Apple: Illegal Behavior and Anti-Consumer Policies?

Apple isn't known for being the most flexible company in the world and some could argue this is one of the reasons for their immense success. Unfortunately, this rigidity which can almost be described as stubbornness can cause a few issues. Linus Tech Tips discuss their frustrations with Apple in a recent video.

Linus Sebastian describes his issues relating to Apple and his iMac Pro. Some time ago Sebastian's iMac Pro was damaged and when he sought support from Apple they refused. This refusal wasn't even for a warranty repair, Sebastian describes how they understood they would have to pay, even still Apple refused to help. Since then Sebastian has had to source some parts from other means and this it seems hasn't been an easy task. Sebastian argues that Apple's policies are not only anti-consumer but could, in fact, be illegal too when we consider the "right to repair."

Personally, I do have several gripes with Apple and this led me away from buying many of their products. This is especially true when it comes to their "pro" equipment such as the iMac Pro and their Mac Pro. I just don't feel confident enough in them to provide adequate of effective support should anything go wrong not to mention the lack of customizability. In my experience, almost every time I've contacted them for any support I've found it very disappointing. The simplest of issues tend to be met with the most overcomplicated solutions. I get the feeling Apple as a company just doesn't care and they take their customers for granted simply because they can.

Usman Dawood's picture

Usman Dawood is a professional architectural photographer based in the UK.

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33 Comments

personally i've never had a problem. as for this linus tech tips clown, he has no training to do what he did then he expected apple to bail him out of his predicament. that's the WHOLE story. bottom line, he's going to have to wait until spare parts are abundant on the open market.

ICYMI, linus has no technical or engineering training. he's just a self-professed "tech geek" who used to work at a computer store.

sometimes, should you damage your product in a certain way, manufacturers won't touch it because they must warranty the work they do, and not knowing the full extent of the damage done by this clown to his iMac Pro, it's fully within apple's rights not to want to take ultimate responsibility for his calamity. for him to not recognize this only serves to display his sociopathic tendencies.

bottom line, he wants apple to take responsibility for his own incompetence and he's using his youtube channel to pressure and smear them.

people have legit gripes with apple, but this idiot's is not one of them.

disclaimer: i own a lot of apple products and switched back in 2008 because i was tired of servicing my windows machines constantly. apple's warranty and service practices lured me in because it would be one less thing i'd have to hassle with that i no longer had the time for. i've never had a problem with service and warranty support through them, and though i've disassembled many of my macbooks and imacs in the past to upgrade parts, some extensively, i've never returned a box of broken shit to apple and expected them to bail me out. i'm a self-professed "tech geek" and have a degree in aeronautical and avionics engineering with a concentration in electrical engineering. i've been building computers since i was 17 (i'm now 42) and spent 8 years in the USAF as an airborne armament systems tech. i'm not the most educated but at least i have some education and know the consequences of my actions when it comes to electronic hardware.

Apple should have better support in line for a computer that starts at $5k, but yeah, he tried to open a computer that was not meant to be opened by users...

The right to repair means that you should and can open any electronics device to repair it.

They damaged it during reassembly while the computer was plugged in. They drop the screen and caused a short. For a bunch of techies, that was a boneheaded move.

Apple’s refusal is like Canon refusing to fix your camera if you drop it into the sea. They can fix it, but chances of it failing again is high.

Apple is just another word for saying mob. They are a bunch of thieves. A couple of years ago my friend dropped by accident his iPhone 6 and got a scratch on the screen. He sent it to Apple for repairing and they charged him 400 € just for changing the screen! The iPhone costed 700 €. I told him that if it happens again i will change the screen of the iPhone for just 100 € wich was the cost of the screen at the momment.

He also had Apple Care Plan wich turned out to be completely useless.

Must have watched a different video than this one? Yeah he is annoying, but Apple leaves alot to desired and he makes valid points.

this is a continuation of his initial imac pro issue where he tried to disassemble it on camera and dropped it, returned it to apple, they turned him away, he offered to pay for the repair, they still turned him away, so he started slamming them on his youtube channel constantly.

https://www.techradar.com/news/youtube-channel-claims-apple-is-refusing-...

