iPod iPod Lawsuit Settled

[bretm]

If anyone read the article they'd simply see that it affects people who bought certain iPods between a certain period of time. Having the reciept is your only proof that you qualify. It's dated. The lawyers couldn't argue that anyone that bought an iPold after xx 2004 weren't totally or partially aware that the battery wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Between Apple's own battery replacement plan on their own website and places like this all over the internet complaining about the battery, plus friends and family owning them and discussing the battery life, etc. it was pretty common knowledge.

Also proves you didn't steal it. Also proves what you did pay for it. Lawsuits are about damages. If you paid $5 then your damages aren't $50. The battery would be worth about 1.50 in that case.

Whoever holds the reciept should get the damages. Even if they sold it on ebay. The amount of money they could get for it was less because of the widespread knowledge of the battery life. The value of the investment was lessened.

If it was given to you as a gift, you have no damages. But you might not like your Aunt as much because she gave you a device that isn't as great as it could be. Damaging your lovable Aunt in your eyes. Awwww. So there's her damages. She only got $250 worth of your love instead of $300.

How is transferring the warranty different? The manufacturer is still liable to repair any defects during the covered time. Who owns it is completely irrelivent from that standpoint.

So? WHat's your point? The amount of reward definately is LESS than the cost of having Apple replace the battery, or the price of a new iPod, but that doesn't seem to matter. The fact that you bought the iPod from another party doesn't change the fact that Apple advertised the device to have certain characteristics, and then when it failed to deliver on that they did not offer to replace or repair the equipment.

The advertising for the iPod effects all iPods sold, not just new ones. As does Apples apparant efforts to make the battery intentionally difficult to replace. That's what this suit is about. I don't see how who bought it would make any difference in the realm of THIS suit.


First off, it wouldn't work. The availablity of this reward is going to make older iPods to maintain a minimum level of value. Someone thinking about selling it is going to think, do I want this iPod AND $50 or should I sell it, and it will change both the supply and demand levels, keeping values up during the window of this settlement. Secondly, WHO CARES if someone managed to buy a ton of iPods and get $50 each for them from Apple? They are intent on paying the $50 for that iPod, what does it matter who gets it?

Lastly, NOTHING at all that I said effects fraudulent claims whatsoever. The only thing that is effected is people who have a valid claim but did not buy the iPod new. For that matter, by the terms of this settlement, if I am reading it correctly, excludes anyone who recieved the iPod as a gift. They didn't buy the iPod AND currently own it, so they aren't eligable. That's complete bunk. They are the original owner, and they have just as much right to be part of the settlement as customers who happened to have bought them direct from Apple or another reseller.

 

[Mord]

excellent , i'll probably put the £30 towards annother airport express .

 

[sparks9]

excellent , i'll probably put the £30 towards annother airport express .

I dont see 30£ anywhere in that form. Only US.

 

[Yvan256]

Whaaa whaaa whaaa, my 4 year-old iPod that I never recharge fully, that I never drain completely, doesn't hold a decent charge anymore.

To be honest, it seems that every kind of rechargeable battery has its own "best way" to be drained/charged.

I thought Li-Ion needed to always be kept charged, and draining it completely would actually kill it faster...?

 

[ReanimationLP]

Sooo...

Does this mean I can save myself the troubles of buying a new battery and trying to crack the iPod open without destroying it? WOOHOO!

And 50 bucks to boot. Thats nice.

 

[spark]

Receipt NOT nec. for 2/3 gen.?

For those that were concerned about finding receipts, take a look at the PDF

Unless the document I have is not official, it only specifies that the receipt is necessary for the 3rd gen iPods. There is a distinct lettered section for each generation, and the 1st/2nd gen. does not seem to require the receipt.

 

[Mord]

I dont see 30£ anywhere in that form. Only US.

it's an estimate.

 

[ReanimationLP]

I called them up. They didnt say anything about a reciept for the 2nd Gen.

I filled out the paperwork, gonna take it to the post office in a few hours and send it out.

 

[Bro]

Receipt only needed for 3G

You only need the receipt for 3G iPods. Looking at the claim form, under section B for 3G iPods, It asks for proof of purchase, which is:
-invoice or receipt reflecting purchase of iPod OR
-cancelled check that reflects purchase of the iPod OR
-credit card statement.

Under section C for 1G or 2G. they just want an estimated date of purchase and estimated date of battery failure.

