Rotten Apple

Travelling in to Sydney for work every day is a 90 minute commute either way for me. This journey would be intolerable were it not for one gadget – the iPod. Until this morning I was a massive advocate of all things Apple. Last week my 30GB video iPod started playing up with sound only coming from one earphone. I went in to the Apple Store on George Street . It is, in my mind one of the most impressive sights in the city. It is a huge three story glass fronted building, a real feat of engineering. I explained my query and they booked me in for an appointment with one of their “Geniuses”. I was most impressed and received an email confirmation of my appointment. I was extremely excited when I went for my diagnosis at lunchtime. I arrived ten minutes early and was introduced to my Genius, Bobby, a young guy with a stubbly beard. All of the Geniuses wore blue t-shirts proclaiming their outstanding ability with the slogan “Not all superheroes wear a cape”. All very clever marketing, but was Bobby expert enough to back up the hype?He took my iPod from me and typed the serial number into his Mac Book. He was able to tell me my iPod was out of its warranty period. Well done, but I could have told him if he had asked me. He then took out an impressive chrome and black instrument, the same as the paediatrician used when examining my daughter’s ear when she picked up an infection. He asked if the sound came out of the offending earpiece if I wiggled the earphone connector around. He then explained that Apple did not repair iPods, but would replace it with the same model. Result, I thought. Then I was told I would have to pay $180 for the privilege, or buy a brand new iPod with a 10% discount. This would be approximately $349, give or take the magical 10%. My head was instantly filled with conspiracy theories of inbuilt programmes for faults to appear just after the warranty period expires. I went on line to check if I could get it repaired by a third party. I was warned this invalidate my warranty. Surely, if it was under warranty, I would have been given a replacement free of charge? I googled iPod repair and entered my issue in the search field. I was astonished to find many others had had the same shoddy treatment for something that can be repaired relatively cheaply. I was able to download instructions with step by step photographs and even a YouTube instructional video. Essentially Apple are forcing disenchanted customers into the hands of backstreet repair companies. This seems crazy marketing strategy and appalling customer service. Not what I expected of such a modern icon.