Praise for Apple’s iPod Warranty Support

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Praise for Apple’s iPod Warranty Support

Because we’re interested in sharing and hearing about users’ experiences with different parts of the iPod ownership experience, this news update discusses our pleasant surprise with an iPod warranty experience we had within the last 24 hours. We’d like to hear about your experiences - positive or negative - primarily with iPod technical and warranty support, so please use the comments section at the tail end of this message to share your thoughts.

Ugh! Time to Call for Repairs!

If you hate dealing with warranty-related repairs and replacements, join the crowd. In the past two or three years, American consumers have watched almost helplessly as their warranties have become harder to enforce, with all sorts of sneaky new corporate techniques rearing their ugly heads. Outsourced offshore technical support and warranty repair departments have become more common, as have Byzantine “resolution” bureaucracies and other downright dishonest practices.

Apple’s iPod support isn’t perfect - in fact, even though an iPod’s warranty lasts for a year, Apple mandates an unusual $29.95 “shipping and handling fee” for any iPod repair performed after the first six months, which we don’t like. And we haven’t always liked how certain “Geniuses” at Apple Store Genius Bars have handled iPod-related support issues, either - no offense to any particular Genius out there, as many of them (and most of the non-Genius staff of Apple Stores) are great.

That said, when we had to call Apple recently for replacement service, the AppleCare staff sure impressed us with three aspects of their warranty support. And because they did such a great job, we wanted to take the time to praise them here.

Our Three Good Experiences

First, given that we’re living in an age when technical support requests to companies such as Dell frequently take hours to resolve or go unanswered (not to mention underanswered, improperly answered or dishonestly answered), we were impressed by the wait time for an Apple representative: only around two minutes. The company’s AppleCare telephone menu system was easy to navigate and quickly delivered our call to a friendly, understandable human support assistant who had the authority to resolve our concern on the spot. This was especially impressive by contrast to the bureaucracy and delays that characterize so many other companies’ warranty support departments.

Second, we were happy to learn that accessories included with the iPod are apparently not subject to Apple’s $29.95 shipping fee. Apple offered to replace our accessory, which had a plastic problem we were not responsible for, without dispute, delay, or an extra charge. This too was a welcome change from the lengthy, pointless and generally dilatory procedures we’ve previously experienced.

Third, our replacement arrived in fewer than 24 hours from the time we called about it. While this used to be a common enough occurrence amongst major electronics companies several years ago, we were impressed to see it happen today.

It’s worth noting that we never mentioned that we were reporters or otherwise requested special treatment - we were just “average joes” on the phone and yet felt very well-served by the end of the call. The net result of Apple’s warranty service in this case was some very happy customers who felt even better about the somewhat higher purchase price of the iPod.

What Have Your Apple and iPod Technical/Warranty Support Experiences Been Like?

Our experiences may or may not be typical, so we’d like to hear about yours. Please take a minute to post your stories and thoughts in the comments box below.

For a complete list of Apple resources, including service and support, check our Links page.

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Comments

101

Um i want to get my ipod replaced because it’s battery life only lasts for an hour or two last time i checked. i asume this due to me loosing my wall charger, so i have to charge it on the mac computer but even when i leave it on there over night, it never is fully charged. can i make a claim??????

Posted by Charlotte on October 6, 2004 at 9:10 PM (PST)

102

Apple’s customer service is the WORST of any consumer electronics company in the world. First, there is evidently no place to CALL to get help, only their pathetic website. What kind of company gives you absolutely no telephone support at all, even for a fee???? A company that does not give a flying fu** about their customers.
My iPod failed to link to any PC, making it almost useless after one week. Now, I have to send it in for repair, which will take at least 10 days or more, when there might be a simple quick fix. APPLE SUCKS. I hope they fail and go bankrupt and all their overpriced, junk products wind up on the scrap heap of history.

Posted by Mike on October 16, 2004 at 3:15 AM (PST)

103

How would I import the “filename” from the shared folder to the IPod? Currently, only the “source File” name is all that is seen. Or better yet, Is there a way to substitute the Shared Folder’s Filename for the “source name”? This way, once I pull over the “source name” to the IPod it will be the Shared folder’s “Filename…Please help.

Posted by Gary on October 19, 2004 at 9:08 PM (PST)

104

i bought my 4g ipod about 3 weeks ago, and i had a problem with set up. it was my fault, and i am fine with that. im not computer illiterate, i just didnt know/see the window that said to dismount the ipod when restarting the computer.
anyway, i bought the ipod from best buy, with a 2 year warranty for 30 some dollars. i am hapyp with best buy and always have been.
so i called apple, and the guy told me that since i bought the warranty with apple, I COULD NOT call apple for any customer support after that unless the problem was reoccuring. i got pretty mad about this, but the customer service guy was funny, and provided fairly quick help after that.
i can understand apple’s customer service position if i boght ipod + HP…but i didnt. i bought an apple product, with the apple logo, with a serial number issued by apple.
anyway, apple customer supprot really aggravated me, and perhaps its best that i bought the warranty with best buy instead of with apple.

