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Exchanging defective iMac

D

dedaelus

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 13, 2007
24
0
I had posted previously about my 20" 1GB iMac shutting down when doing anything with a CD/DVD -- thought the problem was solved by switching the computer over to another electrical outlet. This is also after taking it to a Genuis and them not being able to replicate the problem.

Well, the iMac is doing the same thing again. I cannot import from a CD, burn anything, etc. It also freezes quite a bit of the time if I have, say, iTunes and iPhoto both running -- but I am assuming this is because of the intensity of the apps running.

I am now wanting to just start over with a new iMac, but I am out of the 14 day return period. What are my options? Is Apple good about assisting customers whose products appear to be defective within 30 days of receiving it? Paying the restocking fee would be well worth having a machine that works reliably.
 
Well, mine is about to be exchanged for a new one, and ive had it 6 weeks or so now. But maybe im an isolated case, as I made quite a noise at Apple, so to speak (just might have had something to do with an email I addressed to a certain Mr Jobs ;) ). Plus the Apple tech people I spoke to in the UK seemed interested in examining my misbehaving iMac in more detail.

I'd call AppleCare and do your best to speak to someone quite high up in the ranks. Or.. try to find an email address for someone quite high up in whatever it is they call their customer care dept. Once you get through to the right person, you should find them quite helpful..

On a side note, I find it quite unsettling how widespread this problem seems to be :( Naturally im hoping the replacement is good..
 
Thanks, that is actually very encouraging. I have no qualms about escalating things and calling as often as it takes. Consumerist.com likely has a list of executive emails for Apple, but I hope I won't need to use them!

I'm a switcher (no, I do not think I am doing anything to cause the problem) and for some reason I was not expecting to have any issues with them. I think the aesthetic quality of the iMac and OSX lulled me into a false confidence about the product. I refuse to switch back to Windows, though, so I'm in it for the long haul.
 
dedaelus said:
I'm a switcher (no, I do not think I am doing anything to cause the problem) and for some reason I was not expecting to have any issues with them.
Click to expand...

Well, you are right to think that, because blunders from Apple on this scale are uncommon. At least not faults out of the box like this.
Apple hardware isn't built quite as bomb proof as it used to be (In my opinion). But its still generally better than the PC alternatives. And the Apple software and OS is definitely better, without a shadow of a doubt.

However, I feel for the switchers such as you, who's 1st Mac experience is as bad as this.. But as I say, its unusual. So largely down to plain old bad luck which can happen to any of us. But one way or another, Apple will get it fixed for you, and ultimately im sure you'll be very pleased with your choice.

Good luck!
 
dedaelus said:
I am now wanting to just start over with a new iMac, but I am out of the 14 day return period. What are my options?
Click to expand...
The "14 day" window only limits the return of NON-DEFECTIVE merchandise -- no reason/justification required, maybe you just changed your mind.

BUT, if your computer was "defective" from day#1, Apple's written sales policy requires them to furnish a NEW replacement -- providing that you notify AppleCare of the problem within the first 30 days. Search for "DOA" in the link below, and read the DOA provisions carefully. Know your rights.

http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/salespolicies.html

So, your mission, (should you choose to accept it), is to follow Luap's sound advice, get on the horn to Tech Support (1-800-275-2273 in the USofA), and convince them that your iMac was DOA. Be polite, but firm, and have your serial number and complaint-history handy -- names, dates, notes of phone conversations, visits to TheGenius, etc. The more details the better.

The first-tier phone droid probably doesn't have the authority to make a DOA determination, but after collecting some basic information he/she will probably hand you off to an "iMac specialist." If they don't do that automatically, politely request that they do. (Keep notes of names, dates, and who-said-what.)

I believe the "iMac specialist" does have the authority to make the DOA call -- so BE NICE, and explain the problem as calmly, clearly and concisely as possible. You want to win this person over, not chew them out or waste their time.

Finally, if the specialist can't/won't declare your computer DOA, the next step in the food-chain is the "product support" person (I'm not sure of the exact job title in Apple-land, but that's close). If you hit a dead-end with the "iMac specialist," politely request them to "escalate your case" (use that phrase, it's magic) -- but request "escalation" only as a last resort. Your best chance of victory is probably at the "iMac specialist" level.

...best o' luck,

LK
 
thanks for everyone's advice. i was able to have them declare it DOA and opted for the exchange. since i no longer have the original packaging, they are crediting me with an additional $25 to pay for packing materials. very nice, as far as i'm concerned. couldn't get them to send me the replacement before i sent in the original (for a data transfer), but i don't mind squeezing everything into my external hd too much.
 
Luap said:
Well, you are right to think that, because blunders from Apple on this scale are uncommon. At least not faults out of the box like this.
Apple hardware isn't built quite as bomb proof as it used to be (In my opinion). But its still generally better than the PC alternatives. And the Apple software and OS is definitely better, without a shadow of a doubt.
Click to expand...

I'm a "switcher" too, sort of, in that I'm awaiting the first Mac I've ever bought for personal use, but used several iterations of Mac laptops for business for four or five years during the mid-90s, working on them 80-100 hours a week. (I've also used PCs from nearly a round dozen of major manufacturers, most recently several Dells.) And I have to say that although I'm overall quite sold on the idea that Macs in general are far more reliable than PCs in general, I can remember one major previous instance, in my admittedly limited personal experience with Macs, when an Apple product was worse than any PC I've ever used. I distinctly remember the PowerBook 160 and 180 as the most crash-prone computers I've ever touched, just as I vividly recall all the convoluted political maneuvering all of us poor cubicle dwellers engaged in to try to get our partners to bump us up on the priority list to get the new 540s when they finally came out to relieve us of our misery.

The good news is that the PowerBooks 180s instilled good backup habits in those of us poor sufferers who used them...

I don't recall whether it was a hardware issue, an OS issue, or some combination of the two. But I can honestly say that the last time I had a PC lock up anywhere near as much, it was running Windows 3.1.

A little research also showed that the 2002 iMacs initially also showed a lot of problems, which turned out to be some kind of firmware problem. Maybe someone who's more of a gearhead than I am can recall what that was, or explain it, if they care to do so.

What it all comes down to is something my automotive engineer and former GM designer father passed down to me as one of the cardinal rules of car-buying: "Never buy anything in its first year on the market; you're basically finding all the problems the designers failed to catch."

Which I've promptly failed to abide by, in ordering a new AlumiMac just a week after it first was announced. What can I say? I've been lusting after Macs since the original came out back when I was a teenager - maybe even longer, since a family friend let me play with his Apple IIe back when I was just a wee lad - and this is the first time I can actually justify switching away from the Dark Side. Logic simply doesn't apply.:cool:
 
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