Apple sued over defective iMac displays
Apple is facing a new class-action lawsuit claiming the companyÂ?s iMac displays start to show unwanted vertical lines, which Apple is refusing to fix under warranty.
Florida resident Aram Hovsepian filed the 13-page complaint in a Northern California court last week on behalf of himself and "thousands" of other customers who purchased iMacs with the "latent defect."
According to the suit, faulty transistors and/or connections are causing the vertical lines to appear.Â* Hovsepian alleges Apple is aware of the problem and thus is committing consumer fraud through its negligence in addressing the issue.
Â?Apple failed to warn consumers about the common design and manufacturing defects with iMac display screens,Â? the complaint says.Â* Â?Instead Apple remained silent knowing its iMac display screens would malfunction while consumers purchased iMacs, made warranty claims arising from the vertical lines on the display screens, and made out of warranty repairs related to the vertical line problem.Â?
Attorneys for Hovsepian are seeking compensatory damages in the form of reimbursement plus interest for the faulty hardware, along with attorneysÂ? fees and expenses.Â*
The complaint further alleges that the one-year display warranties are Â?invalid and not enforceable."
Â?Apple has wrongfully denied warranty claims as untimely or based on other grounds despite the root cause of the vertical lines being a manufacturing and/or design defect,Â? the complaint says.
The lawsuit does not specify the iMac model(s) alleged to have the display defect, but implies that the issue plagues models sold in both 2006 and 2008.Â*Â*The last major overhaul of AppleÂ?s iMac line came in mid-2007, with the now-familiar aluminum body and black-rimmed display design.
Florida resident Aram Hovsepian filed the 13-page complaint in a Northern California court last week on behalf of himself and "thousands" of other customers who purchased iMacs with the "latent defect."
According to the suit, faulty transistors and/or connections are causing the vertical lines to appear.Â* Hovsepian alleges Apple is aware of the problem and thus is committing consumer fraud through its negligence in addressing the issue.
Â?Apple failed to warn consumers about the common design and manufacturing defects with iMac display screens,Â? the complaint says.Â* Â?Instead Apple remained silent knowing its iMac display screens would malfunction while consumers purchased iMacs, made warranty claims arising from the vertical lines on the display screens, and made out of warranty repairs related to the vertical line problem.Â?
Attorneys for Hovsepian are seeking compensatory damages in the form of reimbursement plus interest for the faulty hardware, along with attorneysÂ? fees and expenses.Â*
The complaint further alleges that the one-year display warranties are Â?invalid and not enforceable."
Â?Apple has wrongfully denied warranty claims as untimely or based on other grounds despite the root cause of the vertical lines being a manufacturing and/or design defect,Â? the complaint says.
The lawsuit does not specify the iMac model(s) alleged to have the display defect, but implies that the issue plagues models sold in both 2006 and 2008.Â*Â*The last major overhaul of AppleÂ?s iMac line came in mid-2007, with the now-familiar aluminum body and black-rimmed display design.
Comments
Mine became completely unusable.
but implies that the issue plagues models sold in both 2006 and 2008
What about those sold in 2007? I want to know if I am at risk...
2. Sell your Mac when it is 2.8 years old and buy a new one.
3. Goto 1.
And frankly I think that Applecare warranty sucks. People pay a premium for Macs as it is. Apple's nickel and diming everything is going to come back and bite them in the ass.
And frankly I think that Applecare warranty sucks. People pay a premium for Macs as it is. Apple's nickel and diming everything is going to come back and bite them in the ass.
That ass has been chewed for years.
A friend, who is an electrical engineer was able to fix this problem. The problem was basically with the cable from the Mac itself to the display (i.e. the display was fine), and sloppy work on a connection.
If the problem with my iMac was this problem (and there is no evidence to the contrary), Apple could fix every Mac with this problem very easily.
Uh yeah, that's definitely not acceptable.
And frankly I think that Applecare warranty sucks. People pay a premium for Macs as it is. Apple's nickel and diming everything is going to come back and bite them in the ass.
AppleCare is incredible. They replace everything, for free, no questions asked. I have had 2 entire computers replaced by apple for very minor issues (and sometimes software, not hardware issues). AppleCare is the best computer warranty I've ever seen, the only company that I know that beats it is Logitech.
By the time the 4th line appeared, I went out and bought a new HP2003 monitor and the special cable that Apple makes to hook it up to the iMac. That was expensive to do, but not nearly as expensive as replacing the screen.
