Ill-informed YouTuber bemoans Apple repair policies after breaking iMac Pro

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 290
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,417member
    So, it’s described how they broke the screen, but how did they kill the power supply and logic board in the disassembly?
  • Reply 22 of 290
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,861administrator
    So, it’s described how they broke the screen, but how did they kill the power supply and logic board in the disassembly?
    That's a good question. They spilled the beans on themselves in the video, and have yet to respond to our emails about it.
    fastasleep
  • Reply 23 of 290
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,861administrator
    I see a cracked screen...

    How is it possible all the parts listed are actually damaged?

    Did it get hit by lightning?  It sounds like Apple didn’t have the parts or experience to make the repairs.

    Is the damage Apple’s fault?  Obviously not.  But the Apple Store should be able to send it somewhere to get fixed, and not for $5000+.

    This story is embarrassing for Apple...
    They say in the video that it required a power supply, a motherboard, and the display. They really damaged it when putting it back together. They aren't at all disagreeing with what needs repaired, and are in fact the ones who confirm what parts were damaged.

    So two things. The third-party repair shop lied to get out of doing the repair because the repair certification has been available since before they asked, and the parts that were needed were available about a month or two after they went in to inquire about it. It sometimes takes a bit after launch for parts to make their way through the system and made available to stores and third-party repair shops.

    If they went in with the Pro today, chances are it would be able to be repaired. But remember, at this point, the only thing that is left without needing repair is basically a shell, some ram, and the SSD. The rest is shot and needing to be replaced. It would have been cheaper to buy a new one.

    The video is really just clickbait and hammed up for the camera.
    I think the moral of the story is don’t buy an “all in one” iMac Pro from Apple.  Those parts shouldn’t have been more than $1500, unless they did something stupid and soldered the processor to the motherboard.

    If you buy a Pro machine, everything should be able to be swapped out: the CPU, GPU, drive, ram, etc. (no the CPU probably isn’t upgradable for a reasonable amount).

    The “can’t be upgraded” bit them in the ass.  This is a poor design for a Pro machine.
    The moral of the story is, don't reassemble an iMac Pro screen while it's standing up.

    The CPU is socketed, which is why I specifically left it out of the calculation. I'm sure Apple's manufacturing cost is $1500-ish. That's not the same as what Apple charges, nor what the repair shops charge.
    edited April 2018
  • Reply 24 of 290
    mygigmygig Posts: 40member
    mygig said:
    They wanted a screen replacement and in my opinion, they should be able to get that done by Apple, no matter how much they charge. I know they don't have do to it, because it's in their terms of service, but it shouldn't be, it's not the right thing to do. This Apple defense you wrote up, is pointless in my opinion. Always had Appleinsider in high regards, but how you tried to discredit them was not OK, lost quite a bit of points by me.
    Read the whole article. At the least, it's a motherboard and screen replacement. At the most, it needed a new power supply too in addition to the motherboard and screen.
    I did, even watched their video again, thought I missed something. But they didn't say it was broken beyond repair, they didn't even try.

    williamlondon
  • Reply 25 of 290
    seanismorrisseanismorris Posts: 1,624member
    I see a cracked screen...

    How is it possible all the parts listed are actually damaged?

    Did it get hit by lightning?  It sounds like Apple didn’t have the parts or experience to make the repairs.

    Is the damage Apple’s fault?  Obviously not.  But the Apple Store should be able to send it somewhere to get fixed, and not for $5000+.

    This story is embarrassing for Apple...
    They say in the video that it required a power supply, a motherboard, and the display. They really damaged it when putting it back together. They aren't at all disagreeing with what needs repaired, and are in fact the ones who confirm what parts were damaged.

    So two things. The third-party repair shop lied to get out of doing the repair because the repair certification has been available since before they asked, and the parts that were needed were available about a month or two after they went in to inquire about it. It sometimes takes a bit after launch for parts to make their way through the system and made available to stores and third-party repair shops.

    If they went in with the Pro today, chances are it would be able to be repaired. But remember, at this point, the only thing that is left without needing repair is basically a shell, some ram, and the SSD. The rest is shot and needing to be replaced. It would have been cheaper to buy a new one.

    The video is really just clickbait and hammed up for the camera.
    I think the moral of the story is don’t buy an “all in one” iMac Pro from Apple.  Those parts shouldn’t have been more than $1500, unless they did something stupid and soldered the processor to the motherboard.

