iPod Nano Explodes While Charging
Reader D's first-gen iPod Nano was chugging power from his PC's USB port when suddenly he saw it "explode open and start shooting sparks and spewing smoke." Pictures inside, along with Apple's response.
Dale sent us his lengthy missive to Steve Jobs:
I am writing this in regards to an issue I have had with an iPod nano, first generation. I have included the relevant pictures of my iPod after this incident and links to related issues.I had plugged the iPod in to charge on Saturday August 16, 2008. I was using the USB cable that came with the iPod and charging via the USB port on my PC. After being plugged in for somewhere between 5-10 minutes I heard a sizzling sound. I looked down on the iPod just in time to see it explode open and start shooting sparks and spewing smoke. I managed to unhook the iPod from my computer's USB port immediately. I had noticed that a small fire had started on the table I had the laptop and the iPod sitting on, and I managed to extinguish those flames quickly before any apparent damage could be done to my laptop. Unlike in other cases, I've read about, my iPod continued to spew smoke and spit sparks while throwing out some kind of sooty substance from the inside of the iPod for several minutes after removing the cable from the computer. I moved the still spitting iPod from the table and placed it on a book case across the room. I noticed that while doing this, the iPod was still extraordinarily hot to the touch.
I immediately called up the apple tech support line while I opened a window to clear the smoke out of my apartment. After weeding through their electronic menu, I was put on hold for around 15 minutes. This gave me some time to calm down, and after telling the representative that my iPod nano exploded, I was transferred directly to the customer support supervisor at the time. His extension is X86702. He walked me through a 20 minute survey regarding the issue before putting me on hold again to contact the "engineers". After this, he informed me that he did not get through, but would hear back from them that evening for certain. I was also informed that Apple would replace my iPod regardless at this point even though it's older. I have to take a few moments to commend him as he seemed to genuinely want to help me. I had asked what I could do to get a replacement iPod ASAP. I was told to go to the nearest apple store and they should be able to replace it. I also asked if it was ok to make an appointment for that evening, and I was told it would be fine as we should have heard back from the "engineers" by then.
After waiting several hours and not hearing back from the supervisor, I attempted to contact him at the extension and number I was given. This was transferred directly to his voicemail and I did not hear back from him that night. I had then traveled to the local apple store in Pittsburgh, PA to see what could be done about the iPod. Here I was told that "it's been submitted as a request to the 'engineers' and can't be handled". The support tech at the Genius Bar seemed genuinely concerned and opened a separate case file to see if he could do anything to help me out. He found out that all he could do was submit it to the engineers who would NOT be in until monday. At this point, I became overly frustrated that the original tech had led me to believe this issue could have been sorted out that day. Also I do not think I'm being unreasonable by asking a company to replace the iPod with a different iPod product, as I could easily have been hurt or injured by the one that had malfunctioned!
I had asked the tech if there's any way he can replace it as the guy on the phone had told me that the local store could swap it out. He then went into the office to confer with the manager and the GM via phone. He returned to tell me that they can NOT exchange the iPod, and can only escalate the claim to the "engineers". At which point, I became upset that, once again, the original tech was wrong that this could be handled on-site at the local apple store. I once again asked if they could do anything as I'm overly frustrated with the service I'm receiving; I was told that the iPod would be replaced regardless. At this point, the tech went back to the office to confer once again with the manager.
The manager comes out with the tech shortly after and explains to me that no one at apple has EVER heard of this happening (although, I have found articles that counter this), and that she did not believe there was anything that she could do. She asked me to "do her a favor" and wait until monday night (EST) to handle this matter. I informed her that I understand that she's stuck in a hard situation, but I was promised by someone in the support that this could be handled at a local store, and that the iPod would be replaced. She walks back into the back room, and shortly returns with a phone number. She calls up the GM and puts him on the phone with me. At this point, I want to commend the in-store staff as they seemed concerned about this issue and really wanted to make it right. I really do not wish to paint the store employees in a bad way as they had really tried to help me. The GM is, of course, another issue.
