Apple Voiding Smokers' Warranties?

Mr2001 writes "Consumerist reports that Apple is refusing to work on computers that have been used in smoking households. 'The Apple store called and informed me that due to the computer having been used in a house where there was smoking, [the warranty has been voided] and they refuse to work on the machine "due to health risks of second hand smoke,"' wrote one customer. Another said, 'When I asked for an explanation, she said [the owner of the iMac is] a smoker and it's contaminated with cigarette smoke, which they consider a bio-hazard! I checked my Applecare warranty and it says nothing about not honoring warranties if the owner is a smoker.' Apple claims that honoring the warranty would be an OSHA violation. (Remember when they claimed enabling 802.11n for free would be a Sarbanes-Oxley violation?)"

Comments

The "I Blame The Government" Excuse

[squiggleslash]

...is something I'm getting increasingly tired of hearing.

Sometimes laws have unintentional negative consequences, but most of the "Oh, we can't do this any more, because the government has a rule that says {X}" is generally BS. Case in point, no banks offer fixed rate credit cards.

Wanna know why? Want to know why banks don't offer fixed rate credit cards, that is, credit cards whose interest rate doesn't change? Want to know why they've all withdrawn them, the credit cards they had with fixed rates? Want to know?

Are you sitting down?

...it's because, claim the credit card companies, the government has banned them from varying the rates of a fixed rate credit card more than once a year.

You heard that right: the credit card companies, and their obedient apologists in the right wing media, claim that the reason they can't offer fixed rate credit cards is because they can't vary the rate of a fixed rate credit card... very often.

Yeah, the government's to blame for that one. Right.

Sarbanes Oxley? What businesses except Apple don't offer free "good will" gifts from time to time to their existing customer base, that previously did so? And what's the clause in SO anyway that bans businesses from traditional goodwill accounting? What's that? It doesn't exist? Damn right it doesn't exist!

And now OSHA is banning Apple from working on laptops contaminated with tobacco smoke? Quite honestly, even for Apple, it seems like a stretch to me. I'm inclined to assume it's probably false, but it's not going to completely surprise me, given the above, if Apple reveals it's true.