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iMac failed Hard Drive recall program is a joke!

C

calebkingston

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 25, 2011
20
0
So I have a 2013 27" iMac and the hard drive just crashed (I know, I should have been backing up:()

I brought it into the apple store and they said, "Yes, a range of these iMacs have faulty hard drives put in during the assembly line process." So they said they have a free repair program but in order to use it, they will not give me the damaged hard drive back so that I can try to send it to a specialist to try to recover ALL of my digital life. I either lose the damaged hard drive with my data or I spend $340 to just pay for a new hard drive and keep the old one.

I don't understand what apple wants to do with my damaged hard drive or why it's so valuable to them. A free hard drive replacement seems generous enough, but not when they were aware the hard drives were faulty and they screw up on their quality control.

So here are my two options:

1. Bring my iMac into apple store to get the hard drive repaired for free and lose all hope of recovering any of my documents.
2. Pay apple $340 to repair the hard drive and then pay a data recovery specialist $2000 to recover my data.

Neither of these options seem fair given the circumstances. I've never been this miserable with apple.
 
I pretty sure this is a normal thing for all tech companies. They can't be held responsible for the security of your data regardless of it it was their fault or not. Had similar issues many times before:
  • When I got my PS4 replaced due a power defect, Sony wiped everything off my third party HDD and returned a new model with it fully formatted inside.
  • OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.2 had a known bug that erase all user data. Took it to the Apple Store and they downgraded it back to 10.6.0. They couldn't get my data back.
  • Had a wake/sleep button issue with my iPhone 4. Again I went to the Apple Geniuses and they gave me a new one while showing me how to restore 'some' data from iCloud.
  • Have a dying Hard Drive in my PS3 right now. My warrenty with SeaGate is still intact but no doubt the replacement, if I choose to do it, will not have the 600+ GB of games on it.
That's why you must remember to always back up your data no matter what. Have several Hard Drives just laying around the house now. My back ups have back up.
It's sad really.
 
Yes, I understand this and I'm not asking them to put forth any effort in recovering, I'm just asking them not to charge me $340 so I can keep my corrupted hard drive and pay someone else to recover it.
 
calebkingston said:
Yes, I understand this and I'm not asking them to put forth any effort in recovering, I'm just asking them not to charge me $340 so I can keep my corrupted hard drive and pay someone else to recover it.
Click to expand...
Because the recall program only applies when you return the failed hard drive? Without returning it, you pay for the new drive plus the labour, simple.
 
bcave098 said:
Because the recall program only applies when you return the failed hard drive? Without returning it, you pay for the new drive plus the labour, simple.
Click to expand...
Which should not be the case. If he goes to the Apple store and the Genius confirms it is a failed hard drive and he qualifies for the free replacement. Then why can't he keep the old one? Surely Apple won't be refurbishing the hard drive.
 
A three year old hard drive you didn't back up? You want apple to fix it for free and give you the drive? Because you want to spend "$2000 to recover my data.".

Doesn't add up. If you cared $2000 worth about your data you would have backed up your hard drive.

Oh well, hopefully lesson learned.
 
Blaze4G said:
Which should not be the case. If he goes to the Apple store and the Genius confirms it is a failed hard drive and he qualifies for the free replacement. Then why can't he keep the old one? Surely Apple won't be refurbishing the hard drive.
Click to expand...
By definition, replacing it would require him to give the drive back. The recall program is only to replace a failed drive, and that's not what OP wants. He wants Apple to give him a free drive, then install it for him for free.
 
bcave098 said:
By definition, replacing it would require him to give the drive back. The recall program is only to replace a failed drive, and that's not what OP wants. He wants Apple to give him a free drive, then install it for him for free.
Click to expand...
Apple could give him another option. Replace the hard drive under the program and give him 30 days to return the old hard drive or else he will be charged full price. Alteast that seems like the right thing to do when you take customer service in consideration...a thing people say Apple is great at.
 
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calebkingston said:
Yes, I understand this and I'm not asking them to put forth any effort in recovering, I'm just asking them not to charge me $340 so I can keep my corrupted hard drive and pay someone else to recover it.
Click to expand...

Because they probably destroy the old drive for security reasons and any change in this process will be a possible security leak, you can't have it all ways.

If you can't fix the drive in the computer or get the information off using the various software tools available then it will cost you in the hundreds of dollars to get any info off the drive. Unless you have critical information for a business or something on there this will probably cost more than it's worth.

However there are ways of trying to recover the info without removing the hard drive take a look at this, with another Mac you may be able to get the data.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/how-to/a3086/hard-drive-recovery/
 
I'm guessing is they have a workflow in process where they just destroy the drives as mentioned above.

Still, I'd not say its a joke of a program, because you're getting repair work done for something that is normally out of warranty (if AC expired).

As they say, don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
 
Chundles said:
Oh I read it, I just thought they must've been kidding.
Click to expand...

Ha ha ha yep in this day and age you would think that people would have got the message about backing up data, but I only have to look around my mates computers to know that at least 75% don't even consider it.
 
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