the exchange cycle has begun

[spiderman0616]

While I vowed not to do this with my iPad 2, it's begun. I think Apple is truly incapable of giving me an iPad without crap under the screen.

My first iPad had very little light bleed, no dead pixels, no scratches. Over a period of about 2 or 3 weeks, it started accumulating a lot of dust under the screen.

The Apple store replaced this iPad with one that appeared perfect at first. There was again almost zero light bleed, no dead pixels. A few days after I got it, I was doing the daily screen wipedown and noticed some stuff that would not wipe off--it was a dime sized area under the screen where it looked like some water specks dried and left a grayish white residue. This wasn't always visible, but when it was visible, it was bothersome. This iPad ended up with 3 dead pixels.

I returned last night and got another one. Back is perfect, glass is perfect, no dead pixels. There is one single solitary speck of white dust under the screen. It's pretty easy to see when the screen is off. Not visible when it's on. I'm kicking myself for not noticing it at the store.

I'm pretty annoyed, but am going to try to stick with this one. One speck of dust is better than three dead pixels any day.

 

[tstarks33]

Sounds like terrible Apple quality control.

 

[spiderman0616]

Sounds like terrible Apple quality control.

It is. I don't get it.

As far as the usage of Apple's products in general--I love them. I love using my iPad, I love using my iPhone. Both terrific products.

Cosmetically, they are just not capable of shipping a perfect product anymore. I am not going back to the Apple store anymore for crap like this. It's a waste of time and energy and in the end is absolutely futile anyway.

 

[interwebs]

The main thing I find annoying about dust under the glass is that, if it's a big enough speck, it ends up looking sort of like a dead subpixel (or pixel outright) but maybe a bit fainter. Not noticeable at first, and then you see it and it can't be unseen. Also seems like the units that have dust under the glass at first go on to have even more later on.

Anyway, good luck with the new one!

 

[spiderman0616]

The main thing I find annoying about dust under the glass is that, if it's a big enough speck, it ends up looking sort of like a dead subpixel (or pixel outright) but maybe a bit fainter. Not noticeable at first, and then you see it and it can't be unseen. Also seems like the units that have dust under the glass at first go on to have even more later on.

Anyway, good luck with the new one!

I'm going to keep this one and watch very carefully for more. If it stays the way it is, then I'm cool. If it accumulates more (like my first one did) I will probably call Apple Care instead of going to the store. I'm not driving back and forth anymore.

 

[NXTMIKE]

I know what you mean OP. When I bought my i5 27" iMac back on Black Friday in November '10, I exchanged it three times before settling for a somewhat better iMac.

But I even had it worse as I had to lug a 27" iMac to and fro a total of four times (including initial purchase).

Initial purchase: yellow tinge going top to bottom on screen, no other issues. (assembled in the US)

First Exchange: yellow tinge going left to right on screen, no other issues. (assembled in the US)

Second Exchange: no yellow tinge, big 4 inch finger print/smear on inside of glass. Before returning it completely, they offered to take off the entire glass pane and try to wipe it away, which they managed to do, but let in a bunch of dust and smeared the glass in other places (when watching movies and looking at dark photos or blacks, you can definitely recognize the smears). Apple Store employees said that this would be the last time that they'd exchange it. Sorry, not my fault your quality sucks. (assembled in China)

Third Exchange: Went to a different store (Square One store in Mississauga, On) and service was much better. They brought out another iMac like all other exchanges, but this one was in a better state. No visible streaks/finger prints, minimal to 0% yellow tinge, build quality was good. Decided to keep to this 80-90% perfect display instead of all the previous 50% machines. They were even shocked to hear about the negative service at the other store I went to. (assembled in China)

All in all I wasted a lot of precious time towards a busy time of the year for me, and a total of 4 iMacs rested upon my desk at some point or another within a time span of 1 and a half weeks. Step it up quality control.

I don't expect 100% perfection, but as a graphic designer who relies on a top quality display with no imperfections, these issues were unacceptable, even though the Geniuses constantly made me feel like I was the one hallucinating.

 

[spiderman0616]

Ugh---

I thought I would try living with my third iPad 2 for a week now. This chunk of white dust under the screen is driving me bonkers. I knew this would happen if I started this vicious cycle again.

Just in case anyone is interested, I talked to AppleCare today on the phone, and they said that it is not within spec for any dust to ever be under the screen. They advised that I take it in for an exchange if it is bothering me.

I have made an Apple Store appointment for tonight, and I hate that I'm doing this again. My wife thinks I'm OCD for wanting to go exchange this thing again, but she is not the one using it and is not the one who anxiously awaited its arrival while it was on backorder for 6 weeks.

