warranty
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MacBook Air hinge defect not covered by Apple's warranty?
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/MacBook_Air_hinge_defect_not_covered_by_Apple_s_warranty'; Our rocky history with the MacBook Air Rev. A has been well documented, and while Apple would very much like us to forget all about it and plop down another $1,800 for the much-improved Rev. B, not everybody has that sort of birthday money to throw around. Reports of cracked hinges on the laptop are nothing new, but we always assumed Apple would eventually 'fess up to the problem and comp those repairs. Sadly, that doesn't seem to be the case, and we just got another report of a hapless MacBook Air owner who has a broken hinge that Apple says will cost $800 to repair, despite the fact the laptop is under warranty. Our own MacBook Air Rev. A had the exact same problem -- the hinge becomes loose over time, then suddenly catches and cracks from normal use, it's not from undue stress -- and Apple did the repair for free, but only after we escalated the issue to a manager, who let us know how very nice of them that was. From reading various reports, that seems the exception to Apple's repair policy, which lists this sort of damage as "accidental," and we're wondering how widespread this issue may be. If you or a loved one has been affected, hit up the poll below and pour out your heart in comments. If you're unscathed or MBA-free, feel free to show very little compassion to your fellow man. Wiggle hinge and broken hinge video is after the break. [Thanks, Alex, and sorry for your loss! Photo courtesy of LanDung2008] %Poll-26759% Read - Apple Discussions forum thread Read - MacRumors forum thread Read - Crashzone's link roundup
Microsoft kills support for the original Xbox in Japan
Beginning March 3 in Japan, Microsoft will no longer service original Xbox consoles, regardless of warranty status. Xbox (not Xbox 360s, now) owners who are still under warranty and require repair will have the opportunity to participate in an upgrade offer, trading broken Xbox units for a new, free, Xbox 360 (insert ironic Red Ring of Death joke here). More information regarding the service stoppage and upgrade offer is available on the Xbox Japan Support site.
hhgregg continues to scoop up Circuit City business
We wouldn't have predicted that when hhgregg started its Circuit City gift card program months ago that it would have come to this, but it's really just a natural extension of what the Naptown-based retailer has been up to. Circuit City customers left in a liquidation lurch can turn to hhgregg (assuming one is nearby) for factory authorized service on items purchased from the big red plug that are still under the original warranty. Additionally, hhgregg is extending its Circuit City gift card amnesty program to April Fool's Day -- a fitting date to end the cakewalk music, we think. It's good to see a retailer stepping in to help out consumers, and this kind of action might score some loyalty points redeemable in more flush economic times.
Splurge on some Meridian gear this holiday, score two extra years of warranty
Honestly, we picture the typical Meridian customer as the "if it breaks, I'll just buy a new one" type, but we honestly don't know any Meridian owners who we can hit up for hand-me-downs. More importantly, everyone is looking for a value-add these days, so Meridian is offering an extra two years of warranty coverage for purchases made between now and February of next year. So if you've been on the fence about that $35,000 DSP7200 speaker setup, now is a great time to jump in; if you're looking for a way to pitch the $185,000 Reference Video System to your "finance committee," this could be the deal-closer. Heck, even if you're just curious to dose your kitchen countertop with a little Ferrari-approved luxe, you can do so now with the assurance that the "flawless craftsmanship" will hold up an extra couple of years. Kind of puts Bryston's long-standing 20-year warranty in perspective, doesn't it?
Fujitsu-Siemens offers Lifebook4Life laptop replacement warranty, has some land in Florida it would like to sell you
Fujistu-Siemens in the UK has recently announced their Lifebooks4Life program, which at first sounds a bit like some sort of gang tattoo, but turns out to be a new program that entitles you to a new laptop of the same value (adjusted 10 percent for inflation) every three years for the rest of your life. Granted, you'll be obliged to purchase a three year warranty with each new machine, and the machine must remain in warranty (you know what that means -- no cheap, off-brand RAM upgrades and absolutely no mods). But still -- a new notebook every three years for the price of a warranty? This doesn't sound like a disaster waiting to happen. Not at all. And one more caveat: you can't pass this contract on to your next of kin. Those of you in high-risk professions -- Dare Devils, Soldiers of Fortune, and contributing editors at Engadget -- might want to pass this one up.