The GM gets on the phone and tells me who he is and he's sorry to hear this. He goes on to inform me that they CAN NOT and WILL NOT give me another iPod. He mentions that this has to go to the engineers first before he will even CONSIDER dealing with the issue. I mention that I have read the reports of this happening before, and that there are numerous instances. He scoffs at this and implies that this is a completely unusual occurrence and no one he knows of has heard of it.
I mention to him that the guy at tech support had told me this can be replaced at the local store. Once again, he says that NOTHING will be done until the engineers look at the iPod, and until he talks with them on monday. I ask why that is, and he says "to make sure there are no safety issues or concerns." I asked what were the issues regarding the safety, to which he replied "there are numerous things that could probably cause this". I asked him to name a few, and was met with "the list is too long to mention." I found this odd, as he had told me before he had never heard of this issue, yet could think of a long list of things that could cause an iPod to explode and catch fire.
I continued to ask what the safety issue would be if he just replaced the iPod. To which he said "it could be the cables". I told him that the tech support on the phone informed me that i should not use those cables, and that they would be replaced when the iPod is. The GM informs me that they DO NOT replace cables. I continued to say, but, if he was to replace the iPod and the cables, that it would eliminate any safety risk. He assured me that was not the case. I then informed him that it sounds like he was accusing me of intentionally doing this to my iPod. He claimed he wasn't, but I pointed out that if you replace any and all apple hardware involved, there's no safety issue, UNLESS the issue is with my existing hardware that's not apple. he informed me that that was not the case. I informed him that if this was due to a defective iPod, replacing the iPod eliminates the safety issue. He told me that it might not be that case. To which I asked, what exactly safety issue there was if the fault was NOT with apple software. He repeated that they need to look over the iPod to determine any safety issues before even considering replacing the iPod. I became very frustrated at this point that he was trying to use double speak in order to make excuses and push the blame onto me.
At this point I offered to leave the faulty iPod with the apple store to send off to the engineers as needed, but that I wanted my iPod replaced as I was promised by the tech on the phone. The GM informs me that the tech was in no way, shape, or form allowed to make that guarantee to me. At this point, and I am ashamed to say, I lost my temper with the GM. I told him that I was not pleased at all with this service since I was promised that the iPod would be replaced, and yet it was not going to be. The GM informed me that he wasn't even sure if it NEEDED to be replaced let alone if apple WOULD replace it. After this turn, my language became peppered with profanity. The GM continued on to tell me that he's not going to do anything about the issue, and that I could sit there all night and tell him how he should handle it, but it is NOT now he will handle it.
In other words, the GM wanted to take up more of my time in order to try and push the blame on me for the iPod breaking, completely negate anything I was told originally by tech support, and try to get me out of their store as quickly as he could without doing anything to resolve the issue.
After reading another issue or two, it appears as though apple is now saying that even if it is a faulty piece of equipment and does damage to other objects or people, that it is NOT their responsibility to replace it unless you have a current warranty. I had not picked up the extended warranty due to the fact that, at the time, I had not received word of any issues. Now, I am fully regretting that decision as I'm sure that they would not allow me to take out a warranty now to cover the issue. This upsets me as they have made a precedent to replace products, even out of warranty, if the issue is due to a severe product malfunction such as this.
After this, I can fully say that I am not pleased at all with how this issue has been handled by apple. I have been informed of an email address within the Apple company, and I plan on sending a copy of this email, along with the pictures to that address also. From the various stories I have read, of which I have included links, it has been made clear that this is NOT an isolated incident as Apple would have me believe. I do not feel that Apple has been doing a sufficient job of resolving this matter in any way, shape, or form. Based on the other reports, I do not have much hope that this matter will be resolved in any timely fashion, that my iPod will be replaced, that I will be compensated for anything, that I will get an apology for their tech support making claims that they were not permitted to, or for the store obviously not being on the same page as tech support. Frankly, in my search for information regarding the iPod, I've found other reports that claim this type of fault for other issues. This ranges from problems with computers, to mp3 players, and even to censoring comments and forum posts regarding bugs with their products. By bringing this up, I hope to make it known that these type of issues appear to be common with apple. Like other manufacturers, they sometimes produce faulty products, however, they seem to want to protect their corporate image and pockets more than make up for their faulty product. In this case, it was a known issue with this model of iPod and the company did not seem to make any motions to address the issue. I hope that by making this public, people may be able to avoid this issue happening with their own electronics, and that they may be prepared for what they would have to deal with in the process of attempting to resolve the issue. While Apple may produce numerous ad campaigns that make them seem almost invincible, their products are like any others: buyer beware.