The whole situation blows. I love my Apple stuff, but this is two gadgets in a row now (iphone 4, ipad 2) where I've had to do this over and over and over again. Why can't they just give me a flawless device out of the box the first time? I don't see how a new OR a refurb item should have dust, smudges, or residue stuck to the underside of the glass.

 

[njsa04playa]

Ugh---

I thought I would try living with my third iPad 2 for a week now. This chunk of white dust under the screen is driving me bonkers. I knew this would happen if I started this vicious cycle again.

Just in case anyone is interested, I talked to AppleCare today on the phone, and they said that it is not within spec for any dust to ever be under the screen. They advised that I take it in for an exchange if it is bothering me.

I have made an Apple Store appointment for tonight, and I hate that I'm doing this again. My wife thinks I'm OCD for wanting to go exchange this thing again, but she is not the one using it and is not the one who anxiously awaited its arrival while it was on backorder for 6 weeks.

The whole situation blows. I love my Apple stuff, but this is two gadgets in a row now (iphone 4, ipad 2) where I've had to do this over and over and over again. Why can't they just give me a flawless device out of the box the first time? I don't see how a new OR a refurb item should have dust, smudges, or residue stuck to the underside of the glass.

I see where your coming from, if you dont like it why not ask for a refund and get a competing tablet? then after you experience that you will most probably go back and settle for a speck of dust

 

[spiderman0616]

I see where your coming from, if you dont like it why not ask for a refund and get a competing tablet? then after you experience that you will most probably go back and settle for a speck of dust

nah--I'm incredibly hooked on my iPad and have way too much money sunk into apps and music.

Common sense is telling me that if I've gotten 3 iPads in a row with junk under the screen, I'll probably have the same problem with a 4th. My OCD is telling me, take this thing back. Everyone I've shown the dust to has said that it wouldn't bother them since it's one piece of dust that you can't see when the screen is on.

I'm fighting the urge. This iPad has zero dead pixels and no other cosmetic issues anywhere. I might have a real issue with it later, so maybe I'll just hold on for awhile and see if I can get myself at peace with this one.

Don't get me wrong, when I sit down with it and turn it on, I have a blast with it, and I forget all about the stupid little piece of dust.

 

[spiderman0616]

Update:

Took my iPad in tonight and had a very strange experience. They are definitely trained to play dumb in these Apple stores.

I showed the guy my iPad--I even brought my microfiber cloth with me to show him that once you wipe off any dust on the screen, there is a pretty large glaring chunk of something that won't wipe away because it's UNDER the screen.

He wiped off the screen himself and saw the spot right away. He turned the screen on to see if it was a dead pixel (I'm not sure why he would think that if the screen was off when he first saw the problem). He flipped it from the home screen to the search screen a few times, scratched at the spot with a fingernail, and then said, "Huh.......that is SO weird." He was trying to act like he was astonished that the spot wouldn't just simply wipe off, as if I hadn't tried that before.

He then asked me if I worked in a dusty environment. I said that I didn't--I work in an office at a computer all day, not on a construction site or anything. He then said something along the lines of, "It is just so weird that you keep having these same screen issues." It's hard to convey his tone when I'm typing it out, but he was basically trying to imply that this stuff was being caused by ME.

He then took my iPad back to his manager to see what they could do about the problem. He came back out with a refurb unit and informed me that they would exchange one last time, but they couldn't keep exchanging for every nitpicky little thing. He insisted that I inspect the iPad thoroughly before taking it home, which I did with a fine toothed comb. Screen looks good, no trapped dust, no dead pixels, no cosmetic issues. So I thought........

Now I've gotten the iPad home and noticed there is a small scratch about an inch long on the front in the black bezel area. I'm pretty sure I have no recourse for this. I was asked to inspect it in the store before I leave with it. There is no way I could prove to Apple that I didn't scratch this myself after I got it home, and there is no way they're going to accomodate me anymore for this kind of stuff.

Basically, I've done what I vowed not to do: get into the return cycle and end up in really no better position than I was before. No, there are no dead pixels or dust flecks under the screen, but now I'm stuck with this scratch that I'm always going to gravitate toward with my eyes every time I use my iPad.

I'm going to think long and hard before I buy another Apple product--I'm pretty hooked into the ecosystem and everything, but I am sick of getting stuff in sub par condition.

 

[LanEvo]

Update:

Took my iPad in tonight and had a very strange experience. They are definitely trained to play dumb in these Apple stores.

I showed the guy my iPad--I even brought my microfiber cloth with me to show him that once you wipe off any dust on the screen, there is a pretty large glaring chunk of something that won't wipe away because it's UNDER the screen.

