AirPods Pro: Rattlegate

[OldRhodie]

I have an appointment this afternoon with a Genius at my local Apple Store to check out my rattling AirPod Pro - only the right one rattles and buzzes. When both buds are in if I tap the left one it gives a reassuring thud, but tap the right one and it rattles as though there’s something loose inside. I’m expecting a new pair. We’ll see.

 

[chrfr]

Hello folks, I've been thinking of getting myself a new Airpods Pro, but I've read a lot about the Rattle gate issue on the internet and it seems very prominent. So, what would you guys suggest should I take a gamble or wait for the next generation?
Thank you.

Buy something else. There's no indication this problem is resolved.

 

[heavysoul]

Honestly verses the number sold this thread represents an tiny portion of users. I would wager that the vast majority of people will never have issues with their APP.

despite just having mine replaced I would still recommend them and I would still buy them.

I bought my APP 30 October last year. So almost a year of regular use ... including just now ... and no Issues whatsoever.

My 2 and a half year old APs have started to play up a bit whereby the left side battery runs down much quicker. Have completely run down the APs the case but that hasnt made any difference.

 

[Tidybeard]

Just found this thread after a frustrating experience on the phone with Apple support in the UK for this exact issue (left has rattled for a while, right has just started). After 45 mins of checking the firmware and re-pairing the airpods the agent told me I'll have to post them in for service at my own expense and they will place a hold on my account payment method of £141GBP until they have inspected them in case it's something I've done and the repair turns out to be chargeable.

This can't be correct, surely? They're within the 12 month warranty period (bought from an Apple store) and it's bad enough that I have to send then in for an indeterminate amount of time but to try and pre-charge me just in case the issue is my fault seems crazy (I'm 100% confident that they have not been mistreated). Is this normal behaviour now? Shouldn't it be that I send them in and if they're faulty then they are repaired or replaced for free and if I've boiled them in the kettle or hit them with a 3 wood then they quote me for repair?

I can't even take them back to the store (90 min round trip) as no appointments are currently available and even if they were it's Manchester and I'd be worried about being able to travel there to get them back given impending lockdown.

Looking at my desk there are 2 x macbook pros, 1 x ipad pro with magic keyboard, 1 x iphone 11 pro max, magic keyboard and magic trackpad, I'm wearing an apple watch and my partner and kids both have loads of Apple devices plus we use apple TV and who knows how many of their services. You could say we've bought into the brand but if they're heading in the above direction for issues then we'll have to re-think that as one of the big reasons for having so much apple stuff is because of the previously brilliant service.

 

[jimmy_uk]

Just found this thread after a frustrating experience on the phone with Apple support in the UK for this exact issue (left has rattled for a while, right has just started). After 45 mins of checking the firmware and re-pairing the airpods the agent told me I'll have to post them in for service at my own expense and they will place a hold on my account payment method of £141GBP until they have inspected them in case it's something I've done and the repair turns out to be chargeable.

This can't be correct, surely? They're within the 12 month warranty period (bought from an Apple store) and it's bad enough that I have to send then in for an indeterminate amount of time but to try and pre-charge me just in case the issue is my fault seems crazy (I'm 100% confident that they have not been mistreated). Is this normal behaviour now? Shouldn't it be that I send them in and if they're faulty then they are repaired or replaced for free and if I've boiled them in the kettle or hit them with a 3 wood then they quote me for repair?

I can't even take them back to the store (90 min round trip) as no appointments are currently available and even if they were it's Manchester and I'd be worried about being able to travel there to get them back given impending lockdown.

Looking at my desk there are 2 x macbook pros, 1 x ipad pro with magic keyboard, 1 x iphone 11 pro max, magic keyboard and magic trackpad, I'm wearing an apple watch and my partner and kids both have loads of Apple devices plus we use apple TV and who knows how many of their services. You could say we've bought into the brand but if they're heading in the above direction for issues then we'll have to re-think that as one of the big reasons for having so much apple stuff is because of the previously brilliant service.

I totally understand your frustration and I'm guessing that Apple maybe taking this stance due to the level of returns they are experiencing with Airpods.

It's clear there is a hardware design flaw that Apple are not owning upto - with this in mind I would contact them again and make it clear the current resolution is not good enough in this case and if the agent won't help, ask them to esculate it to a manager who should contact you.

Your account will clearly show your are a top tier Apple customer and they should bend over backwards to resolve. I've had better service for a faulty rubber watch strap after speaking with a manager so you should to.

 

[jimmy_uk]

Honestly verses the number sold this thread represents an tiny portion of users. I would wager that the vast majority of people will never have issues with their APP.

despite just having mine replaced I would still recommend them and I would still buy them.

