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Apple Changes Stance On Water Damage Policy

Posted by Soulskill on from the customer-is-occasionally-right dept.

tekgoblin writes "It appears Apple has changed its stance on whether an iOS device is actually water damaged. If you remember when the 13-year-old girl sued Apple in December, it was because her iPhone's moisture sensors had gone off and Apple voided her warranty. Those sensors have also been triggered by simply exposing the phone to low temperatures. Now Apple says that if the moisture sensors are red but the customer disputes and says no liquid has come into contact with the device, the warranty may still apply."

16 of 155 comments (clear)

  1. Awesome! by MrEricSir · · Score: 3, Funny

    This will save me a lot of money on dry cleaning.

    --
    There's no -1 for "I don't get it."
  2. Unreliable by amicusNYCL · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Now Apple says that if the moisture sensors are red but the customer disputes and says no liquid has come into contact with the device, the warranty may still apply.

    In other words, the sensors are unreliable.

    --
    "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
  3. Moisture sensors by Microlith · · Score: 5, Informative

    The funny thing is those papers are used in semiconductor bulk packaging to serve as a warning, not that the parts are unusable due to water but that a pre-bake may be necessary to drive water out that entered the packaging as a result of ambient humidity.

    So yeah, anything that involves thermal shifts resulting in possible condensation can set these off while not harming the phone in the slightest. I don't know why anyone thinks these are in any way reliable.

    1. Re:Moisture sensors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Because it used to allow Apple to reject a warranty claim when they should honor it...mainly because they could BS their way into saying they were infallible before all of this... It's all about the Benjamins, you know.

    2. Re:Moisture sensors by MouseR · · Score: 3, Informative

      Troll.

      As if Apple was the only one using those things.

    3. Re:Moisture sensors by newcastlejon · · Score: 3, Informative

      Setting aside the problems of maintaining the aesthetics while keeping it waterproof, I'll concentrate on one essential aspect of the iphone: ever notice how the touchscreen doesn't work when the screen gets wet?

      --
      If God forks the Universe every time you roll a die, he'd better have a damned good memory.
    4. Re:Moisture sensors by Low+Ranked+Craig · · Score: 5, Informative

      I know this is about Apple, but Nokia has (or had) the same policy. I know this from first hand experience with a damaged 5160 about 6 or 7 years ago. They also try to void your warranty of you change the face plate...

      --
      I still cannot find the droids I am looking for...
  4. Translation by MightyMartian · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Translation: Our useless sensor is about to lead us into nasty litigation that will likely void our warranty-evasion scheme, so we better open the door a little bit.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    1. Re:Translation by v1 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      >>Apple are possibly the worst for warranties... and more specifically owning up to defects.

      I suppose that explains Apple remaining in the top 3 for the last what 15 yrs in computer customer service.

      Just this week I have seen Apple volunteer to repair TWO computers that were flat out abused by the customer because they want to keep happy customers. Your statement about Apple being "the worst" for warranties is about the biggest pile of flaming BS I have seen recently. They're expensive, they're arrogant, they're controlling, etc, but the grand majority of their customers rate the warranty and customer support five star.

      That being said, yes the LSI are unreliable. They're also used worldwide by almost anyone that manufactures a handheld electronic gadget, including darn near 100% of cell phone manufacturers because they're cheap and WILL identify liquid contact. (erroring in their favor, what did you expect?) And every single one of them has started the game with a "if we see red, the warranty is void" policy, and will make exceptions/considerations in the customer's favor. (some more often than others) Take your dead cell phone into the store and say it won't turn on. The very first thing they will do is remove the battery. Not to reset it. (that's what they'll say though) But to look at the (most easily accessed, one of many) LSI in the phone. You make it sound like Apple is the only one in the world that does this. Remove your cell phone's battery. Look for the white dot.

      >>I suppose owning up to a defect is difficult when your under the delusion of perfection

      "defect" implies there was a "correct" way to do it. What was your suggestion? Don't you think by now someone would be wealthy having made a better solution to this industry-wide problem, if it were a trivial thing to improve on?

      --
      I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
    2. Re:Translation by XxtraLarGe · · Score: 4, Informative

      Apple are possibly the worst for warranties... and more specifically owning up to defects.