He wiped off the screen himself and saw the spot right away. He turned the screen on to see if it was a dead pixel (I'm not sure why he would think that if the screen was off when he first saw the problem). He flipped it from the home screen to the search screen a few times, scratched at the spot with a fingernail, and then said, "Huh.......that is SO weird." He was trying to act like he was astonished that the spot wouldn't just simply wipe off, as if I hadn't tried that before.

He then asked me if I worked in a dusty environment. I said that I didn't--I work in an office at a computer all day, not on a construction site or anything. He then said something along the lines of, "It is just so weird that you keep having these same screen issues." It's hard to convey his tone when I'm typing it out, but he was basically trying to imply that this stuff was being caused by ME.

He then took my iPad back to his manager to see what they could do about the problem. He came back out with a refurb unit and informed me that they would exchange one last time, but they couldn't keep exchanging for every nitpicky little thing. He insisted that I inspect the iPad thoroughly before taking it home, which I did with a fine toothed comb. Screen looks good, no trapped dust, no dead pixels, no cosmetic issues. So I thought........

Now I've gotten the iPad home and noticed there is a small scratch about an inch long on the front in the black bezel area. I'm pretty sure I have no recourse for this. I was asked to inspect it in the store before I leave with it. There is no way I could prove to Apple that I didn't scratch this myself after I got it home, and there is no way they're going to accomodate me anymore for this kind of stuff.

Basically, I've done what I vowed not to do: get into the return cycle and end up in really no better position than I was before. No, there are no dead pixels or dust flecks under the screen, but now I'm stuck with this scratch that I'm always going to gravitate toward with my eyes every time I use my iPad.

I'm going to think long and hard before I buy another Apple product--I'm pretty hooked into the ecosystem and everything, but I am sick of getting stuff in sub par condition.

Go to a different Apple store, the one at yours sound like douches, the one I go to do not have anything like that, I had basically very minimal light bleed on one of my past iPads and it just bothered me, took it in, they exchanged it on spot. Paying this much for a device, I expect perfect service for this product. If anything, call corporate and report the store.

 

[Jmouse]

Get a refund and start your cycle again.

 

[palpatine]

I don't quite understand. It seems that you bought a new iPad and they gave you a refurb. I hope you got some kind of rebate with it. I am quite bothered by this if you did not.

As for the scratch, it obviously wasn't on there at the store when you inspected it, and now it is, so somewhere along the way you got it there. I don't know how. It's on the bezel, though, so it doesn't really matter.

I'd get a case for it and call it a day, because if you try to exchange a damaged refurb one for a new one at another store, especially with your record, I think you'll find it to be pretty difficult.

Look at it this way--you got a perfect iPad! Your screen no longer has any issues

 

[iPadGuy]

My iPad works fine

I have had my iPad for over a year now and the only problems I've noticed are a tiny bit of light bleeding, 1 little scratch from a friend, and a little piece of dust that I rarely notice is there.

 

[spiderman0616]

I don't quite understand. It seems that you bought a new iPad and they gave you a refurb. I hope you got some kind of rebate with it. I am quite bothered by this if you did not.

As for the scratch, it obviously wasn't on there at the store when you inspected it, and now it is, so somewhere along the way you got it there. I don't know how. It's on the bezel, though, so it doesn't really matter.

I'd get a case for it and call it a day, because if you try to exchange a damaged refurb one for a new one at another store, especially with your record, I think you'll find it to be pretty difficult.

Look at it this way--you got a perfect iPad! Your screen no longer has any issues

I definitely did not put the scratch there--the lighting just wasn't right in the store to see the scratch.

But I am more calm this morning. You can only see the mark in direct light at specific angles. It's better than a big white chunk of dust in the screen or multiple dead pixels. I'm still pissed but this is the iPad I'm now stuck with.

 

[spiderman0616]

Btw, I have now discovered a stuck blue pixel. Awesome.

 

[palpatine]

Btw, I have now discovered a stuck blue pixel. Awesome.

lol. well, if you couldn't see it in the store, and you could see it at home, then how do you know you didn't put it there? perhaps it is a quantum scratch that was both there and not there until you made the decision to buy it, in which case it settled on "there." cool.

as for the stuck blue pixel, there is your excuse to take it back! this one you definitely did not, and could not have caused.

by the way, when are you going to send us pictures? you need to be documenting this.

