IMO, 1 dead pixel is a defect on a brand new iPad 2. Your eyes will be drawn to that dead pixel every time you use it. That would make it really hard to enjoy your new iPad.
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iPad 2 dead (pixel) on arrival...dissapointed in Apple's response
- Thread starter F1Fan
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IMO, 1 dead pixel is a defect on a brand new iPad 2. Your eyes will be drawn to that dead pixel every time you use it. That would make it really hard to enjoy your new iPad.
I'm glad that I can share this but had the same issue as you. Online order arrived after a month today, dead pixel. Took it immediately to Apple store and they did exchange it for new Ipad right away.
Now when I'm reading here about 3 dead pixels policy not sure if I was just lucky but they should treat all customers the same way so go there and demand a replacement.
Now when I'm reading here about 3 dead pixels policy not sure if I was just lucky but they should treat all customers the same way so go there and demand a replacement.
Of course it is. It does not have to be only "In Your Opinions"
Anything that's not designed/supposed to be there is a defect/fault. It's as simple as that.
The only question is, has someone deemed a certain amount of defects/faults are acceptable.
I would like to know where all this "acceptable dead pixel" stuff came from.
It does sound like the industry just made it up out of the blue to suit themselves and I've no idea how it would stand up in consumer law.
If Ford had a bit of an issue scratching their cars paintwork during assembly and THEY felt that it would cost THEM too much to stop the cars getting scratched, could they simply make up a rule that a customer had to accept one of their cars if it had up to a certain number of scratches on the bodywork when you took delivery?
Well, my iPad just refreshed away my half written post, 512mb ram my foot! I found this link:
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/11/05/apple-dead-pixel-policy-leaked-one-for-iphone-three-for-ipad-g/
Word is that any number of dead pixels will net you a replacement if you ask nicely, but if you have the same number, or more dead pixels on the replacement you're out of luck. I've never put this to the test.
These dead pixel policies are utter hogwash created by manufacturers so they can save money and screw over the average consumer. You're not informed about them before purchase, nowhere on the iPad specifications page does it state that it may come with up to 3 dead pixels. You're basically expected to agree to a weird, semi-contractual term of sale before even reading it, or knowing of its existence. It wouldn't hold water if you took it further, which is why they probably have a policy of replacing dead pixel affected devices- they *know* they can't really enforce it.
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/11/05/apple-dead-pixel-policy-leaked-one-for-iphone-three-for-ipad-g/
Word is that any number of dead pixels will net you a replacement if you ask nicely, but if you have the same number, or more dead pixels on the replacement you're out of luck. I've never put this to the test.
These dead pixel policies are utter hogwash created by manufacturers so they can save money and screw over the average consumer. You're not informed about them before purchase, nowhere on the iPad specifications page does it state that it may come with up to 3 dead pixels. You're basically expected to agree to a weird, semi-contractual term of sale before even reading it, or knowing of its existence. It wouldn't hold water if you took it further, which is why they probably have a policy of replacing dead pixel affected devices- they *know* they can't really enforce it.
I agree, it would be lovely to live in a world where every LCD panel had a zero dead pixel guarantee but it would mean living in a world where LCD panels cost a lot more than they do now.
Pretty much every bit of electronics made has a certain rate of failure during the manufacturing process. For arguments sake let's say that LCD panels run at:
5 or more dead pixels = 1/100
3 or more dead pixels = 5/100
1 dead pixel = 10/100
If you replace any panel with 3 or more dead pixels you are effectively throwing away 5 panels out of every hundred. If you do the same for ANY dead pixel you double that waste to 10. Those screens still cost the same amount of money to produce as all the others (at least up to the point in the process where you test them) so the cost gets added on to the cost of the other panels from that batch.
In other areas (processors f'instance) this isn't a huge problem as faulty cores can often be re-used as lower end products at a cheaper price. That keeps waste down and profits up. With LCD panels there really isn't an option to do that so there really are only two options. Either have a policy of a number of acceptable dead pixels or increase the price per panel, potentially by a substantial amount depending on the yield figures for a particular panel.
