Replacing HDD Voids the Warranty!?

[2tallyAwesome]

So I just called Apple Care, and apparently if you replace the hard drive in the Macbook, or have an authorized reseller replace the harddrive, it automatically voids the warranty on the whole machine, no matter what.

WHAT?

Does this make sense at all!? - Why would they make it so easy to replace if it voids the warranty!?

Anyone have any further info on this?

 

[WildCowboy]

Not true. The hard drive in the MacBook is a user-accessible part. Somebody gave you wrong information.

 

[andysmith]

I don't think this is true, but if it were, just keep the original HDD. If you have any problems, just stick it back in before returning to Apple.

 

[2tallyAwesome]

That's what I thought, but I read in the instructions that came with the macbook that the only user replaceable part is the memory, and anything else will void the warranty. So I called Apple Care to double check.

I am going to make another call and see what I get from them.

 

[WildCowboy]

That's what I thought, but I read in the instructions that came with the macbook that the only user replaceable part is the memory, and anything else will void the warranty. So I called Apple Care to double check.

We are talking about the MacBook and not the MacBook Pro, correct? The hard drive, battery, and RAM door (as well as RAM of course) are all do-it-yourself parts in the MacBook.

 

[2tallyAwesome]

Yeah I'm talking about the Macbook (not pro).

The verbage on the DIY site is somehwat misleading as to what would happen with the warranty if you ordered a DIY part from a third party,

 

[2tallyAwesome]

oooooooooooooooooook....

After another call to Apple Care, and a third call the my local Apple Store, I have received a few different answers.

The last, and most reliable answer I received was that if you replace the hard drive with an Apple brand Hard drive, then it will not void the warranty. However if you use a third party brand drive then the warranty is voided on the whole machine.

Agh...

 

[WildCowboy]

As far as I can tell, Apple is silent on how such things affect your warranty. But if it's a DIY procedure and you use a compatible product, they wouldn't have a leg to stand on if they tried to deny your warranty coverage. Unless they can prove that the hard drive you installed caused the damage or that you damaged your machine while installing it, they will continue to cover the machine.

However if you use a third party brand drive then the warranty is voided on the whole machine.

I don't buy it. The Magnusson-Moss Act says that you can use third-party parts in your machine, and unless they can prove that the third-party part caused the problem, your warranty remains valid.

 

[2tallyAwesome]

Still, Getting apple to cover something they don't feel is covered is a huge hassle. I was looking into getting either an external or popping in a new harddrive, but now I feel I might as well just get an external rather than have this hassle down the road.

bah.

 

[orangemacapple]

it might be up to you to prove

i think it may be up to YOU to prove that the hard drive DID NOT cause any damage. (like in the court system where if somebody makes an allegation against you, you have to prove your innocence -- if you fail to do so, you are guilty. if you were inocent until proven guilty, you wouldn't have to go to court.)

an authorized service center using authorized parts will not void a warranty, but anything else installed by anyone else COULD POSSIBLY cause damage. they cover their mistakes -- but refuse to cover your mistakes.

just keep the old drive around to pop in just in case you need to take it in under warranty.

i heard a genius say memory was user installable as long as it was branded memory (like kingston). kingston sells branded memory which can be left in the machine during warranty repairs (not their value line). newegg sells both: branded for about 150, and value line for about 125.

 

[WildCowboy]

i think it may be up to YOU to prove that the hard drive DID NOT cause any damage. (like in the court system where if somebody makes an allegation against you, you have to prove your innocence -- if you fail to do so, you are guilty. if you were inocent until proven guilty, you wouldn't have to go to court.)

You seem to have a fundamental misunderstanding of how the judicial system works in the US.

Apple can deny your warranty coverage based on a third-party piece of equipment or the installation of said piece causing the problem, but you have every right to ask them to back up that claim. Otherwise, you are legally entitled to warranty coverage.

