On Monday, Apple announced a new batch of iPhones. What the next-generation iPhone 8 and the next-next-generation iPhone X in have in common is glass all around, on both front and back, making them extra slippery. Apple has raised the price of its Applecare+ extended warranty and limited accidental damage program for some users. [More]
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Leaked Memo: Third-Party Screen Repairs Don’t Void iPhone Warranty
By 2.27.17
Like slices of buttered toast, cupcakes, and pans of lasagna, smartphones always seem to fall face-down when dropped. Third-party repair shops have popped up to help users when this happens, but using these companies while an Apple device is still under warranty has been a gamble until now. [More]
Weigh Your Insurance Options Carefully Before Choosing Where To Buy The New iPhone
By 9.11.15
Back at the beginning, there used to be that there was only one way to get an iPhone: give AT&T at least $200 and sign a two-year contract. Now that the device is available from all major U.S. carriers and even some minor ones, and for sale worldwide, that gives consumers more options. More options means more possible confusion, though, especially with different ways to buy and insure the same product. [More]
AppleCare Changes Will Save Money, Maybe Make Customers Happier
By 5.13.13
When you visit the Genius Bar at your local Apple Store with a complaint about your portable iDevice, if it’s in warranty, they’ll generally hand you a new-to-you refurbished device and send you on your way. AppleInsider reported this weekend that for some basic repairs, that’s about to change. [More]
Apple: The Midwestern United States Is Too Humid For The iMac
By 12.18.12
Apple’s 27″ iMac is not a cheap computer. That model currently starts at $1,800. So customers who found a smoky gray residue inside their screens were disappointed when Apple turned around and told non-smoking customers that the issues are obviously their own fault. Reader Jason, for example, was told that his screen smudged itself because it’s too humid where he lives. Does he live in the tropics? Florida, maybe? No, he lived in Ohio when his iMac troubles started. And the problem recurred after he moved to Chicago, just down the street from the city’s flagship Apple Store. [More]
Apple Whisks Defective iPad Away, Leaving Me Without One
By 4.7.11
The problem with having the latest, shiniest, newest gadgets is that when something goes wrong and that shiny gadget sells out, there aren’t any others to exchange it for. That seems to be what happened to Nicholas, who bought an iPad 2 at Target, and shipped it off to Apple after had screen problems after only a few hours of use. [More]
Newborn And Mountain Dew Ruin Macbook, Applecare Goes Above And Beyond
By 1.21.10
Mark’s MacBook had an unfortunate run-in with an open container of Mountain Dew while he was holding his newborn daughter. He called Apple, but expected no help from the company, and certainly not an exception to Applecare’s accidental damage rules. He was wrong, and surprised. [More]
Don't Get Cat Vomit On Your Laptop
By 1.20.10
Tayler’s cat and Tayler’s MacBook Pro just had an unfortunate run-in. Does anyone have any advice on cheap ways to repair this laptop, or at least how to get the content off of it without paying hundreds of dollars? [More]
Smoking Near Apple Computers Creates Biohazard, Voids Warranty
By 11.20.09 — Updated: 4.26.13
Unless you’ve just arrived in 2009 on a time machine, you know that smoking isn’t good for you. Did you know, that smoking isn’t good for your computer, either? It’s true, at least according to Apple. Two readers in different parts of the country claim that their Applecare warranties were voided due to secondhand smoke. Both readers appealed their cases up to the office of God Steve Jobs himself. Both lost.
Is The iPhone 3G Liquid Sensor A Filthy Liar?
By 9.20.09
Here’s the $199 question. What does it take to set off the moisture sensor on an iPhone 3G? Immersion in water? Sweat from a vigorous workout? Using the phone on a humid day? The truth is somewhere on that continuum, and many iPhone users claim that their warranties have been unfairly voided when normal use set off the sensors.
AppleCare Is An Extended Warranty Worth Buying
By 8.11.09
I asked Apple this morning to replace my broken laptop now that they’ve reintroduced the anti-glare option on their 15″ MacBook Pros. Apple agreed, and soon a new laptop will leave China destined for my apartment. This isn’t the first laptop Apple sent me this month. It’s the second. Here’s why…
Macbook Pro Owner Caught In Warranty Catch-22 Thanks To Apple's Mistake
By 7.7.09
Because of an Apple technician’s mistake, Gennadiy had two options for repairing his 2009 Macbook Pro: either pay $1240+tax to replace the logic board because Apple said water damage voided the warranty, or push the unseated cable back into place and prove that there was no water damage—which would void the warranty. Gennadiy took the second option and saved himself over $1300, but now has no warranty should something actually happen to the logic board that should be covered.
Apple Sells You The Wrong AppleCare Package, Then Loses Your Refund
By 4.11.09
Apple sold reader Melody the wrong AppleCare package, but instead of switching her to the proper coverage, they issued a refund and told her to re-purchase the warranty extension. They even gave her American Express transaction reference numbers so she could track the refund, but AmEx says the numbers are invalid and that they have no record of a refund posting. Melody’s been out $195 since February, and thinks it’s time for Apple to cough up her money.
Apple: Cosmetic Damage Keeps Us From Replacing Your Battery!
By 3.1.09
Apple claims that they can’t replace reader MTW’s MacBook battery because the laptop’s case is chipped. The minor cosmetic damage doesn’t affect the computer’s functions and isn’t even on the same side as the laptop’s battery, which stopped holding a charge months after the case cracked.
Apple: Sorry We Wrote On Your Macbook Screen With Pen And Then Lost It, Here's A New Laptop
By 7.7.08
Reader Brandon’s Macbook had some cracks and stuck pixels, so he sent it in to be repaired. When he got it back the cracks were fixed, but someone had written on his screen with pen. So, naturally, he sent it back. This time, they lost it. Don’t worry, there’s a happy ending.
Dear Apple: My Macbook Keeps Trying To Light My House On Fire, Please Replace It
By 2.21.08
This poor guy is named Steve. Steve’s Macbook keeps trying to light his house on fire, so Steve would like replacement. He’s already sent the computer for repair several times, gotten it back, at which time it tried to light his house on fire again.
Canadian No Longer Has To Pay More For AppleCare
By 1.29.08
Zachariah no longer has to wonder about why AppleCare costs more in Canada ($199) than in the US ($169), he found a deal at L.A. Computer Company where he could get it for $119. They emailed him the agreement number, he registered the number online at Apple, and received his official AppleCare Protection Plan Certificate in the mail. So what’s the solution to the mystery of why there was a pricing disparity even though there’s parity between the dollar and the loony? We don’t know for sure, but we’re placing our money on that the prices were figured out when the dollar was worth more and they just haven’t been readjusted since.
Canadians Wonder Why They Have To Pay More For AppleCare
By 1.4.08
We all know that Canadians have to pay more for books, but why do they have to pay more for AppleCare?