The fiery Nano:
Dale's burnt desk:
The pictures look awfully similar to other iPods that have spontaneously combusted.
This iPod exploded yesterday and we don't see the harm in giving Apple a day to sort out what went wrong. Still, we're not sure how the engineers can do much without the physical unit, and it would seem wise for the Apple store to have an unspoken policy of 'Return Exploded iPod, Get 1 Free!'
Update: Apple agreed to replace the iPod.
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Comments:
After reading the story, I only find fault with one thing. The original rep said that the store would replace the iPod after the engineers had rendered their verdict. The OP then goes on and on saying the rep said he could get it replaced. Even the people at the store say that the engineers need to investigate further. It seems that they are all following the same policy. I can see where the engineers would want to get involved first. If it is the OP's computer, and they give him another iPod, the same thing could happen, which could have dangerous results. I am sorry this happened to the OP, and do not think it was his fault. But I think to err on the side of caution is the best thing. Apple records their calls to the best of my knowledge, so anything said can more than likely be reviewed. If my iPod went up, I would be more than willing to wait a few days to make sure it was the iPod vs. my computer that made it go boom, just to make sure my other devices that I plug in are safe.
That's pretty damning evidence. And I'm shocked at how the Apple Store GM handled things. Admittedly, the OP shouldn't have resorted to profanity, but I can understand how anger can escalate in the situation like that.
I'm curious how the Apple apologists will spin this one.
I do not doubt that Apple will replace this ipod. They just replaced my Macbook Pro - and it was over 1 year out of warranty!
Apple is generally very good about customer service. It seems to me that because it is the weekend, the correct people could not be reached, but come Monday it will be taken care of.
For the record: Dale's complaint to Mr. Jobs is 2,152 words long.
2,152 words long.
This complaint could have been written in three paragraphs. Example:
Dear Mr. Jobs,
I am attaching a photo of my iPod nNano which exploded.
I am disconcerted that Apple has refused to replace this product because it is no longer under warranty. I would understand if the product simply ceased to function, but after such a dangerous incident, I believe Apple should examine this product and offer to replace it.
Sincerely,
Dale
Dale's information
His desk is a treasure chest?
This article does seem a bit premature. Surely you can't expect a new iPod the day of your old one catching fire... otherwise every pyro that wants to upgrade would do this intentionally. It would be more interesting to see how the service bureaucracy will work in this case, rather than reading a temper tantrum by someone that will be sans iPod for a little while.
@GeoffinAround: Haha, I thought the exact same thing... "That's not a 'desk,' that's a TREASURE CHEST!"
Also, to the OP: Dude, wait 'til Monday. It'll be okay. I promise.
(...And if it not okay after Monday, that's the appropriate time to fire off the manifesto.)
I just got a call regarding the iPod from someone at Apple. They do not feel that this issue was handled properly. They apologized for what I dealt with on the front with the GM, and that the tech on the phone should not have agreed to what he did (a memo is supposed to go out regarding it on Monday).
They have scheduled an appointment for me to meet with someone at the local apple store tomorrow to take the iPod in. While they do feel it should be sent in for capture, that it should be replaced at the same time. I've been told that they will have a replacement in store for me tomorrow and that they'll check up on this issue in the week.
Right now, it's appearing that most of the trouble stems from the tech not knowing what he could or could not agree to, and the GM not wanting to do anything about it. That part bothered me in that it felt as though apple was trying to blame me for the issue and not take responsibility for a malfunction that seems to take place in that model of iPod.
I should know more tomorrow depending on how the issue is handled.
@djanes1: As for expecting it to be replaced day of, the tech on the phone had told me that, yes, since there were stores open, I should be able to take it in and have it replaced and that something would be worked out regarding the capture of the iPod.
Alright, for real now. This is a serious issue, & weekend or not, what if the OP had left his place while the iPod was charging? Apple is pretty lucky that they don't have to deal with something exponentially more severe, like a room full of scorched possessions, or a residential fire.