This forum is not the only place people are complaining about these issues. And how many owners who may have issues are aware it maybe down to a hardware fault? The fault presents itself randomly so it could happen in a week or in 12 months. It took Apple many years before they owned upto Macbook keyboard issues, their stance is always to blame the user first. It would be really interesting to know the return rate, of course Apple never release this info.

 

[Expos of 1969]

I totally understand your frustration and I'm guessing that Apple maybe taking this stance due to the level of returns they are experiencing with Airpods.

It's clear there is a hardware design flaw that Apple are not owning upto - with this in mind I would contact them again and make it clear the current resolution is not good enough in this case and if the agent won't help, ask them to esculate it to a manager who should contact you.

Your account will clearly show your are a top tier Apple customer and they should bend over backwards to resolve. I've had better service for a faulty rubber watch strap after speaking with a manager so you should to.

Good advice. Let's see what transpires.

 

[Tidybeard]

Thanks for the replies - they are due to call me back tomorrow as I refused to agree the pre-charge today. I will escalate and see what happens. I'll let you know.

 

[andyw715]

Just found this thread after a frustrating experience on the phone with Apple support in the UK for this exact issue (left has rattled for a while, right has just started). After 45 mins of checking the firmware and re-pairing the airpods the agent told me I'll have to post them in for service at my own expense and they will place a hold on my account payment method of £141GBP until they have inspected them in case it's something I've done and the repair turns out to be chargeable.

This can't be correct, surely? They're within the 12 month warranty period (bought from an Apple store) and it's bad enough that I have to send then in for an indeterminate amount of time but to try and pre-charge me just in case the issue is my fault seems crazy (I'm 100% confident that they have not been mistreated). Is this normal behaviour now? Shouldn't it be that I send them in and if they're faulty then they are repaired or replaced for free and if I've boiled them in the kettle or hit them with a 3 wood then they quote me for repair?

I can't even take them back to the store (90 min round trip) as no appointments are currently available and even if they were it's Manchester and I'd be worried about being able to travel there to get them back given impending lockdown.

Looking at my desk there are 2 x macbook pros, 1 x ipad pro with magic keyboard, 1 x iphone 11 pro max, magic keyboard and magic trackpad, I'm wearing an apple watch and my partner and kids both have loads of Apple devices plus we use apple TV and who knows how many of their services. You could say we've bought into the brand but if they're heading in the above direction for issues then we'll have to re-think that as one of the big reasons for having so much apple stuff is because of the previously brilliant service.

Both times I've had mine replaced they put a temp charge on my credit card for "non-return".

With a DIY repair, they send new AirPods to you and expect the old ones sent back. Once they receive the old ones they drop the temp charge.

My first set of new ones it didn't go quite as smoothly as that. For some reason it was processed as a replacement not as a return/repair. So it took an actual call to straighten it out, but was resolved in 24 hours. The end result of that miscommunication was that they didn't expect the old ones to be sent back. So I ended up with 2 new ones and my old ones. I was having ANC issues with them which didn't really bother my daughter, so I bought a cheapo charging case from Amazon and gave them to her 🙂

 

[Tidybeard]

Both times I've had mine replaced they put a temp charge on my credit card for "non-return".

With a DIY repair, they send new AirPods to you and expect the old ones sent back. Once they receive the old ones they drop the temp charge.

My first set of new ones it didn't go quite as smoothly as that. For some reason it was processed as a replacement not as a return/repair. So it took an actual call to straighten it out, but was resolved in 24 hours. The end result of that miscommunication was that they didn't expect the old ones to be sent back. So I ended up with 2 new ones and my old ones. I was having ANC issues with them which didn't really bother my daughter, so I bought a cheapo charging case from Amazon and gave them to her 🙂

This is interesting, thank you. They didn't suggest that they would send new ones out first. If that's the case then I'm OK with a temporary charge until the old ones are received back which seems reasonable. We'll see!

 

[andyw715]

This is interesting, thank you. They didn't suggest that they would send new ones out first. If that's the case then I'm OK with a temporary charge until the old ones are received back which seems reasonable. We'll see!

My assumption (grain of salt) is that they just get the returned old airpods and put them in the bin for refurb. By now they must realize that something is up. It doesn't seem very cost effective for them to actually troubleshoot every return they get....

"..until they have inspected them in case it's something I've done and the repair turns out to be chargeable "

Maybe they can do a preliminary check of water intrusion/physical damage? I dunno, but it seems like this type of inspection seems to be more for higher dollar repair items like phones and computers.

