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August 17, 2008 11:47 PM

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It is the weekend. Always wait until the business week starts.

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Git Em SteveDave displays attention-grabbing vanity

August 17, 2008 11:48 PM

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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.

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edicius

August 17, 2008 11:49 PM

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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.

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theBIG

August 17, 2008 11:51 PM

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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.

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August 17, 2008 11:54 PM

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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

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GeoffinAround

August 17, 2008 11:55 PM

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His desk is a treasure chest?

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djanes1

August 17, 2008 11:55 PM

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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.

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Fly Girl

August 17, 2008 11:57 PM

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@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.)

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Zak13

August 17, 2008 11:58 PM

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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.

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Zak13

August 18, 2008 12:02 AM

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@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.

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GeoffinAround

August 18, 2008 12:03 AM

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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?

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August 18, 2008 12:03 AM

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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.

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Parting

August 18, 2008 12:05 AM

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@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.

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August 18, 2008 12:06 AM

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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?

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August 18, 2008 12:08 AM

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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?

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redwall_hp

August 18, 2008 12:15 AM

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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...

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August 18, 2008 12:28 AM

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@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.

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Rachacha

August 18, 2008 12:28 AM

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@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.

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krispykrink

August 18, 2008 12:28 AM

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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.

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msbask

August 18, 2008 12:32 AM

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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.

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djanes1

August 18, 2008 12:33 AM

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@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!

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Zak13

August 18, 2008 12:35 AM

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@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.

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bossco

August 18, 2008 12:37 AM

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Sure a lot about nothing. Yeah sure they'll replace it. Sometimes electronics die. Glad nobody was hurt. What a long long letter..;.

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halah

August 18, 2008 12:40 AM

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If that letter was an audiobook, would it fit on said nano?

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tc4b

August 18, 2008 12:41 AM

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@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.\"

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FHJay

August 18, 2008 12:44 AM

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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.

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Tijil

August 18, 2008 12:44 AM

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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!

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August 18, 2008 12:45 AM

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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.

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August 18, 2008 12:47 AM

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@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.

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missdona

August 18, 2008 12:48 AM

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@twophrasebark: Seriously.

I'm surprised a Nano holds enough music for Dale

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Michael Belisle

August 18, 2008 12:52 AM

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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.

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August 18, 2008 12:52 AM

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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.

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August 18, 2008 12:53 AM

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Some of the exploding nanos were charged with faulty charging cables.

What cable was the OP using?

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August 18, 2008 12:57 AM

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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.

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Zak13

August 18, 2008 12:58 AM

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@Altdotweb: I was using the cables that came with the iPod originally.

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buckeye17

August 18, 2008 1:19 AM

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LOL, he's pretty dumb if he really thinks Steve Jobs will read that essay of his.

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MyPetFly

August 18, 2008 1:19 AM

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iExplode... (product and OP?)

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Mercurywaxing

August 18, 2008 1:25 AM

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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.

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sean77

August 18, 2008 1:25 AM

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Steve Jobs' response: tl;dr

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August 18, 2008 1:28 AM

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Make sure that you bring that cable with the unit if you take it into the store for inspection.

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bobpence

August 18, 2008 1:31 AM

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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.

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norubiT

August 18, 2008 1:35 AM

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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.

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norubiT

August 18, 2008 1:37 AM

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@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.

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rolla

August 18, 2008 2:00 AM

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i would email Steve with the story and pics.

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August 18, 2008 2:25 AM

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@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\"

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August 18, 2008 2:41 AM

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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.

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yikz

August 18, 2008 2:59 AM

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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?

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Verucalise (Est.February2008)

August 18, 2008 3:08 AM

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@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.

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August 18, 2008 3:10 AM

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\"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.

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August 18, 2008 3:22 AM

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\"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.\"

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ironchef

August 18, 2008 3:23 AM

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Lithium ion batteries will burst into flames if the battery is breached, wet, or damaged. It's something to consider when trying to find the root cause.

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August 18, 2008 3:29 AM

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@GeoffinAround: That's not a treasure chest; it's a steamer trunk. They're extremely useful pieces of furniture since they're the right size for coffee tables, end tables, and can be turned on end as stands. Very useful for Christmas decorations.

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August 18, 2008 3:40 AM

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@yikz:
Your comparison is rather absurd. A car dealership is essentially a franchise, so they have no liability for design flaws on a vehicle. The apple store is directly owned by apple and all of the employees in the store are employed by apple so therefore they are liable (being Apple) for any design flaws.

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coren

August 18, 2008 3:42 AM

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@norubiT: Right, and they said it was the letter he sent to Steve Jobs. Why would we assume he didn't send it to Jobs if Consumerist says he did?

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coren

August 18, 2008 3:47 AM

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OP, I understand your frustration with being told one thing at one end, and another at the other end. I certainly can't fault you at being upset over the potential hazard presented here. But I think that you've got a case where you're overlooking two important things.

1) The GM isn't the person you talked to on the phone (and apparently is a dick). He didn't promise anything, and the phone rep isn't there to live up to his promise

2) This is dangerous, I think you'd agree. So what happens if you get another iPod and it happens again? But this time you're not home? Or hell, you're in another room on the phone, or taking a shower, or something and you don't notice. Making sure this isn't going to happen again should be priority one. Can you live without your iPod for a few days in order to make that happen?

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sammysam

August 18, 2008 3:48 AM

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Going to have to say that I'm more than a little disappointed that Consumerist didn't hold off on posting this until Monday evening.

This would've given Apple REASONABLE time to get the issue looked at and attended to.

I can understand the OP's frustration, but posting something like this before the company has a reasonable amount of time to look into it, is a bad call.

