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I love how your answer to Apple's garbage build quality is "find some other chump who will buy them off of you just before they break." Apple can do no wrong (even when they do, in fact, do wrong) in your mind, can they?


Do you think everyone reads up on all the news about every $100 item that they purchase? Or do you think that, for a purchase of this size, most people would tend to rely on brand reputation?


In other words, you've had so many Apple products break on you (some of them multiple times, some of them catastrophically), that you've decided that buying the extended warranty with every Apple product is an absolute must, because without it, you would have lost thousands of dollars due to product failures.

And yet, you not only hold Apple completely blameless for their shoddy workmanship, and not only do you actively still throw thousands of dollars their way, including bonus cash to subscribe to their protection racket, you talk down to other people who might have the gall to voice their disappointment over said shoddy workmanship.

You don't even disagree that their products have proven to be garbage. Heck, you are so sure that the product you bought will fail that you will try to unload it on some other unsuspecting dupe before that inevitably happens.


LOL. I know that you don't see it. But I guarantee you, everyone else sees it. This right here is just.. Whoo.. Bravo.

Let's just say that someone could write an entire textbook on blind brand loyalty just using your comments on these forums.

Are you trying to tell me that other companies don’t suffer from the same issue? At least with Apple, AppleCare is not some crappy third-party warranty that is never honored.

Blind loyalty? What part of me not buying the AirPods Max 1.5 do you not understand? Of course I believe they can do wrong. These very experiences have all informed my choices. I’ve tried multiple manufacturers for Windows PC’s, I’ve tried Android phones and tablets. None of them impress me like Apple’s offerings.

I also addressed your point about not even wanting to have to be this way, researching every purchase, but the world is the way it is and I can either whine, or arm myself with knowledge. I choose knowledge over “living” every time. I wasn’t born into a wealthy or connected family, so every single purchase I make for decades I’ve had to research so as not to end up salty.

The “chump” in question got a brand new set of AirPods Max for something like $299 (can’t remember now) and still tried to scam me.

What I’m saying is, I’ve been around a while now and I’ve tried everything. All companies sell crap at this point, Apple is the only one who gives you the choice of spending $3.99 a month for example, to totally cover your Apple Watch.

If you don’t believe in insurance, don’t whine when you roll the dice and lose.

If you actually cared to know, I wish the world weren’t this way, but it is.

Again, you choose to be a victim while I choose to get ahead of the “game.”
 
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I'm all for voting with my wallet, but there's no guarantee that you won't have a similar experience with any other brand. Especially for a consumable that's only a couple hundred bucks, I think I'd just buy what I want and hope for the best. It sucks, but in a world ruled by stock price alone it's the reality we live in.
Yeah, I was curious as someone who actually did experience this issue so I googled up apple’s biggest competitor…
… and was completely un surprised to find this:
And this:
And:
Along with dozens and dozens of others
 
I recently encountered a disappointing experience with Apple’s customer service, both in-store and over the phone. My AirPods Pro began producing a crackling noise—a well-documented manufacturing defect acknowledged by Apple. However, because this issue surfaced more than three years after my purchase, Apple’s only recommendation was to buy a new pair for over $250, plus tax.



It’s disheartening that a company can overlook a known manufacturing defect and suggest that customers simply purchase a replacement. This approach seems unjust and uncharacteristic of a reputable American company. When a defect is known, failing to provide a solution to affected customers borders on negligence. I urge any law firms willing to address this issue to take action; consumers would greatly appreciate it. We must hold Apple accountable and prevent such practices from continuing.

Had this as well with my first Pros. Was told to buy new ones in the Apple Store. In UK we have an expectation for fitness of goods under CRA 2015. I wrote them a letter asking for them to resolve this under statutory law. No response.

Filled in a chargeback form with my credit card and they returned the money. Bought 2nd gen Pros on the same card from the Apple Store that refused to help. Sold the old pair on eBay as duff left Airpod and took my partner at the time out for dinner with the cash.

Just make sure you don't do this on a card your iCloud account is tied to.

They don't give a crap? Neither do I!
 
