I have a 20GB ipod that is a 3G and i noticed the other day that the battery life seems to be getting shorter by the day. I have a 4 year PSP with the ipod, I was wondering if best buy would replace it with a new one or attempt to send it end. when i had a 2G and it went bad they just swapped me out with a new one. the 2G just stopped working.
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returning your ipod to best buy for battery issues
- Thread starter ToddW
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Since the 3G's are discontinued they would have to swap you for a newer one or give you a refund (in which case you'd just but a newer one). Unless they have a ton in the warehouse... but I doubt it.
If they have the same model that you have they will give you that one. But if they are out of that one you will get a newer one. If you really want a new one just send someone in to see if they still have the old ones and then take in your ipod. Oh yeah and don't let them give you a bunch os BS about having to buy a new PSP for it, it will transfer.
SilentPanda said:
I had problems with my 2G iPod just in the year guarantee.. I was hoping for a 3G replacement but were told by Apple that they hold onto the percentage of stock that they think will need replacement... and to my disappointment they replaced it with another 2G. Since the 3G has only just been discontinued, the chances of them replacing it with a 4G are slim to none to be honest...
Don't get your hopes up. They'll only be dashed.
That said, I wonder if you wait a few months whether the 3G stock will be depleted and you'd be able to replace it with a 4G...? How badly does the battery perform? If you can hold out for as long as you can I would guess you would be well rewarded with a 4G.
I bought the cheapest iPod at Best Buy with the 2 year plan hoping the battery stopped working on me. With my luck, it will be fine after 2 years.
I wonder what iPods will do in 2 years or even 4 years. I probably will buy one every few years. I only have the 10 GB model.
I wonder what iPods will do in 2 years or even 4 years. I probably will buy one every few years. I only have the 10 GB model.
Taking it back a step...
So let me get this straight: Folks can purchase their iPod from Best Buy, and purchase their cheesy protection plan, and, even if their iPod is out of warranty, are still covered??!
That's a fantastic way to watch one's behind, isn't it??
How much does the PSP cost and what exactly does it cover?
Thanks for letting me go a bit backwards in the conversation.
N.
So let me get this straight: Folks can purchase their iPod from Best Buy, and purchase their cheesy protection plan, and, even if their iPod is out of warranty, are still covered??!
That's a fantastic way to watch one's behind, isn't it??
How much does the PSP cost and what exactly does it cover?
Thanks for letting me go a bit backwards in the conversation.
N.
noahsnyc said:
That's pretty much it. They also boast (as a selling point) that if you have to return it in 3 years or whatever that you get the current model, not an exact replacement. That's great for digital cameras and things that will be pretty useless in 4 years because the technology advances so much. The catch is that something has to go wrong. In the case of an iPod I imagine you can bet the battery will go out in 4 years. You can certainly *make* it go out in under 4 years.
I don't advocate scamming stores, but you shouldn't take crap either. Best Buy refers (publically no less) to customers who only buy things on sale or who ask for help and then don't buy anything as "demon customers." Best Buy is looking into how to discourage this type of activity. I just call those people "customers" and they behave exactly as I expect. Disrespect is a 2 way street, so taking profits from Best Buy (not as in stealing a cash drawer, but cutting into profits in legitimate ways) seems a fitting punishment. Not shopping there at all would be even better, but seeing as how you already have you should make sure they have to pay up on their warranty. Use your iPod and enjoy it, then get a new one when the battery dies. Whatever you do, don't lose the receipt.
Horrortaxi said:
Well, to be quite frank, I don't see anything even remotely dishonest about the whole thing. In fact, it just looks like a small loop hole in the company's policy of selling these "extended warranties".
These PSPs that they sell are basically insurance plans. They're betting that you won't use them. Most electronics don't have too many problems. Most DVD players work for years, as do TVs and stereos. They're durable goods. Now, applying that same principal to a new technology like the iPod, a technology that has proven to have specific issues outside of manufactuer's warranty, is genius on the part of the consumer. If Best Buy was smart, they wouldn't sell a PSP with the iPod, knowing that most iPods do eventually have some sort of issue that they can't fix on site. They have to replace it. Not to mention, the kind of folks who buy an iPod and the PSP probably have enough sense to "keep the reciept".
Word.
N.
I worked at Best Buy for a good five years. They offer two different plans: a replacement plan (on gadgets under $200) and a service plan (on high-ticket items). When you buy an iPod from Best Buy (as I did just a few days ago) you are offered a $59.00, 4-year service plan.