Turns out, you can get a lot of coverage by slamming Apple on YouTube!

It's comparably to buying a luxury car and the repair company refusing to fix it even though you throw money at them. it's weird if nothing else

he offered to pay for the repair from the start. but they don't have any separate parts...

But what if something like that happens to you ? It's 5000$ and only thing you can do is trash it.

It's only a computer so yeah they can fix it.

And he is not the only one with iMac Pro problem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG_NRcy5mxU

#shouldawatchedthevideo

The repair isn't being refused because it was their fault damaging the monitor, but because the approved apple repair centre doesn't have the "qualification" to repair it months after the product was released and therefore can't purchase the spare parts.

Yes, if I break a $1000 component (only) on a $5000 device, I expect to be paying $1500 to repair it not $5000 to buy a new one, but please continue to apple fanboi as hard as you can

@ Han Seoul one Linus didn't do the damage but one his employees did. He dropped the screen. It was a clumsy accident and had nothing to do with a lack of technical knowlegde.The problem is that lots of Apple stores are not able to fix those Imac Pros because of lack of training. But you have spoken as a true devotee of the iCult.

It had everything to do with the lack of technical knowledge. You do not reassemble a part with the power on, PERIOD. Nothing but a bunch of idiots.

I don’t trust Apple (or any other company) but it sounds like this guy is just venting his own frustrations...

Er,… yes!

You say that as if something is wrong with the video.

New rule: never click on a headline that ends in a question mark.

The question is based on the actual video therefore relevant.

My point is that if you (or the video authors) can’t write the headline without the question mark then you actually don’t know. Which makes it’s value as news worthless. It’s a little like the headline: “Does Usman Dawood beat his wife?” Unless I know for sure, Its unethical to write that piece.

Not knowing is the beginning of most things.

I don’t think you understand context or nuance.

just imagine: doing studio shooting directly to the iMac pro and maybe a gimbal , flash or whatever falls into your iMac pro screen, this things happen and you would be fucked the same way like Linus with a 5k or more paperweight, and this is not pro in no galaxy

Which computer manufacturer will repair their product that was physically damaged? All of them will just say buy a new one.

From my experience working in corporate IT, both Dell and HP will happily repair the damaged equipment and charge you handsomely for it... Well, at least that's the case in Australasia. Perhaps things are different down here.

Most commercial contracts for hardware includes repair of parts, and even if that wasn't the case the laptops/screens/AiO;s (especially HP's Z series) are generally designed to be repaired to a degree (depending on model).

They may not do it for free, but they will do it and charge accordingly. They also repaired a Z840 workstation (worth the better part of 20k in parts) that was dropped from about 10ft from a helicopter, which is another story in itself, we got it back and it looked as new after 10 days which was a lot cheaper than buying a new one.

He forgot to mention Apple's anti-idiot policy. The cost of spare parts is always higher than the assembled for products. Yes, you can make a clone but that is not the same as the original. Try doing what he did with a Nikon, Canon or Sony camera or with your car. Just the logistics of spare parts make them cost more.

He is a total idiot.

Historically you have not been able to open up recent cameras and upgrade their capabilities with industry standard hardware. Computers have historically been user upgradable... and with the right tools and training so were most of the Apple products even with Apple trying to design ways to prevent that. What we are seeing and what he is trying to show is they are designing and implementing barriers for user upgrades only to prevent profit loss, no actual design benefit at all.

Really? What about all those poor souls who got electrocuted by using cheap inferior power supplies for their Apple iPhones and iPads? Apple has a right to protect their product and it has been like that with Apple ever since the Macintosh came out in 1984. He was an idiot with no technical skills and he damaged his computer on his own. I own a Porsche and I cannot work on the engine like when I was a kid and Porsche back then sold the actual factory service manual, should I cry wolf now?

Oh boy, another one apple fanboy...Maybe you must take a look at Louis Rossman youtube channel...And the Porsche analogy...a perfect example of what a fallacy is.

non apple charging cables are not dangerous unless they are extremely cheap

That's to be expected when paying Mercedes-Benz pricing for a computer. I suggest that Linus switch to Windows and use a commodity PC.

this is kinda like how apple changes the charging cable for the macbook all the time