My OG AirPods Pro are still going strong, purchased them in January 2020. No doubt they're still very useful with good battery life due to Covid keeping everyone at home, thus eliminating my commute which was when I used them the most.

I never had/noticed the crackling, my only problem with them was poor call quality - if I were outside and there was wind or traffic, the person on the other end could barely hear me. Otherwise an excellent product and as soon as their battery gives out, I'll replace them with the new version. I don't know how quality they are compared to other manufacturers, but I love how seamlessly they switch between my devices so I'm sticking with them, the ease of use is really something and the issue I have with them is resolved in Gen 2.
 
If a serious defect in either product design or manufacturing becomes known (as in the known issue being discussed here), it should result in a product recall. Not this half-baked "service plan" limited-time "if we feel like it" garbage.
How long do you expect them to cover a personal device in unknown use cases for issues? Majority of people have no problems with their AirPods Pro's, myself included.
 
Apple is approaching 4 TRILLION in value...the only way they get held accountable is if every single person on the planet stopped buying or using Apple products all together for an extended amount of time. That's not going to happen anytime soon.

Zero dollars of that is accessible to Apple. That is just the cost of buying every share outstanding on the market.

I find it helpful to understand the systems I choose to rant about.
 
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These things are not designed to last, they are purely disposable product. I'm surprised you even got 3 years use before the battery is useless. I've had several Airpods over the years (though not Pro) and the battery is significantly degraded after 2.5-3 years and often it's one of the earbuds over the other one.

I'm currently on Beats Fit Pro for about 2 years, and I can see similar degradation happening though they are still usable for about 3 hours. I bet in another year's time I'll have to replace them, maybe a new model will be out by then.
I've accepted the fact that they are just disposable and last 2-3 years at best.
 
I had a similar experience with the keyboard on my MacBook Pro. What annoys me wasn’t that I’d missed the window to have it fixed, rather they let me drive all the way to the next city to tell me that. On the flip side, I had my original AirPods Pro replaced under the crackly noise program and my original Apple Watch when the battery swelled. With the watch, the Apple guy on the phone was super helpful and steered me to say exactly the right thing to qualify for a replacement. I’ve had a lot of Apple stuff and they’re the only tech company that I’ve had replace stuff out of warranty.
 
My OG Airpods Pro started with the static/crackling sound about a month before the 3 year window for the extended warranty expired. At the time I wasn't aware of the extended warranty, and when I found out, I was 3 days outside of the 3 year window.... I tried my luck at the Apple Store and and got nothing, except for the similar advice to have Apple recycle them and buy a new pair. I bought a new pair that have been working fine, my kid uses the old pair to listen to music. As long as he doesn't use noise canceling, they work fine. Battery life is still great after 4 years of use.
 
I recently encountered a disappointing experience with Apple’s customer service, both in-store and over the phone. My AirPods Pro began producing a crackling noise—a well-documented manufacturing defect acknowledged by Apple. However, because this issue surfaced more than three years after my purchase, Apple’s only recommendation was to buy a new pair for over $250, plus tax.



It’s disheartening that a company can overlook a known manufacturing defect and suggest that customers simply purchase a replacement. This approach seems unjust and uncharacteristic of a reputable American company. When a defect is known, failing to provide a solution to affected customers borders on negligence. I urge any law firms willing to address this issue to take action; consumers would greatly appreciate it. We must hold Apple accountable and prevent such practices from continuing.
I had the same issue but mine started around the 6 month mark. I’ve called three times and every time I’m told that my AirPods serial number is not in the recall list and they offer to sell me new one or a new AirPod to replace the bad one.
 
I recently encountered a disappointing experience with Apple’s customer service, both in-store and over the phone. My AirPods Pro began producing a crackling noise—a well-documented manufacturing defect acknowledged by Apple. However, because this issue surfaced more than three years after my purchase, Apple’s only recommendation was to buy a new pair for over $250, plus tax.



