Faulty iPad under warranty, Apple won't replace...

Drone31

I purchased an iPad2 for Christmas in December, and a few nights ago, it developed a peculiar fault, whereby we now get no WiFi signal soon as we're six feet away. Even sitting virtually in front of the router is patchy at best. Sometimes I have to hold it right in fornt of the router to even get two bars.

So, I got my neighbour to bring their iPad round, and it works fine - same software version, settings and so on. Also, we have a number of other WiFi devices in the house (ie laptops, consoles) which have no bother, just as usual.

So... took it to PCWorld who said they can't help, because they're bound by Apple's warranty procedures. I then drive ten miles to the nearest Apple store whereby they promptly connected it to their router, and it worked no problem.

They did a restore, etc etc, ran whatever diagnostic tools they have, and - determined that, as they can find no fault, and their WiFi works fine, there is no issue, so won't provide a refund of replacement.

Despite the fact that in my left hand, I hold an iPad2 which is connected to the router with a signal, and in my right I hold an iPad2 with no connectivity at all. If it wasn't for this evidence, I would be happy enough to accept it may be an issue with the router.

I probably should have had a walk around the store in fairness to see what the signal did, but I was so exasperated at that point I never gave it a second thought.

What are my rights here? I don't feel Apple should be accountable in the first place, as I purchased the thing from PCWorld, but essentially, Apple don't take the approach of "just because we can't find a fault, doesn't mean there isn't a problem." They take the "nope works perfectly according to us, off you go" point of view. I feel like I have a £400 piece of hardware here that doesn't work properly, and it's tough s**t.

Is there anything I can do? Help!

marleyboy

Surely if Apple tested it and it worked fine at the store, the issue is not with the product. Else how did it work so well at the store?

Drone31

marleyboy wrote: »

Surely if Apple tested it and it worked fine at the store, the issue is not with the product. Else how did it work so well at the store?

So we can get some motion on this and not turn this into a "is it or isn't it a fault" topic, I'm so insanely angry about this I've just went to their house, and guess what - short of standing on the router, there's no signal.

So - my iPad in my house, nowt, their iPad, fine.

Their house, my iPad - nowt. Their iPad - fine.

All I can suggest is, given the massive amounts of things they have connected in the Apple store, I don't imagine their own routers are indicative of what the average Joe has in their own household.

deanos

try updating the firmware on the router

Drone31

deanos wrote: »

try updating the firmware on the router

Done already

Tried different channel

Changed the mode

Renamed

Reset password

Changed encryption method

And much, much more. There is no doubt in my mind that, given the evidence, the iPad is at fault - particularly as short of involving a THIRD person's iPad and connection, I'm not sure what more I caa do to demonstrate it other than what I already have - get another iPad and test it at my house and their own.

marleyboy

But if you take it back to the Apple store and they test it again and it works fine, then what?

I have no doubt there is some sort of issue, but if it works fine at the store when tested, there is not much more they can do.

deanos

maybe take a video and take it into the shop with you showing one working and one not ??

Drone31

marleyboy wrote: »

But if you take it back to the Apple store and they test it again and it works fine, then what?

I have no doubt there is some sort of issue, but if it works fine at the store when tested, there is not much more they can do.

Well that's the problem isn't it.

Just because they can't replicate the fault, doesn't mean there isn't one - but that's not much use to me, is it? They're attempting to replicate a fult under utterly different circumstances - an cavernous, open store, with most likely directional or signal boosted routers, which of course will connect just about anything.

If the antenna is developed a fault, it's still entirely possible it will broadcast a signal - it'll just be very poor.

But by that testing logic as above, in relation to just about any form of wireless networking consumers are completely screwed should they experience problems.

I don't know what they can do, but here are the facts - signal has dropped, I borrowed a seocnd iPad, it's fine. I took my iPad to a second house, with a different router and broadband setup to mine, and the problem is still there, whereas their Pad is... fine.

Drone31

deanos wrote: »

maybe take a video and take it into the shop with you showing one working and one not ??

That's not a bad idea!

marleyboy

OP, had a sniff around and it seems this is a common issue but there is a solution that may work.....
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2780119?threadID=2780119&tstart=0

Elsewhere someone has claimed to have fixed the problem......https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2780293?start=1425&tstart=0

But as the thread is nearly 100 pages long, I didn't go too deep into the thread. I dont have any Apple products (wont touch Apple with a bargepole;)) so cannot test or confirm the fix for you. Hope it helps.

Drone31

marleyboy wrote: »

OP, had a sniff around and it seems this is a common issue but there is a solution that may work.....
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2780119?threadID=2780119&tstart=0

Elsewhere someone has claimed to have fixed the problem......https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2780293?start=1425&tstart=0

But as the thread is nearly 100 pages long, I didn't go too deep into the thread. I dont have any Apple products (wont touch Apple with a bargepole;)) so cannot test or confirm the fix for you. Hope it helps.

It's the first Apple product I've had - it'll be a Galaxy Tab next if I somehow manage a refund. My phone is a Nokia 700, with Symbian and it's excellent - not a bit of bother; I've never been fussed on Apple but I wanted to get the missus somerhing fancy for Christmas she'd appreciate

I've actually been on the Apple community but I hadn't come across that mammoth thread, I will have a look thanks