That doesn't even register in terms of the "insane" requirements of this program. The primary benefit of going to an independent repair store is that they're l

That doesn't even register in terms of the "insane" requirements of this program. The primary benefit of going to an independent repair store is that they're local and can provide faster turnaround than mailing it off somewhere. But Apple serializes the batteries, so you can't stockpile them. The battery won't work unless it's programmed with the phone's serial, and independent repair shops can't do that. So the customer has to go to the independent repair shop, have them open up the phone, write down the serial number, order the battery from Apple, wait for it to be shipped, and then call the customer back in a week so that the phone can be opened and actually fixed. And if the customer at any point says "fuck it" and buys a new phone or sends it direct to Apple, then the repair shop is stuck with an worthless battery that only works for that specific phone. And on top of that, the batteries are un-competitively priced. It's a completely worthless program designed to provide them some political cover and nothing else.