From what I can tell, the phone rep made a mistake - IT HAPPENS.

The GM may not have communicated effectively with the OP; however, he was in the right. Customer should have waited until Monday. Let's be honest people lie about stuff like this all the time. I know someone who hooked their cell phone up to a car battery to get it replaced under warranty. Stupid people ruin it for everyone. Waiting an extra day or two for people to properly look into this is perfectly acceptable.

BLAH!

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PDX909

August 18, 2008 3:48 AM

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Oh enough with this little diva already, I got tired of him/her after 4 lines of his whinging.

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danwarne

August 18, 2008 3:49 AM

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I personally think they should not only replace Dale's iPod but his treasure chest as well.

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RodAox

August 18, 2008 4:01 AM

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I also found pictures of unicorns on the internet, that does not make them real.

I will also blame the OP in this instance, there was a simple miscommunication then the people did what they had to do following procedure which seems reasonable.

They want the engineers to be involved in this situation to make sure that this type of thing will not happen to other Nano 1st gen users or see what has caused it. Considering that he had no warranty and apple was kind enough to take him for his word in a reasonable time frame \"We will get back to you on Monday\" at least he should have waited until then...

@coren: OP if you are around please reread important thing #2

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ltx

August 18, 2008 4:17 AM

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@bobjr94: Go buy a new one? You have to be kidding. Assuming he didn't cause it, the iPod EXPLODED and started a fire. It could have burned down his house if he went to grab a drink while it was charging. You don't just forget about something that could have caused damage and injury because of a manufacturing defect. This is something that you could sue for, had he not prevented damage from occurring.

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transiit

August 18, 2008 4:32 AM

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This strikes me as an unfortunate extreme.

While I understand the concern of the poster with respect to his beloved ipod catching fire, the rest of the story squarely lands in my pet peeves in the category of over-developed sense of entitlement.

Hopefully, the exploding ipod is a relatively isolated incident, and I really don't see the harm in the apple CSRs wanting to escalate it to an engineering issue. That seems pretty responsible to me, regardless of whether or not it's within the warranty period.

But, the simple truth of it is, as has been suggested by many of the other comments, the engineering staff might not be around on the weekends. I'm sorry for your precious loss, but the truth is that the world might not fit your schedule, and you might just have to wait until monday to get more information.

I would never wish for anyone to be in a car accident, but I am rather curious how long this person would wait for resolution of a claim.

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Kevino

August 18, 2008 5:00 AM

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Wait until the weekend is over and you'll have a replacement. Simple as that.

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macslut

August 18, 2008 5:05 AM

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\"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\".\"

This is the starting point as to why so many people here, and on Digg don't sympathize or empathize with you. It peaks somewhere between the time where you eventually mention that your iPod is not under warranty and where you get upset that Apple won't replace your iPod with a new one on the weekend without having engineers inspect it first.

Sorry, but this is all your account of things. There are many signs here that if presented with the other side, we'd get a different story.

As someone who ran one of the largest Apple service centers and always got great reviews and customer satisfaction reports, let me say that you'd be much better off just focusing on the facts.

You have an out of warranty iPod.

Your iPod malfunctioned.

It may have malfunctioned due to abuse or misuse, and cause can't be determined until engineers examine it.

Without the cause being determined, it's a bad idea to replace the unit.

Despite being out of warranty, Apple is considering replacing it anyway.

On this last point, consider yourself lucky. Apple is under no obligation to do this. Be nice. Be patient. Hope that the replace it.

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Doormouse

August 18, 2008 5:49 AM

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The management structure of an Apple store (including region/district) consists of ex-gap/banana republic managers; they are so concerned with their monthly goals that they'll do anything to keep a return off of their books.
When dealing with them over the phone always have them give you a ref. number before you head into a store for a replacement. Store management will kowtow to Apple Support, or anyone they can attribute the loss to.

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w2ed

August 18, 2008 6:09 AM

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There is only one question I would raise on this, the one that baffles me: If the tech offered to replace your iPod, why would he need to confer wth the engineers and call you back? That's stupid and bass ackwards (You know the words, people!), not to mention counterproductive.

IF they were going to replace the iPod, they would need to have the engineers look at it first - which, if they were gone for the weekend, would mean that you should have waited.

I've heard the stories of Apple replacing out-of-warranty products for similarly \"weird\" cases such as this. (Yes, I consider Spontaneous combustion weird, even if it has happened previously.) The thing is, so have a lot of others in the same ways I have - through through legitimate magazines and websites - and not all of them are honest, hard-working people who want their products fixed/replaced. Some people will go through great trouble to get something illegitimately.

I'm not calling you dishonest. I think one of two things happened. Either you misheard what they said (unless you're Agent Smith, a program plugged into a machine, or Unless you have a recording - which would probably be illegal unless you notified them that you were recording them, is definitely possible), or they made an error on their end (which, since you sound like you were talking to a human being, would also be possible.)

WHERE I DO SEE FAULT is in what I feel was you rushing. There definitely would have been the possibility of you being screwed over, but I think you trying to force their hands pushed you in the wrong direction. This action of putting it up on the web and claiming they screwed you over kinda doesn't help out much, either.

I can't give an exact source for where I've seen it, but there are a number of different mags I read, in case you do want to search: Mac|Life (and what it formerly was, MacAddict), MaximumPC, MacWorld, and CPU. What I can tell you is that, warranty or no, Apple has been reported to have replaced (or offer to) products for weird cases. And, what I am certain, is that in most of these cases, the customer worked WITH Apple, not with what he thought he heard.

Best of luck with that free Nano.