Toshiba launches Satellite Pro S300 / S300M laptops
Toshiba's never been one to really pump out laptops with oodles of sex appeal (a few Portégé machines notwithstanding), and its latest two are decidedly drab. Aimed squarely at business users, the 15.4-inch Satellite Pro S300 and the 14-inch Satellite Pro S300M (shown after the break) both include a 2-year warranty, support for docking, a business card reader, a USB Sleep-and-Charge / eSATA combo port and face recognition software. As for the S300, you can snag it with your choice of a Core 2 Duo CPU, up to 3GB of DDR2 RAM, a 160GB 5,400 RPM hard drive, dual-layer DVD burner, WiFi / Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Intel's GMA4500MHD graphics, a built-in webcam / microphone and a 9-cell battery pack; the S300M gives you pretty much the same options but with a smaller screen and chassis. Take your pick, as they're both available to order right now starting at $899 / $829 in order of mention.[Via Notebooks]
Dell offers 1-year limited warranty enhancement for NVIDIA GPU issues
Details are slim at the moment, but one thing's for sure: Dell customers affected (or not affected... yet) by those wonky NVIDIA GPUs will have their warranties extended by 12-months to compensate. The 1-year "limited warranty enhancement" will add coverage for this issue to everyone who recently purchased one of the 15 NVIDIA-equipped machines listed in the read link, and we're told to expect further details about the whole ordeal in short order. Breathe easy, folks -- you'll be taken care of somehow or another.
Optimus Maximus survives coffee spill test... or does it?
Maybe it's the ambiguity and possible masking of truth that just adds to the allure here, but whether it really lived or not, you now know what an Optimus Maximus looks like after an impromptu greeting with lukewarm java. Sir tema clearly states that the keyboard "survived" its first recorded coffee spill "thanks to the construction of the upper tray," but judging by the looks of this thing... um, we're not so sure. Oh, and he also mentions that spilling liquids on the 'board is not only "stupid," but it obviously voids any applicable warranties. Thanks for the memo.
Texas Instruments extends projector-based DLP chip warranty to 5 years
In a bid to assure you, the prospective customer, that Texas Instruments' DLP chip is "bullet-proof" (its word, not ours), said outfit is stretching the warranty on any single-chip DLP module to five full years. Of note, this announcement covers chips within education, business, and home theater projectors only, and each manufacturer will be responsible for "providing details regarding their warranty programs, taking into consideration this new five year extension." Curiously enough, we can't decipher whether units that have already been purchased will be covered under the extension or if only new units purchased post-July 1, 2008 will be affected. If we owned one such device, we'd sure be on the phone with our manufacturer with this press release (in the read link) in hand.
Original iPhone warranties about to expire
Do you hear that ticking noise? It's your iPhone's warranty preparing to go "boom." If you purchased your iPhone on the original US release date -- June 29, 2007 -- your warranty will expire in three days (as of this writing) on June 29th, 2008. Tick, tick.Of course, you can extend coverage by purchasing AppleCare for the iPhone at $69.95US (or toss in an additional $129 for iPhone 3G). Otherwise, get yourself to an Apple Store Genius Bar ASAP! If the iPhone is anything like most cars I've owned, everything will go wrong the very day after the warranty expires. I'm just saying.
Even more problems with MS customer service
Microsoft just can't seem to do much right on the customer support front. So much so that we're rather tired of hearing about it. This time however, the story has more than a few new wrinkles that made it insightful enough to take a second look. The story begins with a review of the whole crazy situation and in it the author remains relatively fair and calm. Then comes the fifth paragraph, and specifics about repeat failures begin to surface.Things like the fact that the 3-year warranty won't extend to any problem other than the RROD for any replacement console that you are sent by Microsoft. Things like the fact that if Microsoft sends you a replacement console that does not function, you're then stuck with the original 1-year warranty that came with your first 360. Basically, if your 360 RROD'd between 366 and 1095 days after purchase (just over one year to three years) then Microsoft will send you a replacement console. But if that one has something wrong with it other than the RROD, then it'll cost you $100 to send it back to Microsoft to get it fixed. Remember kids, it's wrong to screw people over if you're not a multinational corporation.