Under section A, for all iPods, they want the serial number.

 

[whooleytoo]

I thought Li-Ion needed to always be kept charged, and draining it completely would actually kill it faster...?

Exactly. Different battery types require different patterns of charging. If I let my 1st gen iPod discharge fully, it needed to be reset (plugged into wall socket instead of computer, toggle the hold switch, hold the two buttons to reset) - and that didn't work every time either.

The iPods (particularly the early models) had a battery problem, Apple didn't rectify it, allow people to easily replace their batteries or inform the consumer soon enough, and are now paying the price.

Good. Pity it took a class action suit to teach Apple a thing about customer relations. Now, who's going to start an EU action?

 

[nockamura]

For those that were concerned about finding receipts, take a look at the PDF

Unless the document I have is not official, it only specifies that the receipt is necessary for the 3rd gen iPods. There is a distinct lettered section for each generation, and the 1st/2nd gen. does not seem to require the receipt.

Yeah, looks like that to me too. You only need a receipt if you have a 3G because 3G requires a date if you submit after the Sept. 30th deadline (2 years after purchase or Sept 30th .whichever is later).

 

[Doctor Q]

Good. Pity it took a class action suit to teach Apple a thing about customer relations. Now, who's going to start an EU action?

Once a company has settled a class action suit in the U.S., is winning a nearly identical class action suit in another country as easy as it sounds?

 

[sacear]

This sucks. I have a 2G iPod, but, it was given to me as a gift and I don't have the receipt. It's about 4 years old now, so, I doubt the receipt still exists. But the battery is shot. I would think having posession of the iPod is enough to prove that you bought it, or someone else bought it for you.

or that you stole it.

 

[sacear]

I mean, who in their right mind is still going to have that receipt?

Well, I still have the receipt for my 3G iPod. For crying out loud, it is an electronic device that comes with a warranty. The original sale receipt (not eBay, not PayPal, and not your buddy's handwritten "sworn" note, I mean statement) is required for any (regular, originally included) warranty service, regardless of any other possible requirements, like lawsuit settlements.

From Apple's documentation:

Please put your sales receipt in a safe place. You will need it for warranty validation.

So much belly aching in this thread. Are you all dense, lazy, or a bunch of cry-babies? All the above, I suppose.

Maybe I am in my left mind.

[That ought to get 'em going.]

 

[Yvan256]

So, what's the best way to take care of a 3rd gen iPod battery then? And while we're at it, the last gen of PowerBooks?

Also, any chance of getting a replacement battery for Canadian iPod owners?

 

[devilot]

oh bother

My boyfriend gave me my iPod for Christmas 2003 and refused to hand me the receipt (didn't want me to know how much he spent).

Of course he's lost it since. Sigh.

 

[joetronic]

There are several ways to prove ownership. What would be lamer is allowing used purchasers also to make the claim.

BTW, looking at the claim form -- you have to certify that you have had battery failure. So it's not for everyone, just those who are willing to sign a form saying they've had that failure.

It looks as if you don't need a receipt for the 1st or 2nd gen iPods. Is this true, or do you need to fill out that section in section B of the claim form even though it states 3rd gen?

 

[sacear]

I own a 1G 5GB iPod that I got when the PC version first came out. I'm kind of obsessive compulsive in that I hate to charge any battery until its dead or almost dead. I took good care of my iPod, yet within a year my battery was down to three hours. For any of you who doubt it, the old batteries did have technical problems.

Ummm, seems this is widely known by now, but that method is actually very bad for the battery and runs the life of the battery down quickly. The suggested time to recharge the battery is when it gets down to 40%-25% charge left.

So your battery did not have technical problems, you just killed it by running it down to empty all the time and then expecting it to fully recharge and work perfectly. It does not work that way.

Hmm, gee, I think I'll drive my car until it completely runs out of fuel and only get fuel when every drop has been used and the tank is completely dry. Now why is my engine dead and my fuel injectors need replacing?

 

[sacear]

Ok, i've read 3 of these pages, and haven't seen the answer i'm looking for.

So, I've got a 3G ipod bought in june of '03. My battery is fine, but i'm running out of space and could use the extra gigs. Would i be able to get a new ipod if i sent it in? I'm thinking no, but does anyone know FOR SURE?

Otherwise, i fill out a form and get a $50 rebate?