      They just gave me a 27" iMac in exchange for my 2 1/2 year old 24" iMac that was bugging out. That's why I always get AppleCare, because the service has been outstanding.

      --
      Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
    3. Re:Translation by 1729 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Apple are possibly the worst for warranties... and more specifically owning up to defects.

      My wife has had many free out-of-warranty repairs on her {i|Mac}Books over the years, and I've had at least one. Dealing with the call center is hopeless, but the techs at the Genius Bars tend to be very helpful, even when the warranty is expired or (in my wife's case) you've spilled tea all over your laptop's keyboard.

  5. Escape clause by Lead+Butthead · · Score: 4, Insightful

    the warranty may still apply

    In other words, nothing has changed; it is still at their sole discretion if they wishes to honor the warranty.

    --
    ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?
    1. Re:Escape clause by MoonBuggy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No, something has changed. Previously a tripped moisture sensor would be grounds for an immediately voided warranty, now they'll take other points into account (presumably including, but not limited to, whether there is any other evidence of liquid damage, how convincing the customer's story is, how good a mood the manager is in that day, how attractive the customer is, how much fuss the customer kicks up, and the proximity of that day's lunch break).

  6. Not Always Right by RobertB-DC · · Score: 3, Funny

    I know the cell phone companies (including Apple in this overgeneralization) are a bunch of greedy so-and-so's, but a quick perusal of the stories at (The Customer Is) NotAlwaysRight.com will show why the Water Damage excuse is rather valid.

    Such as, the borderline fraudulent:

    Why Contracts are a Gazillion Pages Long ...

    Me: "Thats right, but there are conditions, one being that the phone cant have any liquid or physical damage. I need to check for that."

    Customer: "Fine, here."

    (When I open up the phone, it stinks of alcohol.)

    Me: "Sorry, this smells like it has alcohol on it."

    Customer: "Oh, well, I dropped it in the sink and I know you wont fix it if it has water damage, but I didnt have any ethylated spirits, so I soaked it in vodka for 2 days to dry it out."

    And then, the just stupid:

    Beefed-Up Technology

    (I was a customer at a cell phone store, observing the following exchange.)

    Employee: "Im sorry sir, but your phone has water damage, which isnt covered by the warranty. You will have to purchase a new phone."

    Customer: "Thats ridiculous! I havent gotten the phone wet!"

    Employee: "Have you used the phone in the rain? Sometimes, thats all it takes to get the internals wet enough to damage the device."

    Customer: "Well, yes, but that doesnt make any sense! Cows are in the rain all the time and they dont die!"

    Employee: "..."

    Me: *interjecting* "Sir, cows arent electronic devices."

    Customer: *storms out*

    (Fair warning, though... My Ghostery plug-in shows a whopping 18 web-watchers on that site. No wonder it won't come up on my phone. Or maybe it's the water damage.)

    --
    Stressed? Me? Of course not. Stress is what a rubber band feels before it breaks, silly.
  7. Slashdot on the iphone... by xTantrum · · Score: 4, Informative

    So im sure to get modded off topic but i'm reading /. on my 3GS right now and this new layout apple does not like. For some reason i can never see the top story. The title is always half cut off by the /. Masthead. wtf?? Its also unbelievably slow to load the page and safari seems to have a hard time fitting the content to the phone display so who am I to sue in this case, Apple or cowboy neal? ----sent from my ipho

    --
    $action = empty(PHP) ? backToC() : unset(PHP) ; "when the concrete cases are understood, the abstractions are readily
  8. Re:I'm a cellphone tech at one of the US Big 4 by NFN_NLN · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "I'm a cellphone tech at one of the US Big 4" ---

    Guess what -20C is BAD for your electronics.

    My data center is held at constant temperature and humidity for electronics. I DON'T intend to stay in a data center to use a phone. In Alberta, Canada it routinely gets to -30C (as it did this morning in fact) and I expect the phone to work. Did I say, after it thaws out? No I meant in -30C weather.

    You know what's BAD for a car engine? -30C
    You know what's BAD for plastic? -30C
    You know what's BAD for plants and animals? -30C

    Sure its not good but it should still work.