It wasn’t so long ago that when you had a problem with any of your Apple products, you could drop by your local Apple Store and a friendly fellow geek would sort you how: in the case of hardware, usually by confirming the issue and giving you a replacement there and then.

But Apple products are getting more popular, and the Stores are getting busier. Gone are the days where you could just pop in: you’ve needed to book an appointment for some time now. And gone are the days where you knew you were talking to a fellow Apple geek who could get you on your feet there and then. Now, it’s a pleasant surprise if you get this.

Those who listen to ATP will know, possibly to their own frustration, about the issue where part of the front-facing camera is shifting to give an appearance of a grey crescent moon. (And for those who hadn’t: I’m sorry, you can no longer un-see it). And earlier today, Casey sent a tweet reminder:

iPhone 6 users with the crescent moon: if you got yours launch day like me, your warranty runs out ~18 September. http://t.co/txx5zRqug6

So far, so good. There’s a clear defect with your phone and you have just over a week to get a fix or replacement under regular warranty.

But then I delved into the replies to this tweet. And the results were mixed, to say the least:

@alan0606:

@caseyliss Casey thanks to you pointing it out on ATP I booked genius appointment. Genius replaced mine with a brand new iPhone 6.

@brandoncozart:

@caseyliss took mine in a couple of weeks ago with this issue. fix took about 10 minutes.

@twistofmatt:

@caseyliss I was told as long as it wasn’t interfering with the function of the camera to live with it.

@legerlotz:

@caseyliss I was told that this was a “normal variance” and couldn’t get it fixed until it affected the photos taken by the FaceTime camera.

It would appear Apple Genius support is being inconsistant with this issue, with some owners being told it isn’t a problem.

Is it time Apple re-thought their after-sales support strategy?