Apple Charging Policy

Big_Graeme

securityguy wrote: »

Have you opened an iMac? I'm pretty competent with hardware (to the point that I've designed and built small devices) but I'm perfectly happy to pay someone who's got the tools, spares and practice to crack iMac cases and fiddle with the cabling. I've swapped drives and RAM in older Mac Minis, in a range of laptops from various manufacturers and I've cobbled Suns together out of various broken machines, but iMac disk swaps are fifty quid well spent.

OP didn't state it was an iMac. If that is the case then it can be easier with the newer models to let Apple do it but it is possible on the older models as long as you have the relevant service manual and toolkit.

securityguy

Big_Graeme wrote: »

OP didn't state it was an iMac. .

He wrote "I have to have the hard drive of my Imac replaced".

securityguy

marleyboy wrote: »

Sounds more like Apple are repairing them and shipping them out to other unsuspecting customers as brand new replacement parts. I bet their raking in a fortune on this money making scam.

No maintenance or warranty contract guarantees you new parts.

It's routine for disks to be swapped as a first port of call, before worrying if the fault is also (or additionally) the cable, the controller, etc. So there are a huge number of hard drives returned to manufacturers that are no fault found: I've seen numbers as high as 50% quoted. If a disk passes the tests it would have at the end of the production line, on indeed more, why would you object? Like most electronics, disks suffer from a bathtub curve of failures, and a drive which has run for a few hundred hours and then passed a full test suite is probably statistically preferable to a brand new one.

Selling a used part as new is illegal. Fitting a used part in a warranty or service call is entirely routine.

Mr_Toad

marleyboy wrote: »

Have to admit, I was reluctantly saving up for an Apple, solely to edit my GoPro footage (rather than converting files to run on a Windows based lapttop), but this idea of Apple charging me to have any of my property back whether or not it works, has put me right off the idea.

I was originally reluctant because I dont like Apple's insistence I use apple based software n hardware just to run it.

You have been poorly informed.

Apple do not insist you use Apple based software.

Many Apple computers dual boot with Windows and Apple even provide an application on every mac, Bootcamp, to make installing Windows a simple process.

I have a lot of none Apple software on mine, Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Acrobat etc. as well as Firefox and Chrome browsers.

I also Run Oracle VirtualBox so that I can install Linux VMs.

marleyboy wrote: »

The very idea of buying an Apple, that effectively I wont own if it breaks down due to replacing items under a warranty has clearly made my mind up not to touch them.

At least my existing laptop and desktop warranty, not only cover me for repairs\replacements, but I get to keep my original "paid for" devices, whether or not they work.

I've had several laptops repaired over the years under warranty and have never had the faulty parts returned with the repaired machine. The one exception was an out of warranty repair by a local repair shop who asked if I wanted the old bits or should he dump them, I had them dumped.

Mr_Toad

marleyboy wrote: »

Have to admit, I was reluctantly saving up for an Apple, solely to edit my GoPro footage

I forgot to add that I have just edited my GoPro footage from a two week trip to the Highlands on my iMac. You're right in that it's simple and quick to do without faffing about.

gjchester

Big_Graeme wrote: »

Buy a new hard drive and fit it yourself, it isn't hard.

You must be joking

Most recent Imacs are notoriously difficult to disassemble, With parts held in by double sided tape and being bonded together. This mac (a random pick of them) has a 2 or of 10 repairability score

https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+EMC+2638+Teardown/17829

headpin

It is simple. If it is a warranty repair then the faulty part remains with the original supplier.

If a repair then the price quoted is for what would normally be defined as an exchange part. i.e. The old part is exchanged for a working unit and the cost charged will reflect this.

I would suggest that the issue is not around who owns or pays for what, but the way the Apple techies try (or do not adequately) explain the position regarding replacement parts.

You can probably keep the old part but then the credit built in to the costs for the replacement will be lost.

As previously indicated this is common practice in the motor trade (although not as much as it used to be) for items like alternators, starters, etc.

thescouselander

headpin wrote: »

It is simple. If it is a warranty repair then the faulty part remains with the original supplier.

If a repair then the price quoted is for what would normally be defined as an exchange part. i.e. The old part is exchanged for a working unit and the cost charged will reflect this.

I would suggest that the issue is not around who owns or pays for what, but the way the Apple techies try (or do not adequately) explain the position regarding replacement parts.

You can probably keep the old part but then the credit built in to the costs for the replacement will be lost.

As previously indicated this is common practice in the motor trade (although not as much as it used to be) for items like alternators, starters, etc.

The problem with exchanging a disk it that you're not just handing over the metal but also the data on there. If the repairer wants to keep hold of the hardware they need to make sure the data on there is handed back. If that is not possible then the only way to do this is to give the faulty drive back to its owner.

gjchester

securityguy wrote: »

No maintenance or warranty contract guarantees you new parts.

Possibly better to say no standard contract, when I use to buy PC's from Dell and HP for work we had the option (chargeable of course) for any warranty swapped drives to be left with us to dispose of according to our policy .

We also used to find that for many non serviceable parts such as Optical drives, PSU's, floppy drives, or buttons and switches, then Dell and HP would just ship us a part and we disposed of the old one.

Anything that could be seen as trying to get a free upgrade ie Hard Disks, Memory, CPU were either a doorstep swap or in some cases, usually drives failing SMART tests, an advance return where we had 5 days to return the part, or the cost was charged to a pre-supplied credit card to give us time to duplicate the old data to the new drive.

gjchester

thescouselander wrote: »

The problem with exchanging a disk it that you're not just handing over the metal but also the data on there. If the repairer wants to keep hold of the hardware they need to make sure the data on there is handed back. If that is not possible then the only way to do this is to give the faulty drive back to its owner.

No they don't. A warranty is to put the sysytem back in to the state the puirchaser got it, ie fully working. No system comes with data other than the OS on it, any user entered data is always the responsibility of the user to back up.

Apple have offered to give the drive back, but as they have to pay for a replacement (rather than getting it replaced by the maker) they are charging for the extra service.