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thespyder1125

August 18, 2008 7:30 AM

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Honestly, I work for a customer service call center, and it's customers like this that piss me off, customers who think that just because they need something, it can magically pop out of the company's ass. I do sympathize with the customer on the whole, the rep told me this, side, but other then that, honestly, the people who can handle it is closed. that's a matter of fact thing, and there's nothing you can do to change that. The rep made a mistake, and gave you information that stalls you ONE F***ING DAY!!! do you honestly need your ipod that badly that you can't wait one day to talk to the people that can handle these sorts of things? I could understand if it was some sort of subscription you were paying for, but it's an ipod. you buy it once, you're done!

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crankymediaguy

August 18, 2008 7:30 AM

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This story is giving me deja vu. Just this week, I, too, was misinformed by an Apple CSR that a problem I was having with an iPod (Touch model) would be handled at the Apple Store, only to find out that they can't do anything about it.

When I got home from my pointless trip to the Apple Store, I tried to find a relevant email address on Apple's website to post my complaint to. I couldn't, so I sent the following snail mail letter to Apple HQ. It should be self-explanatory.

Dear Apple:

I must report a very unsatisfactory experience with your company today. A few weeks ago, my wife and I purchased an iPod Touch. A few days after the purchase, I called Apple Customer Service to ask a question.

While I had the CSR on the line, I inquired about getting an upgrade to 2.0. I explained that where I live on the Oregon coast, high-speed Internet is NOT available (neither the cable company nor phone company will wire this area for it.) I asked if an Apple Store could install it for me. The CSR assured me that, yes, an Apple Store would be happy to do that for me while I waited.

Today, my wife and I made time for a trip to the Apple Store in Tigard, Or. When I arrived there, I was informed by a very pleasant associate that it was NOT possible for the store to install 2.0, that it had to be done via my desktop Mac at home and my iTunes account. When I explained about us not having high-speed access, he went to the back room to ask a tech if there was some alternate way for me to get the update. When he came back, he informed me that, no, there was no other way. I left the store no better off than when I arrived.

As a result of your CSR giving me incorrect information, my wife and I made a completely unnecessary trip to Tigard (89.2 miles each way, according to my GPS unit), wasting the better part of our day and several gallons of gas.

Needless to say, this was not a satisfactory experience with Apple Customer Service. I would still like to be able to obtain the upgrade, although I'm at a loss to figure out how this can be accomplished. As you will understand, I'm reluctant to make another 180-mile round trip to Tigard, especially when it seems it would get me nowhere.

What help can you offer me to resolve this problem?

Yours,
[name, address and phone number redacted]

I'm curious to see what response, if any, I get from Apple Central.

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August 18, 2008 7:32 AM

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I don't think he deserves to have it replaced. Apple could, at THEIR option, replace it as a COURTESY, but I don't think it's deserved at this point. It's two generations outdated, well out of warranty.

Obviously, they're not designed to explode/self destruct a la inspector gadget, but even so, this is like complaining that the transmission on your car crapped out two years after the warranty expired. Yeah, it sucks, but don't expect GM to come running with a brand new car to replace it.

I'm not blaming the OP, but I think he's a whiny punk.

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August 18, 2008 8:06 AM

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Not cool...just buy an iPhone.

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August 18, 2008 8:13 AM

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The OP does have a point, that his iPod exploded, but outside of that, his manifesto, written on a weekend, shows he demanded way too much for an old piece of equipment. As he even said, it's a 1st gen iPod Nano, which is over a year old. The sparks and stuff that happened, while it could be faulty manufacture, could also be because of prior abuses done to the iPod before. The item is no longer under warranty, so Apple does not guarantee that the product will work. The sparks / exploding thing is very scary, but thats electronics- stuff like that happens. And for a electrical spark to start a fire on the desk, that means it was placed near something that can burn (and hard wood does not just burn from sparks)...

While the GM might have been rude, he's right; He has protocols to
follow, and he was following them. The OP kept on insisting that
\"someone\" on the phone said it would be replaced today, hence it must,
yet unless that information was communicated down to the store, I
don't see how the OP can expect the GM to take his word for it that
\"someone\" on the phone at tech support said it would be OK. The reason
the OP thought that the GM was being a jerk was because simply, the GM
was not saying what the OP wanted to hear.

And as for \"numerous\" occasions of this happening, iPod are made in
the millions, and I think percentage wise, they are still pretty safe.
And if you try to reach Apple on a weekday (like all major
businesses), you can get a lot more done faster.

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EYESONLY

August 18, 2008 8:33 AM

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@sammysam: \"Going to have to say that I'm more than a little disappointed that Consumerist didn't hold off on posting this until Monday evening.

\"This would've given Apple REASONABLE time to get the issue looked at and attended to.\"

WORD!! Posting this immediately does seem a bit premature.

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rychdom

August 18, 2008 8:39 AM

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1) What ever happened to saying \"long story short\"?

2) Those squiggly lines underneath your opus indicate spelling and grammatical errors. In the very least, proof-read your tantrum before you post it online for all to pick apart.

3) It was out of warranty.

4) You may have been able to wear the GM down if you had just kept up your ignorant whining. Why'd you give up so easily?

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meefer

August 18, 2008 9:38 AM

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Wow, that is pretty piss poor service.

The one time I had an issue which wasn't my fault (apple tech misinformed me over the phone about return policy) the guy IMMEDIATELY apologized and gave me store credit as return, no cash. Not a big deal.

But then again, it wasn't the weekend.

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August 18, 2008 9:59 AM

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I'm still dizzy from all the OP's spin. Let's distill some of the facts:
1- Out of warranty ipod went snap, crackle, pop, sizzle.
2- Agent on the phone said that IF he heard back from the engineers in time, it could be handled the same day.
3- OP was given a consistent answer from all apple employees involved...we'll replace it--as soon as the engineers take a look at it.

