Customer Reports iPhone 17 Pro from AT&T Arrived with Broken Seal and Smudged Screen; Shares Frustrating Days-Long Experience While Being Overcharged Three Times

AT&T has recently come under fire due to a customer’s unsettling experience shared on Reddit. A user recounted the ordeal of receiving an iPhone 17 Pro that arrived in unsatisfactory condition. The packaging was compromised with a broken factory seal, and to make matters worse, the device featured a smudged display, raising suspicions that it had been previously opened.

In light of these issues, one might assume that returning the item would yield a straightforward resolution. However, the customer found himself embroiled in a frustrating after-sales support process. Instead of a refund or exchange, he ended up being charged nearly three times the original amount for the same phone and service line—even though he had maintained his payment schedule without any interruptions.

Initial Denial of a Replacement by AT&T Support

The Redditor, identifying as ‘snlfanboy, ’ detailed a grueling 10-hour phone call with AT&T’s customer support, supplemented by numerous chat messages over several days. Despite his persistence, the initial support team showed little willingness to assist, citing that the online nature of his order limited their options.

If refusing a replacement wasn’t frustrating enough, snlfanboy claimed that his lack of immediate evidence during the unboxing meant he couldn’t be trusted. After extensive back-and-forth with AT&T’s support team, only then did they process his exchange—but more surprises awaited him. The financial terms had drastically changed.

In his original order, the customer had paid $91.30 in sales tax and had a $0 down payment. However, after processing the exchange for a new iPhone 17 Pro, he faced a sales tax of $107.80 and a surprise down payment of $165 due to a “soft credit check.”This resulted in a total cost soaring to $272.80—nearly threefold compared to the initial charge. He emphasized in his post that his account status had not changed and that he had not missed any payments, yet he was still subjected to the higher charges.

“Nothing changed on my end. No missed payments. Same line. Same device. The only difference is AT&T shipped me an opened phone. Nothing came with the phone saying it was opened or checked for quality assurance. All I wanted was a new phone I could trust. Why would I want an opened, smudgy phone that could have been a return?

When processing the exchange, they re-ran financing and imposed new terms. Meanwhile, my account has been stuck in limbo for 2 weeks with no clean resolution. I refused the new financing terms, and the phone has still not been acknowledged as “returned”on the AT&T portal and I have not been refunded for the original paid tax.”

This experience encapsulates a day filled with unexpected misfortunes for the customer. A review of the Reddit comments revealed theories suggesting that the device sent to him may have been returned by a previous user who misrepresented its condition. Subsequently, it appears to have been mistakenly categorized by an AT&T employee as new and shipped to snlfanboy.

In light of such troubling experiences, some Reddit users recommend filing a complaint with the FCC, positing that this might be an effective step towards ensuring he ultimately receives a brand new iPhone 17 Pro at the initially agreed-upon price.

For further insights into this story, refer to the original post on Reddit.

Additional coverage can be found at Wccftech.