As for the poster who mentioned AppleCare... I read a lot about this on the web -it is impacting tens of thousands of users at least, and the screens that are being replaced under AppleCare are also malfunctioning in the same way in many cases.
This was one super defective Apple product -an LCD's lifetime should be measured in years not months. I for one will not buy an iMac again. I am really looking forward to the new MacMini. If it is souped up enough (CPU + graphics) I will not be looking back -or at bright vertical lines anymore.
My iMac had this problem once, and was out of warranty.
A friend, who is an electrical engineer was able to fix this problem.
Bongo -what specifically did he do? I am not at all afraid to bust the thing open if there is something useful I can do. did he just clean and reseat stuff, or did he have to replace components?
As for the poster who mentioned AppleCare... I read a lot about this on the web -it is impacting tens of thousands of users at least, and the screens that are being replaced under AppleCare are also malfunctioning in the same way in many cases.
That is horrid that it is failing so rampantly. Still, the price of applecare should be factored into the price of the computer; always buy the warranty. It's tempting fate not to, even if the computer is built incredibly well. If the computer is built poorly, then you send it in 3 times in a year, or 5 times over lifetime, and you get a new computer.
For when your computer is in the shop, ask to speak to a manager about purchasing a "refreshed" computer. It's basically an open-box computer that you purchase at full price, then return within 14 days with no restocking fee (since it is already open-box) and full refund. Use time machine to turn the new machine into a clone of your old one, and you're good to go.
Seriously, though, I assume the new iMacs will be LEDs, which won't have the screen issues that have plagued the last generation (or two) of iMacs. I have a first generation iMac G5 that's never had a screen problem (over 4 years old). I don't know why Apple's newer designs have all the screen issues - because they made too many compromises to make them thinner?
I have the original Intel 17" iMac with 5 vertical lines on it as of today. The first one appeared 6 months out of warranty. I called Apple soon after the first one appeared, and they would not help me....
That's your first mistake. Go into the store. If at first you don't succeed, go to a second store. Repeat.
If you really want to make it happen, work yourself into a rage before hand-- get really angry about this problem and how it has affected you. Spend at least an hour whipping it up. Then, go into the store when it is crowded, ask to talk to the manager, and try your hardest to express yourself without attacking the person you are talking to.
Based on how effectively they defused me one time, I am sure they have training in this and will do what it takes to make you happy and not cause a scene in the store. (If you do actually cause a scene, all bets are off; nothing gets done that way!)
I find it impossible to believe that apple is refusing to fix computers that have this problem, and are under warranty.
That's not what the suit is about if I'm reading this correctly. My understanding is that Apple won't fix out-of-warranty, and that's what the suit is about, considering that they allege that "the one-year display warranties are ?invalid and not enforceable."" That claim is complete bogus, and the suit will fail. honestly, i don't know why appleinsider is reporting this suit without a clause mentioning how retarded the suit is.
No Apple Care.
After about 20 months the dreaded lines appeared. (i pretty much knew what this meant as a friend as a 17" G4 PowerBook with the same thing http://eicolab.com.au/2008/07/24/bri...ley-powerbook/ ).
My iMac didn't fall within the serial numbers that Apple oh so graciously decided had the defect.
Knowing how Apple treat "known issues" (i.e. censor, edit or erase their discussion forums if those pesky customers are getting on their nerves!)
i called them up and eventually i was able to speak to someone who could make a decision, and after much pleading (a shameful amount) they made an exception and they logged my serial number so it came up as non-chargeable repair when i took it in.
All fixed.
i'm the last person to praise Apple (i just use them because of the software i use and the interface...all the wanky hipness doesn't appeal to me whatsoever...) but at least someone on the phone was able to help me out, there an then.
But all in all, they should be far more accommodating and supportive. Not everyone can afford Applecare after spending £750+ on a computer. And if you're buying a premium product you certainly don't expect hundreds of users to have the same issue with what is fundamentally a design or manufacturing flaw...!
They should acknowledge issues far earlier, and not slyly brush them under the carpet, washing over them with their glitzy propaganda and knowing ignorance.
1. Buy AppleCare and get Apple to fix your machine whenever it breaks.
2. Sell your Mac when it is 2.8 years old and buy a new one.
3. Goto 1.
I do wish Apple had longer stock warranties, but AppleCare is a very nice service.
I have no problem with keeping a Mac for longer than three years, though I've generally needed to sell for money or needed to upgrade for specific uses anyway.