Popular YouTuber Says Apple Won't Fix His iMac Pro Damaged While Disassembled

[deanthedev]

I represent automotive OEMs and suppliers. I'm absolutely right.

No matter the damage, or the cause of the damage. If you can get a car into a dealership repair bay, they will gladly take your money to fix it every time.

So if I can provide even one example then what will you say? You shouldn’t speak in absolutes as it just makes you look foolish.

I never ever claimed everyone did it. I specifically said high-end in my original post.

 

[Tech198]

Assuming that the "we don't have parts" is just an excuse... why would Apple want to repair that machine? They are obliged to give the warranty on the repaired parts and they have to guarantee that the repair is successful. With a machine dismantled, parts dropped/shorted and generally abused in any possible ways, agreeing to repair it is only asking for trouble down the line.

Apple provides a service still... The fact the user would pay he should be allowed to.

 

[digitalexplr]

Such a sad story!

 

[doelcm82]

It is his property. He can do as he likes.

Your perspective is obviously risk-aversive. Many other perspectives aren't.

He did as he liked. He broke his property. It's now his broken property.

 

[EvilEvil]

This is why people shouldn't buy all-in-one computers.

 

[Shanesan]

if you think you're clever enough to open it up and modify it, you should be clever enough to fix it yourself

Eyyyy, it's one of those people who would rather have gotten "FIRST!" for the likes instead of actually watching the video.

Typical.
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So is Apple refusing to repair it at all, or merely refusing to repair it under the terms of the 1-year warranty or AppleCare he may have purchased?

The former seems odd, as I would assume they would simply charge him for the work. The latter seems completely reasonable, as why should Apple repair this damage free of charge when it was caused by the user disassembling the product (which is against the terms of service).

Apple will not repair it at all.

 

[deanthedev]

Correct. But several state legislatures are taking up that issue and saying a company should be obligated to to sell all the same repair parts to anyone that they provide to themselves internally, including specialized tools and repair manuals.

I agree with them.

And you’re wrong. How can you claim to work in automotive and not know that there are countless ways to get around this? Magnusson Moss Warranty Act has specific clauses automotive manufacturers can use to circumvent this.

 

[MikeVarney]

If I were Apple I would just quote a repair price that oddly enough is the exact same as a replacement unit purchase.

 

[oneMadRssn]

So if I can provide even one example then what will you say? You shouldn’t speak in absolutes as it just makes you look foolish.

I never ever claimed everyone did it. I specifically said high-end in my original post.

Which post? None of the posts in this reply-chain have the word "high-end" in them.

 

[Shanesan]

Assuming that the "we don't have parts" is just an excuse... why would Apple want to repair that machine? They are obliged to give the warranty on the repaired parts and they have to guarantee that the repair is successful. With a machine dismantled, parts dropped/shorted and generally abused in any possible ways, agreeing to repair it is only asking for trouble down the line.

Because Apple repairs dropped, damaged, and broken computers all the time. If you couldn't get your Macbook Pro repaired because you dropped it, nobody would buy an Apple again.

What Apple is doing is not only foolish but they will very much lose this case in court if it comes to it.

 

[iReality85]

In his defense, Sebastian confirms he is aware of those policies, but his argument is that Apple should still be obligated to repair the iMac Pro if he pays out-of-warranty fees. In the video's comments section, reaction is mixed, with some people agreeing with him and others siding with Apple.

This article could have cut right to the chase if it just started with this paragraph, paragraph seven, which is what the heart of the issue is.

Whether you love Linus or hate him, it does seem kind of ridiculous that Apple won't provide parts for out-of-warranty price, even if the stipulation was that the service had to be done by a 3rd party.

I get the whole "he voided the warranty" thing by doing what he did. But there are always exceptions, and that's what back channels are for. Given Linus' popularity and what he does for a living, I'm surprised he (or his company) didn't already have those kind of channels established with Apple.