 

[spiderman0616]

lol. well, if you couldn't see it in the store, and you could see it at home, then how do you know you didn't put it there? perhaps it is a quantum scratch that was both there and not there until you made the decision to buy it, in which case it settled on "there." cool.

as for the stuck blue pixel, there is your excuse to take it back! this one you definitely did not, and could not have caused.

by the way, when are you going to send us pictures? you need to be documenting this.

I actually did try getting some shots of the scratch last night, but all I get is a reflection of me taking a picture. I don't seem to have a camera with a macro mode good enough to get these details, which means I'll probably not have much luck taking a shot of the stuck pixel.

BTW: As soon as I got the iPad last night, it went in the case and didn't leave it until I got home. I'm 100% positive I did not scratch this iPad, though in Apple's eyes there is no way they'll take this thing back for that reason now that I've taken it home.

I also remembered a detail I left out last night. After the guy handed me my iPad to inspect, I noticed what looked like a scuff on the back of the iPad. I showed it to him and he immediately said, "Well, we can't keep returning these for every nitpicky little reason." In other words, even if you do find something wrong with this one, we're not going to sit here and keep swapping until you're happy.

Definitely calling AppleCare tomorrow. They need to take care of me on this.

I am so insanely frustrated by this whole situation. I truly believe that Apple just takes these returns and puts them right back in a box and sells them again. Oh, you have a stuck pixel? Here's a "new" iPad for you (that was returned by someone who scratched their screen and we exchanged for them).

I may try to get a manager at AppleCare on the phone tomorrow night and see if they'll do anything for me. I just find this situation to be unacceptable.

 

[jsh1120]

Buddy, I'm sorry for your experience.Perhaps the iPad gods have decided you deserve bad luck. It happens to some consumers with some products. (I have a heat pump in my house that hasn't really worked well since I bought it for $10K six years ago, yet other customers have no such problems. But that's another story.) On the other hand, I have to say that your story sounds like one reason that "working retail" can be a challenge.

As I reconstruct your story you had an iPad with dust under the screen. OK, it happens. Manufacturing does not produce perfect products every time. The notion that Apple should be able to provide you with a "flawless device the first time" is, I'm afraid, true only in manufacturing heaven, not in the flawed reality in which we all reside.

Then you got a second iPad that had a dime-sized area of "gray white residue" that "wasn't always visible." Uh, OK. So back again. You got a third iPad with a "single speck" that was visible only when the screen was turned off. Do you use your iPad with the screen turned off very often? If you're staring at your iPad with a black screen on a regular basis I'd suggest considering rethinking your use of time.

Now you have a refurb unit with a scratch on the bezel you didn't see when you examined the unit closely at the store. You believe the lighting wasn't right in the store so you can see it only at home.

Do you see a pattern here? Can you understand why the folks at the Apple store might be skeptical? Don't get me wrong, I'm no Apple fanboy/apologist. You are undoubtedly correct that some "refurb" units are evaluated with no problems found and simply put into boxes for resale. What would you expect Apple to do? Throw them into landfills?

Folks who "work retail" come to understand that some customers cannot be satisfied. And consumers who believe that something is wrong with every product they purchase yet return time after time to purchase products from the same manufacturer may have issues other than product quality.

If you're not satisfied with a product, take it back and get your money or live with the annoyance in return for the benefits you derive from the product.

Frankly, I think you should listen to your wife.

 

[Kingcodez]

Wow I guess I'm lucky, over the years I've had over 10 iOS devices and 5 MacBooks, no issues what so ever. I was very afraid of a bad screen when I bought my MBP back in '09, I opened it in the store and inspected it lol.

 

[greytmom]

While I vowed not to do this with my iPad 2, it's begun. I think Apple is truly incapable of giving me an iPad without crap under the screen.

My first iPad had very little light bleed, no dead pixels, no scratches. Over a period of about 2 or 3 weeks, it started accumulating a lot of dust under the screen.

The Apple store replaced this iPad with one that appeared perfect at first. There was again almost zero light bleed, no dead pixels. A few days after I got it, I was doing the daily screen wipedown and noticed some stuff that would not wipe off--it was a dime sized area under the screen where it looked like some water specks dried and left a grayish white residue. This wasn't always visible, but when it was visible, it was bothersome. This iPad ended up with 3 dead pixels.

I returned last night and got another one. Back is perfect, glass is perfect, no dead pixels. There is one single solitary speck of white dust under the screen. It's pretty easy to see when the screen is off. Not visible when it's on. I'm kicking myself for not noticing it at the store.

I'm pretty annoyed, but am going to try to stick with this one. One speck of dust is better than three dead pixels any day.

Dude, you can't see the speck when you are actually using the product, correct? And you did this same cycle of spotting small imperfections with your other Apple product (iPhone) and returning it over and over again?