On a lighter note, I have an issue with my iPod as well. It is 5th gen. 40-gig, & it no longer loads up. It began freezing some time ago, but often after a reset it would work again... hasn't worked in a couple months now. Does this mean it's just kaput, or will Apple do some repairs or replace it with some equivalent?
Looking like a battery issue.
A policy that immediately replaces "Exploded" devices is a bad one. I bet I can get the same result rigging up a power supply that simply runs at a higher voltage.
@twophrasebark: Yes, I think the consumer's anger comes from the fact that the ipod wasn't replaced on weekend.
It's also very possible that the chain reaction was caused by physical or liquid damage, aka. ''misuse''. Plus, it's not under warranty any more. In this case, the consumer blames first rep for an honest mistake. He could have mentioned the mistake politely, on Monday, and get some bonus goody, for additional inconvenience of driving to the store.
I don't like rude people. Unless it's death or life situation.
I would write a letter like yours, and wait for couple of days :) Maybe even get a goody with the replacement.
Lithium ion batteries are explosive. (check youtube, some fantastic videos). They have many safety systems in place that are very very good, but no matter, still explosive. Why they let them on airplanes is a mystery.
I believe this is why they ended up making the tesla out of lots and lots of small cells. can you imagine what a 200lb battery could do?
@djanes1:
First of all, it would have been pretty obvious had this person set his iPod on fire as the damage would likely be more on the outside of the device rather than on the inside. Any idiot can tell an internal malfunction from site rather than some pyromanic setting their iPod on fire.
Second, I wouldn't say that it was a "temper tantrum" but a frustrated customer who had been given 3 conflicting stories about the process of returning his iPod. How would you feel if you were accussed of ruining the iPod just to get a free one?
it appears as though apple is now saying that even if it is a faulty piece of equipment and does damage to other objects or people, that it is NOT their responsibility to replace it unless you have a current warranty.
Well, they aren't obligated to replace it, are they? If you're not under warranty...
@ludwigk: I had planned to write a comment similar to this before I had logged in to Consumerist and saw this one posted. Holy Cow, an iPod is not a life or death piece of electronic equipment. A pacemaker, a respirator, an iron lung--yes, I would demand immediate satisfaction. A luxury item for listening to music (that is out of warranty, no less)--have a little considerate patience, and you might get some satisfaction. This is nothing more than an example of our societal self-centeredness and some real narcissistic behavior. IMHO, this guy should suffer without music for a couple weeks and think about his behavior.
@redwall_hp: They are under no obligatiion to replace it...unless it is shown that it is a systemic problem and there was either a design flaw or a manufacturing defect that caused the battery to catostrophically fail rather than an isolated incedent.
I would recommend to the original poster that he submit a record of the incident to the CPSC [www.cpsc.gov] . Products can fail and cease to function, but anytime there is an explosion or flames that exit the product, it fails every safety standard. As I have seen other nanos with similar problems, it does not seem like this is an isolated incedent.
Dale is being way too impatient and needs to slow the frack down.
When my 1st Gen nano died it took Apple a few days to arrange for and send me a box to send it in to them. After I sent it in it took a few more days until I got a call asking me to pick a color for my new current Gen replacement nano, which they shipped overnight to me. All in all, about 2 weeks.
Slow down, be patient and they'll take care of it. Also, stick with only 1 form of support. Call-in or in-store, not both! This only slows things down and adds confusion. Personally, I recommend call-in only as retail employees on average don't give a damn about you or the product after they've taken your money.
That was the longest letter I (never) tried to read. Did anyone actually get all the way through.
All I got was his ipod caught fire and how he's pissed because it wasn't replaced within 24 hours?
Super-long letter and ridiculous expectations.
No. Just no.
@Zak13: When I was a little kid I got a comic book that my parents deemed too mature for me and took it away. They said I could have it back when I was old enough, i.e. 16. Once I turned 16 I asked for the comic book and they told me they had assumed I would forget about it and had thrown it away years ago. Sometimes in life you don't get everything promised, even when it is the same person doing the promising. In your case, there is a phone rep who was telling you what you wanted to here on one side. On the other side is a store GM who isn't going to take a hit on his bottom line every time somebody comes in with a melty iPod and a story about a magical phone rep who promised instant gratification. Shizz happens. Be thankful you were around when the iPod caught fire!
