In other words, no more free replacements. The changes come as part of Apple’s new AppleCare+ warranty program. Apple realizes that it needs to stop dishing out free replacements if it ever wants to sell a protection plan for its devices.

In addition to purchasing the AppleCare+ Protection Plan, iPhone owners will also need to pay a $49 service fee each time they file a claim. Only time can tell whether lenient Genius Bar employees enforce this new policy.

The AppleCare+ protection program retails for $XX and must be purchased at the time of sale. More information on these changes can be found over at MacRumors.