I know from a consumer perspective we'd all like a zero defect guarantee but I can't help but think most would probably be unwilling to pay the additional premium required to manufacture to that level. Oh, and there is actually a set of ISO standards that define different classes of panel and the number of acceptable errors, ISO-9241-302, 303, 305 and 307 in case you're interested.
I can certainly appreciate the argument behind these posts. It makes sense, and sure, even I who was unlucky enough to get an iPad w/ a dead pixel would argue better that than I couldn't afford one in the first place due to high LCD costs, cuz at least now I have the option to return it. Having said that though, who knows what the actually stats are. How many are actually defective? If it's a low enough percentage, couldn't Apple absorb the cost and still not raise the price? Given their cash flow it seems like they could afford to do this to treat their loyal customers properly. Unless of course it's some high % which would inevitably drive up costs. So who knows?
Instinctively though, industry standard or not, it just doesn't seem right at all to ask someone to accept a defect right out of the box.Thanks for your suggestion. I'm glad you shared that, but unfortunately, it did not work for me. Hopefully it can help someone else and I'll bookmark the site incase I get more dead/stuck pixels on my iDevices later.
(I also tried applying pressure like someone else mentioned - no luck)
Thank you very much for your post. That's exactly the situation I was hoping for. I will try to do this, but again, being so far from an Apple store, it's going to be tough to do it in the next 14 days (I have one day off work in the next 2 weeks!, and I'm working nights so I'd have to drive 3hrs each way after a night shift. Not to mention about $60 in gas!). My concern is if I get unlucky at the Apple store (as encouraged as I am by your story, it's still not a guarantee the manager I deal with won't enforce the policy) and I pass up the 14 day period for a return, then I'm stuck with it. So I already ordered another one online and by the 14 days if I don't get a chance to go to the Apple Store or find one at Target/Best Buy/Walmart, then I'll just send this one in.
Thanks everyone for your responses! Been very helpful. Glad to hear I'm not the only one who finds a dead pixel right out of the box an unacceptable thing. Now we just gotta tell those crackheads at the ISO how unacceptable that is!
Out of 6 iPads in my family. 4 had dead pixels. Backlight bleeding that I can't see I live with but not any amount of pixels.
The lesson I learned and paid for dearly is buy in store with a good return policy. If they exchange it, good, if not just return it in store.
Obviously you may have to wait in that scenario but better safe then sorry, especially on an expensive item that is not always perfect.
Edit: Btw those pixel fixing websites never worked on the iPad. Maybe on LCD screens that don't have a capacitive touch screen on top.
The lesson I learned and paid for dearly is buy in store with a good return policy. If they exchange it, good, if not just return it in store.
Obviously you may have to wait in that scenario but better safe then sorry, especially on an expensive item that is not always perfect.
Edit: Btw those pixel fixing websites never worked on the iPad. Maybe on LCD screens that don't have a capacitive touch screen on top.
Out of 6 iPads in my family. 4 had dead pixels. Backlight bleeding that I can't see I live with but not any amount of pixels.
The lesson I learned and paid for dearly is buy in store with a good return policy. If they exchange it, good, if not just return it in store.
Obviously you may have to wait in that scenario but better safe then sorry, especially on an expensive item that is not always perfect.
Edit: Btw those pixel fixing websites never worked on the iPad. Maybe on LCD screens that don't have a capacitive touch screen on top.
4 out of 6!? Wow! That's not good. Makes me wonder if the next one I get will have the same problem?
ISO standards exist, but these define the minimum acceptable standards that should be met. Manufacturers and retailers who adapt these into customer policy are simply doing the absolute least that they can.
The days of LCDs being prohibitively expensive has long since passed, if there's a premium to be charged, I'd much rather it were charged. The iPad 2 was magically £30 cheaper on these shores, I think I could sacrifice a piece of that for pixel perfection. If I were poor, I wouldn't be buying freakin' tablet computers in the first place.
