27" i7 iMac - DEAD Pixels out of the box

[-FlyAuburn-]

So, 2 weeks ago I finally decided to order an iMac, despite all of the issues I had been hearing about with the display. I figured that I was going to be one of the lucky ones and have no issues whatsover. I was ordering a brand new machine and it should be fine.

Wrong.

After about 30 minutes of getting things up and running, and while a webpage with a good bit of white background was open, I noticed the dead pixel (pixels?).

As the question mark shows, I'm not really sure if this is considered one pixel or many. So I figured I'd let the gurus like Hellhammer tell me. The first picture is zoomed out and is of the bottom left hand corner where the dead pixel(s) is. I apologize for the spots around it, that is actually inside the camera body itself I think (Nikon D40x) and I can't seem to get them cleaned off. That's another issue....sigh. The second is a very close in picture of the area. I photoshopped the lense spots out to see it better. Individual pixles are visible. This to me looks like 5 dead ones in a diagonal row. What do you guys think?

Anyway, i called Apple and they wrote it up as DOA (Dead on Arrival) and I have an RMA number. They said as soon as FedEx has this computer a new one will arrive the next business day. Oh, and they also took $150.00 off of the price for the inconvenience. Not bad eh?!?

 

[-FlyAuburn-]

Bump. I'd like to get some feedback gurus! How many pixels?

 

[Hellhammer]

May not be dead pixels. You said you have some black spots you cannot clean so there might be some crap between the glass and display. As for the line of "dead pixels", it could be a smudge too. Maybe the panel itself got hit by something which caused the pixels to die as that line looks very abnormal for me.

Hard to say why and what caused it and are they even dead pixels but I wouldn't worry about it if you have a new one on its way plus 150$ discount, it's already solved so why to bother

 

[-FlyAuburn-]

The spots are actually somewhere on my Nikon DSLR. Either on the lense or inside the body. I have had trouble getting it completely clean and these spots are in a lot of recent photos. The second picture is a better representation of what it actually looks like to the naked eye, using the white background of pixel checker. They are completely dead because they don't show up in any of the other colors either.

Anyway, thanks for the reply!!

 

[Hellhammer]

The spots are actually somewhere on my Nikon DSLR. Either on the lense or inside the body. I have had trouble getting it completely clean and these spots are in a lot of recent photos. The second picture is a better representation of what it actually looks like to the naked eye, using the white background of pixel checker. They are completely dead because they don't show up in any of the other colors either.

Anyway, thanks for the reply!!

Ahh, then it's only the line of pixels. Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it because you have new one on its way plus 150$. Would be a different story if it was out of warranty

 

[-FlyAuburn-]

Update:

To keep it short and simple, because I utterly lack the patience at this point for a more detailed post, I am very very disappointed and disillusioned with Apple Care and Apple's customer service at this point.

I have called back multiple times to get an issue fixed where my street address was omitted only to have to repeat the same lengthy story over and over. One girl even said she didn't know how to fix the problem, after yelling at me for 5 minutes at how it was FedEx's fault, and that she would transfer me to someone who could help, during this transfer the line went dead. I had been waiting on hold for OVER an hour just to speak to her in the first place. That's one issue.

I was told with this original issue (the dead pixels) that there would be a replacement OVERNIGHTED as soon as confirmation was received from FedEx that I had turned over the first defective iMac to them. After speaking to someone in the Apple Store management division about a separate issue (get to that in a bit) it was brought to my attention that the individual who told me that was apparently wrong because I ordered a custom iMac (i7, 8 GB, 2TB) and it had to be built so that was impossible. So apparently I was completely misinformed by some teenager that didn't know how to pay attention to the details of the original order and issue accurate information .

The separate issue I spoke of was that I just went to a FedEx Kinkos to drop off the package with the RMA and PREPAID label. The only problem was that the original cardboard box that the iMac white box was packed inside was not reusable. The iMac box was so tightly packed in the outer cardboard shipping box that suction prevented me from getting it out any other way than ripping the outer cardboard box. I was informed at FedEx Kinkos that I had to pay 29.99 for two boxes (since they didn't have a single box that would fit it they would have to use two smaller ones together). I called BS on this since it was an RMA and I called Apple Care who patched me through to the store only to wait 30 minutes while the Nimrod on the other end of the phone tried to figure out why FedEx was trying to charge me for the packaging fee, when it clearly stated on the PREPAID return label "bill to third party". This went on for an entire hour. Also the Apple Store rep. kept saying that he showed no record of the $150.00 credit that they had previously promised. I eventually got fed up and asked to speak to a supervisor whereupon a very very nice and intelligent lady named Martine in management took over. I was finally talking to someone who knew what was up. She said she could confirm via the case number everything that I was telling her, that I would get issued the 150 plus the 30 for the FedEx box, and that she would be reporting the case about this particular FedEx location to the right people. Then of course she had to let me down and tell me that since it was custom built it might take another week to get my new computer. So not in time for the iPhone 4 release (I have a 32 GB coming on the 24th) which is what I was hoping for.

Overall what I am the most upset about is how much hold time I have spent, how many people seemed to not know what was going on, and overall the amount of time and inconvenience it has cost me to try to correct somebody else mistakes. The time that was spent dealing with this was worth way more than $150, although I do appreciate that they are trying to do something.

I complained that I thought that they really had a major quality control issue with both their hardware AND customer service agents (which I'm sure they are aware of) and not to quote me any BS electronics failure %, that all they needed to do was patrol this particular forum to see just how many people were receiving defective products and having a less than stellar customer service experience after the fact.

I thought Apple was supposed to be the best. I am not convinced at all of that anymore.

Buyer beware.

 

[MrDexx]

That sucks man!

I wonder if you had bought the computer in-store if you'd still have to do the whole FedEx crap or if you could just bring it back to the sotre for them to deal with replacement etc?

 

[-FlyAuburn-]

Good question. Probably not though because it was an i7, 8 GB, 2TB machine brand new, which they said is custom and they have to build. I'm not sure if they just have ones with those specs laying around the store which is why I didn't bother. And for some stupid reason I thought this would be easier. Stupid me.