If you bring an item in to Best Buy to be serviced under the plan, they check for a "devo" flag (ie. will the manufacturer take the product back) in their product database. Each manufacturer decides whether their products can be devoed or not. If your broken item can be devoed, Best Buy will exchange it for a new (comparatively priced) one, on the spot. If your broken item cannot be devoed, they will either attempt to repair the item in-house, or they will send it to their regional service center for repair.
They also have a No-Lemon rule that states if you have to have the exact same repair work done three times on the item, then they will replace the item.
With the iPods, Best Buy will swap the battery out for you, as the specialist there told me last week. Believe it or not, some of the techs at the service centers are Apple Certified.
If you bring an item in to Best Buy to be serviced under the plan, they check for a "devo" flag (ie. will the manufacturer take the product back) in their product database. Each manufacturer decides whether their products can be devoed or not. If your broken item can be devoed, Best Buy will exchange it for a new (comparatively priced) one, on the spot. If your broken item cannot be devoed, they will either attempt to repair the item in-house, or they will send it to their regional service center for repair.
They also have a No-Lemon rule that states if you have to have the exact same repair work done three times on the item, then they will replace the item.
With the iPods, Best Buy will swap the battery out for you, as the specialist there told me last week. Believe it or not, some of the techs at the service centers are Apple Certified.
Thats wrong. If they are apple certified, they can do repairs on desktops and if they are level II then laptops. There is no out-sourced repair of iPods authorized by apple. Its all in house. If would deffinitly void any apple warrenty on it if Best Buy did this, then apple would revoke their authorized ipod dealer status, because apple is like that.SleazyBreezy said:
I worked there as well and its not wrong. Some are apple certified. Its not a requirement but its something that they have in their arsenal of abilities.
I didn't say they wern't. I said they aren't authorized by Apple to do anything with iPods. I am dead right about that. Only in house techs are in Cali. There is no iPod Tech cert aviable to anyone out of in house apple service. They ise special partitioned HDs, you can't get them. They use special batteries, you can only get knock-offs. Bottom line, whatever they fix on iPods isn't apple authorized, and if Apple knew you would loose authorization.frequeniquity said:
I worked at Best Buy too. We used to get service plans for like 80% off...glad I got one one my digital camera because I dropped it 2 years after I bought that and the service plan, it was a 3 megapizel digital camera that I paid like $400 for. They gave me $400 towards a new Digital Rebel because they no longer supported or sold the model I had...service plans are good if you know how to use them. Granted I hated selling them, but I would definitely buy one on an iPod because most Best Buy guys are so dumb they will just give you a new one not knowing the difference.
I had a Best Buy service plan on my old laptop. It took me about 9 repairs (5 service visits) before I was "allowed" to get a new laptop about a month ago.
Here are a few things I learned in that process. The PSP may be a little different for iPods, but since they're both Best Buy PSPs, I doubt there's a whole lot of differences.
They will NOT give you a refund. There's nothing in the PSP that says they will give you a refund, and trust me, they are sticklers to the terminology in the PSP.
For the laptop PSP, it will NOT transfer. I doubt they let the iPod PSP transfer, because then you'd have one guy getting free iPods for the rest of his life.
As a matter of fact, in the laptop PSP, it explicitly states that you would need to buy a new PSP if you want one on your replacement laptop.
Kinda. On the fourth repair, they consider replacing it. However, this isn't a set rule. They don't have to replace it on the fourth time. Also, they don't count the number of problems, they count the number of times you bring it in. Example: if you have two problems, and you mention them on the same visit, that counts as ONE repair.
Yes, you can conveniently not mention a problem, but it's harder than that. When I took my laptop in for a touchpad problem, they replaced a ton of other little problems too ... like my hard drive! Ugh.
Also, in my experience, it wasn't the exact same problem. As a matter of fact, I think it requires DIFFERENT problems to apply toward the replacement policy.
Anyway, this is my experience with my LAPTOP PSP, so if anything I've said differs from the iPod's PSP, don't attack me
Here are a few things I learned in that process. The PSP may be a little different for iPods, but since they're both Best Buy PSPs, I doubt there's a whole lot of differences.
They will NOT give you a refund. There's nothing in the PSP that says they will give you a refund, and trust me, they are sticklers to the terminology in the PSP.
For the laptop PSP, it will NOT transfer. I doubt they let the iPod PSP transfer, because then you'd have one guy getting free iPods for the rest of his life.
