I took it apart, and I broke it - and I'm sorry :(

[clunesy]

I know, I know !!
Now what. Its still in warranty - or is it?
I've heard stories where people contact apple
for the repair, they send a shipping box - the item is returned, and they receive a refurb in like two days; so would they have checked out the original unit in this time ?

What are the chances of me getting away without having my unit scrutinized, and the fact that I opened it discovered.

Any tips on the best approach ?

Alternatively I have a contact at an apple service centre, that I use for business, for apple repair. Is this something the service centres look at, or would they just send it straight back to apple anyway ?

Has anyone been in this situation at all?

Any musings, help, or statements of 'What a ####, why did you take it apart !!???'
greatfully received...

thanks

Clunes

[clunesy]

Oh - the symptoms are that 4 out of 5 times, it comes up with the system exclamation icon, and each 5th time, it boots completely and appears to work, plays songs, but all menu navigation and key-presses are very slow to register (inc. the hold button). It also doesn't seem to want to mount on firewire

[BigBohn]

Dang, dude. I don't know what to say. Maybe "you shouldn't have done that, hmmpphh" or "don't open up your iPod unless you seriously plan on upgrading and its already out of warranty" but its already too late for that one.

Sorry, man, don't know how to fix that one. But maybe someone with a lot of knowledge on it could?

[MidPack]

Tempting as it is, I won't comment on why you took it apart. I'm sure I'll get flamed, but you should be completely honest with Apple and they will help you get back in business. It's not their fault you took it apart, and it might make it easier for them to repair if you just tell them what you did. Live and learn...flame away guys.

[zerock]

taking it apart wasnt a smart move, especially under warranty

[m.r.m.]

when you open it, you have voided the warranty. so apple won?t repair it for free. that doesn?t however mean you need to tell them you opened it. i don?t think lying is good or can be justified, but in this case there is no need to volunteer information. send it in and hope for the best. if you need to say why it isn?t working, think of something. maybe you dropped it.

on a side note, if you get a new one or buy a new one, get a compusa tap for it. that way you?re insured the next time.

tough luck, mate! :(

- mrm

[sparks9]

well....don't do that again.

[Jeff3F]

First of all, scour the net for info on HOW do they know you opened it. Maybe a painted tell-tale, or maybe you scratched the hell out of it in the process of opening it. These forums are a bit weak--there's an iPod hacks forum somewhere on the net (google it), and they will have more information. It's quite possible they won't be able to prove that you opened it--if they can't prove it, then they have to fix it. Still, I'm sure their technicians can spot user-broken components particularly if they're relatively obvious.

Also, maybe you haven't beefed it totally--maybe the iPod is still fixable. After all, you were comfy enough to take it apart--I'll bet you're willing to try to fix it before giving up.

While the truth works great if you have bottomless pockets, we all know that Apple would turn their back on you in a second, and demand several hundred bucks for a non-warranty fix. In the words of one of the animal house guys, "it's got to work better than the truth!"

Good luck, and I'm glad I didn't take mine apart yet. Won't do it, until at least 3 years have passed...

[Public Enemy]

May I reccommend that you not open it up again ;)

[Kirk]

What actually broke? I understand its not uncommon for the headphone jack or firewire port connection to break during disassembly. If you're handy with a soldering iron, you might be able to reconnect those and be back in business.

[shipname]

i took a try at opening up my ipod(i have both apple and compusa warranty) but i couldn't open it, i tried guitar pick, sharp knive, plastic, didn't work, anyways it lefts scars where anyone and tell, the part is clear, not white(the edges) so they can tell, but i crapped it up pretty bad up top, didn't even open it...

[clunesy]

Just a quick update ...

OK. I'm not gloating or being smug, I actually feel a bit guilty, but.... let's just say that within THIRTY-SIX hours of sending back my sick iPod to apple (which lets face it - I pretty much broke); I took delivery of a brand spanking new unit, wrapped in plastic.

I have been extremely lucky - lets just say that Apple's warranty is as good as they come.

[lozzd]

wow, interesting... I have a 2nd gen, perhaps if i rip mine apart and break it on purpose perhaps ill get a brand new 3rd gen!? lol! :P

Perhaps not!!

Still, u got lucky there, dont do it again!! :eek:

[lorcani]

Someone here mentioning upgrading.. how could you upgrade it?

[Jeff3F]

You did get lucky. I'm sure they have "tell-tales" that tell them whether the unit was taken apart (in your case, perhaps it was screwdriver marks!). They probably don't bother for now, as the "old" style ones have no market value to Apple--they'd probably just as soon dump their stock of refurbished ones.

As for upgrading--that's a scam/tactic, whereby one gets the extended warranty from Breast Buy, or CompCCCP. Then when new units are out (like now), they break the old one. The customer is hoping that the store will simply replace the unit, and, not having any old style iPods, will have to replace it with a more modern one (ie now 10gb is the smallest, not a bad score for someone with a 5gb model). Something like that.

Of course, I have to say that I do prefer the 2nd generation iPods best.

[destined_wind]

How bold, taking apart a new ipod...I would never try that one...never! :eek:

[Impulse29]

My advice:
Close the iPod up, so that the inner guts look normal, then make sure it is partially functional. Make an excuse that is believable, and make sure that the sides look nice (no marks when u opened it- just push the lucite). Then I'd send it in. They cannot just keep the iPod, so if they do not give you a new one, you'll just get it back... It's worth a try

[SFNE Freak]

Originally posted by Impulse29
My advice:
Close the iPod up, so that the inner guts look normal, then make sure it is partially functional. Make an excuse that is believable, and make sure that the sides look nice (no marks when u opened it- just push the lucite). Then I'd send it in. They cannot just keep the iPod, so if they do not give you a new one, you'll just get it back... It's worth a try
Did you read the thread? Apple just sent him a brand-spanking new one.

[AptMunich]

Wow, did you get a new brand spanking new one, in the sense that it's a 3rd generation model with the touchsense buttons and lighty buttons, or in the sense that you got a brand new 'old' one?


Cause a new one would be kinda cool as mine is also under warranty.

I just assumed apple has enough old ones for the next few years anyway...