HOW CAN I RETRIEVE PHOTOS/VIDEOS FROM DEAD IPHONE 6?

[HollisHoHo]

Last week, I went back East (Upstate NY) for a family reunion where I took a ton of videos & photos with my BRAND NEW, less than 3 weeks old iPhone 6.  For some reason (probably because of lack of Verizon coverage in the area), the photos & videos did not backup to the iCloud.  The last backup to the iCloud was actually done from the plane on my way to NY! 

@

A few days later, I left NY to fly back to LA.  When I got on the plane in NY, the phone was working.  By the time I landed in LA, the phone was DEAD as a doorbell.  It would not charge nor turn on.  DEAD.  I did absolutely nothing to the phone to cause it fail. When I got home, I tried every reasonable solution suggested online.  Nothing worked. 

The next day, I called Verizon & explained what happened.  The only solution offered by Verizon was to send me a replacement phone. 

I then took the phone to Apple.  After running some diagnostic tests, Apple said that the phone was completely dead & could not be fixed. Apple offered to repair the phone & give me a loaner while it was being repaired.  However, Apple said that the repair would wipe out everything on the phone including my photos & videos.  So, naturally I declined Apple's offer.

I asked Apple if there were a way to retrieve my photos & videos.  Apple said I had to take the phone to someone who does iPhone data recovery.  They gave the number of a data recovery center who wanted $800 just to run some diagnostic tests! (The Apple rep acted like he was in a hurry to get to the next customer!)  I then took the phone to another authorized Apple repair center who confirmed the phone was dead & could not be repaired but they did not have the capabilities to retrieve my photos or videos or do any kind of data recovery.

Verizon has already sent me a replacement phone but I am heartsick that I cannot retrieve my photos or videos from my family reunion.  (I will return the phone as soon as I solve the retrieval of the videos & photos).  It makes no sense that a phone I had less than three weeks would crash & burn for no reason.  It equally makes no sense that neither Apple nor Verizon do not have the capability to retrieve my photos & videos taken over only a 2 or 3 day period.

I believe that that Verizon &/or Apple are responsible for the loss of my photos & videos.  If the photos & videos can be retrieved by a data recovery center, then Verizon &/or Apple should pay the cost of that retrieval.  I am sick to death of being held hostage by these mega-corporations.  I'm sure they are hoping I will throw in the towel on this one but I will not.  It's too important &, for whatever reason, they are responsible.

Meanwhile, does anyone else have any suggestions on how/where/by whom I can retrieve my photos & videos?  Thanks, everyone.