Chinese actor Liu Jin (刘金) may have moved out of the acting spotlight, however, his shift to being an internet celebrity has been fairly well-received. But recently, the actor stirred up a controversy when he publicly and angrily complained about popular phone brand Apple.
The “Goodbye Mr. Loser (夏洛特烦恼)” actor had apparently been having problems with his iPhone when he sent it in for repairs. However, his interaction with the store was apparently less than favourable and he ended up smashing his phone in front of Apple’s official store!
On 17th September, Liu Jin took to his socials to air his complaints against Apple. He explained that he had recently sent his phone in to an official store for testing after discovering it could not be turned on. They then informed him that there was a problem with the motherboard, and the technician quoted a repair fee of 4,400 yuan (~RM2,800). But, customer service later confirmed that hardware problems could be repaired for free.
To his surprise, they contacted him a week later, and it wasn’t good news. “Because the phone has been modified without authorization, a maintenance fee of 6,960 yuan (~RM4,400) will be charged,” he was reportedly told. Liu Jin claimed he had never modified his mobile phone and so, immediately contacted customer service about the matter. Unfortunately, he was only told that his phone was subject to factory inspection.
“Apple’s domineering behaviour of being a player and a referee is very overbearing and arrogant,” Liu Jin declared in a video, standing in front of an Apple store. He then smashed his phone on the tiles outside before picking it up and presenting it to the camera again. “As an ordinary consumer, I officially declare that from now on, I will never buy any Apple products again,” he told viewers sternly.
In a different post on his Weibo, Liu Jin elaborated that his iPhone had initially been bought from an officially authorized store last year. But on 5th September, the phone’s screen apparently went black and could not be turned on again. He again insisted that he had not done any unauthorized modifications, even stating: “I am willing to take legal responsibility!”
Additionally, Liu Jin claimed customer service had refused to inform him as to where the alleged illegal modification was made, saying he had been told they could not provide him with the test report. Netizens were quick to back him up, with one saying, “The appraisal report issued by Apple after sales can be legally certified, and (a) report (should) be given for private disassembly and repair. Are (they lying) about dismantling it?”
However, others opined that Liu Jin might not have bought an authentic product. “Did you consider the possibility that the so-called “Apple authorised store” which you purchased your phone from is not actually (one of their) formal channels?” a comment asked. Another added: “Many authorized stores in China sell refurbished machines.” A few netizens also pointed out that, after his video, Liu Jin had still been using an iPhone to post on his Weibo.
Well, that’s certainly one way to make your voice heard, we suppose. We do hope Liu Jin’s phone problem will be solved soon. As other netizens have pointed out, Apple isn’t the only mobile phone brand out there, so perhaps, it’s as good a time as any for Liu Jin to switch.
@hypemalaysia Actor Liu Jin’s dissatisfaction with how Apple handled his complaint has led to him smashing his own iPhone outside their store.
Sources: Weibo, China Press
