Water in iMac DESKTOP! Are you kidding?

MonicaAustralia · Nov 5, 2013

A sad story, but true. A few weeks ago a big truck took out some power lines down the street. I was happily typing on my iMAC when the power surge hit, and I lost numerous electric appliances, including the iMac. My Mac is only a few months old, and the Apple Care warranty guy came here to fix it, but said that it was not covered by warranty because it had water damage in it!!! This is quite ridiculous. This is a desktop. For water to have entered it, the ceiling must have been leaking or else I stood over it and poured water on to it. Neither of these things happened. And I was using it at the time of the power surge.

Apple doesn't want to know anything about this. They said I'd have to pay over $1000 to have it fixed.

This machine is my baby. I'm a middle aged woman who takes great care of my Mac, and I KNOW that I did not pour water over the machine! (I live alone, so there's no-one else with access to it).

Has anyone else encountered anything like this?

I'm really disappointed with Apple. I've purchased numerous computers and phones from them, but their customer service, in this case, is not good.

It looks like I'm stuck with a dud machine. Would anyone buy it for parts?

Bozley0621 · Nov 5, 2013

I have no recommendations other than to say I'm so sorry for what has to be a huge headache and disappointment. Would homeowners/renter's insurance cover the loss, as well as your other electronics?

MonicaAustralia · Nov 5, 2013

Thanks Bozley ... here the saga continues. My insurance company told me that they won't cover me with insurance because the power surge wasn't "an act of God" (lightening, flood, etc). And the truck driver can't be found. I lost about $6000 worth of stuff.

barkmonster · Nov 5, 2013

MonicaAustralia said:
Thanks Bozley ... here the saga continues. My insurance company told me that they won't cover me with insurance because the power surge wasn't "an act of God" (lightening, flood, etc). And the truck driver can't be found. I lost about $6000 worth of stuff.

Check the warranty cover on your surge protector and see if that covers it. Apple are being shady putting moisture sensors in that are so sensitive they're triggered by the humidity in an average home. Only the most deluded fanboys would side with Apple on this. Your insurance company should be investigated because there's no room for religion in law and if any so called "God" is the only thing they'll allow to be the cause of an unforeseen problem, it could only be Thor given it's electricity. Not to mention, the actual electrical company should have some liability here too because there should be several levels of protection in your supply to start with.

yjchua95 · Nov 5, 2013

MonicaAustralia said:
Thanks Bozley ... here the saga continues. My insurance company told me that they won't cover me with insurance because the power surge wasn't "an act of God" (lightening, flood, etc). And the truck driver can't be found. I lost about $6000 worth of stuff.

Did you get the license plate of the truck? If you did, you could maybe check it with the DMV, or whatever it's called in Australia to trace the truck driver.

Bear · Nov 6, 2013

MonicaAustralia said:
A sad story, but true. A few weeks ago a big truck took out some power lines down the street.
...
It looks like I'm stuck with a dud machine. Would anyone buy it for parts?

Check with the local law enforcement - they should have an accident report that you could use to be able ot get in touch with the truckers insurance company.

And someone might buy it. Do describe the damage and be clear that it's broken.

GoCubsGo · Nov 6, 2013

barkmonster said:
Check the warranty cover on your surge protector and see if that covers it. Apple are being shady putting moisture sensors in that are so sensitive they're triggered by the humidity in an average home. Only the most deluded fanboys would side with Apple on this. Your insurance company should be investigated because there's no room for religion in law and if any so called "God" is the only thing they'll allow to be the cause of an unforeseen problem, it could only be Thor given it's electricity. Not to mention, the actual electrical company should have some liability here too because there should be several levels of protection in your supply to start with.

It's not about religion. It's an antiquated statement to make "act of God" but it is just how the act is described. They're saying that basically mother nature (she's not religious) had to have caused the issue. It is like that in the states as well.

I would contact the power company for sure since the power issues arose on city property. I would also write to Apple's customer relations and explain the absurdity of this water in an iMac thing. I'm sorry to hear about this disaster OP.

barkmonster · Nov 6, 2013

GoCubsGo said:
It's not about religion. It's an antiquated statement to make "act of God" but it is just how the act is described. They're saying that basically mother nature (she's not religious) had to have caused the issue. It is like that in the states as well.

