Unlike houseplants, iPod Touches don’t take kindly to watering. After Emily accidentally victimized her device in such a manner, she contacted Apple to see what it would cost to replace it. When she balked at the price, a helpful customer service rep sent her a free one.

She writes:

I know hearing a story about how Apple goes above and beyond isn’t new to you guys, but I just got back from the nearby mall and have to share my story.

For Christmas 2008 I got a 16GB iPod Touch, and it was working perfectly until I spilled water on it about three weeks ago. After that it wouldn’t even turn on. I made an appointment at a Genius Bar to see if there was anything they could do or if they could recommend a repair center. The employee who helped me, Mike, explained that liquid damage isn’t covered under their warranty, and in any case, mine expired a long time ago. He said I could get a replacement for $150, which I was more than willing to pay if I needed to. He then said he needed to check something, and went to the back. When he came back he told me that since I never had to take advantage of my warranty when I had it, he could make a special exception and give me a new iPod Touch for free! I couldn’t believe it; I almost jumped out of my chair and hugged him. He gave me a new one of the same model I had.

I am still in shock over this- they didn’t charge me at all and it was entirely my fault it didn’t work. They have definitely secured me as a customer for life.

What’s the luckiest you’ve gotten when you’ve sought to replace a broken electronic device?

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