    If you buy a Pro machine, everything should be able to be swapped out: the CPU, GPU, drive, ram, etc. (no the CPU probably isn’t upgradable for a reasonable amount).

    The “can’t be upgraded” bit them in the ass.  This is a poor design for a Pro machine.
    Ah look, he’s an armchair electrical engineer and armchair logistics expert too. Impressive. 
    I’ve repaired & upgraded many many hundreds of machines over a decade (including servers).

    There’s a reason they didn’t have parts.  They didn’t sell enough Pro machines to stock them.


    williamlondonslkjoyster
  • Reply 26 of 290
    You took your machine apart and broke it in the process?

    Awww, thats too bad.  Buy another one.  It is not the manufacture's problem.
    racerhomie3baconstangpscooter63macseekeromar moralesaxcoatlh2p
  • Reply 27 of 290
    LaraCroft835LaraCroft835 Posts: 2unconfirmed, member
    strells said:
    No link to the video in question?
    williamlondon
  • Reply 28 of 290
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,861administrator
    mygig said:
    mygig said:
    They wanted a screen replacement and in my opinion, they should be able to get that done by Apple, no matter how much they charge. I know they don't have do to it, because it's in their terms of service, but it shouldn't be, it's not the right thing to do. This Apple defense you wrote up, is pointless in my opinion. Always had Appleinsider in high regards, but how you tried to discredit them was not OK, lost quite a bit of points by me.
    Read the whole article. At the least, it's a motherboard and screen replacement. At the most, it needed a new power supply too in addition to the motherboard and screen.
    I did, even watched their video again, thought I missed something. But they didn't say it was broken beyond repair, they didn't even try.

    Nope. The Apple store replaced the power supply. They then stopped, and told LTT to go to a third party.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 29 of 290
    seanismorris said:

    I think the moral of the story is don’t buy an “all in one” iMac Pro from Apple.  Those parts shouldn’t have been more than $1500, unless they did something stupid and soldered the processor to the motherboard.

    If you buy a Pro machine, everything should be able to be swapped out: the CPU, GPU, drive, ram, etc. (no the CPU probably isn’t upgradable for a reasonable amount).

    The “can’t be upgraded” bit them in the ass.  This is a poor design for a Pro machine.
    The processor alone would probably retail for ~ $1000-3000 depending on your cpu options. That’s not even including the Mobile VEGA videocard or twin pci-based solid state drives.
  • Reply 30 of 290
    As an AASP authorized technician I can understand AppleInsider's point of view. I can also see the frustration as the customer brings in a computer for repair. While I agree the customer is not always right, I do believe that Apple and/or the AASP should have provided a repair estimate, as high as it may have been. The straight refusal to repair, is within the terms of service, but as the parts are all available I do believe the customer should be given the opportunity to make the decision to repair. 
    As for the tone in this editorial.. I often come to AppleInsider for news and happenings within the Apple community and I find their content fantastic. In this Op-Ed though I believe the tone was very adversarial and in poor taste. While on one hand, saying the content was click-bait-ish, on the other hand addressing it on their own front page for their own click-advertising. While I do respect everyone should have an opinion in the matter, I don't believe this Editorial was to the quality and professionalism I have come to expect from AppleInsider.
    jdwmuthuk_vanalingamSpamSandwich
  • Reply 31 of 290
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    I see a cracked screen...

    How is it possible all the parts listed are actually damaged?

    Did it get hit by lightning?  It sounds like Apple didn’t have the parts or experience to make the repairs.

    Is the damage Apple’s fault?  Obviously not.  But the Apple Store should be able to send it somewhere to get fixed, and not for $5000+.

    This story is embarrassing for Apple...
    They say in the video that it required a power supply, a motherboard, and the display. They really damaged it when putting it back together. They aren't at all disagreeing with what needs repaired, and are in fact the ones who confirm what parts were damaged.

    So two things. The third-party repair shop lied to get out of doing the repair because the repair certification has been available since before they asked, and the parts that were needed were available about a month or two after they went in to inquire about it. It sometimes takes a bit after launch for parts to make their way through the system and made available to stores and third-party repair shops.