I would contact the power company for sure since the power issues arose on city property. I would also write to Apple's customer relations and explain the absurdity of this water in an iMac thing. I'm sorry to hear about this disaster OP.

I know it isn't about religion. It was just a little humour about the fact if any god was responsible for an electric surge, it's Thor

I'd generally hold an electric supplier responsible for something like this. There should be more than adequate protection preventing it.

magilla · Nov 6, 2013

MonicaAustralia said:
A sad story, but true. A few weeks ago a big truck took out some power lines down the street. I was happily typing on my iMAC when the power surge hit, and I lost numerous electric appliances, including the iMac. My Mac is only a few months old, and the Apple Care warranty guy came here to fix it, but said that it was not covered by warranty because it had water damage in it!!! This is quite ridiculous. This is a desktop. For water to have entered it, the ceiling must have been leaking or else I stood over it and poured water on to it. Neither of these things happened. And I was using it at the time of the power surge.

Apple doesn't want to know anything about this. They said I'd have to pay over $1000 to have it fixed.

This machine is my baby. I'm a middle aged woman who takes great care of my Mac, and I KNOW that I did not pour water over the machine! (I live alone, so there's no-one else with access to it).

Has anyone else encountered anything like this?

I'm really disappointed with Apple. I've purchased numerous computers and phones from them, but their customer service, in this case, is not good.

It looks like I'm stuck with a dud machine. Would anyone buy it for parts?

Just out of curiosity, just WHAT sort of "water damage" did the service tech claim occurred? Once you have this info, I would certainly re-contact Apple and ask to speak to supervisor "higher up" the food chain to try to force your case with them. As my dad always used to say "Ask, ask, ask. The worst they can say is no." and you've already heard that from the entry level. After all, there IS the remote possibility the unit was sold to you with pre-existing "water damage" from Apple's end.

magilla · Nov 6, 2013

barkmonster said:
I know it isn't about religion. It was just a little humour about the fact if any god was responsible for an electric surge, it's Thor

I'd generally hold an electric supplier responsible for something like this. There should be more than adequate protection preventing it.

An "electric supplier" generally won't allow itself to be held responsible for consequential damages INSIDE the residence caused by power spikes. Transients are best controlled with either whole-house installed surge protection, individual surge protection on specific outlets/circuits or some combination thereof, all responsible on the part of the homeowner.

In older residences that were erected prior to the "electronics age" generally grounding was all that was required but with the explosion in the past thirty years of the electronics industry, add-on whole house surge protection has become a reality, if not a necessity. I live in a 60+ year old home (my parents) and had a whole house surge protector installed (attached directly to the indoor electrical distribution panel) as well as have all my electronics (TV, computer, fridge etc.) doubly protected with surge protector strips. Of course, once a major surge has occurred as in your case, the individual surge protectors MUST be considered suspect and replaced.

macthefork · Nov 6, 2013

I would certainly ask Apple Care how the Apple Tech determined "water damage" because if it's from moisture sensors, a high humidity situation or even low temperature will set those off. I've had two phones with failed "moisture sensors" and when I tried to get the first replaced, they showed me the failed "red" sensor. The second phone, I opened in the store before I brought it home... That, too had the failed moisture sensor--in the store.

Those sensors are a scam.

You also may find this link interesting and useful.

..."It appears Apple has changed its stance on whether an iOS device is actually water damaged. If you remember when the 13-year-old girl sued Apple in December, it was because her iPhone's moisture sensors had gone off and Apple voided her warranty. Those sensors have also been triggered by simply exposing the phone to low temperatures. Now Apple says that if the moisture sensors are red but the customer disputes and says no liquid has come into contact with the device, the warranty may still apply."

gCloud · Nov 6, 2013

Write Tim Cook and explain, mention the "Mac is my baby" bit, and how dissapointed you are with apple service, u have nothing to lose

shiekh · Nov 6, 2013

barkmonster said:
Check the warranty cover on your surge protector and see if that covers it. Apple are being shady putting moisture sensors in that are so sensitive they're triggered by the humidity in an average home. Only the most deluded fanboys would side with Apple on this. Your insurance company should be investigated because there's no room for religion in law and if any so called "God" is the only thing they'll allow to be the cause of an unforeseen problem, it could only be Thor given it's electricity. Not to mention, the actual electrical company should have some liability here too because there should be several levels of protection in your supply to start with.