AT&T refurb iPhones arrive with incorrect warranty coverage
Doug Toombs from Howard Forums tipped us off that those refurb AT&T iPhones many TUAW readers bought a few weeks ago might not have properly issued warranties. He sent me over to Apple's warranty self-checking site and sure enough my new iPhone's limited warranty is due to expire on July 22nd.I gave Apple a call at 1-800-694-7466. I was given the standard Apple line: they do not offer a full year warranty on refurbs. Your warranty ends a year from when the iPhone was originally sold and activated. She then connected me to AT&T, which promptly hung up on me.So I called back. The sticker on the AT&T box says clearly: "Refurbished iPhones have a full 1 year warranty. You must retain receipt for warranty claims through Apple."Second time around, I got the most fabulous agent. She contacted the agreement administrator and within a few minutes my warranty was extended to 03/2009, no fuss, no muss. I'm kicking myself though that I did not check into whether I could extend the warranty after that year through AppleCare--so if you find out, do let us know in the comments. Thanks!Anyway, to summarize: I did need to confirm a valid AT&T account, explaining that I was upgrading from my 4GB to my new 8GB. I offered to send a picture of the sticker on the AT&T box but the agent said this had to be a known problem and that she didn't need either that or the receipt. I also took advantage of the Apple call-you-back service. Instead of waiting on line, they automagically take your number and call it back when you're ready to hit the head of the queue. Very convenient.
To buy AppleCare or not?
Most people are split on the decision to buy an extended warranty on their electronic devices. Some think it's the best "accessory" that you can buy for your gear, while others think it's a total waste of money. Speaking from my personal experience with AppleCare support -- it has been a worthwhile investment.While I have never experienced a major problem with any of my Macs, iPod, or iPhone, AppleCare has definitely been there to solve those minor glitches. Case in point: this weekend my Mighty Mouse's scroll wheel stopped working (this is the 3rd Mighty Mouse in less than one year). I simply called Apple's support and told them what was going on. "My Mighty Mouse stopped scrolling," I said. The Apple representative gave me some simple troubleshooting tips to make sure that my computer wasn't doing anything strange. I was asked to check the scroll speed and then they asked me to reset the PRAM (I don't really understand that one, but OK). After that, the representative said that my mouse was, in fact, defective (no duh), took my address and said they would have a new one out to me in "5 to 7 business days." That was on Saturday. On Monday I got a knock on the door from a DHL delivery guy with a box in his hand -- you guessed it, Apple overnighted me a wireless Mighty Mouse! The cost to overnight the package: $70. This is just one example of AppleCare's good service.
Niles' lifetime speaker warranty keeps your house rockin'
Niles is best known around these parts for its home automation systems, but because everybody loves one-stop shopping convenience, the company makes speakers to round out your setup as well. And you can be sure that the tunes at your next house party will flow uninterrupted, thanks to the company's newly-announced limited lifetime warranty on all its passive speakers. Given the typical pricing on Niles gear, we're guessing those setups are pretty sprawling, so it's good that speakers in every nook and cranny of your abode are covered: the StageFront HT, Ceiling Mount and GeoRealistic models are all covered against defective materials or workmanship. Note that beverage-induced damages, however, are not explicitly covered.