 

[Tidybeard]

This is interesting, thank you. They didn't suggest that they would send new ones out first. If that's the case then I'm OK with a temporary charge until the old ones are received back which seems reasonable. We'll see!

This turned out to be correct. After the follow-up call today they agreed to send out the replacements first (with a holding charge pending the old ones being received back ok) which I'm fine with. Will report back when they arrive - thanks for the comments all.

 

[Zanton68]

I'm on my second pair of AirPods Pro and have found, with both pairs, if I am pushing in the right AirPod into my ear (to adjust the fit or push it in after it has worked a bit loose), it will pause or play what I am listening to. This never happens on the left, just the right. There is no click as there is when you press the force sensor in normal operation.

Has anyone else experienced this or know of other users with this issue ?

 

[Rory76]

I'm on my second pair of AirPods Pro and have found, with both pairs, if I am pushing in the right AirPod into my ear (to adjust the fit or push it in after it has worked a bit loose), it will pause or play what I am listening to. This never happens on the left, just the right. There is no click as there is when you press the force sensor in normal operation.

Has anyone else experienced this or know of other users with this issue ?

I have the same issue. In addition, it will sometimes switch between the ANC/Transparency/Normal modes. Like you stated, no click and I’m pressing nowhere close to the force sensor.

 

[Zanton68]

I have the same issue. In addition, it will sometimes switch between the ANC/Transparency/Normal modes. Like you stated, no click and I’m pressing nowhere close to the force sensor.

Apple support suggested to me that as I’m moving the Airpod to get a better fit, the Automatic Ear Detection thinks I’ve taken the Airpod out. This, doesn’t make sense because the music should start playing again when it re-detects that it is back in. I’ll ask them again.

 

[Keniutek]

Like i previously stated, my sister (UK) had hers replaced 4 times already. They send out the new ones immediately (and you send back the garbage you're currently with after) but they put a temporary charge on her credit card every time.

 

[Expos of 1969]

Like i previously stated, my sister (UK) had hers replaced 4 times already. They send out the new ones immediately (and you send back the garbage you're currently with after) but they put a temporary charge on her credit card every time.

I would suspect your sister will not be buying this product in the future?

 

[Keniutek]

I think you're right 😉

 

[Tidybeard]

This turned out to be correct. After the follow-up call today they agreed to send out the replacements first (with a holding charge pending the old ones being received back ok) which I'm fine with. Will report back when they arrive - thanks for the comments all.

Just to close this out, the replacement airpods arrived this morning by UPS. Apart from a bit of confusion where the UPS man was expecting to wait while I opened the packaging, took the new airpods out, put the old ones back in two separate boxes and then into two separate UPS envelopes for return (and I didn't know I'd have to do this so wasn't ready) it was quick and painless. Looks like the first agent just made a bit of a mess of the situation but the new airpods work perfectly (making me realise just how bad the old ones actually were) so I'm happy for the moment.

Good luck to everyone else with the same problem!

 

[Keniutek]

^ enjoy your 3-5 months of clear sound and no rattle 😉

 

[Zanton68]

Does anyone else have the problem I have ? Just pushing the right APP in further, with a finger periodically turns off the music

 

[JagRunner]

I don't have this rattling problem, but dang, these things disconnect soooo much. I never had these issues with the regular airpods I had. I listen to music all day while I'm at work and they disconnect all the time. Sometimes I have to fight with them for a while to get them connected again. A few times I've given up and just pulled out my old Bose wired headphones and use them until the APP decide to connect again later.

 

[Otflyer]

I don't have this rattling problem, but dang, these things disconnect soooo much. I never had these issues with the regular airpods I had. I listen to music all day while I'm at work and they disconnect all the time. Sometimes I have to fight with them for a while to get them connected again. A few times I've given up and just pulled out my old Bose wired headphones and use them until the APP decide to connect again later.

My AirPods Pro have had rock solid connectivity for the past year. Yours may be defective.

 

[chepeloni]

how does the warranty work when you get a replacement? say i got my APPs last february, and i get a replacement in October, so the 1 year warranty starts with the replacement from oct 2020 to oct 2021, or just until february 2021??

instead of calling, can i just go to the store (with appointment) and walk out with a new set right away?

 

[chrfr]

how does the warranty work when you get a replacement? say i got my APPs last february, and i get a replacement in October, so the 1 year warranty starts with the replacement from oct 2020 to oct 2021, or just until february 2021??

instead of calling, can i just go to the store (with appointment) and walk out with a new set right away?

For Apole repairs you get the longer of either 90 days from the repair date or the balance of the original warranty. You don’t get a full year more.