Processors can be, and are, graded by quality and sold at different specifications. Do the same with LCDs for crying out loud, I'm sure Apple's competition would love to release a 1-dead-pixel line of tablets... It's the only way they're going to out price the iPad. Har har!
The days of LCDs being prohibitively expensive has long since passed, if there's a premium to be charged, I'd much rather it were charged. The iPad 2 was magically £30 cheaper on these shores, I think I could sacrifice a piece of that for pixel perfection. If I were poor, I wouldn't be buying freakin' tablet computers in the first place.
Processors can be, and are, graded by quality and sold at different specifications. Do the same with LCDs for crying out loud, I'm sure Apple's competition would love to release a 1-dead-pixel line of tablets... It's the only way they're going to out price the iPad. Har har!
Their CS has gone down the drain huh? Every time I turn around on this forum, I hear of someone returning their iPad for exchange, sometimes 5, 6, 7 times. I'd hardly say that is a negative towards Apple's CS. in fact, that's better than you will find from ANY retailer or manufacturer. Try doing that with Best Buy, Target, or yes, even Walmart. Other manufacturers, Sony, Samsung, etc., will also not entertain such craziness.
If you have a pixel stuck in the middle of the screen, I'd take it to the Apple store. Something like that should trump the 3 dead pixel rule, as its right in the line of sight. i doubt that you'd get any push back at an Apple store.
wow, that was the complete opposite of my experience, and my first ipad 2 had a dead pixel.. from an online order as well. I made an appointment with the genius bar and the person saw the dead pixel right away and said they would just do an exchange, no hassle whatsoever.
Apparently the apple online stores are completely different from the retail stores, that's why you can't exchange or return it there. As far as the treatment you got from them, I'd speak to a customer service rep and not tech support or sales. I'm sure they can take care of you. It's a brand new product. Policy or not, it should meet the quality their brand demands.
What's happening to Apple's customer service?
So after waiting nearly a month after ordering (online Apple store), I FINALLY got my iPad 2 today, and was so excited to get started with it. Immediately after syncing, I notice a very noticeable dead pixel right smack in the center of the screen!
Ok, no big deal i thought. I'll just call Apple Care, let them know about it ASAP so when I go to swap it out, they can't say I did it later.
The tech support guy is like "how many dead pixels".
"1" I tell him
"Ok, well, yeah, you did the right thing by calling us. Now just watch it to see if it gets worse, then feel free to call us back". (Paraphrasing)
I asked him what about the red dead pixel my in the center of my screen that is so obvious anytime a white screen is on the iPad. He proceeds to tell me that Apple's policy is not to do anything unless it's at least 3 dead pixels! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I just spent $600 on this brand new iPad, and I'm just supposed to accept a dead pixel?
I then asked what about doing an outright exchange, which I'm entitled to do dead pixels or no dead pixels. Sure, he says, and connects me w/ sales.
Now, up to now, even though I'm disappointed w/ what the tech guy had to say, at least he was very warm and nice about it. The type of courtesy I've come to expect from Apple care. Not the case with the lady from sales.
She proceeds to tell me in a very annoyed and brief tone that I can NOT RETURN TO THE APPLE STORE BECAUSE I BOUGHT ONLINE. She says "because they'll have no record of your sale". Seriously? How is that possible? How about I just pull up my receipt on my iPhone for you and SHOW you my record of sale. No go. So basically, according to her, I have 14 days to initiate a return. I have to send it to them, ON MY DIME. Then I have to place a new order and wait all over again!!! NOT COOL!
I just find it hard to believe that if I walked into an Apple store (unfortunately I live 3 hours away from the nearest one and driving there this weekend is not an option for me due to work obligations) that I wouldn't be able to get a genius to swap this out for me.