I feel for the op, but I don't think it would have been unreasonable to wait a certain period. Even if it was a week, two weeks, a month...I had a pair of noise-cancelling headphones I sent in for an in-warranty repair, and it was 3 weeks before i got the new set back. And they were WITHIN their warranty period. And I was happy!

Take two Valium and call back on Monday.

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August 18, 2008 11:41 AM

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It warms my heart to see a dead Apple product, thank you Consumerist, for setting the tone for my day.

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August 18, 2008 11:42 AM

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@Con Seannery: Yes, I know this was posted yesterday, but still good to see in the morning.

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August 18, 2008 12:07 PM

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Wow. That certainly is a rant!

I can understand how upsetting it must be to have an iPod explode on
you, but as it was the 1st Gen iPod it was pretty damn old.

That is not to say the owner is at fault.

The original agent who advised the iPod could be replaced clearly did
not know what he was talking about as he provided a promise without
going through the proper steps. That caused a snowball effect of all
things that went wrong.

The GM of the Retail Store to be ashamed of himself, bottom line. To
try to push blame onto a customer without getting the facts first is
simple unacceptable. He should go back to being a Sales Agent and
work his way back up.

Personally I feel that in a case such as this the iPod should be
replaced regardless of the fact that it was out of warranty for a
number of years as it could have caused some serious harm.

I would like to know the outcome of this story for it one-sided at the
moment.
Although seemingly objective, the driving force behind the 2000+ words
(point rested) is emotionally driven.

Please do post an update to this story.

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AshleyKeen

August 18, 2008 12:47 PM

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Has the OP ever heard of an executive summary? I'm not one to empathize with CSRs, but the recipient of that missive deserves my sympathies! This is one case where a picture truly would have been worth 1000 words.

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chenry

August 18, 2008 1:17 PM

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If I don't have time to read this dissertation, what chance is there that Steve has time?

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Jesse

August 18, 2008 1:26 PM

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They should have a one page limit for consumer submitted stories.

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August 18, 2008 1:45 PM

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good to see apple products are still spontaneously exploding on a regular basis, i was starting to worry that they had addressed the issue and started selling reliable products...

btw, has anyone heard how the fire started at the apple office building yet?

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tedyc03

August 18, 2008 1:55 PM

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@stupidjerk: I think Milton Waddams lost a stapler or something over there...

The customer has a great reason to complain. An exploding product is a terrible thing. Apple should move heaven and earth for this guy. I just don't expect them to move it on Saturday.

Warning to all Consumerists: if you start using the EECB as a first line, not a last line of defense, it won't work. Busy executives like Steve Jobs don't have time for diatribes sent on weekends right after the incident. The EECB is effective because the stories are usually so horrific that any executive would step in. I really think that this wasn't that case.

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August 18, 2008 1:57 PM

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WAAY too long and boring to read through the entire story (this isn't a murder case, you don't have to be exhaustive, buddy). The one thing that irks me about the OP's attitude is his impatience. The nano isn't cheap, so expecting a replacement tout suit is acceptable, but having to wait a whole weekend to find out if they'll replace an out-of-warranty product? He should have held tight. IF he hadn't heard anything by let's say Tuesday, THEN a letter to Steve Jobs would have possibly been warranted.

I'll bet the OP was looking forward to a shiny new nano with more memory and presumed that being belligerent would speed that process along.

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August 18, 2008 2:02 PM

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Ww, dd, hw mch pp dd y hv n yr dpr t thrw tht knd f tmpr tntrm? Chll t. nd myb try wrtng nvl nxt tm. Ths stry ws wy t shrt cnsdr wht thrll rd t ws!

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btdown

August 18, 2008 2:02 PM

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P snds lk typcl ppl fnby dchbg...nly hrs wht h wnts t hr rgrdlss f rlty. Hw pmps t thnk yr nt wld b rplcd n th spt wtht thm hvng chnc t d sm rsrch/nvstgtn.

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bobjr94

August 18, 2008 2:03 PM

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Tht lttr s lk smthng lwyr wld wrt nd fl fr crt cs. ts wy t lng. S t blw p, g by nw n.

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August 18, 2008 2:23 PM

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\"I have to take a few moments to commend him as he seemed to genuinely want to help me.\"

Yes and no. Apple protocol is to immediately forward any 'safety issue' where there is product damage, property damage or injury immediately to a Tier 2 support specialist. Once there the customer is run through a carefully prepared (by Apple Legal!) script and is treated with gloves crafted from the finest silk.

We on the front lines were educated continuously about this, even though I never once received a safety call in my year there.

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r.hinojosa

August 18, 2008 2:31 PM

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Not to sound cliche, but patience is a virtue. Do you really need your ipod that second? Just wait for Monday.

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August 18, 2008 2:36 PM

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You know, that \"burn mark\" looks a like a soot mark and will probably come off with a bit of rubbing alcohol.

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Ausoleil

August 18, 2008 2:44 PM

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Executives in large companies are bombarded constantly by letters, memos, phone calls, vox mail, emails, subordinates, analysts, bla bla bla.

In other words, generally speaking, their attention spans are pretty short. CEOs by nature are strategic big picture guys and only want the pertinent facts. If you are going to write the CEO of pretty much any multi-billion dollar multi-national, keep it short, to the point and reasonable.

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August 18, 2008 2:54 PM

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One thing I'm curious about is if the Nano was still on it's original battery. I had the same iPod Nano - a black Gen 1 - and the battery barely held a charge after about 2 years of moderate use (probably 1.5 hours a day, 5 days a week).