@ludwigk: I went to the store that night because I was told that it could be resolved in store. Whether or not that was true was something I was not made aware of. I was calm and polite to the employees in the store that I dealt with, along with tech support. I only became belligerent once the GM attempted to blame the issue on me and refused to consider the issue as serious.
As for intending to make a "big stink", no, I just wanted this issue to be resolved and handled. When you have a GM pretty much scoffing at the fact that their company's product had this type of destructive malfunction, are you just supposed to say "thank you sir, it's my fault" (as he implied) and walk away?
My intent for sending this email along was to inform Apple of the manner in which their service treated me, and the fact that I was given two different stories within the same company. Did I think that they would replace anything or remedy the situation after yesterday? No. I've heard numerous good stories about support from Apple, and the first call seemed to be in line with that. It was only after the GM seemed to act as if it was a "non-issue" that I became upset. I only wanted to get this matter into the light and inform someone, at some level that mattered, the type of service I was given for this type of problem.
As for why the message was as long, as has been commented on before, I've always been told that when dealing with any kind of support line, to make the entire issue known in as much detail as possible.
As I stated in the email, I also agree that I should not have become belligerent as I did. I do feel I was wrong in that sense, but I also don't feel that the GM intended to try and resolve the issue in any way other than to just get me to leave the store.
Sure a lot about nothing. Yeah sure they'll replace it. Sometimes electronics die. Glad nobody was hurt. What a long long letter..;.
If that letter was an audiobook, would it fit on said nano?
@ludwigk: @seismic007:
So, you guys don't think Apple should stand behind their merchandise? Even when they (over the phone) SAID they would? Seems like you guys think the appropriate attutude for corporations to customers would be "If it's not life or death, screw you. We'll get to it when we get to it. Or, possibly not. You'll live."
I also find it odd that the person says they have a precedent of replacing iPods, therefore, they will hopefully replace his. If Apple never replaced any iPod, would that make this situation any better?
Besides that, I'm in agreement that the OP should've waited before throwing a fit. The person on the phone did say that it would be replaced, but once it became apparent that the GM wasn't going to do it, he should have left. Standing there and continuing just makes him seem argumentative, especially since a few minutes into the conversation it was obvious the manager wasn't going to replace it.
I would suggest also notifying the CPSC:
This gets the feds on the case (not individually, usually, but as part of a larger analysis) and if Apple is also notified that the CPSC has been notified, they will possibly notate their records.
SOMETIMES letting a company know that the proper state and federal folks have been involved sparks their interest in resolving the matter...
Good luck!
For everyone who's complaining about his "making a big stink" about the issue, obviously you've never had someone scoff at you and talk down to you like you're a child. Believe me, when someone's blaming you for something you had no control over, you're likely going to get a bit angry. Especially if you feel as though you're getting the run-around from folks like it seems the OP did. That GM reminds me of some managers I've had the misfortune to work under, and I really wonder why someone who's that eager to blame a customer for something out of their control is even in that sort of position in a retail store. Especially one like Apple, where they're known for decent-to-great service.
It's bad enough when someone catastrophically melts down and dies when you're using it as usual. To have someone talk down to you and treat you like a little kid because they don't want to be arsed to help you in inexcusable.
@Rachacha- "...unless it is shown that it is a systemic problem and there was either a design flaw or a manufacturing defect that caused the battery to catostrophically fail rather than an isolated incedent."
I have an Ipod Mini that has a serious flaw. It was just after the short warranty lapsed. The battery just went dead. I had to pay to get it 'fixed'. Instead they sent me another Mini with the same design flaw. None of those batterys worked after a certain point. Usually three or four recharges. They couldn't be charged and if they could, they didn't hold a charge more than 2 hours max. And when I called them a second time, telling them that since they obviously know of the flaw since the Mini was no longer made, they should replace the Mini with whatever the new better working model was. That this product was clearly a lemon. They refused, wanted me to pay more money for another Mini, I refused to pay more money into this pit and I'm left with, after all is said and done, a $300 coaster. Apple stinks and you'd have to pay me to buy another of their products.
