Apple kicks off worldwide iPod nano first-generation replacement program
Summary: Grab a free of charge replacement for your 5/6 year-old iPod nano.
Do you own a first-generation iPod nano bought between September 2005 and December 2006? If you answered 'yes' then you could be eligible for a free replacement thanks to a manufacturing defect that could result in the diminutive music player overheating.
Apple is recommending that owners stop using their iPod nano and check to see if they are eligible for a replacement unit, free of charge. Not all first-generation iPod nano units are affected - entering your serial number here will tell you if your device is affected.
Note: Only units with a black or white plastic front and a silver metal back are affected. Later iPod nano models with a metal front and back are not affected.
If your iPod nano is affected, you will be instructed to send it back to Apple. You will receive your replacement unit within 6 weeks.
This is a great opportunity to get that old iPod nano that's languishing in a drawer for a few years refreshed.
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Talkback
RE: Apple kicks off worldwide iPod nano first-generation replacement program
RE: Apple kicks off worldwide iPod nano first-generation replacement program
RE: Apple kicks off worldwide iPod nano first-generation replacement program
I've had one with a broken control pad sitting around for years. I intended to use it as a memory stick but never did. So regardless of whether it is a new model, or a refurbed Gen 1, this works out great for me.
RE: Apple kicks off worldwide iPod nano first-generation replacement program
EDIT: I decided to try to remove the decal from the front after all, and it removed cleanly. The heat from the battery must have fused the decal to the back of the Nano. Those decals really work - my Nano looks brand new!
Replacing a 5+ year old device .....
RE: Apple kicks off worldwide iPod nano first-generation replacement program
Dude!! This is a safety and health issue. This is effectively acting like a recall which many companies do in the interest of safety. The difference is this type of device is not generally serviceable so they are just replacing it instead of fixing it.
This is good customer service yes, but it is required service which Apple is probably being told to do.
Yes and no
Battery overheating issues were prevalent throughout the industry in the early 2000s. Apple has issued several recall/replacement programs for this type of issue with products from iPods to Laptops. When I worked at the Genius Bar I participated in several of those programs and every single one of them was done on Apple's initiative, not as a requirement of any outside authority.
There was a standing guideline that any overheating product reported was to be evaluated and if found to be <i>defective</i>, a replacement was to be offered. Customers who damaged their products were expected to be responsible for that damage, but we made the occasional exception if we truly felt it was appropriate. I made exceptions to the rules that were a bit of a stretch occasionally, but I was always backed up by my store management.
Apple has a safety policy in place that allows the Genii to replace any Apple product found to be defective in a matter that poses health or safety risks (such as severe overheating) on a case by case basis. The problem can't be the result of product abuse - it must be a defect. Other than that, Genii are trained to evaluate and make that call on their own initiative.
RE: Apple kicks off worldwide iPod nano first-generation replacement program
After all this could [i]never[/i] be something Apple would do on it's own, right?
RE: So which Government agency is making Apple.....
In cases such as this where a health or safety issue the company is obligated to take care of the situation once it is made aware of it or face legal action. If the company takes the initiative to do this recall before it gets out of hand that just makes them a responsible company. So in this case it is the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the laws and regulations it has set in place.
RE: Apple kicks off worldwide iPod nano first-generation replacement program
hooey. Try calling Apple to get an extended warranty on your 3 year old Macbook. "Sorry, sir, that's not an option. We suggest you buy a new one".
RE: Apple kicks off worldwide iPod nano first-generation replacement program
My School District got the same thing when they tried to get information on extending the warranties on the iMacs we use.
We have had many ROM drives and Hard Drives fail in our iMacs. Of course some of that is due to that abuse the students give them. Who knew that ROM drives do not like to work so well when you stuff paper or gum into them.
(deleted)
wrong location, sorry
RE: Apple kicks off worldwide iPod nano first-generation replacement program
Not much of a Refresher
You are getting a replacement for a 5+ year old device
RE: Apple kicks off worldwide iPod nano first-generation replacement program
RE: Apple kicks off worldwide iPod nano first-generation replacement program
Do you know what a recall is? Apple is NOT doing this out of the kindness of their heart. They are doing it because they are forced to because of a safety issue. So yes, there is a [b]REAL[/b] reason to expect a replacement device. It is called a safety recall.
Take a chill there, Bob
I'm not a huge fan of Wackoae, but he/she has a point. The product <b>is</i> being replaced, not repaired. It is being replaced with the same model, but it's not like you're getting your old one returned to you.
In this case I thing the wackoae is right. Replacing a product that is defective for a like product that is not seems reasonable. Also, where do you see that Apple is being forced to do this? So far I haven't found anything to suggest that this is other than Apple's standard policy of replacing an unsafe product on their own.
RE: Take a Chill
I am sorry if some of my comments got out of hand but based on the Consumer Product Safety Act companies are obligated to take care of any product that can have potential safety and health issues. An overheating battery implies that it can be dangerous to handle. That is how Apple is being forced to do this. The difference here is that it is probably easier and cheaper to replace the iPod than try and take them all in and repair them.
Apple figured this out 5 years later ?
I don't think so....
So what's the catch ?