I wonder if the OP had replaced it with a 3rd party battery, and that's what exploded.

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August 18, 2008 2:56 PM

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That's what happens when you upload too much 80s hair metal into your iPod.

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TideGuy

August 18, 2008 3:00 PM

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Why does everyone have the \"I need it now!\" attitude. It's an iPod not a pacemaker. Be patient, Apple is doing you a favor by replacing it if it isn't under warrenty. I'll give you that there should be a set policy and better communication regarding what can be offered and when but if you started cursing at me then my reaction would be, \"No iPod for you!\"

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Haxd

August 18, 2008 3:03 PM

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In 2006, this same thing happened to me, although I managed to unplug it when it started smoking, rather than leave it in to blow up.

I took it to the local Apple Reseller and they told me to pretty much shove it up my ass, because it was 'scratched' (this was back when the whole, cosmetic damage = voided warranty was in vogue).

So I called Apple, they sent me a return box, which they promptly sent back to me, iPod in original condition, they didn't even open it to check the components!

Letters sent to Apple in Cork, Ireland (closest head office back then) and never received a response, emailed Apple, no response. It was the first thing I bought when I started my job (I was 18) and it was such a kick in the face, no one believing me, and no one listening.

The only way I have ever received any sort of customer service from Apple is to email the executive customer service team (sjobs@apple.com) and that was because my Power Supply on my Macbook actually blew up and caused fire damage to my desk. Apple graciously replaced it and apologized for almost killing my family, but I'm wondering that the only way to get Apple's attention is to just leave their products to explode, and just take the chance of whether you get killed or not.

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SigmundTheSeaMonster

August 18, 2008 3:07 PM

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\"ARrgh, Apple, ye iPod burnt me booty, er me desk! Gimmee a new iPod or ye gonna walk thee plank!\"

I am sorry OP. Looks like you left out some info.
-how old is the Nano?
-what condition is the cable? I no see it in the picks.
-what kinda pc (I see a laptop)?

The engineer would clarify whether this device was defective (ok to replace) or abused (cable, short, voltage from other device...). Until then, you are just a consumer that is saying Apple's product is bad, gimmee a new one.

This doesn't just Apply to Apple. Yes, some companies can be generous and replace. But why do you think Apple's stock is so high and why they profit off Hardware sales???

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August 18, 2008 3:18 PM

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@GeoffinAround: That's exactly what I was going to say. This could have been much worse had the OP not been next to his iPod when it exploded. Apple should be tripping over itself to give him a replacement.

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ugly

August 18, 2008 3:39 PM

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I think if I were Steve Jobs I'd read through this letter like so:

1) CSR on the phone appeased customer and offered solution pending approval of engineers, check.

2) CSR at store found correct case in computer, noted that it was pending approval of engineers, check.

3) CSR at store investigated alternative solution by opening new case, check.

4) Customer escalated via store chain, where GM informed customer that nothing could be done until Monday. Check.

5) Customer became belligerent and demanded satisfaction immediately, GM held ground and treated customer calmly and asked the customer to come back Monday, check.

My take on it is:
This site is a tremendous resource for us consumers to communicate issues about companies and how they treat us. Clearly this counts as such communication, however in this case there's clearly more to the story. We all know you catch more flies with honey, and you definitely get better service with smiles.

The company in question was in the process of resolving the consumers complaint, and the consumer just wasn't happy with the speed. The company bent over and attempted via various other channels to assist the consumer, and still the consumer lost their cool. This is a fine example of a company doing what they could, and should, and a customer taking the stance of \"Customer is always right, no matter what\".

I think the consumer was just overly anxious and needs to settle down and be more patient next time. They were told that an engineer needed to look at it, and that perhaps they'd have looked by the time they made it to the store, but oh well, tough beans they didn't look that quickly. Get over it.

To all of you that say \"Apple was going above and beyond\" I somewhat agree, but I certainly don't think that a good corporate citizen does the minimum required by law. They should, and do more than that.

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August 18, 2008 3:53 PM

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Somebody stole my 1st gen iPod. I hope this happened to them, whoever they are. Or their fingers drop off.

It looks like all the exploding ones were being charged at a computer. Would that make a difference? I charge my 2nd gen one with a thingy that goes into a regular electrical outlet. The iPod sits on my stove and zaps up just fine. However, it's annoying that whenever I synch it, it drains the battery.

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pileofmonkeycrap

August 18, 2008 4:20 PM

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I'm not reading that ridiculously long letter. If your picture is worth 1000 words - then keep the letter brief!

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August 18, 2008 4:31 PM

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Glad to see blaming the OP is alive and well...Oh I get it, that rule must not apply when you upset the apple fanboys. You all would be at the gates of Microsoft demanding engineers be there 24/7 to answer this guy if this was a zune issue.

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kbarrett

August 18, 2008 4:35 PM

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@TheDude06: Not all Lithium battery chemistries are explosive.

The big offender is LiCo batteries ... if they get hot enough to breach the casing, they burn wildly once Oxygen gets inside.

LiFePO4 is dead safe, but more expensive and slightly heavier than LiCo. General Motors is currently having the folks at A123 systems make 12V batts for them, basically stacks of A123 3.3V2.3Ah cells ( each a little larger than a \"D\" cell ) inside a case that is shaped like the old Saturn hybrid 12V case.

I think if Apple really wanted to fix this, they would go to a LiFePO4 prismatic gel-cell, and just accept the slightly greater weight per Amp-hour tradeoff. An added benefit would be that you get more charge cycles as well ( twice was many as with LiCo ).