Anyone have any experience doing this? Is it really that strict with separating Apple online orders and in store purchases? Will they really not swap it out because I don't have enough dead pixels or because I bought it online? Or did I just get an Apple Care rep in a bad mood? Thanks for any feedback, and just wanted to vent and share that I'm worried that apple increasing success may start to affect their great customer support I've always loved them for.
PS - for anyone interested to know, it's a White Wi-Fi 32GB
not sure what to tell you,but just try again. I had the same problem and went to a genius. I was polite and told him that I *probably* had a dead pixel and he looked at it, told - "yep, it is a dead pixel". Didn't tell me anything, went in and came back with a brand new one - no manager involved,at least not in front of me.
And mind you, this one was bought in Target. He didn't ask me any receipt,didn't ask me where I bought it, but gave a new receipt for the replacement. The receipt just said "Duplicate Receipt".
Try again and you might be lucky. Also, this 3 minimum dead pixel thing is just too much for a device with a 9.7" screen. It's not a laptop and you tend to keep it a little closer to your eyes than your notebook. So even 1 is annoying.
Update
I just thought I would post an update to my situation in case anyone is interested. So my original plan was basically to just buy another one (I placed the order the same day I received my current one w/ the dead pixel) then max out the 14 day return window (you have 14 days to initiate a return, then 14 days to get it to them from the time you initiate the return). This way I'd have an overlap by the time the second iPad arrived and not have to be "iPad-less" for too long if at all.
Well, I was about to initiate my return online and when asked "why are you returning" it wouldn't allow me to return online if you choose "the product is defective" as the reason for return. Also, it told me I'd be charged a restocking fee! This was the last straw, especially since they had banned the restocking fees in stores and nowhere on their return policy online does it state a restocking fee - it only came up after I tried to return it. I was not about to pay a restocking fee, AND pay to ship it back for something that was a result of poor quality control.
So I called in, thinking I'd have to talk to a manager. I actually accidentally got a tech support guy, rather than sales/returns dept. When I told him I need to speak to returns because I have a dead pixel, he immediately said "oh, I can take care of that for you". He then explained to me the process to swap it out and said that this would be covered under warranty. I was ecstatic to hear this considering I had previously been told I don't have enough dead pixels to have it swapped under warranty!
Now the nerve racking part - I'm leaving town Friday for almost a week and really wanted to have the iPad with me on the trip. I'd get a lot of use out of it cuz it's for a conference. But I was worried if I don't send it in now, I may get a different answer from a different tech next time I call. I delicately explained to him that I'm nervous to not take him up on the offer but, but wanted to know if I could do the return after the trip. When I explained to him that I heard some people say there is a minimum number of dead pixels needed for a warranty replacement, he said "yeah, I've heard of that policy, but really, on an iPad, even one dead pixel is too much so I'm going to exchange it for you". (Also, when he asked me where the dead pixel is and I told him dead center, noticeable from the minute I turned it on the first time, he said "wow, I can't believe that made it through quality control like that! I'm very sorry!")He even reassured me that I have the full year under warranty under which to do it, and can definitely wait until after my trip. He logged the case # and authorized the repair/replacement and will be sending me an email w/ the shipping # to take to UPS for sending off my iPad whenever I'm back in town.
I'm not sure what the deal is with the inconsistency, but I'm soo glad I got somebody in tech support rather than returns/sales. I think they're more sympathetic about the quality of the screen. I'm probably going to end up canceling the order for the second iPad and send this one in. I'm heading to Salt Lake City Friday and will be staying downtown near the Apple store, so I'll try to swap it out this weekend, and if not, I'll just send it in w/ the prepaid account # they gave me when I get back. At least now I don't have this time pressure.
I just thought I would post an update to my situation in case anyone is interested. So my original plan was basically to just buy another one (I placed the order the same day I received my current one w/ the dead pixel) then max out the 14 day return window (you have 14 days to initiate a return, then 14 days to get it to them from the time you initiate the return). This way I'd have an overlap by the time the second iPad arrived and not have to be "iPad-less" for too long if at all.
