Apple Screwed Me on iPod

[smharmon]

I just bought a 15gig ipod refurb with cradle and remote for 229.99 from the apple store. When I got it, it came with only a USB connector to the ipod... the adapter uses firewire, and apple's add for the item shows that is comes with firewire. I can't use my ipod cause I can't charge it! The USB port will not charge the ipod, and I can't connect it to the firewire adapter it comes with. I refuse to buy another firewire cord, and apple's Cust. Reps won't do anything, and tech support (who wouldn't answer the phones, I just kept waiting and waiting) hasn't responded to my e-mail. I have a useless iPod!

[reaper]

I just bought a 15gig ipod refurb with cradle and remote for 229.99 from the apple store. When I got it, it came with only a USB connector to the ipod... the adapter uses firewire, and apple's add for the item shows that is comes with firewire. I can't use my ipod cause I can't charge it! The USB port will not charge the ipod, and I can't connect it to the firewire adapter it comes with. I refuse to buy another firewire cord, and apple's Cust. Reps won't do anything, and tech support (who wouldn't answer the phones, I just kept waiting and waiting) hasn't responded to my e-mail. I have a useless iPod!

Sorry to hear about that. I know it's a pain to get in touch with Apple (I have had troubles getting in touch with Apple tech support myself), but I would keep trying. I am almost certain that if you talk with someone and explain the situation in a calm manner they will correct the problem.

- reaper

[smharmon]

Well, the problem is that I was going to be selling this iMac this weekend to a friend, and needed to use the ipod to back up everything. He is moving Saturday... I guess I will have to burn it all... a real pain.

[SilentPanda]

Go buy a firewire cable, use it, return it. Seriously.

[reaper]

Go buy a firewire cable, use it, return it. Seriously.

Indeed. If that's the issue right now, go get one. Or, alternatively, get yourself a car adapter (not sure if you are going to use your ipod in the car or not though) and use that to charge it. That way, you'll get a new toy and get to back up your data! :D

- reaper

[mkrishnan]

Second (third?) the notion that any dishonesty involved in buying/returning the FW cable is made up for by Apple's behavior on this one. :(

But ummm, didn't you get an external power block for the iPod? A square one with a flip-out wall plug? On FW / dockless models, the FW cable plugs into the iPod with the thin long side, and the power block with the FW 6 pin side.

[michaelrjohnson]

well i'm pretty sure they didn't *intentionally* screw you over. It was a packing/shipping error. Customer support obviously didn't understand your situation, and tech support is just plain busy. Apple doesn't do anything malicious to its customers, (almost) no companies do... it's bad for business.

Anyhow, buy a cable, use it, return it. It's not dishonest, just try and solve your problem. good luck.

[Horrortaxi]

And your question is???

Keep calling Apple. There was screwing involved here, but it was in the upward direction--not aimed at you. Somebody screwed up and sent the wrong cable. It should have FireWire. Apple will make good on this.

The buy/use/return idea for the cable is an interesting one. Let your sense of right and wrong guide you through this one. Best Buy has a pretty good return policy and they sell iPods--should you decide to go that way.

[Jovian9]

Call them again! I bought a 20GB refurb iPod for my wife a few months back and it came with a faulty firewire cable. I had a 2G at the time and had no way of connecting it to the Mac d/t this.....but I needed to ASAP b/c this was a gift. I called AppleCare and they had a cable to me the next day (and I called around 4pm).

[virividox]

just keep calling apple, im sure it was just a small error not intentional so take a chill pill :)

they shoudl fix it rather well

as much as support is bashed on these forums in reality apple has a great support team

[Abstract]

How do Windows users with no Firewire charge their iPods? Sorry, but I've never even thought about that one. And even for those Windows users who have FW, don't a lot of their FW ports use 4 pins instead of 6, meaning they don't have power supplied to their iPods.

[SkudShark]

How do Windows users with no Firewire charge their iPods? Sorry, but I've never even thought about that one. And even for those Windows users who have FW, don't a lot of their FW ports use 4 pins instead of 6, meaning they don't have power supplied to their iPods.


Sony is the only one who uses the small pin on their desktops, everyone else uses the 6-pin :)

[geocave]

The original post sounds strange.

My brother got an iPod from his girlfriend for Christmas. I knew that he had a Dell Notebook, so to ensure that he would be able to play with the iPod on Christmas day I went to the Apple store and bought him a USB cable. But the cable I got for him had BOTH firewire AND USB. It's 'double-headed'. My impression is that these were the only cables made for the iPod to be used with USB.

So to charge the iPod he uses the 'firewire' side of the cable with the wall charger and to sync his music he uses the 'USB' side.

:rolleyes:

[Horrortaxi]

How do Windows users with no Firewire charge their iPods?
With the charging brick.

[JLaFrance]

could you take it to the "genuis bar" along with all the paperwork? and maybe they could either hook you up with a cable or patch you through to the proper ppl you want to talk to?

[Gimzotoy]

With the charging brick.

I charge mine from the USB cable. Its strange that his doesn't charge from USB. Perhaps he's plugging it into an unpowered hub?

[Crikey]

Ouch! That had to hurt. Does the iPod still work?

(okay, sorry about that one . . .)


Crikey

[musicpyrite]

With the charging brick.

I wouldn't call the transformer for the iPod a 'brick.'

The transformer on the AE base station is more like a 'brick.'

The transformer on the iPod (similar to the iBook) is more like a rectangular cube.

Leave it to Apple to put style into the simplest things. :rolleyes: :cool:

[smharmon]

I have the ipod plugged into the back of my iMac, and it will not charge. I have also heard if you use USB, you must use the charging brick and firewire cable. I finally got through to apple today (3 disconnects at tech support, after being shuffled around through many reps) It took me over 50 minutes to resolve the issue... They said it would be 10 to 15 days to receive the cable. They also told me that what I had was a firewire cable, and could I please look at the picture on the connector, and tell him what it looked like. (the USB arrows as opposed to the firewire Y). They treated me like I was stupid. "Sir, are you sure you don't have a firewire cable?" I am sitting here looking at my ipod, and I can't even sync anything cause it wants to be reset with the new ipod software...

[Maxx Power]

2nd gen 10 gig had warrenty till this year, firewire chip died but apple refuse to take it under warrenty unless i can reproduce a valid receipt. A relative bought this unit for me in another country!! I don't know where to begin looking for the receipt. Their rep also inquires me for 50 bucks to make a phone call, forget that! To repair the thing without warrenty is 9/10th the price of a new one!!