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General discussion

Ipod screen damage not covered by warranty???

Jul 15, 2007 10:21AM PDT

I got my husband a 30-G Ipod for father's day. He's an avid cyclist, and he got hooked on copying books from cd's to his pod and listening during his 2 hour rides. A day ago, the screen had black marks and the ipod did not respond to any function or button. I took it to Best Buy, and they claimed that it had been damaged by being in an accident, and than neither Apple or Best Buy would cover the damage. The B-B guy said that they see a lot of cases where men put their pods in their back pockets, and the screens break when they sit down. That damage is also not covered. My husband's pod has been in a silicone glove since day one, for protection. He puts it in a secure pocket on the back of his cycling jersey, so the guy-sitting-on-back-pocket scenario couldn't possibly have been the situation. Besides, would a cracked screen make the whole thing not work?

What gives? Are the screens that easily damaged? Have other people had problems where what seems to be normal wear and tear gets excluded from warranty coverage? I got one for Christmas, and have already exchanged it when it went funky, but there was no question about accidental damage raised. What kind of quality control and design problems are we dealing with?

Discussion is locked

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Newer iPods Fare Better
Jul 15, 2007 3:15PM PDT

A previous generation of iPods had problems with surface scratches, but that's not the case with the current generation. My daughter has had her 30GB iPod for over a year, has never had a cover on it, and the iPod has no evidence of screen damage whatsoever. Since there is evidence of physical damage to yours, neither the store nor Apple would likely honor your warranty. Damage such as the cracked screen, accidental or not, is evidence that the iPod may have been roughly treated.

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Do it yourself repair?
Jul 15, 2007 7:33PM PDT

If you type IPOD PARTS on google.com you find a small world of parts supplies and DIY repair ideas.

Bob

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Not a QC issue.
Jul 16, 2007 7:27PM PDT

It's user-generated damage, period. Just because your husband is careful with it normally doesn't mean it can't get in a situation where you applied sufficient pressure on the screen to break it.

Do you take back a car that you usually drive carefully after a fender-bender because it's faulty? Duh.

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Looking for information, not duh
Jul 17, 2007 1:54AM PDT

The reason I asked the question was for information. Like many people, I appreciate help, especially if it is given civilly. If a fender bends when a normal weight person leans on it, I'd suspect a quality problem. It is not the same situation as a collision with another car.

I am still interested in finding out if screen damage is common, and what situations seem to cause it.

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Not common.
Jul 17, 2007 2:28AM PDT

I have a few dozen people I know that have various iPods. None broke their screens.

Bob

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Thanks
Jul 19, 2007 7:41AM PDT

Thank you for the information. My husband really liked the ipod. Since we still have no idea why the screen broke, we do not know whether to spend the money on a new ipod or look into another brand. Does anyone systematically track reliability, etc.?

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I would suggest another MP3 player.
Jul 19, 2007 6:17PM PDT

An iPod Shuffle or Zen Stone. There is no screen to say 'it broke all by itself'.

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iPods Are Fine...
Jul 20, 2007 10:03AM PDT

The hard drive based iPods are good mp3 players, but they aren't meant to stand up to shock during physical activities. Even when biking, it might be hard to keep it from getting jostled and getting damaged. I recommend going with a second flash-based mp3 player. There are no moving parts and they are generally smaller, making them more durable. I have a Creative MuVo v100, which I find is perfect for my morning runs. It's small and lightweight, and sound quality is not sacrificed. You can find a flash-based player for under $100.

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if his iPod is DOA
Jul 21, 2007 3:16AM PDT

It sounds like more than screen damage. Are they actual cracks or just streaks? Usually a cracked screen doesn't kill it. Perhaps moisture got into it? (Sweat from cycling? or moisture from elsewhere?) I don't know if the case he was using provides ample protection from moisture. Is it completely enclosed except for the headphone jack? If moisture is a possibility, then any player you end up getting could run into that problem. The Shuffle may be less vulnerable if it can be clipped to a non-sweaty area. There might be other players, but I can't think of any on the top of my head.

I'm just guessing, but it is something to think about.

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Sounds plausible
Jul 23, 2007 6:02AM PDT

That's a possibility. Perhaps the screen crack allowed moisture in. It was strange, IMHO, that it happened all of a sudden. The iPod had worked perfectly up to that point. What kind of set me off was when the guy at Best Buy said that they had seen screen cracks when guys put their iPods in their back pockets, and then sat down. It would seem to me, if anyone asked, that at the very least the manual should give instructions about screen care if such an ordinary use could damage the thing. Their ads show people dancing with their pods. DK about you, but I tend to drop things when I dance. ;D

Thanks for your suggestions. I am, of course, still interested in any comments, experiences, etc. that people have had with screen damage.

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ipod screen
Aug 1, 2007 1:29PM PDT

I've had a 60GB video ipod for alittle over a year now. I've taken good care of it, kept it in a protective sleeve,ect. I've never dropped it. Then out of the blue my screen had a thick black mark on the top corner of the screen. I went to an apple store where I was told there was nothing they could do to repair it for me. The apple employee also stated even if I had come in a month earlier (when my warranty was still in effect) there was still nothing they could do and that my only options were to keep using it as it is or sell it back for 10% off a purchase for a new ipod. The black marks on the screen have gotten worse and spreading. Considering how much my ipod cost, I'm pretty upset they don't offer some kind of repair options. I'd much rather pay a reasonable fee to fix my screen then have to buy a new one. Which let me remind you, I didn't break in the first place.

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Aha! A fellow sufferer
Aug 3, 2007 7:06AM PDT

Your story is very much like my husband's. It occurs to me that part of the problem is that there does not appear to be a repair option for a cracked screen. I can only speculate on the economics for Apple of fixing vs. scrapping flawed iPods. Thanks for the confirmation that we are not the only crack-screens out there. ;D

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cracked screen
Dec 17, 2008 12:54AM PST

The iPod touch has a pretty fragile glass screen, many times the digitizer still works if there are cracks, but if it fails there is no other solution then to get a refurb through apple or replace the glass. There are companies that do it for you, but the parts are readily available on ebay and there are free guides (http://www.portatronics.com/guide) online that show you how to do it, worked for me. After going through the 23 disassembly steps however and putting it back together wiped the sweat of my forehead and got myself a case with a little door that protects the front, phew...