I'm no fanboy, but should Apple cover an over-voltage condition?

MikeChicago · Nov 6, 2013

I am so sorry to hear about your trouble. This is terrible

I'm curious how Apple determined this water damage claim and would suggest you call them and ask them to provide detailed explanation. The only way I can see water/moisture enter the iMac is due to condensation caused by rapid changes in temperature or being submerged in water (which obviously didn't happen). I would imagine that any condensation wouldn't be enough to cause damage and would evaporate as soon as the machine warmed up, so this is odd indeed.

I would push Apple and continue to escalate the issue with them. I think they would be fixing this machine.

a-m-k · Nov 6, 2013

Excuse me, but something quite similar to this happened to me a few years ago, and I KNOW I don't dribble water on my MBP, and when I go out of town I make sure that my zipper handles (for lack of better a better word) is on the side where the front of my MBP bag/case. (I'm not sure what it's called...

)) that is on the frontside of me. (That way, nobody from behind me could try to (unknowingly to me) unzip my bag/case and steal my MBP. (AKA... being mugged. Not some random person who wants what's in my bag, there is always, to them, the 50/50 shot that my MBP could be something of far less value or quality.))

thekev · Nov 6, 2013

shiekh said:
I'm no fanboy, but should Apple cover an over-voltage condition?

Irrelevant if that wasn't the reason for claim denial.

barkmonster · Nov 6, 2013

shiekh said:
I'm no fanboy, but should Apple cover an over-voltage condition?

Try reading the whole original post and how my reply relates to it in context. Apple refused the repair based on a moisture sensor. The cause of the need for repair is irrelevant.

They used an inbuilt, clearly over-sensitive and designed as a clause to warranty obligations "feature" that's not for their customers' benefit but for their own just so they can legally worm their way out of honouring not just the standard warranty all products carry, but their AppleCare insurance policy too.

MonicaAustralia · Nov 6, 2013

Barkmonster: Thanks for your reply. I smiled at your reference to Thor. Clever. The issue of the insurance is a whole other story. The Police are involved, and the electricity company is also after the truck driver. Greater people than me are on the case!

----------

thekev said:
Irrelevant if that wasn't the reason for claim denial.

Yes, they should, and in fact they told me over the phone that my computer was covered. That's why they sent out the Apple Care representative to fix the computer. It was only when he arrived, and opened up the Mac, that he said there was a water stain inside, which voided the warranty.

I had another iMac in the house, which also was affected by the power surge. The Apple Care chap fixed that one, no problem.

A friend told me they'd seen an article by someone in America to whom this happened.... "alleged" moisture in their iMac. They went to court, and won the case against Apple. I've searched the net, looking for this precedent, but couldn't find anything.

MonicaAustralia · Nov 6, 2013

Thank you EVERYONE for your responses. I've tried to respond to each of you individually, but there are so many replies

Thank you GoCubsGo, magilla, macthefork, a-m-k, thekev, barkmonster, mikechicago, shiekh and gCloud ....

I did have email and phone communication with the 'top dog' at Apple, and while she sympathised with me, and said "Oh no, of course you didn't pour water over your computer", she still maintained that there was nothing Apple could do to assist. End of story. My iMac was only a few months old.

Until I read some of your replies, I didn't know about the moisture-sensor, so I'll look into that. Thank you again everyone.

Arfdog · Nov 6, 2013

MonicaAustralia said:
Thank you EVERYONE for your responses. I've tried to respond to each of you individually, but there are so many replies

Thank you GoCubsGo, magilla, macthefork, a-m-k, thekev, barkmonster, mikechicago, shiekh and gCloud ....

