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I had an iPhone 5 from new, and in the 3 years I had it, never once dropped it or knowingly subjected it to water/moisture damage in any way. Not long into ownership, though, the battery started to act funny (going from 90% to 40% to off in a matter of an hour) and the power button stopped working.
I never bothered to do anything about it, because, well, I hate smart phones, and couldn't have cared less. The problems just made me hate Apple more. 
That said, work has just given me an iPhone 6s, and allowed me to pass on my iPhone 5 to my son, so he made an appointment with a 'genius' and was told that I needed to attend with him, as he needed someone over 18 years of age to sign any relevant documents before they sent it away for repair.
Now, I attended the Apple Store with him today, where he was told that some little coloured indicator on the inside of the phone revealed that it had at some point been water damaged, and that it was not eligible to be fixed by them.
The thing is, this is not an Apple warranty issue. It is a 'recall' issue, and I wouldn't have thought that the supposed water damage would have affected Apple's responsibility to service the phone. See [url= https://www.apple.com/uk/support/iphone5-battery/ ]here for the battery[/url] 'recall', and [url= https://www.apple.com/uk/support/iphone5-sleepwakebutton/ ]here for the power button[/url] 'recall'.
In light of this, and the law regarding trading standards that says an item must be fit for purpose when sold, and that if it is not (which a company-issued 'recall' would seem to imply), the company is responsible for repair or replacement, I would have thought that Apple could not turn down repairing the stated problems on the grounds that the phone's moisture damage indicator had at some point been triggered.
Now, although I would be disappointed if this issue could not be addressed, I will resign myself to it if need be. HOWEVER...
What do you think? Is Apple just trying to fob us off with this whole moisture indicator business? Or is their case legit, and we have no claim for a fixed phone?
3 year old phone?
Move on.
I'd say you were daft not taking it in as soon as there was a fault. Apple warranty and service is the best in the business and you'd have got a new one straight away. Personally I reckon you've got some cheek even trying. Your word against theirs and they have no obligation at that age as far as I can see.
Of course, scotroutes; BUT my 17 year old son wouldn't otherwise have access to a similar quality phone, AND it is one the phones that Apple has acknowledged still falls within their 'recall' cohort. If that makes any sense.
I can assure you, we wouldn't bother if the phone hadn't have been eligible for this recall thing.
If I remember correctly there are three moisture indicators. There is one that is activated as far as I can tell by taking it out of the box... 🙁
You need to get the people in the store to show you that all three are activated. First response is for them to say you used it so you have to pay for a new one.... There should be online guides to give you instructions on how to proceed..
I will admit to having a major dislike for some of the apple policies (mostly iCloud limits not increasing with new device purchases) and the iPhone 5 seeming to fail during normal use due to moisture..
It's a pretty sad state of affairs when a piece of technology worth over £500 three years ago is now dismissed as worthless. There's virtually NOTHING that a fully functioning iPhone 5 can't do perfectly competently compared to current offerings; it's purely shallow 'fashion' and of course clever marketing that makes this equipment obsolete. I don't think it's cheeky to want it fixed at all; although you will be onto a hiding to nothing with the manufacturer, sadly. Fix it with ifixit guides and use it far past its 'use by' date as a two fingered salute to consumerist society.
I think it's pretty low to go through the effort of engineering in indicators when other manufactures have shown waterproof handsets are possible. Anyway you could buy more indicators off eBay & replace them, though you could buy another battery & power button too, save a trip back to the Apple store.
Contact wysiwyg from here. He'll sort it out for a good price.
Home battery change is very easily to do (with patience). Dunno about the power button but it's probably worth looking into as well
Apple in being completely unreasonable non-shocka.
Harder to deal with than IBM and Cisco combined.
By the time you've declared it as a Benefit in Kind and paid the necessary tax, you've got to wonder if it's worth the effort if chasing it up. You've managed with it malfunctioning for three years, let your laddie soldier on with it a bit longer?