 

[orangemacapple]

Apple can deny your warranty coverage based on a third-party piece of equipment or the installation of said piece causing the problem, but you have every right to ask them to back up that claim. Otherwise, you are legally entitled to warranty coverage.

i had a new mazda (6 months) that i changed the oil on myself. when the alternator went out, they refused me coverage on it because i hadn't had the oil changed at an authorized service center. i had to pay them the 250 for the part + labor in order to get the car to drive. and it got to be a lot of hassle over the better part of a year with mazda reps still quoting me the same crap and court filings and with me losing time from work only to have them not show up and extend the court dates,etc. until i finally gave up and decided to hell with it.

i never did figure out what an oil change had to do with an alternator. but i did learn a lesson.

 

[2tallyAwesome]

See this is what I am talking about.

Even if there is the chance it might be a problem, I think I would rather just use an external until my current HD craps out and can be replaced by my warranty.

After the problems I had with my ibook, I like having a warranty in case anything happens.

 

[erkanasu]

I replaced the HD in my MBP my self, and warranty still gave me a new laptio after it broke, just dont tell them u did it, and everything is coool

 

[madmaxmedia]

But based on that logic (3rd party invalidates the warranty), then that would also go for new RAM?

There should be no difference in warranty policy regarding hard drive and RAM in the MacBook, if both are user-replaceable. And it would suck to have your waranty invalidated because you upgraded your MacBook (pretty typical occurence...)

 

[.JahJahwarrior.]

I thought in the United States you were innocent until proven guilty ?!?

Otherwise, if you are guilty until you prove yourself innocent, I'm going to start suing everyone for random things that they cannot prove, and I'll just rake inthe cash!

If you ever had a huge problem and they refused to help you, just fly out to their corporate office with a tent. Go inside, ask to talk to a manager or something, if they tell you you can't, go start unpacking your tent. If they call security, better start ducttaping the legs to the floor. At some point, they'll figure out you'll be a bigger problem if they screw you over than if they were nice to you. And then ask them to also refund the ticket cost to fly over there.

 

[iW00t]

I thought in the United States you were innocent until proven guilty ?!?

That is with the criminal justice system.

For civil suits there is no such assumption. You can try suing everyone. The opposing corporations' lawyers can just keep coming every day and postpone the hearing until you go bust.

 

[aljlin]

Here's what I found on their webpage. Terms and service :

b. Limitations The Plan does not cover:
(i) Installation, removal or disposal of the Covered Equipment, or installation, removal, repair, or
maintenance of non-Covered Equipment (including accessories, attachments, or other devices
such as external modems) or electrical service external to the Covered Equipment;
(ii) Damage to the Covered Equipment caused by accident, abuse, neglect, misuse (including
faulty installation, repair, or maintenance by anyone other than Apple or an Apple Authorized
Service Provider), unauthorized modification, extreme environment (including extreme
temperature or humidity), extreme physical or electrical stress or interference, fluctuation or
surges of electrical power, lightning, static electricity, fire, acts of God or other external causes;
(iii) Covered Equipment with a serial number that has been altered, defaced or removed;
(iv) Problems caused by a device that is not the Covered Equipment, including equipment that
is not Apple-branded, whether or not purchased at the same time as the Covered Equipment;
(v) Service necessary to comply with the regulations of any government body or agency arising
after the date of this Plan;
(vi) The provision of replacement equipment during the period when the Covered Equipment is
being repaired;
(vii) Covered Equipment that has been lost or stolen. This Plan only covers Covered Equipment
that is returned to Apple in its entirety;
(viii) Cosmetic damage to the Covered Equipment including but not limited to scratches, dents
and broken plastic on ports, that does not otherwise affect its functionality or materially impair
your use;
(ix) Consumable parts, such as batteries, except in respect of battery coverage under APP for
iPod or unless failure has occurred due to a defect in materials and workmanship;
(x) Preventative maintenance on the Covered Equipment; or
(xi) Damage to, or loss of any software or data residing or recorded in the Covered Equipment.
When providing repair or replacement service, Apple will use reasonable efforts to reinstall the
Covered Equipment’s original software configuration and subsequent update releases, but will
not provide any recovery or transfer of software or data contained on the serviced unit not
originally included in the Covered Equipment.