I did have email and phone communication with the 'top dog' at Apple, and while she sympathised with me, and said "Oh no, of course you didn't pour water over your computer", she still maintained that there was nothing Apple could do to assist. End of story. My iMac was only a few months old.

Until I read some of your replies, I didn't know about the moisture-sensor, so I'll look into that. Thank you again everyone.

This thread has gone insane. I'm sorry for your loss, but you have to help yourself by speaking up to the right people. There are so many factors here that don't make sense.

1. There is no water sensor in an iMac.
2. If there was, it would fall under this clause: http://cdn.tekgoblinmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/apple-water-damage-policy.jpg
3. An accident by a driver causing a power surge IS "an act of God" , ie an accident, and the insurance company has to pay for your damage or you take them to small claims court.
4. What in the world is the point of going after a driver who clips an electrical line? I was driving around and ran over a garbage can, so now some poor sap is without a garbage can. Lock me up!

B1ueB1aze · Nov 7, 2013

What it could be is fluid from a vented capacitor. Unless all the capacitors in the path of the surge are solid state, then one or a few may have vented. This can spray the capacitor fluid all over the place.

MonicaAustralia · Nov 13, 2013

Good news! Resolution!

Firstly, thank you B1ueBlaze and arfdog for your responses. Appreciate this.

Now for the good news.

Just to recap: In July, the Apple repairer refused to touch my iMac after the power surge because he said there was evidence of water damage. Subsequent dealings with the Senior Technician at Apple resulted in Apple totally refusing to fix the almost-new machine. They closed the case and I was left with an inoperable iMac, which has sat on the dining table ever since.

As I KNEW that I had not poured water over the iMac, or that the ceiling had not leaked on it, after four months of being depressed

(and after the above posts on this forum), I tried again. I phoned Apple and spoke to a DIFFERENT Senior Technician. This man believed me when I said I hadn't poured water over my machine!! He sent me off to their repairer - who could see NO evidence of water!!! The result is that I am going to pick up my iMac today, all fixed, and covered by AppleCare warranty.

Whatever made the first technician say he could see water damage, I don't know. There was NO water damage!

It just shows how easily you can get steered in the wrong direction. I was about to Ebay my iMac for parts, and I would have been lucky to recoup $100 from a machine that only a few months earlier cost me $1500.

Thank you again to everyone who posted replies to me. What a terrific community.

Monica in Australia

Maomaomao · Nov 13, 2013

You should ask for some sort of commercial gesture from their part. I would have been mad!

Glad it's all sorted out, though.

CelestialToys · Nov 13, 2013

I would love to believe this story, but I don't.

A few weeks ago in your first post turned into four months in your last post.

I'm also surprised that Applecare would cover damage from a power surge (it doesn't)

I also don't believe that you had two iMacs damaged by the same surge, one being fixed and the other not.

And I certainly don't believe that your household insurance wouldn't cover you for damage caused by someone else that you had no control of.

I also find it difficult to believe that someone who is able to afford two expensive computers, and other expensive goods, wouldn't understand what their insurance covered.

Sorry.

Binarymix · Nov 14, 2013

CelestialToys said:
I would love to believe this story, but I don't.

A few weeks ago in your first post turned into four months in your last post.

I'm also surprised that Applecare would cover damage from a power surge (it doesn't)

I also don't believe that you had two iMacs damaged by the same surge, one being fixed and the other not.

And I certainly don't believe that your household insurance wouldn't cover you for damage caused by someone else that you had no control of.

I also find it difficult to believe that someone who is able to afford two expensive computers, and other expensive goods, wouldn't understand what their insurance covered.

Sorry.

And why would they lie exactly? What would they have to gain from a forum full of strangers?

Maybe she meant to say a few months ago in her OP.

Some of you guys boggle my mind.

IT'S ALL A CONSPIRACY!!!!!

Also, the poster stated that the tech seen a water stain, the iMacs DO NOT have water sensors in them.

It would be pretty pointless as people can't submerge an iMac in water (well they could, but y'know.) And if a ceiling leaked on it, it would be quite obvious by blown components and water stains.

Feel free to prove me wrong though.

Water in iMac DESKTOP! Are you kidding?

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