[jodyr3]

I got a brand new 20" iMac a few weeks ago. On Saturday the display sort of croaked in an unusual way. When I look at the screen, the left side looks fine, but the right side looks like it has dropped into some weird 8-bit mode. There are halos around objects on the desktop and some oscillating pixels. The funny thing about it is that the line between good and bad screen is at the exact horizontal half-way point on the screen. When starting up, exactly half the Apple logo is bad and the other half good.

What's not funny is all the time I spent on the phone and all the hoops I had to jump through to get the thing replaced. They would not DOA my machine, so they proposed that I take it to a service center. Here in rural New Mexico, there aren't very many of those. I thought spending the $300+ dollars on Applecare would at least get me a replacement machine for this sort of thing. But as it turns out, you don't get any more service than you would have otherwise in the first 90 days. In other words: tough luck, sucker.

I finally had to buy a whole new computer. That way I can keep mine so I can continue to work while waiting for the new machine, do a drive image transfer to avoid all the re-setup hassles, and then get credited when they receive my old machine back at Apple. I thought that's why I was buying Applecare, to get a replacement if and when my machine went down. As it turns out, not surprisingly, us little guys just take it up the ass from the Steve Squad when it's their equipment that has let us down.

[stefanicotine]

AppleCare is just an expensive piece of mind. Sure, it'll extend your warranty, but you get more help on these forums then you do from Apple. I've never opted for it, even when I felt I should. And yet, ironically enough, I'm taking my AppleCare exam this coming Monday. Go figure

Sorry to hear about your machine, man. It's a shame things like that have to happen. Mac's really are amazing computers, but there will always be those bad apples (OMG so lame). Hopefully this hasn't lowered your opinion of Apple too much.

[bealzabobs_youruncle]

While I am not madly in love with everything AppleCare does, I don't believe it states any where that they will loan you a temporary machine, this is not the kind of thing you should ever assume.

[iMacfan]

Originally Posted by bealzabobs_youruncle

While I am not madly in love with everything AppleCare does, I don't believe it states any where that they will loan you a temporary machine, this is not the kind of thing you should ever assume.

Yeah, I got burned by that a couple of years ago when my 12" Powerbook got replaced - it took ages to get the new one, and I really needed a machine. Eventually, Apple actually did loan me one as it took so long.

I wouldn't settle for anything other than a replacement. Who knows - there may be something random wrong, and just replacing the screen wouldn't fix it, or it would go again another few weeks down the line. I'd ring up Applecare, and ask to speak to executive/customer relations. Be polite, but firm and explain how disappointed and frustrated you are, that you expected more of Apple, and that a straight replacement is the only acceptable option so soon after the purchase.

David.

[quiklee]

I've had my fairshare of applecare service . . . even though it's a pain dealing with them . . they're really not as bad as other customer services

[debohun]

Wow, I guess I have just been lucky. My experiences with AppleCare have been wonderful, exemplary in fact. I guess it just must be pot luck.

[moose43]

Just got my brand new iMac 20 after applecare decided it was dead after owning it for 10 days. It sucked that I had to wait until mine was shipped back and I ended up being computerless for 10 days. New one is fine, but a little tentative with my apple experience.

[jodyr3]

Originally Posted by bealzabobs_youruncle

While I am not madly in love with everything AppleCare does, I don't believe it states any where that they will loan you a temporary machine, this is not the kind of thing you should ever assume.

I don't want a temporary machine, I want a brand new one sent to me to replace my defective one. It went bad in the first month. I figured that Apple would DOA a machine like that for an Applecare customer. That's where I was wrong. Applecare is an extension of the warranty, not necessarily an upgrade in service.

Basically, for the first 90 days you've got the same warranty you would have had without Applecare, as far as I can figure.

[MichaelNH]

Well if you have an imac... as you claim.... the applecare should have only cost $169.....

[mproud]

http://www.apple.com/buy/locator/ will show you the nearest Apple Store or authorized reseller. Are you really that far from any place that will service your computer?

No, the AppleCare is not a ripoff, when you see that it covers two additional years on your computer, gives you unlimited telephone support over the phone, and gives you a hardware diagnostics CD. But it's not for everyone.

[badsey]

does your screen look like this:
Index of /imac

Apple - Support - Discussions - scrambled screen ...

give us a few pictures of your screen problems

[macnscott]

You THOUGHT that by buying AppleCare that Apple would replace your machine if it had a problem within the first 30 days? Where did you get that idea? I have looked at both Apple's AppleCare pages and the AppleCare box and I am really struggling to see how you could have gotten the idea that they would just "poof" and replace your iMac.

"...I bought a new car recently and after 3 weeks it broke down...went dead electrically. I was 200 miles from a dealer so I called up the manufaturer while a local mechanic took a quick look...the problem was a faulty alternator. I told the manufacturer's customer care person that I had bought the 100,000 mile extended warranty. I then demanded that the car be replaced since it was only 3 weeks old..."

[badsey]

Requirements of the Magnuson-Moss Act (U.S.)

The provides that any warrantor warranting a consumer product to a consumer by means of a written warranty must disclose, fully and conspicuously, in simple and readily understood language, the terms and conditions of the warranty to the extent required by rules of the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC has enacted regulations governing the disclosure of written consumer product warranty terms and conditions on consumer products actually costing the consumer more than $15. The Rules can be found at 16 C.F.R. Part 700.
Under the terms of the Act, ambiguous statements in a warranty are construed against the drafter of the warranty. Likewise, service contracts must fully, clearly, and conspicuously disclose their terms and conditions in simple and readily understood language. Full Warranty Requirements Under a full warranty, in the case of a defect, malfunction, or failure to conform with the written warranty, the warrantor: must, as a minimum, remedy the consumer product within a reasonable time and without charge; may not impose any limitation on the duration of any implied warranty on the product; may not exclude or limit consequential damages for a breach of any written or implied warranty on the product, unless the exclusion or limitation conspicuously appears on the face of the warranty; and if the product, or a component part, contains a defect or malfunction, must permit the consumer to elect either a refund or replacement without charge, after a reasonable number of repair attempts.
In addition, the warrantor may not impose any duty, other than notification, upon any consumer, as a condition of securing the repair of any consumer product that malfunctions, is defective, or does not conform to the written warranty. However, the warrantor may require consumers to return a defective item to its place of purchase for repair.

Auto/trucks/RVs are covered by the "Lemon Law" in the U.S.

Remember this is a forum to help others: People need to know what your iMac problem is so that if others have the same problem they know what to do. Pictures of your screen help diagnose these problems. Is this a screen tearing/sheering issue?

[jamil5454]

The logic board on his iMac is probably bad. The iMac obviously wasn't a DOA. It worked fine for a few weeks. Although I'm not accusing the OP of anything, the problem could have stirred up somehow from factors in his household, so Apple has to take a look at the machine first to determine that the problem falls under warranty. This is to protect Apple from dishonest people out there. Once again, I'm not saying the OP is dishonest, I'm just explaining why Apple doesn't just send you out a replacement machine without first taking a look at the problems your current one has.

Image someone dropping his/her PowerBook, calling Apple complaining that the hard drive failed, then Apple sends them a temporary replacement and then concludes that the customer's hard drive problem was the customer's fault due to them dropping it. Apple would have a hard time wrenching the temporary replacement from the customer's hands and giving back the dead machine, and this would result in many more legal cases for Apple.

Apple is a business, and like any business with half a brain, they're not going to trust everything the customer reports without question. Sometimes Apple will award temporary replacement machines, but usually the customer will have to actually come to an Apple Store in person, buy the replacement and then be refunded the money upon successful repair of his/her original machine.