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

railerswim said:
Ok fine, lets say you bought a brand new car, but you didn't like the stereo, or you changed the oil filter, or you swapped out tires. So then the dealership/manufacturer are like apple and say well because you swapped out some stuff that wasn't stock, we won't service the vehicle even at a cost?

Think about it. Yeah they could buy another one, but why can't us customer's simply buy a part from Apple to fix this? Linus could fix it, easily! But they can't get the part.
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A better analogy is i buy a car, take out the ECU, break something reinstalling it and when I fire up the engine it doesn't run properly. A dealership could rightly refuse to fix it since there is no way of knowing what damage was done beyond the ECU.
 
Jurihan said:
No lmao but it came down to my word vs theirs and what if they said I tampered with it and voided my whole warranty? They did at least offer to fix it at a cost of $200 tho.... witch as I said after a back and forth they fixed it for free
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Right. But this story is about a person who intentionally disassembled his iMac Pro, a sealed device, and damaged the computer. No company would take that repair on, as they'd have to warrant the repairs and that is far too risky.

That's why companies will not handle situations like that. If he had damaged his display while the computer was not disassembled, -and had not disassembled it- no problem. He'd simply have to pay for repairs.
 
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citysnaps said:
Is that Lenovo a laptop, or other "sealed" computer - similar to the iMac Pro, which this story is about?

Or is it one where users are expected to open the case from time to time to install/replace cards?

Huge difference.

How about your mobile phone? Could you disassemble it, damage one of the modules, send the modules back in a box, and expect to get the factory to repair the device for a repair fee - inside or outside of warranty? And expect the repairs to be warranted for 90 days?
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Yes. I did once before and it was Motorla phone. I did not take apart, but I have unlocked the bootloader and flashed with customer ROM. The was brocked and no longer boot. They changed the logic board for me and I paid the piece for the logic board.
 
I fail to see the animosity towards someone who wants to have their computer fixed at their own expense.
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citysnaps said:
Right. But this story is about a person who intentionally disassembled his iMac Pro, a sealed device, and damaged the computer. No company would take that repair on, as they'd have to warrant the repairs and that is far too risky.

That's why companies will not handle situations like that. If he had damaged his display while the computer was not disassembled, -and had not disassembled it- no problem. He'd simply have to pay for repairs.
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If Apple properly repairs it there shouldn't be anything to be concerned with.
 
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LovingTeddy said:
Yes. I did once before and it was Motorla phone. I did not take apart, but I have unlocked the bootloader and flashed with customer ROM. The was brocked and no longer boot. They changed the logic board for me and I paid the piece for the logic board.
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Of course. If you had opened it up and disassembled the modules, the factory would not have helped you.

Repairing a device that was intentionally opened and disassembled, as in the case of this story, would not be repaired. No company would take on warranting the repair.
 
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MacRumors said:



Linus Sebastian, who runs the popular YouTube channel Linus Tech Tips, recently shared a video in which he claimed Apple and an Apple Authorized Service Provider denied to service his damaged iMac Pro.

linus-imac-pro-800x448.jpg

For background, Sebastian and his team fully disassembled the iMac Pro in January for their video review, which shows components like the main logic board and memory modules laid out individually. The real-time footage of the damage occurring in the new video appears to be a reenactment with visual effects.

The damage resulted when they dropped the display while attempting to reattach it to the aluminum chassis. Towards the end of the video, Sebastian also says the iMac Pro requires a new logic board and power supply unit, suggesting there may have been a short circuit that caused damage to internal components as well.


Sebastian contacted Apple to inquire about repair options, and visited the Genius Bar at an Apple Store, but the company ultimately declined to service the iMac Pro. In an email, an Apple support advisor placed blame on limited availability of replacement parts, but the actual reason is likely rooted in policy.

As has long been the case, Apple's terms and conditions for repairs stipulates that the company will not service products that have failed due to "unauthorized modification," including "faulty installation, repair, or maintenance by anyone other than Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider."

Apple's limited one-year warranty is also void if a product has "damage caused by service, including upgrades and expansions, performed by anyone who is not a representative of Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider."

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.

iMac Pro is a non-user-upgradeable, all-in-one workstation by design, so it's easy to see why Apple may not be interested in servicing one that was fully disassembled. While the team at Linus Tech Tips may be more tech savvy than some, a lot can go wrong when an average customer tampers with internals.

After the repair was declined by Apple, Sebastian and his team contacted an Apple Authorized Service Provider in Canada, where they are located. The repair shop also declined the repair, but their reason was allegedly that Apple has yet to offer the required certification courses to service the iMac Pro.

However, Apple's internal iMac Pro Service Readiness Guide obtained by MacRumors states that ATLAS online training and learning resources for servicing the iMac Pro have been available in English since December. We also spoke to multiple sources who completed the course and received certification months ago.

The guide adds that iMac Pro service parts availability began in early to mid January, with replacement logic boards, flash storage, and memory available by late February. Multiple sources at Apple Authorized Service Providers also confirmed that iMac Pro displays are available with two-week-or-less delivery estimates.

