Petrified mum couldn’t contact son
My iPhone failed me at the time I needed it most.. during a terror attack. But Apple just doesn’t care
Caron McKennan feared for her life when she was caught in the Strasbourg terror attack.
The mum of one was in a restaurant yards from the city’s famous Christmas market as the gunman struck.
But as she tried to call her son, her iPhone ran out of power despite showing 40 per cent battery.
Caron, 55, said: “I’ve never been more terrified. I still have flashbacks. I was lucky to escape.
“But I’m furious my phone let me down when I needed it most. And I’m even more angry that Apple hasn’t bothered dealing with my complaint since.”
Caron and husband Archie, 57, were on holiday in Colmar in north- east France when they decided to take a day trip to Strasbourg on December 11.
She said: “We wanted to go to the Christmas market and a restaurant in Carré d’Or.”
But as they were finishing their heir meal, the terrorist struck, killing five and injuring 11.
Car on, a call centre complaints adviser, said: “The place was in lockdown. We were in the basement of the restaurant for three hours.
“Three students who had d witnessed the first attack ran n in. It was horrifying.
“All I wanted to dow ass speak to my son and hear his is voice. I had to let him know we were safe. But my phone let me down – the battery died.” Thankfully, theyy were able to escape afterter three hours and boardd a train back to Colmar. ar.
But she said: “An armed soldier came to the restaurant and said if we were heading left, we could ould go. If our destination ion was to the right,, it wasn’t safe as the he gunman was still at large.
“We ran for our lives and boarded a train after being searched by officers. The streets were deserted. But we got back to Colmar. “We let our family know we were OK but couldn’t sleep and sat up all night watching the news.” Caron, of Airdrie, complained to Apple by emailing boss Tim
Cook on December 14. She heard nothing and contacted him again on December 18. But she said: “I finally phoned on January 5 when I’d had no reply and was advised that my complaint had been logged and a manager would call me. That didn’t happen.”
She later went to the store in Glasgow and was charged £45 for a new battery. But she said: “I’d done my research and the battery fail seems to be a common problem. The store told me they couldn’t deal with my complaint as I had logged it direct with head office.”
Caron, a mum to Leigh, 24, called me in when she contacted Apple again and was told to wait for a reply.
I got on to Apple, who apologised for not responding. They said the circumstances were upsetting for her but a test found the battery needed replaced. They said rechargeable batteries had a limited lifespan and, as they aged, could contribute to changes in iPhone performance.