Warranty caveats (#2): iPod Shuffle failures (green and orange flashing light); hard drives; discrepancy over inception date
Warranty caveats (#2): iPod Shuffle failures (green and orange flashing light); hard drives; discrepancy over inception date
We previously reported on a growing trend toward warranties with provisos that make it difficult for purchasers to redeem coverage. In many cases, obtaining repairs or getting replacement units proves a process fraught with extra fees, long wait times or unexpected gaps in coverage.
The article drew tremendous response, with numerous users noting significant issues with hard drive warranties, but many others lamenting a major caveat in Apple's iPod warranty that is particularly problematic for iPod Shuffle owners.
iPod Shuffle: Extra fees are the rub Like any product that ships hundreds of thousands of units, the Shuffle has fallen victim to its fair share of product failures.
The most prominent issue is one where the iPod Shuffle spontaneously becomes unable to transfer music to or from its host computer, cannot play music, and flashes an alternating green and orange light when the Play button is pressed. The issue appears insoluble for most users, leaving warranty activation (many units fail within the first year) the only option.
Unfortunately, the iPod warranty contains one key caveat that effective nullifies its usability for iPod Shuffle owners with units 180-365 days old that exhibit failure.
Apple's warranty policy which states the following:
"If your iPod is not covered under the terms of the Apple One-Year Limited Warranty or AppleCare Protection Plan for iPod, you will be charged a fee for service. Please note that a $29.95 shipping and handling fee will apply to all in-warranty repairs that are performed 180 days from your iPod shuffle date of purchase."
The 512 MB iPod Shuffle retails for US$69 from the Apple online store and less at other retailers. So replacing an iPod Shuffle under warranty after 180 days post-purchase requires a deposit of nearly half the original purchase price. Furthermore, the user is by no means guaranteed a replacement unit that itself will not require replacement at some point, effectively negating the utility of the warranty relative to purchasing a new iPod.
MacFixIt reader Denis Heraud writes:
"Obviously the sort of policy you only find out about once your electronic good quits on you. I can't begin to express how mad I am to have to pay shipping fees to return a product that breaks under warranty.
"[...] So besides paying the price of the equipment, we have to pay 30$ USD of shipping and handling for a (statistically recurring problem) defective product under warranty. The only way out of this situation is to purchase a 59$ USD AppleCare plan for the iPod so that the shipping fees are waived. No word yet from Apple on this issue. I think it's interesting to mention that iPods are the only goods Apple sells that have this particular policy. I thought I'd get the word out to other owners of iPod Shuffles (those that don't visit Apple's boards at least) that they are not alone and that I'm sure there is a way to get Apple to acknowledge there may be some inherent problems with the iPod Shuffle.?
Another reader adds:
"I have this problem with my 512mb shuffle too... my girlfriend was using it, she said the audio playback sounded like a skipping CD. I was going to check out the problem, but the next day it got the flashing green/orange light problem - so I never got to look into what was up with the audio defect...
"Anyhow, I tried all the tips to fix it to no avail. My shuffle is still under 1 year warranty until around October. But since its out of the 6 month period, I'd have to pay for shipping (about $30-45 canadian)."
If you've experienced a similar issue with Apple's iPod warranty, please let us know.
Hard drives: Good and bad Our previous report focused on issues with hard drive warranties. We've since received reports from readers noting both good and bad experiences with different hard drive vendors.
MacFixIt reader Charles Jenkins reports issues with warranties from Toshiba (the subject of our prior report).
Charles writes:
"When a Toshiba laptop's hard drive fails and gets replaced under warranty, the brand new drive does not keep its own warranty; instead, it takes on the system's original warranty. This sounds reasonable, but it is not.
"We had one unit whose hard drive failed close to the system's warranty expiration date. Toshiba replaced the drive, but then about a month later, the replacement drive failed. We called Toshiba for a replacement of defective new drive, and were told, "sorry, but your laptop is out of warranty." It did not matter that the dead hard drive was brand new.
"The lesson I take from this story and your other user's original story is that Toshiba is not willing to stand behind their products. Apparently, they cannot make reliable equipment, and they know it."
Meanwhile, Louis Bergeron reports a positive experience claiming a warranty from LaCie:
'I had this LaCie external firewire drive which was out of warranty. I returned the unit to the Canadien center in Toronto and it came back with the same problem.
"The drive would loose power, so operation with it were not reliable. Returned it again and this time they replace the power supply for free I am impressed!"
Warranties from date of manufacture Several readers recounted instances of manufacturers insisting on enforcing warranties from the date of manufacture -- a practice that is illegal in several US states which require warranties extend for the designated period after purchase.
One reader writs:
"I have been using Maxtor and Seagate drives for a long time now and the warranty has been from date of manufacture. This does not seem fair but it is the way it is. One small advantage to this system is you can find out online if the drive is still under warranty with only the serial number and you don't have to prove purchase date or anything since the serial number tells them all they need to know."
icah Forbes adds:
"A similar issue with Seagate and their warranty policy happened to me. I had purchased 10 SATA hard drives in February of 2004. One failed in December 2004, so I filed a warranty claim on the Seagate website, only to discover that the drive was out of it's 1 year warranty period...and had been for several months.
"I called the Seagate technical support department, based in India, and explained the situation. They impatiently explained that there was nothing they could or would do. I muscled my way up the chain to a VP in their California headquarters, who told me that the warranty begins when they ship the drive from the factory. I bought mine from and authorized reseller, who uses an authorized distributor who had purchased drives from Seagate sometime in the 3rd Quarter of 2003.
"After several phone calls, faxing of receipts and confirmation of serial numbers and place of purchase, they agreed to replace the drive and apply the appropriate warranty period for all 10 drives. It only took 2 months from the initial website request.
"This practice is illegal in California, which provides a consumer the full warranty protections from the purchase date and without sending in a registration or warranty card. There is an agency that manages incidents like this. The Bureau of Electronic & Appliance Repair http://www.bear.ca.gov/.
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