MacRumors contacted a reliable source who confirmed that Apple Authorized Service Providers are permitted to deny service for any product that has been opened or modified by a customer, regardless of warranty, both for safety reasons and to avoid responsibility if the machine cannot be fixed.

In the end, Apple has to draw a line somewhere, and not everyone will agree with it. MacRumors contacted Apple, but a spokesperson declined to comment. We've also contacted Linus Tech Tips for comment.

Article Link: Popular YouTuber Says Apple Won't Fix His iMac Pro Damaged While Disassembled
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He knew the rules. He broke it. I side with Apple. I have upgraded a lot of my Macs over the years but if I had broken one I would not have demanded that Apple repair it.
 
citysnaps said:
Right. But this story is about a person who intentionally disassembled his iMac Pro, a sealed device, and damaged the computer. No company would take that repair on, as they'd have to warrant the repairs and that is far too risky.

That's why companies will not handle situations like that. If he had damaged his display while the computer was not disassembled, -and had not disassembled it- no problem. He'd simply have to pay for repairs.
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That is essentially where I'm at with this. I'm still looking with a side eye tho...

Apple has fixed my Mac several times previously at no charge. However, I didn't deliberately destroy it for clicks.
 
pl1984 said:
I fail to see the animosity towards someone who wants to have their computer fixed at their own expense.
[doublepost=1524098092][/doublepost]If Apple properly repairs it there shouldn't be anything to be concerned with.
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Apple, or any company, will not take on the responsibility for a repair that needs to be warrantied on a device that's not meant to be opened by the user.
 
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citysnaps said:
Apple, or any company, will not take on the responsibility for a repair that needs to be warrantied on a device that's not meant to be opened by the user.
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Why not? Are they not willing to stand behind their repair?
 
bsolar said:
Currently I think none, but that's the point. As far as I understand there are 17 states which are currently discussing introducing "right to repair" laws which would require device makers to provide tools, parts and service/repair manuals to third parties.
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Unless they find a way to cap costs it's very easy to make them available but so expensive it's not worth it.
 
AdonisSMU said:
That is essentially where I'm at with this. I'm still looking with a side eye tho...

Apple has fixed my Mac several times previously at no charge. However, I didn't deliberately destroy it for clicks.
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Did he intentionally destroy it for clicks?
 
pl1984 said:
What's risky about it? Is their repair work subpar that they're unwilling to stand behind it?
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Nope. Not subpar at all. As I said above, there may be undetectable ESD degradation due to user carelessness. No company will take that on. Too risky.

If you're going to open a sealed computer not intended for user opening, you're on your own.

If that's something you want to do, and is important to you, you should first find a manufacturer who will not have a problem with that. Good luck!
 
Apple create products that can’t be repaired so they can sell you a new one
 
Apple should be willing to replace the entire Mac for the cost of the repair if they can't produce a replacement part. I know some people in the past have tried to take advantage of this as essentially a low-cost trade-up, but considering the iMac Pro in the video is still a current model, it's simply inexcusable to tell someone who just spent thousands that they're now stuck with an unusable Mac, if they're willing to pay the out-of-warrenty repair fee due to the risk they assumed when opening it up themselves.
 
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citysnaps said:
Nope. Not subpar at all. As I said above, there may be undetectable ESD degradation due to user carelessness. No company will take that on. Too risky.

If you're going to open a sealed computer not intended for user opening, you're on your own.
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Apparently it is if they're unwilling to stand behind their repair. The excuse of ESD is a red herring. It either works when it leaves the shop or it doesn't.
 
I would assume this is an Apple policy, the risk of additional undocumented damage is VERY likely with machines like the iMac Pro. Say what you want about the design and repairability of the iMac Pro, it is what it is. If it is a low end model it is likely that Apple is "saying" that repairing it is not cost effective and the user is better off replacing. An apple out of warranty repair on an iMac pro that potentially needs a logic board, display, SSDs (because they are married to the T2 chip with encryption) the process of repairing the unit is likely just not cost effective.
 
I’m with Apple on this one. He’s an idiot, and if a part failed as a result of his tampering when putting it all back together, how do you know if it was a faulty replacement part or the fault of this clown and all of his tampering. The parts are for authorized repair centers because they can warrant their work. Just because he wants the parts doesn’t mean Apple should be obligated to provide. We don’t walk into an Apple (or Microsoft) Store and see parts bins for us to purchase individual components. That is the industry standard. He chose to violate his purchase agreement - his problem.
 
pl1984 said:
Did he intentionally destroy it for clicks?
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Yes he did. He took apart a device that wasn't meant to be taken apart by the end user and knowingly broke a million things in the process. It's likely that he doesn't even know the extent of the damage he caused.
 
HiRez said:
I'm going to be mad if Apple caves and gives this entitled douchenozzle a new computer because there's no way any "normal" person who did this would get one.
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He's not asking for a new computer. He's not asking that Apple repair it under warranty. He's merely asking Apple to repair it at his expense. Seems more than reasonable to me.
 
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