Posted by eric arpin on October 29, 2004 at 1:51 PM (PST)

105

Bought first mini Ipod 4/29/04—static problem developed so replaced 11/18/04. While I have no complaint in dealing with the staffers at the “genius bar” in Seattle, who were very pleasant & helpful—the replacement Ipod froze after playing one song and will not play any more despite reboot, etc.

My frustration lies with the fact that Apple refuses to give me a refund. They keep droning on and on about repair/replacement and state the refund is “at Apple’s discretion.” Why would I want to waste more hours of my life getting their defective product fixed? In my opinion, for $250 all I should have to do is push PLAY.

So my question to any and everyone: has anyone ever successfully gotten their money back from Apple? And if so - how?

Posted by RainbowGoddess on November 22, 2004 at 9:57 AM (PST)

106

My ipod mini is less than one month old… the other day when i turned it on, it said low battery and turned off. the first thing i did was try to turn it back on. it didn’t so i used the press the select and menu buttons technique (could someone elaborate on how to do this?) and it did not work. the next thing i tried to do was recharge it but the ipod did not come on when i connect it to either cables. what happened and how do i fix it?

Posted by baog on December 11, 2004 at 2:10 PM (PST)

107

MY Ipod is great, but apple’s service is not. You have to pay $50 even to speak to someone about a tiny 2 second problem from an itunes download or they tell you to “go search our technical support” which is also useless. Thanks for nothing apple, but i don’t want to go google my technical support.

Posted by manda on January 14, 2005 at 10:57 AM (PST)

108

On these pages you often read comments like:“I dropped my iPod and it stopped working….Apple replaced it with a new one”. Well, I did NOT drop my new 40GB iPod, but the screen cracked anyway. Finding a crack in your iPod sreen is like a kick in the guts if you’ve dropped it, but if you haven’t dropped it, it’s more like a natural disaster (why me?). The likely cause was a stress fracture, given that the engineers have had to pack the contents of the newer iPods into a smaller package than the old ones. I followed the instructions on the website and sent the iPod to the service agent, who emailed me a week later saying that the iPod’s warranty had expired (after less than 3 months!). When I emailed them that they were wrong, they took another six weeks (yes, six weeks !!, after repeated reminders) to email me again to tell me that I had abused my iPod and the crack was my fault. They didn’t reply in any way to my theory about the real cause of the problem. So I phoned AppleCare, and told the clerk my story. They assumed I was lying: to them there can be no other cause for a cracked screen than abuse of some kind (the flat Earth society lives on). When I asked to speak to an engineer, the “customer relations” clerk told me the matter was closed and no discussion with an engineer was necessary. This phone call was seven weeks (!!) after I had sent the iPod in for repair. After 14 years of owning Macintosh computers, and paying for repairs when the problem was my fault, I have lost confidence in Apple. My 3 year old iBook was to be replaced, but never again with a Macintosh. Details at http://www.appleipod.org

Posted by rudi in North Beach on February 4, 2005 at 12:43 PM (PST)

109

Great to hear the great stories abourt the ipod. Let me tell you mine. I received an IPOD as a gift. It was purchses in Early February 04. Received in March 05. Display going bad as well as not being able to add new songs. Called tech support. They infoemed me unit was out of warranty and wanted to charge me for the call with a credit card. Refused knowing it is a device problem and they would not be able to fix. Tried returning unit but out of warranty by a coulpe weeks> Apple wants to charge me $270 for the repair. Apple is a rip. Will not buy any apple device going forward.

Posted by alfa25red in NJ on February 20, 2005 at 3:36 PM (PST)

110

My ipod broke down on me (folder icon). I made an online repair request. I then received a box in which to send in my ipod, and the job was done very quickly. I sent in my ipod on a tuesday, and received a new one that friday.

Posted by Bahubeshi in Canada on February 25, 2005 at 4:49 PM (PST)

111

Checkout http://www.ipodwarranty.com for info on how to file a complaint with BBB and FTC for Apples failure to provide warranty support. Watch the video on how easy it is to replace parts in the ipod.The LCD screens are defective and Apple does not want to deal with the problem.

Posted by hiwatt on May 12, 2005 at 6:43 AM (PST)

112

I practically love my ipod… so much that once it broke down (started showing that Folder exclamation) I forced my dad to take a trip to the states for his vecation along with my brother and sister (they wanted to go to Italy..I didn’t go because I hate travelling) to get my baby fixed.He called in last night and told me he’d send it in a box and all to APPLE.I hope they’d take care of my love or give my a new one :(

Anyway people of APPLE ...I love the IPod so much that I made one of my friends buy a Shuffle another a mini and my cousin a 4G Ipod…..Now you see if you don’t get mine fixed how sad I am going to become.:’(

Posted by Shams in Dhaka,Bangladesh on July 2, 2005 at 9:21 PM (PST)

113

can i still renew my ipod if the warranty expired last december of 2005?

Posted by necrophagia69 on June 13, 2007 at 9:24 PM (PST)

114

i got my ipod then a year later it breaks the company ripped me of 150 dollars

Posted by hwhwhwqhw on August 11, 2009 at 11:43 AM (PST)

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