TechForward and NEW sparking trend of gadget buyback services
It's no secret that gadget aficionados like ourselves have mounds of kit that was hot stuff in its heyday, but figuring out what to do with it once its prime has passed is still a mystery to some. 'Course, the entrepreneurs in the crowd simply offer their previously loved wares up to the world via eBay (or similar), but for those lacking the time / motivation to do so, rest assured, companies are on the prowl to totally take advantage of you. TechForward and NEW are two firms that are looking to make a mint from entering the gadget buyback realm, and as you'd probably expect, the cash doled out to suckers individuals who bite on this is woefully less than market value -- but then again, it's ultra-convenient, shipping is free and it's guaranteed, hassle-free money. Sounds like the pawn shop just got with the times, eh?[Image courtesy of PlanoPawnShop]
A year in Xbox 360 failures: 2007 Edition
We enter 2008 with the current lifetime Xbox 360 failure rate at Joystiq standing at almost 100% -- we currently have one last man's console standing. Yup, that's right, and for those of you paying attention we hit 90% last month. A few of us experienced issues back in 2006, but almost every person on staff (including those who've left for other opportunities) -- with the exception of The One -- have experienced a Red Ring of Death, disc drive failure, or other non-user-error console bricking incident. There's no denying at this point that as much as we love the games, the Xbox 360 is the most defective console ever manufactured.Check after the break for the staff's experiences with their bricked consoles. Like former Microsoft executive Peter Moore explained earlier this year, when failure is practically guaranteed at some point, all we can do is focus on the repair service.
Asus sez Eee PC warranty still valid if you break seals
Ever noticed that "Warranty Void If Removed" label over the access door to the single SODIMM slot in your Eee PC? Apparently, Asus wants you to just ignore those four little words. In a warranty update posted to the firm's website, it plainly states that "merely breaking or removing this kind of seal will not void the Asus Limited Warranty," and while it recommends that customers use company-approved service facilities, it wants to ensure that buyers "are free to make appropriate hardware and software modifications and upgrades, regardless of whether the service is performed by an approved facility, a non-approved service provider, or by the customers themselves." Going forward, it seems that Asus will be using a label that simply informs users that it won't be held responsible for any damages that may occur as a result of any tinkering, but yes, you can indeed feel free to piddle around till your heart's content knowing Asus still has your back.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Poll: Extended warranties, necessity or shakedown?
As former tech retail geeks in another life, we know better than anyone the kind of pressure salespeople at the big box retailers put on adding extended (often 3rd party) warranties on gadget purchases. Oh sure, it preys on uninformed customers' fears that their expensive new toys will break down a exactly 91 days after purchase and they'll be left in the lurch -- but sometimes those warranties can actually come in handy. That is, if you can convince the warranty people to pony up, which is just a step below the frustration of dealing with most HMOs. So, what's your take on extended warranties? %Poll-6815%
God destroys young man's PS3 with dust [update]
It seems like having thorough, consumer-focused customer support is a huge deal in this iteration of the console war, which is why we were surprised to hear the woes of Ive, a Sony fanboy and owner of a broken PS3. According to Ive's story, he sent in his faulty system to be repaired, only to be told that his warranty had been voided by the massive amounts of dust that had accumulated within the casing.Here's our favorite part of the story: When asked what part of the warranty says that a dusty system cannot be replaced, his helpful customer service representative told him that dust collection could either be considered customer abuse, or an act of God. We'd like to think that if the Lord did destroy Ive's PS3, he would do so with a plague of locusts, or perhaps a well-placed bolt of lightning. Dust collection just lacks that celestial panache, you know?Update: The Consumerist has more on this, an apparent confusion within the realms of customer support. Dust obviously doesn't void your warranty, but it seems it was cited as evidence of neglect in this case (and forms of neglect do void the system's warranty).[Thanks, SickNic]
Survey says: LCD and plasma TVs highly reliable
LCD and plasma TVs are far more reliable than older rear-projection types, according to a report by Consumer Reports. On average, only 3% of flat panel TVs need repairs, with the majority of those repairs being free thanks to warranties. Rear projection TVs had a far higher repair rate of 18%, probably due to the limited life of the bulbs contained in these TVs. When flat panels TVs did need an out of warranty repair, they cost around $260 for LCDs, and nearly $400 for plasmas, with rear projection TV repairs costing around $300. The report also called out expensive extended warranties, saying that they're only worth it if you're particularly paranoid and they're cheaper than any possible repairs.