So it would seem through those wordings it would seem like if you don't replace it with apple hardware the hard drive would not be covered. . . but *shrug* Another thing I found is this :

From: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=13946
You may install memory (RAM, VRAM), and other customer-installable parts without voiding your Apple warranty.


Apple's warranty states:
"This warranty does not apply...if the product has been modified without the written permission of Apple..."

Adding memory (DRAM, VRAM) or other user-installable upgrade or expansion products to an Apple computer is not considered a modification to that Apple product. Therefore, it is not necessary to obtain Apple's written permission to upgrade or expand an Apple computer. While Apple strongly recommends that you retain the services of an Apple Authorized Service Provider to perform any product upgrades or expansions, you will not void your Apple warranty if you choose to upgrade or expand your computer yourself. However, if in the course of adding an upgrade or expansion product to your computer, you damage your Apple computer (either through the installation of, or incompatibility of the upgrade or expansion product), Apple's warranty will not cover the cost of repair, or future related repairs.

So I guess is if the hard drive causes the problem they won't voer the repair, but they'll repair anything else that fails.

 

[.JahJahwarrior.]

That is with the criminal justice system.

For civil suits there is no such assumption. You can try suing everyone. The opposing corporations' lawyers can just keep coming every day and postpone the hearing until you go bust.

Good point, I completely forgot that this was a civil suit where contract becomes law, rather than criminal justice. Darn, there went my moneymaking idea! The funny thing is I'm not thinking straight due to spending my entire day at a speech and debate event, 2 hours of which were in a student congress debating bills and laws and such.

Really though, if I spent over a grand on anything and the people refused to listen to me, I'd go camp in their office. The worst they could do is throw you out, physically, and then you camp on the sidewalk. If someone moves you, then you camp in the road. Eventually, the media will show up and you calmly explain what's up to them. And don't leave. Keep camping. Hopefully the story would go nationwide and they would decide it's bad for business to not help you.

It worked for the guys with the bum ipod battery (except they vandalized signs, you are only camping, which is basically a vacation, right?) but didn't necessarily work for Cindy Sheehan. But she's used to spending time in jail for pulling stunts, I think she enjoys it. Maybe she has an illegal stunt/cameratime/jail fetish or something.

 

[Reel1]

Here is some more info, and based on the following your ram could void your warranty as well if not purchased from the corrcet supplier.


http://www.apple.com/support/macbook/diy/order.html


Quote from the above site:

"If you think that you may need to order a replacement part for your MacBook, you've come to the right place! We have the following DIY parts available for MacBook computers. (Note: You will need to have an Apple authorized representative order a Do-It-Yourself part for you.)"

 

[iW00t]

Good point, I completely forgot that this was a civil suit where contract becomes law, rather than criminal justice. Darn, there went my moneymaking idea! The funny thing is I'm not thinking straight due to spending my entire day at a speech and debate event, 2 hours of which were in a student congress debating bills and laws and such.

Really though, if I spent over a grand on anything and the people refused to listen to me, I'd go camp in their office. The worst they could do is throw you out, physically, and then you camp on the sidewalk. If someone moves you, then you camp in the road. Eventually, the media will show up and you calmly explain what's up to them. And don't leave. Keep camping. Hopefully the story would go nationwide and they would decide it's bad for business to not help you.

It worked for the guys with the bum ipod battery (except they vandalized signs, you are only camping, which is basically a vacation, right?) but didn't necessarily work for Cindy Sheehan. But she's used to spending time in jail for pulling stunts, I think she enjoys it. Maybe she has an illegal stunt/cameratime/jail fetish or something.

Unless they make a tent with a solar powered cell on top and a DC-AC invertor inside I think it is quite a pain to spend so many boring days sitting on a road like a bum