 

[sracer]

Step 1) Disassemble an all-in-one iMac Pro so you can make money on YouTube showing a video of your disassembly
Step 2) Break the Power Supply, Display and Logic Board of said iMac Pro in the process of disassembly and reassembly
Step 3) Expect Apple to assume responsibility for future repairs by repairing the iMac Pro you busted as part of operating your business

Next up.... Apple should offer repairs for phones damaged in drop tests.

Linus should chalk it up to the cost of doing business. He broke it. He knew he was breaking just about every policy associated with authorized repairs. He should not expect Apple to try to fix it when they could hardly even give a good estimate on what the final repair would cost -- who knows what else he broke?

When Apple repaired my daughter's iPhone display something went wrong and the phone would randomly crash within minutes of starting up when they gave it back to me. They ran diagnostics on it post-repair and it could not even complete diagnostics without crashing (something it passed perfectly before the screen repair). Apple was able to assume full responsibility for the failure and replaced the entire phone at no additional cost to me (and probably a $100 additional cost to them). They cannot even run diagnostics on Linus' iMac Pro because the power supply and logic board are both busted.

I saw some idiot commenter on YouTube claim that this was why he purchased Samsung products. Hilarious because there isn't a single Android vendor that offers decent customer service for repairs (especially Google or Samsung). Heck, Samsung took people's Galaxy Note 7's for weeks only to replace them with ones that still caught fire.

Based on your comments it doesn't appear that you've watched the video. Nothing personal.. based on many other comments in this thread you are not alone if you haven't seen it.

Apple refused to repair a device that a customer is willing to pay the full repair cost for. Apple also refuses to let anyone else repair the device by limiting access to replacement parts to only certain authorized repair outlets that have a certification that no one currently has.

This is not a case of an unreasonable customer, but of the largest corporation on the planet throwing their weight. But that is Apple. If Linus and any other customer doesn't like these practices, they can vote with their wallet and not buy Apple products in the future. This should be a lesson learned.

Apple didn't do the right thing for me with my 15" Macbook Pro. I won't be buying any more Apple notebooks. The same with the iPhone... my iPhone SE will be my last. In the end it isn't about "making a statement" because as gargantuan as Apple is, they wouldn't notice losing me (or 1000's of people like me) as a customer. It is about being financially prudent and making wise purchasing decisions.

It is hard to muster sympathy for people how have been burned by Apple but continue to purchase their products.

 

[Tech198]

The reason for the disassembly is only used because to backup it up. and probably the expensive machines..

This would be different situation if it was a Macbook Pro for instance.....

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

He says the logic board, power supply and screen are ALL broken in the video. So how did that happen? Likely he did something improper and shorted something out.

Suppose Apple puts a new power supply and logic board in there and whatever shorted things out is elsewhere..... now suppose both replacement parts immediately short out again when the technician powers the iMac Pro on. Does Apple get to charge Linus for the parts that just shorted out because of his tear-down misadventures? Probably not. Does Apple now have to go over the entire iMac Pro, part by part and test each part that was removed to see if that part is the cause of the short circuit? That would be a repair nightmare.

Linus broke this iMac Pro as part of doing his business -- which included doing a tear-down video. It would be like a youtuber doing drop tests to expect Apple to try to fix a screen on an iPhone that was intentionally dropped multiple times until the screen stopped functioning. Who knows what else is busted inside the chassis of the phone?

The only thing Apple *should* maybe do in this case is sell him the 3 parts he is asking for and let him do try to repair it himself. And the price of the parts should be such that building your own iMac Pro from all replacement parts should be far more expensive than buying one off the shelf.

There are tests you can do to isolate faults. These are modular, by design. If it damage does happen due to an unforeseen defect in a part, that's on the testing methodology of the repair place.

So that is a good point. These things being modular, their test methodology can be modular as well. Power supply limits under test load: 12.1-13.4 volts Above/below that, it's bad. Linus, you need to replace that too. no nightmare involved. Also, short circuits are caused by a conductor being where it shouldn't, and that is caused by something, like this one was.

He was offering to pay for it, and Apple refused, and there is speculation on MacRumors' part as to why.