Well, I was about to initiate my return online and when asked "why are you returning" it wouldn't allow me to return online if you choose "the product is defective" as the reason for return. Also, it told me I'd be charged a restocking fee! This was the last straw, especially since they had banned the restocking fees in stores and nowhere on their return policy online does it state a restocking fee - it only came up after I tried to return it. I was not about to pay a restocking fee, AND pay to ship it back for something that was a result of poor quality control.
So I called in, thinking I'd have to talk to a manager. I actually accidentally got a tech support guy, rather than sales/returns dept. When I told him I need to speak to returns because I have a dead pixel, he immediately said "oh, I can take care of that for you". He then explained to me the process to swap it out and said that this would be covered under warranty. I was ecstatic to hear this considering I had previously been told I don't have enough dead pixels to have it swapped under warranty!
Now the nerve racking part - I'm leaving town Friday for almost a week and really wanted to have the iPad with me on the trip. I'd get a lot of use out of it cuz it's for a conference. But I was worried if I don't send it in now, I may get a different answer from a different tech next time I call. I delicately explained to him that I'm nervous to not take him up on the offer but, but wanted to know if I could do the return after the trip. When I explained to him that I heard some people say there is a minimum number of dead pixels needed for a warranty replacement, he said "yeah, I've heard of that policy, but really, on an iPad, even one dead pixel is too much so I'm going to exchange it for you". (Also, when he asked me where the dead pixel is and I told him dead center, noticeable from the minute I turned it on the first time, he said "wow, I can't believe that made it through quality control like that! I'm very sorry!")He even reassured me that I have the full year under warranty under which to do it, and can definitely wait until after my trip. He logged the case # and authorized the repair/replacement and will be sending me an email w/ the shipping # to take to UPS for sending off my iPad whenever I'm back in town.
I'm not sure what the deal is with the inconsistency, but I'm soo glad I got somebody in tech support rather than returns/sales. I think they're more sympathetic about the quality of the screen. I'm probably going to end up canceling the order for the second iPad and send this one in. I'm heading to Salt Lake City Friday and will be staying downtown near the Apple store, so I'll try to swap it out this weekend, and if not, I'll just send it in w/ the prepaid account # they gave me when I get back. At least now I don't have this time pressure.
I had exactly the same issue. It was a stuck pixel however(green on white background). I immediately placed a new order and initiated a return of the defective ipad. Now I'm still waiting for the new one to arrive.
While I don't care much about BLB I do about stuck/dead pixel. I won't accept even one of them. I had to deal with one on my last LCD-Display and it was more than annoying. Even though it was in the top left corner and not central. Alone the knowledge that it was there was bugging me.
When I was to order my current Display I was glad to find a vendor with a 0-Dead-Pixel-Warranty. It was a kind of service he was offering. The screen was inspected before shipping it. It was not for free o/c. But it definitelly was worth the 20 extra!
I wish there was a simillar service for iPads. It would really suck if my new iPad had again one or even more defective pixels.
I would return/reorder it one more time. I wouldn't replace it on warranty since they replace it only once and then you are stuck with what you got as replacement, even if it's worse than the original.
While I don't care much about BLB I do about stuck/dead pixel. I won't accept even one of them. I had to deal with one on my last LCD-Display and it was more than annoying. Even though it was in the top left corner and not central. Alone the knowledge that it was there was bugging me.
When I was to order my current Display I was glad to find a vendor with a 0-Dead-Pixel-Warranty. It was a kind of service he was offering. The screen was inspected before shipping it. It was not for free o/c. But it definitelly was worth the 20 extra!
I wish there was a simillar service for iPads. It would really suck if my new iPad had again one or even more defective pixels.
I would return/reorder it one more time. I wouldn't replace it on warranty since they replace it only once and then you are stuck with what you got as replacement, even if it's worse than the original.