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August 18, 2008 4:41 PM

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Um, so, yeah. What? Ok, I work in customer service, at a cable company, and I always try to make sure people are happy with the service I am able to provide them. But sometimes, this just doesn't work. For example, a customer calls in and has some issue with the service that cannot be resolved over the phone, so I must schedule a technician to go out to the home and investigate. The customer wants credit now, but I cannot give credit until the technician has resolved the issue. The customer gets upset. \"I don't want to wait until tomorrow for my credit\". [insert appropriate amounts of swearing and foot stamping and phone throwing here]

Same thing applies here. The OP didn't want to wait until Monday (OMG... MONDAY) for a resolution. It seems to me (and apparently most of the other commentors as well) that the CSR you spoke with over the phone said \"We can replace it today if we here back from the engineers\" but you heard only \"We can replace it today\". When you were told that the CSR had no place to guarantee that the iPod would be replaced the same day without engineers being there, you should have realized that either you or the CSR had made a mistake and dropped it.

I think you should be happy that they are even considering replacing your out-of-warranty iPod. Stop demanding immediate resolution and deal with the fact that you most likely won't have had to shell out the cash to buy another one.

This is the kind of thing that'll make companies like Apple stop reading EECBs and hose over the rest of us (with VALID complaints) in the process.

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August 18, 2008 4:44 PM

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@CubsPride: Who buys Zunes? For the record, I generally hate blame the OP posts, but this is one circumstance where I feel it is warrented, if only because it devalues the EECB process for people with valid complaints... such as complaints that aren't going to be solved any other way as opposed to complaints that will be resolved once the weekend is over.

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whitjm5

August 18, 2008 4:51 PM

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Instead of getting in a huff, just go buy the superior Zune and forget about it. I own both and my iPod sets my desk drawer. Poor Apple. :(

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ShubhadaCanthus

August 18, 2008 4:52 PM

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I was a Mac Genius for years, and I worked for AppleCare for years before that. This story astounds me.

Forget about the phone agent; honestly, he was Exactly Right, and he
didn't promise anything he shouldn't have. The retail chain completely
and utterly dropped the ball on this, and it's issues like this that
are why I left. The Mac Geniuses are more in league with AppleCare;
they follow AppleCare's policies, they use AppleCare's systems, they
are in effect local AppleCare agents. However, they are lead, managed,
organized, and otherwise warped by Retail management that has exactly
Zero clue about how AppleCare does business. As such, they wind up
leading the Geniuses astray from their own prescribed policies.

Apple has had a long standing policy regarding safety issues; it
changes very little over time. The phone agent appears to have done
his job to a T, and what he promised the customer is what the Retail
store should have delivered. End of story. The Genius was unaware, and
management (including the GM) just lead them further and further astray.

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beetlebug62

August 18, 2008 5:07 PM

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I did not see where that laptop had a label that said, \"iPod capable\"! I mean, it's Vista capable, but clearly not iPod capable.
;)

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Parting

August 18, 2008 5:34 PM

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@djns1: xctly wrds ws lkng fr ''tmpr tntrm''. Thnks.

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ludwigk

August 18, 2008 5:35 PM

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@Zk13: 'm blmng th cstmr bg tm n ths n. Y cldn't wt tll Mndy fr mr dtls? Srsly? lng wth swrng nd bcmng bllgrnt, dd y cnsdr stmpng yr ft nd cryng? t's n Pd, nt yr dlyss mchn, r hrt mdctn.

Y dn't knw nythng bt cnsmr lctrncs, wht cnsttts cmmn flr, r ny cl wht \"knwn ss\" mght mn, nd t shws. f crs, y wnt t rs s bg stnk s y cn, bt t jst mks y cm ff s tht mch mr chldsh t ppl wh r knwldgbl n ths rs, nd tht mch hrdr t hlp y.

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iMike

August 18, 2008 5:35 PM

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Pls dd \"bd cnsmr\" tg.

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August 18, 2008 5:53 PM

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At the Apple Store in Cincinnati they replaced my iPod nano with a brand new one just because they didn't like the way it was heating up when charged. I brought it in b/c I couldn't get it to turn on and was hoping they could fix it, and left with a brand spanking new one.

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mythago

August 18, 2008 6:00 PM

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@CubsPride: Believe it or not, it is possible to believe BOTH that Apple's customer service is subpar AND to believe that in this case, the OP took a legitimate complaint and made an ass of himself with it. It's not like they said he would have to wait six weeks to get his Nano repaired.

And really, swearing at the CSRs is just stupid.

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k1ckstand

August 18, 2008 6:12 PM

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tl;dr.

n th tm t tk y t wrt ths nvll y cld hv gttn rplcmnt, sld t n By nd bght rl md plyr.

Scks bt yr dsk, thgh. dg th stmr-trnk wrk srfc.

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kyle4

August 18, 2008 6:17 PM

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Is this a first gen Nano issue because everytime I read/see/hear about this it's always happened to a first gen Nano.

I hope Apple replaces your iPod, because what happened sucks.

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August 18, 2008 6:48 PM

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The OP was expecting too much from Apple in a short amount of time on a weekend. The phone tech support implied something he shouldn't, but did state that the engineers needed to look at the issue before you can resolved it which was also the statement of the GM. I believe he took the GM inability to take legal responsibility for something that apple needed to investigate as blame. Apple is usually very good at replacing obviously defective products you just need to give them a little time. Do you blame people for not working on weekends.

In the end, its just a frustrated person not giving the company time to give the obvious answer which the GM is not trully authorized to give with a phone tech implying something he's not authorized to imply. I blame a instant on society that expects immediate results because they have immediate answers.