I agree with the first half, and disagree with the second half. I have no idea why replacement parts for a 2018 Honda Accord cost $145,302, but the car itself is $35,000. I still have to take the time to put it together, so the labor cost is not there. For the parts, all they'd have to do is change the coloring on the boards, so that Apple would know if was aftermarket, 3rd party, or came with the machine. Better yet, just have a serial number, and then their database would have it. iMacs and Mac Pros are not loss leaders, and they'll get you with the app store purchases.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

Because Apple repairs dropped, damaged, and broken computers all the time. If you couldn't get your Macbook Pro repaired because you dropped it, nobody would buy an Apple again.

What Apple is doing is not only foolish but they will very much lose this case in court if it comes to it.

No they wouldn't. There's absolutely nothing here that would allow a customer who opened their own machine and damaged it to claim damages against Apple.

 

[beermode]

Boggles my mind how many of you accept these policies.
I can get in my car and grenade the engine and have it towed to my dealer. They will quote me on parts and labor and they will fix it. I'm sure some parts will have to wait for delivery and supplies. But they will fix it.

Some of you accept wholesale mediocrity.

 

[dazz87]

damn the amount of salt in this thread............Are some of you reading it right hes not trying to get a free repair here....... Apple again trying to forcing a customer to purchased a whole new machine again.....

 

[doelcm82]

This is why people shouldn't buy all-in-one computers.

And then tear them apart.

 

[Zimmy68]

Am I the only one bothered by the grammar of the thread title?
Is the "But" really correct?

It is like saying, I wrecked my car, but I drove it into traffic.

Doesn't a "because" make more sense or am I losing it?

 

[roland.g]

Apple will not fix it for money.
Apple will not sell you the individual part you need if you want to fix it yourself.
Apple forbids people who they sell parts to from reselling the needed part to you.
Apple forbids fixing broken parts or refurbishing them to reuse.
Apple has blocked replacement parts from working with later OS/firmware updates.

I feel legislation is needed to fix this.

That mode of thought is a major downfall of our current culture. It is disappointing to see these types of responses.

But really what is worse is MacRumors providing this guy free PR. However, the website that Arnold Kim built has long ago lost much of its integrity.

 

[CarpalMac]

It seems that nobody actually watched the video and understands what the story is...

The main point is that Apple refused to ship the replacement parts to an authorized third-party reseller because working on the iMac Pro requires a special certification that doesn't even exist yet, and it sounds like no repair instructions have been written either. Assuming this is actually true, that's quite unimpressive of Apple to release a product that they themselves don't even know how to fix.

The first (and snarky) comment was posted 2minutes after the article appeared.

The video is over 7 minutes long....

 

[kemal]

Apple will "repair" a water damaged laptop for $50 less than the retail for a new one. It is for those who have budget for repair but not new purchase.

This is all about Apple figuring they had time to get their process set up as any failure would have been covered by exchange under DOA policies.

They'll be able to get it fixed in July.

 

[oneMadRssn]

And you’re wrong. How can you claim to work in automotive and not know that there are countless ways to get around this? Magnusson Moss Warranty Act has specific clauses automotive manufacturers can use to circumvent this.

I never said there aren't ways around it. Of course there are.

In my experience, the dealerships (not the OEMs) make most of their money from service. Both warranty (ie, billed to the OEM) or other (ie, billed to the customer). They'll rarely, if ever, turn down a good profit. Of course, it is also rare that someone walks in and lays down a blank check or a black card to fix a jalopy of a car. So all of this is a hypothetical.

I'm not really sure what your point is? Are you arguing that it is ok and that nothing should be done about Apple taking this two-faced approach, where on the one hand they will gladly refurbish a device internally but they refuse to sell the same parts and tools externally to third-party shops and DIYers?

 

[s15119]

Not sure why this warrants a front page story (no pun intended) the poor sucker destroyed his computer to such a degree no one wants to fix it. This is all on him. Now he's just trying to create more publicity for him and his YT page. Quit making stupid people "famous"

 

[dannyyankou]

I don’t care if he was willing to pay out of warranty, Apple shouldn’t be obligated to fix it. Genius repairs should be from accidental damage only, not from messing around. It’s a waste of time.