As a matter of fact, in the laptop PSP, it explicitly states that you would need to buy a new PSP if you want one on your replacement laptop.
Kinda. On the fourth repair, they consider replacing it. However, this isn't a set rule. They don't have to replace it on the fourth time. Also, they don't count the number of problems, they count the number of times you bring it in. Example: if you have two problems, and you mention them on the same visit, that counts as ONE repair.
Yes, you can conveniently not mention a problem, but it's harder than that. When I took my laptop in for a touchpad problem, they replaced a ton of other little problems too ... like my hard drive! Ugh.
Also, in my experience, it wasn't the exact same problem. As a matter of fact, I think it requires DIFFERENT problems to apply toward the replacement policy.
Anyway, this is my experience with my LAPTOP PSP, so if anything I've said differs from the iPod's PSP, don't attack me
Whenever I took my broken 2G iPod in to Best Buy with my service plan, they took the iPod, looked at it for a few minutes, called some other guy over, he put his glasses on, looked at it for a few more minutes, and then they gave me a brand new 3G iPod and my service plan transferred to the new iPod.
I plan to wait just before 4 years is up, and then go in and do it again and get whatever the latest iPod out is. That'll be 3 iPods for $540.
I plan to wait just before 4 years is up, and then go in and do it again and get whatever the latest iPod out is. That'll be 3 iPods for $540.
Hello,
First post here... looks like a great forum! I have a question, if anyone can speak to from experience, that would be great.
My 2G iPod just crapped out on me (Apple logo is stuck on the screen, you can hear the HD whirring. It won't turn off, reset, or show anything when the charger is plugged in.) I have the Best Buy warranty on it, from December 2002. iPod cost $499 for the 20gb 2G model at the time.
I took it into the local Best Buy today. Now, the last time I used one of their ext. warranty plans, it was for my Palm, and worked great--I brought it in, they looked at it, and gave me a new one of my choice. But today, they told me they'd send the iPod to the repair center, and not to expect to hear from them for 3 weeks. They took the iPod, and left all the accessories and packaging with me. I was a bit surprised, I expected they were going to just exchange it for a shiny new 40gb 4G model with a $100 credit for the price difference.
Does anyone here know if they replace them once the serice center signs off on it, or do they actually attempt to repair them? The guy at the store told me they won't do a replacement, but based on my past experience, I find that hard to believe. Anyone else been in a similar situation and had them send you a new one?
Thanks,
-Mark
First post here... looks like a great forum! I have a question, if anyone can speak to from experience, that would be great.
My 2G iPod just crapped out on me (Apple logo is stuck on the screen, you can hear the HD whirring. It won't turn off, reset, or show anything when the charger is plugged in.) I have the Best Buy warranty on it, from December 2002. iPod cost $499 for the 20gb 2G model at the time.
I took it into the local Best Buy today. Now, the last time I used one of their ext. warranty plans, it was for my Palm, and worked great--I brought it in, they looked at it, and gave me a new one of my choice. But today, they told me they'd send the iPod to the repair center, and not to expect to hear from them for 3 weeks. They took the iPod, and left all the accessories and packaging with me. I was a bit surprised, I expected they were going to just exchange it for a shiny new 40gb 4G model with a $100 credit for the price difference.
Does anyone here know if they replace them once the serice center signs off on it, or do they actually attempt to repair them? The guy at the store told me they won't do a replacement, but based on my past experience, I find that hard to believe. Anyone else been in a similar situation and had them send you a new one?
Thanks,
-Mark
one.7 said:
Well it all depends on how far their service center is. To my understanding, they send the ipod off (know matter what generation it is) to the nearest service center. The first time i sent the ipod off i forgot to mention the hold switch wasn't working properly. At first they did a restore and it was fixed, when i went to go and pick it up i noticed the hold switch was broken. they sent it back and told me to come and pick up a new a few days later. my service center was pretty near by so the turnaround was only a couple of days. i would give it i chance to get to the service center, then call your best buy everyday to see what the status is. my guess is that you will probably get a new ipod, if something is seriously wrong with it. be sure to read over you psp very carefully, and know that yours will transfer to your new ipod, if they replace it. remember those guys who work at best buy don't know jack, so make sure you have your facts straight. i had this one punk try and jack me out of getting the 40GB and tell me i had to get a 20GB, plus a new service plan. i told that little punk <edit> mother <edit> to take his punk <edit> out of here and take his chin hair with him, before i really embarass him in front of everyone. it was pretty funny, everyone was laughing. it was a good moment. best buy, what i <edit> joke.