At least its a happily ever after right.

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chonnes

August 18, 2008 6:51 PM

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So you have a problem with a 3 year-old iPod, whose warranty had expired 2 years prior and Apple wants to replace it after they allow their engineers to investigate and you have enough of a problem with that to create an issue? You were obviously trying to weasel a brand new 3rd Gen iPod since the Apple stores only sell 3rd Gen iPods anyway. Technically, Apple had absolutely no liability to replace your old iPod. They offered to replace it if you could be patient enough to let it go through the engineering department, yet you decide to be a little brat about it.

The only problem with this entire situation is you not accepting a replacement for your 3 year-old iPod under the terms that Apple had laid out, especially when they were under no obligation to do so.

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Consumerist-Moderator-Roz

August 18, 2008 7:13 PM

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Everyone, remember the comment code; blaming the poster is not OK and is, frankly, completely out of hand here. Keep the discussion on topic and rule-abiding!

@CubsPride: If you have a beef, how about emailing me to take action (moderator@gmail.com)? Leave your flip comments out of comment threads.

@pileofmonkeycrap: Posting the equivalent of \"TLDR\" is useless spam. Don't comment again unless you have something relevant to say.

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cptskippy

August 18, 2008 7:22 PM

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While that sucks I think the OP was a little too impatient, made the issue a bigger deal than it needed to be and put everyone in compromising positions. The outcome was all foreshadowed by the last sentence in the 3rd paragraph.

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.

It was conveyed to me in that 3rd paragraph that the engineer's say-so was needed to go ahead with the replacement. It was clear in the last sentence that receiving a replacement in-store that night was contingent on the engineer's response. The OP never got the response, thus the OP shouldn't have expected to get a replacement.

Did the OP have the right to be upset that the rep didn't call back? Yes. Did that warrant harassing the Apple Store staff and GM with expletives? No.

I think some fault belongs on the rep for not calling back but the majority goes to the OP for being impatient and not waiting to hear from his technical contact before storming off to the store to demand a replacement. Additionally once it was explained to the OP in the store that there was nothing to be done without an engineer's approval, the same story conveyed by the rep on the phone incidentally, the OP still insisted that an exception and replacement should be granted.

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ne1butu

August 18, 2008 8:16 PM

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Apple is very good at replacing defective items that are new to the market without any fuss at all. They replaced my two day old iPhone without any unnecessary aggravation. However for items that are older, I would not expect that same kind of accommodation. It is much more severe when items catch fire. These claims should be taken more seriously by Apple, and I would expect that a higher level of due-diligence before handing out new replacements of old hardware. I'm sure they've seen many bogus claims, mistreated equipment, and some staged defects. To automatically hand out replacement iPods to anyone that walks into an Apple store in a huff isn't a realistic expectation of a customer, and it would not be a good business practice by Apple. But after the engineers have a chance to review the damage, the customer should be provided something within a reasonable amount of time. In my experience, Apple has been very good at this.

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August 18, 2008 8:37 PM

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So, recap.

Dude's iPod freaks out.
Dude calls AppleCare, its the weekend, the issue is escalated, he is told it will be replaced.
Dude goes into Apple Store, the same day, and flips his shit since they say it has to be escalated before they can replace it.
Dude write giant email to Steve.

Its a freakin' iPod. Yes, its an issue that is asploded and could have caused more problems. That doesn't mean it should get the ZOMGWTFWHOASTEPRIGHTOVERHERESIR VIP treatment. He needs/needed to calm down.

And its nice to see that the censorship that's ok for anti-censorship people to use, championed by that ultimate hypocrite from Boing Boing has made its way to Consumerist. Way to be condescending and pandering, thanks. Almost as awesome as how my first account was disabled, without warning or explanation, even after inquiring about it.

There's a reason the Consumerist isn't in my RSS reader anymore, and its equal parts free airtime to blowhards like this douchebag, and the same clever mods who think \"disemvowelling\" is a good idea.

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August 18, 2008 9:11 PM

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@Consumerist-Moderator-Roz: I understand the policy Roz and we should always try to give the OP the benefit of the doubt, as this is the Consumerist, but not every OP is correct, and sometimes being helpful means letting the OP know that they are expecting too much from a company. As long as they are told this politely, it shouldn't be against policy.

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Maatc

August 18, 2008 10:24 PM

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Should´ve opened the letter with: \"Hey, John Mayer here...\"

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fsna

August 19, 2008 1:39 AM

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It looks to me like your battery was overcharged or overheated. The Lithium ion polymer cell may have swollen and gone into thermal runaway and thats why it was still hot and smoking after you unplugged it. Laptop companies actually performed recalls when this happened with their batteries... though thats much more powerful batteries and those are in steel cans so more explosive. Could be the effect rather than cause though.

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mermaidshoes

August 19, 2008 2:30 AM

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looks like he's a windows user. that explains everything.

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August 19, 2008 3:13 AM

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that doesn't explain everything. Millions of people consistently use iPods with Windows software and their devices don't spontaneously combust. Honestly, I use my 1 generation nano with Windows Vista and have never had any problems beyond having to eject the iPod using iTunes rather than Windows. La di freakin dah! Not really too much of a hassle if you're already using iTunes. Don't criticize others just because they use Windows. Not everyone can afford to replace their computer and OS to switch to Apple, and honestly I like the range of devices I can use with my Dell. With apple you are more limited with accessories and software.

So don't blame Windows for the problem. If iPods weren't compatible with Windows I doubt Apple would market them as such. Perhaps you're just another Apple fanboy whose elitist attitude gets in the way of your own common sense.