It sounds like you might be better off going with another product altogether, although I strongly doubt you'll be satisfied with anything you get. I agree with your wife - you need to lighten up.

 

[spiderman0616]

Well, just in the interest of everyone understanding what I went through with my iPhone:

#1: Wi Fi stopped working and they couldn't fix it. Exchanged.
#2: Dead pixel in the middle of the screen. Exchanged.
#3: I accidentally dropped in my bathroom on the tile--smashed screen and I paid $199 for a new iPhone which was
#4: Had no problems for about 3 months and then the home button stopped working correctly--Apple tried to fix and could not.
#5: The one I have now and have had for a long time with no problems--this is the one AppleCare finally sent me new in the box since I had so many issues with all the refurbs.

My history with iPad:
#1: A LOT of junk under the screen that kept getting worse and worse.
#2: 2 dead pixels right in the middle of the screen and one up near the edge.
#3: A fairly large chunk of a very bright white piece of something under the screen--not noticeable when the screen was on but very distracting.
#4: Scratched bezel and a stuck on blue pixel. The pixel is something that is within spec for the iPad, so no biggie I guess. But the scratch on the bezel that people seem to think I put in there myself in between leaving the store and driving home while it was in its case and zipped shut, I did not expect. I do not think Apple should "throw them in a landfill", but I think Apple should inspect their screens before sending them back out.

I'm very remorseful that I returned the one that had a chunk of dust in it to get one that was flat out damaged. I do enjoy using my iPad a lot, and I admit that I do need to lighten up. I am just very disappointed.

 

[Tozzi]

I hear you.
I agree, Apple need to do something about their quality control.
And some of those "Geniuses" aren't really that ingenious after all.

I've had some pretty bad experiences at my local Apple Store as well.

My iPhone4 had a gap between the bezel and the front glass, large enough to put a thick piece of paper in between, and at the Apple Store they exchanged it for a refurb unit (lying about it being a refurb, but the serial number gave that away), which had a broken silence switch, so the thing kept vibrating in my pants pocket....

Apple Care fixed that for me by replacing it with a new unit and this (3rd) one was fine and 6 months later still is.

Recently, my iMac 27" developed display clouding and a rectangular shaped dark area in the top right corner and the screen started to flicker.
(It additionally had a speck of dust behind the glass from the very start, but I could have lived with that).
The "Genius" made it look as if that was all my own fault because I smoke.

I asked him whether he seriously believes that the smoke I exhale is actually rectangular or cube-shaped.
The guy insisted and made it look like he was doing me a huge favor by accepting the machine for service anyway, telling me that there was a chance they wouldn't repair it.
I really had to bite my tongue there, else I would have told him that I have been using PCs and Apple products since before his parents had even met for the first time.
I figured it would be unwise to get into a fight with the guy (even if the smoke was really the cause, which it clearly wasn't, there would have been no way Apple could legally refuse warranty repairs, at least here in Germany).

Well, they did repair it under warranty and it's good as new, although I wonder how long it will take until the same rectangular, apparently overheating, part behind the display will fry it again, as all they did was exchange the complete display unit, basically prescribing Aspirin when Antibiotics would have been the way to go.

I still love Apple's products, but there's definitely room for improvement in the quality control (and quality assurance) sector.

I think they've just grown too big too fast.

EDIT: Lion freezing my MBP when switching graphics cards is another case in point.

 

[spiderman0616]

Grrrrr...

I'm so dumb.

After my last trip to the Apple store, I was thinking, "Well, maybe they'll send me one of those surveys and I can at least tell them that I'm unhappy one last time." Last time I did that, they took care of me.

I got a survey in my e mail this morning and I was so excited I accidentally deleted it. And yes, I cleared my trash out too before I realized it was gone.

I just deleted my last chance at expressing my displeasure to someone other then a kid behind the genius bar.

Suck.

 

[greytmom]

Grrrrr...

I'm so dumb.

After my last trip to the Apple store, I was thinking, "Well, maybe they'll send me one of those surveys and I can at least tell them that I'm unhappy one last time." Last time I did that, they took care of me.

I got a survey in my e mail this morning and I was so excited I accidentally deleted it. And yes, I cleared my trash out too before I realized it was gone.

I just deleted my last chance at expressing my displeasure to someone other then a kid behind the genius bar.

Suck.

Dude. Breathe.

If you really think you are falling victim to a massive quality control fail with every Apple product you buy, then write to Steve. Write to Tim Cook. Raise the roof.

Or call the Apple store, tell them you deleted your survey by accident and ask how to get another one sent to you.