What part of iPod "battery" replacement do you not understand?

Read the settlement!

 

[Lars]

i just read 5 pages and no one mentioned my problem.
What if my 3G iPod (that i bought in Aug. '03) craped out about about 8 months after i bought it and was replaced? And then the replacement craped out about 4 months ago. Right now i'm on my 3rd 3G iPod, and this one has under 4 hours battery life. Do you think i should register with my original iPod serial # or the serial # of my current iPod?

 

[sacear]

i just read 5 pages and no one mentioned my problem.
What if my 3G iPod (that i bought in Aug. '03) craped out about about 8 months after i bought it and was replaced? And then the replacement craped out about 4 months ago. Right now i'm on my 3rd 3G iPod, and this one has under 4 hours battery life. Do you think i should register with my original iPod serial # or the serial # of my current iPod?

That is your decision to make. Seems logical to me, however, to register with the one you currently have in your possession.

May I suggest that you read the actual settlement to find the proper answers to your specific questions. These thread pages will be of little help in that regard.

 

[Lars]

That is your decision to make. Seems logical to me, however, to register with the one you currently have in your possession.

i was thinking the new one too, but the original apple receipt has the serial # of the first iPod on it.

 

[sacear]

i was thinking the new one too, but the original apple receipt has the serial # of the first iPod on it.

If you purchased directly from Apple, from the online store, and received the replacements directly from Apple, then Apple will have a record of all those iPods and their history. As the settlement states...

The answer you seek is in the settlement statement.

 

[sacear]

How is transferring the warranty different? The manufacturer is still liable to repair any defects during the covered time. Who owns it is completely irrelivent from that standpoint.

The fact that you bought the iPod from another party doesn't change the fact that Apple advertised the device to have certain characteristics, and then when it failed to deliver on that they did not offer to replace or repair the equipment.

Lastly, NOTHING at all that I said effects fraudulent claims whatsoever. The only thing that is effected is people who have a valid claim but did not buy the iPod new. For that matter, by the terms of this settlement, if I am reading it correctly, excludes anyone who recieved the iPod as a gift. They didn't buy the iPod AND currently own it, so they aren't eligable. They are the original owner, and they have just as much right to be part of the settlement as customers who happened to have bought them direct from Apple or another reseller.

If you did not buy the iPod new, then you do not have a valid claim. A person who received an iPod as a gift is not the original owner, they are the second or third owner. The purchaser of the iPod is the original owner.

Nearly every manufacturer of nearly every product limits warranty of their products to the original (first) purchaser. Warranties are transferrable only in limited circumstances, such as gifts and some purchased additional warranties (such as AppleCare). The original included warranty is only available to the original purchaser/owner.

Apple, just as other manufacturers, advertised the device to have certain characteristics to the original owner only. Read the fine print that comes with your product.

Gosh, I am the tenth owner of a Ford Mustang and Ford won't honor the original warranty. Ford won't pay for replacement of the worn out timing belt and the rusted floor boards. Waaah.

 

[FoxyKaye]

a lot of interesting (to a philosophy student who might use this for an ethics paper) discussion from people willing to take cash and run for nothing.

my own opinion, is that if you thought the magic fairies in your iPod would make the battery last for eternity, you deserve a slapping, not cash. i own an iPod that is eligible, and do have the receipt, and there is no way i will be asking for money for a product that was everything they claimed and more, and continues to work just fine thank you very much.

...many of these posts remind me of why Ghandi, on be asked what he thought of western civilization, replied "I think it would be a good idea."

Hmm... I actually agree with you, but I'm still going to get a $50 coupon to put toward a new iMac.

Here's how I see it:

* Replacement 2100 mAh battery from OWC - $40
* Coupon from Apple - $50

I'm still a whopping $10 ahead. HOWEVER, since I've already budgeted for the new battery from OWC next month I would have spent this money regardless of the lawsuit settlement. So, I look at it as a free $50 from Apple for buying one of their products.

I confess that my 2G iPod still gets between 2-3 hours of play-time (which would be expected with an ageing LiOn battery), but hey, OWC's replacement battery will get me 15+ and add to the overall lifetime of my product - so I want it. It will keep my iPod out of the trash for at least several more years, and I can recycle its old battery at Walgreens.

Yeah, I'm taking the money and running, but I've come up with a slick, morally-slippery justification for it.