When the iPhone 15 launched, Dbrand (known for its cases and skins) announced a new product with a big promise: a transparent "Ghost case" that would never turn yellow. Alas, the choices that make that possible can lead to scratches, which is almost as bad. Dbrand has noticed and is promising a remedy.

In an email sent to customers (including this author), Dbrand explained the situation. Most transparent cases are covered in a UV-cured "anti-scratch coating." But that same coating tends to yellow over time, leading to an unsightly phone case.

It's only natural that plastic phone cases will scratch eventually, but Dbrand has received reports that some of its Ghost cases are so scratch-prone that they arrive in the box with flaws. While all plastic does scratch, it's more noticeable on a transparent case. Arriving in an already imperfect condition isn't acceptable. That's why Dbrand is taking action.

According to Dbrand, existing Ghost case owners (and anyone who buys one before the updated version releases) will automatically get a new case once the company fixes the problem. You won't need to do anything to request the replacement. The company will follow up when it has a timeline for the replacement. Dbrand is still selling the current version of the case, and its website already states that if you buy a Ghost case today, you'll get a replacement in the future.

That ultimately means Dbrand will likely lose money on every single case it sells. That's a classy move from a company whose marketing is usually irreverent at best.

You can read the full email below:

Hey Human,

Let's start with some good news: save for a few "Ships November" orders, we've officially shipped all Ghost Cases.

When we kicked off the Ghost project, we set out to solve the most pervasive problem in clear cases: yellowing.

Since launch, our zero-yellowing clear case has been the most successful product we've ever released. To say we were unprepared for the volume of orders would be an understatement. For many, we know the wait has been a true test of patience, and we can't thank you enough for bearing with us while we worked through this backlog.

With the initial mountain of orders in our rearview, we've turned our attention to another unsolved problem in the clear case industry: scratching. The simple truth is that plastic is softer than most objects you come across in your everyday carry (keys, coins, even healthy fingernails). As a result, plastic will inevitably become scratched. Because the Ghost is made in part with transparent plastic, those scratches are more visible than they would be on something opaque, like our Grip Case.

Most case companies solve this by hiding behind the veil of a UV-cured "anti-scratch coating". In truth, because these coatings are still softer than common objects your phone case may come in contact with, the improvement to scratch resistance is only marginal. More importantly, these coatings also tend to yellow over time. Because of this - particularly the reality that they turn yellow - we ruled out these industry-standard coatings as a potential treatment for the Ghost Case.

All of this is to say that, much like every clear case you've ever owned, your Ghost Case will get scratched.

While scratching is an unavoidable aspect of clear cases, we have observed a peculiarly high incidence rate of units arriving with scratches already on the case. It goes without saying that this is unacceptable. As such, we've been investigating potential causes over the past couple of weeks.

We've since completed that investigation and determined that the only way to truly cure scratching-related issues (whether arriving scratched or getting scratched shortly after unboxing) is by increasing the foundational scratch resistance of the case itself. Given the state of industry-standard coatings that turn yellow and our commitment to a zero-yellowing clear case, this is much easier said than done.

We have a handful of novel solutions we're currently exploring, ranging from more exotic resins to chemically inert, non-yellowing anti-scratch coatings that can be applied through some form of vapor deposition. Assuming that at least one of these solutions is viable in mass production, we expect to bring a more scratch-resistant version of the Ghost to market by April. While this date is by no means a guarantee, making the Ghost more scratch-resistant is the top priority for our engineering & materials teams.

For those who have been affected by a case that didn't meet expectations on scratch resistance, whether that's because your case arrived scratched or got scratched remarkably fast after delivery, here's our commitment:

As soon as our revised Ghost is ready - one that features both zero-yellowing and increased scratch resistance, we'll send it to you for free.

In fact, since we want everyone to have the best possible version of the Ghost Case, we're sending it to everyone who owns a Ghost - no matter if their case arrived pristine or scuffed, whether they're satisfied or dissatisfied with its scratch resistance. Everyone is getting the improved Ghost. For free.

(emphasis Dbrand)

Candidly, doing this means we've officially committed to losing money on every Ghost Case that leaves our facility. As it stands, we earnestly believe that we're just one scratch-resistant solution away from creating the endgame of all clear cases. We'll (literally) pay to make sure you get your hands on it.

No further action will be required on your end to receive this free replacement. Once it's ready, we'll send a reminder email so you can notify us of any address or device changes. Rest assured: we'll also be using the time between now and April to adequately prepare for the volume of shipments we'll need to dispatch.

While we don't take anyone's patience for granted and understand that April's quite a wait, there is a silver lining: this refactoring of the scratch resistance gives us the time and opportunity to incorporate additional feedback about the Ghost into the improved version. If you'd like to submit any specific suggestions, we've opened a feedback form here: db.io/ghost-feedback. Use the password redacted to unlock the feedback portal.

For now, continue using your Ghost, and we'll be in touch as soon as there's more to share.

Thanks again for all your support.

Signed,

A Robot