Overpriced, overhyped crap.
Good luck to the OP. Sansa makes a pretty good product if you're not happy with how Apple handles this.
My favorite thing to do on Lithium Ion battery explosion stories is post this video of a controlled battery fire.
Yes, Apple should replace it. And they will, because the propensity of Li-Ion batteries to burst into a toxic inferno is a pretty serious defect. Apple (and every other manufacturer who uses Li-Ion) is just afraid of the day when an iPod burns down a house.
@Zak13:
You may or may not have been told certain things, which sometimes people mix things up. Even so, would it be completely unreasonable for you to wait till Monday? I don't think so, if they give you crap at that point, then you have reason to be upset.
Some people don't like to risk their jobs on a daily basis by not following strict policies.
This is more of a mess from someone being unreasonable and not able to be patient. If they told you that you had to ship it to them, would you have done that? Or been upset there too?
If you could possibly agree to that, you would certainly not see it for awhile, much longer than just waiting to the next weekday.
Some of the exploding nanos were charged with faulty charging cables.
What cable was the OP using?
Wow. You're all quick to dismiss this one.
The thing caught FIRE. Whether it's under warranty or not, this thing should not have done that... period.
A quick call to a rep, and the rep says "YEP, walk in and replace it", well, I'd freakin' do it, too.
The only thing I see wrong with what he did was flip out at the GM. But still, really? No sympathy for this guy? If your keyboard would catch on fire right now, no big deal then?
Only thing I will agree with all of this is that he had to calm the heck down.
LOL, he's pretty dumb if he really thinks Steve Jobs will read that essay of his.
iExplode... (product and OP?)
It was handled poorly by the company reps. That was the problem. So much of customer service is good communication.
If the warranty is out they don't have to replace it but a credit on the purchase of a new one would have been about right, in my estimation.
Steve Jobs' response: tl;dr
@Zak13:
Make sure that you bring that cable with the unit if you take it into the store for inspection.
As a (non-Apple) engineer, my first concern in a case like this would not be about replacing the damaged product -- no problem -- but about prematurely accepting responsibility because of the other things that could be damaged in such an explosion.
I like nothing more than being magnanimous after determining something is the end user's fault by still taking care of them, and it seems Apple would likely do the same if the explosion was due to a faulty port on the customer's end of things. But this leaves two possibilities:
1) It could happen again, with worse results. I don't want the customer to get hurt.
2) I/we would be held responsible for other damage in the first or in subsequent events. I don't want to get hurt.
this does not change anything for me, you can always expect a lithium ion battery to malfunction after a certain amount of time, they do have a short life and 1st gen nanos have been out a while. i'm sure in 5 yrs give or take my Zune will malfunction in some way.
I hate Apple anyways but this is interesting to see how the service reps try to spin things, a large chunk of Apple's customers are tech knowledge-less/lacking people and probably believe Apple is a perfect company, Apple wants to keep it that way as would any company with a reputation like that.
@buckeye17: where in the essay did you see Steve Jobs? the Op simply says he obtained "an email address" Consumerist editors were the ones that put the part about Steve in the article.
i would email Steve with the story and pics.
@tc4b: No one's claimed that Apple shouldn't stand behind their products. However, people who actually read the article should've figured out all this is about an impatient consumer demanding instant gratification and when not give instant gratification, he threw a temper tantrum.
No one is saying he won't be getting or shouldn't be getting a replacement (though after reading his tantrum, I'm actually leaning towards teaching him a lesson). This is just about a guy who can't wait 2 days to get a replacement.
Sure he was promised he'd be able to get it replaced same day... ON THE CONDITION THE ENGINEERS GET BACK TO THEM. The engineers DID NOT get back and hence the case is still open to investigation.
@iMike: I agree, this is a "bad consumer"
It looks like my original comment wasn't posted...
Everything was fine up till the point when OP (Zak13) kept on insisting he should get the replacement tonight.
Here's how I see the story:
Sure, the supervisor may have promised that if the engineers got back to him, he would be able to replace the iPod that night, but the fact is the engineers apparently don't work on weekends. A mistake on the supervisor's part yes, but can we really blame him for not knowing exactly what hours the engineers work, especially if it's not related to his department?