    If they went in with the Pro today, chances are it would be able to be repaired. But remember, at this point, the only thing that is left without needing repair is basically a shell, some ram, and the SSD. The rest is shot and needing to be replaced. It would have been cheaper to buy a new one.

    The video is really just clickbait and hammed up for the camera.
    I think the moral of the story is don’t buy an “all in one” iMac Pro from Apple.  Those parts shouldn’t have been more than $1500, unless they did something stupid and soldered the processor to the motherboard.

    If you buy a Pro machine, everything should be able to be swapped out: the CPU, GPU, drive, ram, etc. (no the CPU probably isn’t upgradable for a reasonable amount).

    The “can’t be upgraded” bit them in the ass.  This is a poor design for a Pro machine.
    Everything you say is pure garbage but hey, you wanted that expert opinion hmm. That guys a either a clickbat artist or a moron, I'm going for clickbat artist and look, it's working for him...
    baconstangmacseekerbestkeptsecret
  • Reply 32 of 290
    seanismorrisseanismorris Posts: 1,624member
    jwestveer said:
    You took your machine apart and broke it in the process?

    Awww, thats too bad.  Buy another one.  It is not the manufacture's problem.
    The iMac Pro’s sell for as much as $13,000, these aren’t iPhones or iPads, or even MacBooks.

    The “real” Mac Pro hasn’t been released yet.  I expect sales to be much better than iMac Pro...

    Real Pro users upgrade their machines.

    - No one is arguing that these guys didn’t know what they were doing, and the damage is on them.
  • Reply 33 of 290
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,861administrator
    As an AASP authorized technician I can understand AppleInsider's point of view. I can also see the frustration as the customer brings in a computer for repair. While I agree the customer is not always right, I do believe that Apple and/or the AASP should have provided a repair estimate, as high as it may have been. The straight refusal to repair, is within the terms of service, but as the parts are all available I do believe the customer should be given the opportunity to make the decision to repair. 
    As for the tone in this editorial.. I often come to AppleInsider for news and happenings within the Apple community and I find their content fantastic. In this Op-Ed though I believe the tone was very adversarial and in poor taste. While on one hand, saying the content was click-bait-ish, on the other hand addressing it on their own front page for their own click-advertising. While I do respect everyone should have an opinion in the matter, I don't believe this Editorial was to the quality and professionalism I have come to expect from AppleInsider.
    This isn't a news piece, as you also pointed out, and we believe that LTT is utterly and completely in the wrong. So yeah, it's adversarial because that's how we feel about the matter. You're welcome to your opinion, too, obviously. 

    I've been an AASP periodically over the years as well, but my cert has lapsed. It's great that you think the customer should have been provided an estimate, but you're telling me that you'd accept a box of parts as presented by LTT and give that estimate? If you would have, I don't think you've been on the managerial or financial arms of the business -- apologies if I'm wrong about that part.

    Appreciate your coming by, and reading.
    edited April 2018 StrangeDaystmaybaconstangpscooter63omar moralesmacseekermuthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 34 of 290
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,861administrator
    jwestveer said:
    You took your machine apart and broke it in the process?

    Awww, thats too bad.  Buy another one.  It is not the manufacture's problem.
    The iMac Pro’s sell for as much as $13,000, these aren’t iPhones or iPads, or even MacBooks.

    The “real” Mac Pro hasn’t been released yet.  I expect sales to be much better than iMac Pro...

    Real Pro users upgrade their machines.

    - No one is arguing that these guys didn’t know what they were doing, and the damage is on them.
    This is nonsensical, and wrong.
    baconstangomar moralesmacgui
  • Reply 35 of 290
    mygigmygig Posts: 40member
    mygig said:
    They wanted a screen replacement and in my opinion, they should be able to get that done by Apple, no matter how much they charge. I know they don't have do to it, because it's in their terms of service, but it shouldn't be, it's not the right thing to do. This Apple defense you wrote up, is pointless in my opinion. Always had Appleinsider in high regards, but how you tried to discredit them was not OK, lost quite a bit of points by me.
    Why is explaining how the service model works and the facts that make this repair not worth it to “not OK”?
    - "The video starts by showing one employee of the YouTube channel appearing to mount the display while the iMac Pro is vertical" (It was clearly reenacted, so they maybe did work on it like that, maybe they didn't)
    - "Yeah, the YouTubers had an "accident" as they said. But, it appears that they were more interested in generating revenue and having a laugh, rather than portraying any part of the repair process accurately." (They presented what happened to them)
    - "The Apple store likely punted based on Linus Tech Tips bringing in what was essentially a box of parts, plus the clear damage caused by the disassembly and failure of reassembly." (you don't know in what condition the iMac was brought in) 
    - "This is in no way a cost-effective repair -- which the video creators were likely fully aware of before they made their video about the process." (been watching their videos for quite some time, they never pulled anything like this before, not saying they didn't do it this time, just that they didn't do it before)
    - "
    while explaining how internal combustion works to a rapt YouTube audience." (do I need to add anything here?)