It’s disheartening that a company can overlook a known manufacturing defect and suggest that customers simply purchase a replacement. This approach seems unjust and uncharacteristic of a reputable American company. When a defect is known, failing to provide a solution to affected customers borders on negligence. I urge any law firms willing to address this issue to take action; consumers would greatly appreciate it. We must hold Apple accountable and prevent such practices from continuing.
Just curious, how long do you think companies need to replace failing tech products for? Five years? Ten?

Sheesh.
 
My gosh. "Entitled". For expecting a product that is advertised as "premium" (and priced as such) to last longer than a couple of years.

Perhaps if your generation actually complained when you were getting hosed by corporations with shoddy products and customer service, instead of just kissing the ring and living with it, we wouldn't have these kinds of problems nowadays.
Read the OP before commenting. The product did "last longer than a couple of years."
 
Just curious, how long do you think companies need to replace failing tech products for? Five years? Ten?

Sheesh.
4-5 seems reasonable to me for an equally reasonable expectation for things to work as intended tbh
Especially relevant in this day and age when we're expected to pay ever more for products often effectively in beta
 
4-5 seems reasonable to me for an equally reasonable expectation for things to work as intended tbh
Especially relevant in this day and age when we're expected to pay ever more for products often effectively in beta
You did not respond to my question, which was "how long do you think companies need to replace failing tech products for?" I agree that 4-5 years [or longer] is a reasonable expectation for things to work as intended. But if one gets a lemon product I do not expect the vendor to replace that product at four years of life. Just IMO.

Apple has earned a reputation for having good solid quality products that last, and I have owned or managed dozens of Apple products that reinforce that reputation. So when one individual whines about one product failure after 3+ years I give that individual commentary little credence.
 
You did not respond to my question, which was "how long do you think companies need to replace failing tech products for?" I agree that 4-5 years [or longer] is a reasonable expectation for things to work as intended. But if one gets a lemon product I do not expect the vendor to replace that product at four years of life. Just IMO.

Apple has earned a reputation for having good solid quality products that last, and I have owned or managed dozens of Apple products that reinforce that reputation. So when one individual whines about one product failure after 3+ years I give that individual commentary little credence.
I did, if you intelligently read between the lines. In the case of the Airpods for example, repair and replace are the same thing since they've made it unrepairable.
 
Airpods are not heirlooms, they are engineered by Apple to be disposable.

You say that like a Hustler's Uni guy talking about tech in forums, lol

The point is there is no need for it to be like that.

I know there are a lot of "I paid x for Apple so it must be perfect" morons here, but there is still such a thing as *reasonable* expectations of tech.
 
You say that like a Hustler's Uni guy talking about tech in forums, lol

The point is there is no need for it to be like that.

I know there are a lot of "I paid x for Apple so it must be perfect" morons here, but there is still such a thing as *reasonable* expectations of tech.

Fairphone makes repairable true wireless earbuds. Apple doesn't. I agree I'd love to see that change but it won't without pressure forcing Apple to change. Right now AirPods are a status symbol so it has no incentive to change.
 
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Fairphone makes repairable true wireless earbuds. Apple doesn't. I agree I'd love to see that change but it won't without pressure forcing Apple to change. Right now AirPods are a status symbol so it has no incentive to change.
I expected Fairphone to make an entrance in the so called discussion, lol
We have to be hippies to be anywhere near sane, right? bwahahahahaaaaaa

Sony, Final, others make semi-professionally repairable stuff just fine.
 
I expected Fairphone to make an entrance in the so called discussion, lol
We have to be hippies to be anywhere near sane, right? bwahahahahaaaaaa

Sony, Final, others make semi-professionally repairable stuff just fine.

Sony makes repairable true wireless earbuds?
 
I had the crackling issue in both my and my wife's APP1s. Got them replaced under warranty/AC+. No problems so far with our APP2s. Still have the replacement APP1s, mine are my backup pair in case I forget the newer ones and my wife's are just sitting since she doesn't use them as often as I do.

They are still a great product, but it was frustrating to have the issue with crackling noise and occasionally one of the buds has trouble charging in the case. Cleaning the contacts with a special brush seems to have helped with the latter. Considering I use mine basically every single day, I don't mind buying a new pair every few years; cost of ownership is probably less than $0.33 a day and they provide far more value than that.
 