Its 3yrs old they don't have to do anything free of charge. Phone batteries don't last mire than 2 or 3 years, get it changed at Apple or a third party repairer. You can do battery (certainly) and Home button (less easy I believe) yourself
@v8 a 1 or 2 year old phone from a rival manufacturer are worth close to zero, Apple prodcits hold their value better than anything eske. My 6yr old Mac and my 4yr old 4S are both working fine, memory uogrades in the computer and a new battery in the 4S which I did myself
Those aren't recalls, just Apple going a little beyond what's required of them when they identify something failing sooner than it should. Absolutely discretionary.
Battery replacement is a pretty straightforward DIY job. I replaced my own power button too. Would not recommend that one (there are plenty of professional repairers who'll do it for a reasonable fee however).
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3 years? I think the legal term is get yersel huntit! yer oan tae plums.
On the 3-year issue: Of course I know it seems ridiculous to think that the company would do anything at this stage, and I normally wouldn't presume; it's just that Apple itself set the time limit on phones eligible for replacement/repair, and that doesn't expire until January.
Battery and button replacement is about 40e for both here. I'd guess in any UK city it'd probably be cheaper. For the smashed screens or knackered batteries at work I do them myself with bits from iFixit as it's about a 5 min job.
Tweet them, write a gushing letter. Express interest in a 27 inch imac while in the store. I once got a posh replacement fibreglass paint pole this way - If its good enough for the queen yadda yadda.
I had an iPhone 5 from new, and in the 3 years......................Not long into ownership, though, the battery started to act funny (going from 90% to 40% to off in a matter of an hour) and the power button stopped working.
I never bothered to do anything about it, because, well, I hate smart phones, and couldn't have cared less. The problems just made me hate Apple more.
Lesson learnt then.
If you had gone into the Apple Store when it first went wrong, you would have left with a brand new phone no problem at all.
You hate Apple. But it's your fault really because you couldn't be arsed to sort it out when it went wrong.
(I got my 5 replaced for the same thing no bother, but I did it two and a half years ago)
Those aren't recalls, just Apple going a little beyond what's required of them when they identify something failing sooner than it should. Absolutely discretionary.
Mmm, dunno. My sleep/wake button died on my 5. Meant I couldn't turn the phone off, it was <6 months old. There's A separate question about whether its time bound, but it was a very widespread issue subject to mass repair FOC after Apple contacted the customers. I'd call that a recall.
I had a 7 year old iPod Nano get recalled for battery issues. In the intervening years I'd put it through the washing machine and the screen no longer worked, at all. That was replaced FOC. No help, but they do seem to be being uncharacteristically unreasonable I'd say.
@atlaz - I had a go at replacing fromt screen on a 4 for fun and it was not straightforward and phone went in the bin. Rear screen is easy though.
Buttons on 5's was a common issue as was wifi chip on 4S - still having said that you have to get in during the warranty period to have the best chance. My 4S wifi died and Apple said it was outside warranty and not fixable anyway as it needed a new chip - so their only solution was a replacement phone and I appreciate as a business they don't see thatbas economic on a 3yr old phone
Sounds like despite your hatred of Apple, you now want them to love you long time.
From my experience Apple's in warranty service is very good. Out of warranty it's appalling. One of the latest updates destroyed the battery on both my iPhone 4s and my wife's iPhone 5. I did the online chat thing. After an hour of time wasting they eventually said it's not covered under an extended recall (despite their website saying it was). £166 to replace battery. That's an outrage given the battery is about £8 and the sway takes 15mins. (I did it myself using iFixit guide).
If you had an Android phone it would simply be case of phones dead, out of warranty, you lose. Apple just string you along in the aim of ripping you off via repairs.
My solution - bought an LG G4 for £300. A fraction of my work iPhone 6 plus and better IMO. (Although I did have to spend a lot of time finding apps that work as well as the Apple versions - Android out the box is garbage).
I bought a iPhone 3G secondhand and still which point was about 2 years old. I used it for about 14 months with no issue then the battery started showing signs it was knackered.
I booked it into my local Apple Store.
They looked at it for maybe 30 seconds, turned it on to check it worked and told me for £55 I could have a new (refurbished) phone.
Still using it now.
Best thing they upgraded it to a 3GS!
It's all in how you ask 😉