iPad2 - What do I do with the broken one?

[claimed4all]

I got an iPad 2 yesterday. Get it home and its defective. The mic doesn't work. So I made a genius bar appointment. After over an hour they confirmed the mic is bad. They gave me 2 options.

Option 1
Return it and repurchase a new one. They didn't have any in stock, could not set one aside for replacement. Told me to come to the store every few hours and keep checking. I live a ways away, not really a viable option.

Option 2
Take a replacement unit (ones set aside for replacing damaged units) which is either New or Refurbished (they said the chance of being refurbished were extremely low) and I lose the ability to return the product for cash back. Still get the full warranty though.

Which option should I choose?

 

[MacDawg]

I wouldn't hesitate to take Option 2 personally
Cash back wouldn't ever be an option for me, so no loss there

 

[bufffilm]

i'd return it and get your money back and then just re-order it again from the online store. currently, shouldn't be more than a 2-3 week wait unless you're not in the US.

 

[claimed4all]

i'd return it and get your money back and then just re-order it again from the online store. currently, shouldn't be more than a 2-3 week wait unless you're not in the US.

Why would you take that route? For guaranteed new?

 

[bufffilm]

Why would you take that route? For guaranteed new?

because if you go with option 2, you're locked into getting a replacement instead of getting a refund and if you're not satisfied with the quality of the replacement, you're at their mercy.

they might tell you that one dead pixel or that small amount of light bleed is within apple's tolerances.

the posts that i'm seeing on the forums is that the level of service varies from apple store to apple store. if you get a good genius who cares about making you happy, you're probably ok.

of course, there's no guarantee that the new ipad that they send to you isn't going to be problem-free either, but at least the slate is clean and you can try the replacement option and worst case, can always get your money back and try again.