Fine, he didn't get a call back, he went to the store instead. Customer support over there tried to help, but unfortunately, the only thing they can do is wait for the engineers to get back to them.
OP tries to escalate and see if this issue can be resolved earlier. I don't blame him, he's already wasted time talking on the phone and driving to the store. Lets see what the manager has to say. Manager tells him that he can't really do anything for him at this time and like the previous responses, he has to wait till he hears back from the engineers.
Here's when the OP has crossed the line, and gives all us consumers a bad name:
At this point, the OP keeps prodding for a weakness. He keeps asking why he can't get a replacement today. The answer is quite clear and repeated multiple times: WE HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM THE ENGINEERS.
Unsatisfied with that answer, he keeps asking the same question while repeating he was "promised" that he could get a replacement tonight, while so easily forgetting to mention the "condition".
Trying to get him to come back on Monday evening, the manager makes up a generic excuse: Concern with your safety, we can not give you a replacement yet. Armed with this reason filled with holes, the OP tries to attack along this line asking what safety concerns, etc.
At this point, all the employees and GM have been extremely patient in dealing with this customer, who won't take come back on Monday for an answer. So the GM continues to try to convince the OP to come back on Monday by repeating the same stuff over and over again. The OP takes this as belittling him and trying to push blame onto him, and the GM denies that's what he's trying to do. Is it NOT obivious what he's trying to do when he says, "We can keep going back and forth, but nothing can be done till Monday." At this point, I believe the OP flips out.
In conclusion, I honestly commend the GM for withholding himself and not kicking the OP out of the store for wasting everyone's time.
If you own a car, and your car burned up, do you think you can call Detroit or Tokyo to notify them and then run down to the car dealer and pick up your replacement? How about on a Saturday? What do you think the car dealer is going to say? He's going to laugh at you for being stupid.
Actually, he will probably laugh at you as soon as you leave the dealer. In the meantime, he'll probably tell you to call your insurance agent. The insurance company will get you a loaner car.
Speaking of insurance... do you have homeowners' insurance? Call your insurance agent and give them the same treatment that you gave the Apple store! I'd like to hear how that conversation turns out.
You had an iPod burn up. Refurbished, that iPod is worth about $80. Apple doesn't have to give you a brand new iPod. And frankly, they don't have to give you a damn thing. I don't care how many articles you find that corroborate your story, you need to prove that the iPod is faulty. What if the power output from your laptop is faulty? What if your cable is bad? Have you talked to your laptop manufacturer? Can you live without an iPod? Or do you need to drive down to the Apple store and creat a ruckus every day until you get your way?
@yikz: wow YOU BEAT ME TO THE PUNCH!
In all seriousness... I wouldn't of created a rumble in the Apple store Bronx until they didn't follow thru on their end. Most certainly, if I had been under the impression that driving to the store that night would of provided me with a new iPod, I'd jump on the deal. But, unfortunately, someone gave you some sh*tty advice. It happens.
I usually give a company a couple of days to remedy the problem. An iPod is fun stuff, but not something you can't live without. And if it is -- way bigger problems on the OP's hands. I'm sure he wanted his new one in his hands quickly so no take-backsies from the company. But, once again, sh*t happens.
Sorry, OP. I'd be pissed, too. Thank god it wasn't worse.
"I've always been told that when dealing with any kind of support line, to make the entire issue known in as much detail as possible."
Zak, the best complaint letters are short, polite and to the point. In the first paragraph, the reader should immediately learn why you are writing. As you can see in the example I wrote, anyone reading would immediately know your iPod Nano exploded in the first sentence. And that is about 99 percent of what they need to know.
No one these days has time to read a letter which is 8 double-spaced typed pages (your letter). I advise people to never, ever, ever, write a letter that is more than one standard type written page (250 words). I even recommend half that amount.
Unfortunately, Consumerist has not done a better job of pointing out when complaint letters are good, bad or somewhere in between.
I'm glad you got your issue resolved.
"Can you explain what you were doing before the iPod exploded?"
"Well, yes, I was just uploading the best of Smash Mouth and it..."
"Well, that explains it then."
It is the weekend. Always wait until the business week starts.