From Silicon Valley to Washington, from Detroit to Atlanta, people are sharing stories of long waits, dropped customer service calls and hard-to-get appointments.

"I've lost confidence in this rarefied company," David Cohen, a former newspaper publisher from San Jose, said in an email to the Washington Post. "I'm disappointed in them. As far as I'm concerned, they should have recalled the phones and replaced all the batteries for free."

Cohen said he initially was told more than a month ago that there were no batteries for his 2-year-old iPhone 6. He placed an order for a new battery and was told it might take several weeks. He still doesn't have his battery.

Others have said it has taken weeks to even land an appointment. And for some who were able to get through to someone, there aren't batteries available. One man told the Chicago Tribune in February that he was told to come in after a two-week wait for his battery appointment, only to be told there were no batteries. Washington Post columnist Geoffrey Fowler said last month that one store in the Bay Area told him stock levels won't be back to normal until the summer.

Read full article