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Man passes on $29 Apple battery deal after getting $358 repair estimate

RIVERVIEW, Fla. (WFLA) –  A Riverview, Florida, man was shocked when he tried to take advantage of Apple’s new battery deal.

Steven Zvonar thought he was signing up for a $29 battery to revive his slowing iPhone 6 Plus, but he ended up getting a repair estimate for $358.

The $29 deal is appealing because it typically costs $79 for a new battery. Apple offered the deal after it was discovered the company throttled processors on some phones to compensate for aging batteries.

Zvonar signed up for an appointment with the Apple store in Brandon, but then he received a disturbing email about the cost.

“Then I get an email with the work order showing yes, $29 for the battery but then $329 to put the battery in, for $358,” Zvonar said. “I was like, ‘That’s outrageous.’ They didn’t even tell me about the $329 charge.”

Zvonar is now a full-time college student, and he’s not interested in paying hundreds of dollars for a new battery.

“I’m an Apple person,” he said. “I love my Apple products, and I don’t want to leave Apple, but boy this really doesn’t sit well with me.”

“I’m just going to have to live with it,” he added. “I am a full-time student now. I can’t afford $358.”

An Apple spokesperson is looking into what happened with Zvonar’s estimate, but did provide some information on the battery replacement. In order to qualify for this battery deal, your phone must be out-of-warranty, and it must be an iPhone 6 or newer model.

And be prepared to wait at least five days to get your phone back when you send it for repair.