IMPORTANT NOTE - re. returns/replacements
- Background:
I have two LG 5K's. They were ordered on the first date available (excluding that earlier day in Nov!) in December on 20.Dec.2016, and were delivered on 10.Jan.2017.
Like many others, I've had the issues with screen flicking when first plugging in and then 10 minutes or so of on/off behaviour, with further blackouts at random while using past that initial 10 mins. Reading extensively and following the issues online, obviously I've heard that this is likely to be caused by the EM (electro-magnetic) interference issue, and lack of insulation to defend against it.
After owning them for 5 weeks now, upgrading macOS to 10.12.3 on my maxed-out 15" MBP, and having my router away from the monitor, they still display "issues". So I want to return/replace them for new "issues free" ones.
- Replacement attempt:
I phone Apple. First they try and say it's outside of the normal returns period (2 weeks Apple policy, 30 days UK Consumer Rights Act 2015) and to contact LG accordingly. But after prompting them about the known issues and the admission statement from LG about the first batches being wrongly manufactured, they said they'd "do an exemption" and accepted return for replacement or refund.
HOWEVER, if I proceeded, they expected me to return both displays within 10 days (they'd have them picked up at a date of my choosing), with absolutely NO idea on when replacements would be available for shipping to me. The manager I ended-up speaking to at Apple said they could NOT allow me to keep them until replacements were shipped to me, and then accept the first faulty pair back – even if I was happy for them to charge me for the second pair and then refund me when I returned the first ones!
It's highly likely this would have meant returning them on say, day 9, and then waiting 2/3/(or longer??) weeks for replacements to be sent out whenever they were available. He said that they usually expedite replacements before new orders, but couldn't comment further on likely timeframe for the replacements to be shipped.
- Solution:
Not good enough, I said – they really expect me to go without
any external displays for my work for an indeterminate number of days/weeks until they possibly/maybe replace them!
I noticed Apple's website were offering "3-4 weeks" shipping time on new orders, so instead decided to simply order two new displays for future delivery, and will then return the first pair as if they were the second ones, within the two weeks of Apple's normal returns period. (from my long experience with Apple's delivery dates, they almost always show accurate dates; preferring to beat them by delivering early, rather than not meet the advertised date at time of order.)
(of course I explained this ludicrous returns problem to the manager on the phone, and explained my get-around that effectively bypasses Apple's silly return for replacement procedure, but all to no avail!)
And no, Apple do not track the serial numbers of non-Apple third-party items they sell, so they can't track which ones you end up returning, either. ;-)
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So anyone in a similar position, I suggest you do this, rather than bother wasting an hour on the phone to Apple attempting to get replacement outside of their returns period, and/or doing the same by wasting your time and effort dealing with LG to get the ones you currently have "refurbished"!
Hope this helps.
[doublepost=1487099725][/doublepost]I should add...
The serial number is behind the removable stand/VESA panel on the back ("612" at the front means "2016 December"), and importantly, it also show the manufacturer date, e.g. "December 2016 / 12.2016" on my two. You cannot get the serial number from System Information or the LG Screen Manager on your Mac, or anywhere else in the software, unfortunately.