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While not "perfect in every way" (never claimed that such a thing existed), I have a pair of Sony Bluetooth headphones

their headphones are over the ear.. are you comparing over the ear technology to earbuds or are you just not calling you Sony earbuds the right thing? cause, details matter. Over the ear doesnt compare to earbuds, period. Different scale. Different problems. And I am not even sure the much larger Sony 'earbuds' are comparable but okay.

Only real difference in terms of "ecosystem" is that I have to take 30 seconds to re-pair them if I switch them from my phone to my laptop (something that happens maybe once or twice a month).

We often change our use case to what our tech can do, so I am not surprised you only repair maybe once or twice a month. Me, my tech repairs with ease, I change between phone, computer, and iPad probably 3 or 4 times a day. Your 30 seconds tolerance would drive me crazy 3 or 4 times a day and I would toss them out the window. This makes me think you are using over the ear, cause yeah, I only repair my over the ear AirPods Max maybe once or twice a week.
If you really want to go back in time to the days before wireless,

I don't. Went wireless years ago and never looked back thanks.

So yeah, I'll continue to go ahead and pick "that other" option

Great you do you, I'll do me, and we both benefit from choice. It's people insecurity over their choices that usually lead to diatribes that their choice is the right choice. Right for you. Not for everyone :)
 
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I recently encountered a disappointing experience with Apple’s customer service, both in-store and over the phone. My AirPods Pro began producing a crackling noise—a well-documented manufacturing defect acknowledged by Apple. However, because this issue surfaced more than three years after my purchase, Apple’s only recommendation was to buy a new pair for over $250, plus tax.



It’s disheartening that a company can overlook a known manufacturing defect and suggest that customers simply purchase a replacement. This approach seems unjust and uncharacteristic of a reputable American company. When a defect is known, failing to provide a solution to affected customers borders on negligence. I urge any law firms willing to address this issue to take action; consumers would greatly appreciate it. We must hold Apple accountable and prevent such practices from continuing.
I feel your pain. The original Airpod Pros are by far the worst product that Apple has ever created. They had to replace mine 5 times, and on the sixth time I tried to get them replaced they told me the exact same thing they told you and my immediate response back was "No go f*** yourself bye" and hung up. They actually should have given you at least one new pair if I remember correctly but that isn't enough. What they should have done was replace everyone's with Airpod Pro 2s. Like this is worse that Microsoft's infamous Xbox 360 RRoD. It took me a good year to give Airpods a try again, got the ANC Airpod 4s, so far so good.

I would HIGHLY recommend getting Apple Care+ on any headphones you buy from them. It is only like $30 (although I honestly think for something so small and finnicky it should just include a 2 year warranty) but yeah, I know there was some lawsuit but it didn't go far enough. I am hoping a new class action comes up before to long because I'll definitely sign up for that. Now my Airpod Pros won't charge, won't do anything, they just magically crapped out.
 
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I feel your pain. The original Airpod Pros are by far the worst product that Apple has ever created. They had to replace mine 5 times, and on the sixth time I tried to get them replaced they told me the exact same thing they told you and my immediate response back was "No go f*** yourself bye" and hung up. They actually should have given you at least one new pair if I remember correctly but that isn't enough. What they should have done was replace everyone's with Airpod Pro 2s. Like this is worse that Microsoft's infamous Xbox 360 RRoD. It took me a good year to give Airpods a try again, got the ANC Airpod 4s, so far so good.

I would HIGHLY recommend getting Apple Care+ on any headphones you buy from them. It is only like $30 (although I honestly think for something so small and finnicky it should just include a 2 year warranty) but yeah, I know there was some lawsuit but it didn't go far enough. I am hoping a new class action comes up before to long because I'll definitely sign up for that. Now my Airpod Pros won't charge, won't do anything, they just magically crapped out.

AirPods are disposable, they’re made to be simply thrown away in 2-3 years.
 
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