    That's what I meant..
    williamlondonman
  • Reply 36 of 290
    As an AASP authorized technician I can understand AppleInsider's point of view. I can also see the frustration as the customer brings in a computer for repair. While I agree the customer is not always right, I do believe that Apple and/or the AASP should have provided a repair estimate, as high as it may have been. The straight refusal to repair, is within the terms of service, but as the parts are all available I do believe the customer should be given the opportunity to make the decision to repair. 
    As for the tone in this editorial.. I often come to AppleInsider for news and happenings within the Apple community and I find their content fantastic. In this Op-Ed though I believe the tone was very adversarial and in poor taste. While on one hand, saying the content was click-bait-ish, on the other hand addressing it on their own front page for their own click-advertising. While I do respect everyone should have an opinion in the matter, I don't believe this Editorial was to the quality and professionalism I have come to expect from AppleInsider.
    The repair estimate for cases like this would probably be more than it costs to just buy a new one. I agree that they should get an estimate, however most people will not understand the answer that they’ll get if you give an honest estimate. Then you’ll have the same guy with a tool belt that broke it to begin with demanding that you just sell him the parts like you’re a hardware store so he can save some money.

    as for the tone of the article. Well, this site is sort of Apple fan central and Linus is disengenuously crafting a video to once again bash on Apple or make Apple look dishonest, foolish, mean spirited or greedy. I wouldn’t be surprised if he called around to several shops until he found one that couldn’t/wouldn’t service the iMac Pro that he broke.
    radarthekatbaconstangandrewj5790
  • Reply 37 of 290
    Ed_RandgadEd_Randgad Posts: 5unconfirmed, member

    Federal law says you can repair your own things, and manufacturers cannot force you to use their own repair services.

    https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/ne9qdq/warranty-void-if-removed-stickers-illegal-ftc

    Appleinsider's argument is against federal law where you have the right to repair.  Manufacturers cannot void warranty just because the product is opened up. 
    williamlondon
  • Reply 38 of 290
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,861administrator

    Federal law says you can repair your own things, and manufacturers cannot force you to use their own repair services.

    https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/ne9qdq/warranty-void-if-removed-stickers-illegal-ftc

    Appleinsider's argument is against federal law where you have the right to repair.  Manufacturers cannot void warranty just because the product is opened up. 
    Nope.

    This isn't about warranty repair. This is about a repair after customer abuse -- which LTT admits to.
    edited April 2018 liquidmarkStrangeDaystmaypscooter63baconstangmacseekeromar moralesxiamenbillaxcoatl
  • Reply 39 of 290
    DAalsethDAalseth Posts: 2,783member
    We Reserve The Right To Refuse Service This is the final out for any company doing business with the public. These yahoos broke the screen and who knows what else doing something stupid. Apple is justified and within their rights to just saying no. The other option is to quote them an F-You price, say the cost of a new system plus 25% for labor in moving their data. Where I work we do that once in a while with particularly obnoxious customers. What's more they occasionally go for it.
    StrangeDaysradarthekataxcoatl
  • Reply 40 of 290

    Federal law says you can repair your own things, and manufacturers cannot force you to use their own repair services.

    https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/ne9qdq/warranty-void-if-removed-stickers-illegal-ftc

    Appleinsider's argument is against federal law where you have the right to repair.  Manufacturers cannot void warranty just because the product is opened up. 
    Apple isn’t stopping them from fixing it themselves. They just aren’t helping them facilitate the repair. If they want to fix it themselves, then they just need to fix it.

    The machine was in working order before they opened it up and broke it. The machine is now out of warranty because they broke it through their own purposeful action. 
    StrangeDaysradarthekatbaconstangaxcoatl
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