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jiminator

August 19, 2008 4:25 AM

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in theory if the motherboard was setup incorrectly with a usb connector plugged into a firewire header then yes, that could easily fry an ipod. virtually all motherboards come with this warning. impossible to say if that would be the case, although the port would not function for usb.

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Grrrrrrr, now with two buns made of bacon.

August 19, 2008 4:45 AM

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I blame terrorists.

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Grrrrrrr, now with two buns made of bacon.

August 19, 2008 5:06 AM

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Oh, alright, I'll make a serious post. Sheesh.

The iPod fried. Probably an internal short or resistance in the battery....there's a lot of energy stored in that really tiny battery, so I'm actually surprised (and thankful) that this type of thing doesn't actually happen more often. I would have been a little freaked out too, although it didn't exactly explode and destroy his apartment...but sparks and fire would have been enough for me.

Apple should obviously replace the iPod. Even if it's out of warranty, it would still be a graceful gesture, considering their product could have burned down the OP's apartment. Their customer service over the phone sounds like it sucked, and it sounds like they were rude...but on the other hand, the OP admitted he lost his temper and his conversation began to be \"peppered by profanity\", so I can picture a heated exchange between telephone tech support and the OP, who by his own admission, was pissed off and freaking out. I don't know why the tech and GM accused him of doing something that would have caused the thing to burst into flames.

I can see Apple wanting to do a post-mortem on the charred remains, and I didn't see exactly how old the unit was in the post (maybe I missed that), but I would hope that they would at least make some kind of goodwill gesture (if it's out of warranty)...or replace it with no questions asked (if it's in warranty). I consider Apple to be a premium brand, and I would expect service to match.

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engfish

August 19, 2008 11:58 AM

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Japan is reporting Nano fires--that's the product, not the size of the overheating batteries:

[news.yahoo.com]

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k122n

August 19, 2008 12:15 PM

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three cases of nano's overheating in japan: [news.yahoo.com]

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August 19, 2008 1:39 PM

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The USB port does still work. I know this person.

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August 19, 2008 9:17 PM

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If anyone's still reading:

Apple fessing up to problem, will replace exploded 1st Gen Nanos

[news.cnet.com]

I'm not saying what happened or didn't happen but all the hate is disturbing. Apparently there were more people there to actually witness the incident than just the OP.

Ipods are perfect or at least perfect enough that they don't explode.

The OP is a scammer or a piece of scum for trying to get a new product to replace his defective one.

Since the warranty expired OP had no right to expect anything from Apple, not even when it started a fire.

OP is too greedy, trying to get a replacement that day (despite the fact that that's what he was told)

Am I missing something? I have a hard time believing anyone here would just chill out and relax after having a piece of hardware spontaneously combust on their desk.

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ackerrj

August 19, 2008 10:32 PM

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Apple states it will replace all Ipod Nanos of this generation that have this problem.

[arstechnica.com]

Congrats: You have successfully saved anyones ass.

Apple let this go a little too far, because it might destroy all that consumer good will generated by the expensive mac vs pc ads.

Really stupid of them to let it get this far.

PS: I am typing this on an IMac and we have an IPhone 3g...

We would like to think apple is more responsive and in our personal experience they have been.

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August 20, 2008 2:45 AM

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This may have something to do with this:

[www.reuters.com]

Overheated iPod nano caused fires
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's trade ministry said on Tuesday that three fires had been caused by overheating Apple iPod nanos, which it said could be due to a battery defect.
No one was injured in the three fires involving the music players made by Apple Inc but the government said in a statement Apple had reported two other cases where people had suffered minor burns.
Apple officials were not immediately available for comment but the ministry said the firm had said a possible defect in iPod nano battery cells could have caused them to overheat.
The trade ministry said iPod nanos with known overheating incidents were sold in Japan between September 2005 and September 2006.
A semi-governmental body specializing in product safety will look into the cause of the incidents in cooperation with Apple, a trade ministry official said.
\"We are not in the position to speculate on the outcome of the investigation. But after several incidents like these, it would be appropriate for Apple to take some measures to raise the public's awareness,\" the official said.
(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by David Fogarty)

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Dyscord

August 20, 2008 9:38 PM

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That GM is way too rude. And given that it's the pittsburgh area doesn't surprise me much. I've had trouble with that apple store when my ibook drive stopped working within the warranty period. After having my computer for a week they tell me that they cant fix it because of \"liquid damage on the motherboard. Nevermind the fact that liquid was never anywhere NEAR my ibook. They then proceded to tell me that it would cost $700 to replace. At that point I was pretty pissed off so I just grabbed my computer and left. I wish I would have known about this site before hand. I just assumed that Apple would be uncooperative.

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rychdom

August 21, 2008 8:57 AM

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@metalrules24: While I agree that the post by mermaidshoes was ridiculous (and frankly, embarrassing to me as a Mac user and lover), that business about Macs being \"limited\" by \"accessories and software\" is a myth, just like the idea of offshore drilling making an impact any time before 2013.

You really shouldn't believe everything you hear...

More on topic, I think it's safe to say that OP's story should be a lesson in what not to do, which is just as helpful as all the other posts on Consumerist that define what will work.

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iMike

August 21, 2008 8:01 PM

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@iMike: My bona fide suggestion on the appropriate tagging for this story was disemvoweled. Inappropriate use of disemvoweler.

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Anonymous

January 13, 2009 10:18 AM

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Exploding MP3 in \"playback mode\". Any quick comments on my MP3 expoloding and filling room with snoke/fumes and burned bed covers. It was NOT being charged. I was listening to the music. This is a dangerous product. What rights do I have to claim \"health and safety\" issue? I had extended waranty on MP3, and it was replaced at point of purchase.

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