Shonky Awards 2006 - iPod - and resulting 360 inference ...

Pat · Post by **Pat** » 19 Oct 2006 05:29 pm

Choice have awarded their Shonky Awards, and one of them has gone to Apple.

Here's the text:

The CHOICE iSHONK for Dual-level Shonkyness

Goes to the…

* APPLE iPod
(CHOICE Computer, Sep/Oct 2005, and CHOICE, July 2006)

An iPod is a significant investment, so you don’t want your APPLE to be a lemon. And if there is something wrong with it, you’d expect an easy repair and warranty service. Podluck.

Level 1. Several readers complained about cracked screens, faulty batteries and problems with sound reproduction.

Level 2. APPLE doesn’t allow retailers to handle complaints under warranty (which is their obligation under Fair Trading laws) — you have to send your faulty iPod to APPLE yourself via Australia Post. And if they decide the fault isn’t covered by the warranty, you’ll have to foot the entire bill.

Now, pay attention to this bit:

APPLE doesn’t allow retailers to handle complaints under warranty (which is their obligation under Fair Trading laws) — you have to send your faulty iPod to APPLE yourself via Australia Post.

I'll repeat:

which is their obligation under Fair Trading laws

So, for an item under warranty - retailers are obliged to take defective returns. And I assume this falls under the Trade Practices Act (of which Fair Trading Laws come from)?

Who knows more about this, and what do these old laws mean for those of us who get shoddy 360s/PSPs/DSes etc that apparently need to be sent to the manufacturer? A store receipt should be enough under law.

General Chaos · Post by **General Chaos** » 19 Oct 2006 05:47 pm

First month you are good to go after that back to manufacturer.

Pat · Post by **Pat** » 19 Oct 2006 06:00 pm

Yeah, that's how it operates - but the way this article reads you should be able to deal with the retailer for the full duration of the warranty period.

unfnknblvbl · Post by **unfnknblvbl** » 19 Oct 2006 06:01 pm

...and don't forget that some Video iPods have been shipping with a Windows virus on them...

Candy Arse · Post by **Candy Arse** » 19 Oct 2006 06:14 pm

If you buy an iPod you're a fool.

Pat · Post by **Pat** » 19 Oct 2006 06:16 pm

What about a PSP or a Wii?

Candy Arse · Post by **Candy Arse** » 19 Oct 2006 06:17 pm

Both smarter buys than an iPod.

Pat · Post by **Pat** » 19 Oct 2006 06:20 pm

First compliment Ive ever seen you pay either system. Two for one special GET!

Texas · Post by **Texas** » 19 Oct 2006 07:22 pm

AFAIK, the rule is ezakerly what Chaos said - one month replacement by retailer, after that handled by manufacturer/distributer. And from my own experience with Apple I know that they replace anything classed Dead on Arrival (within 28 days of purchase) immediately at store level. And if you have repeated faults (as I had with my first iBook) they replace the whole unit, with the currrent spec equivalent. (upgrade from 933 g4 to a 1.3 g4)
Sounds like another Apple-bash to me. They can fuck off and buy a Zune if they want, and enjoy a worse MP3 player experience...

Pat · Post by **Pat** » 19 Oct 2006 07:24 pm

Who'd bother with either (or at least ipod). iRiver and Rio Karma are soooooooooo much better.

Texas · Post by **Texas** » 19 Oct 2006 07:34 pm

If they are Pat, sorry, you just pimped them so now they officially suck

Shaneus · Post by **Shaneus** » 19 Oct 2006 07:41 pm

Pat wrote:Who'd bother with either (or at least ipod). iRiver and Rio Karma are soooooooooo much better.

Yes! You must be my non-sexual soulmate.

mech · Post by **mech** » 19 Oct 2006 10:28 pm

I love my video iPod. Show me a 60/80 gig MP3/video player for the same size or price.

selfish · Post by **selfish** » 19 Oct 2006 11:17 pm

show me an "ipod killer" that isn't ugly as sin and i'll show you a normal person who cares about supporting ogg

Gamma · Post by **Gamma** » 20 Oct 2006 03:03 am

Texas · Post by **Texas** » 20 Oct 2006 08:04 am

selfish wrote:show me an "ipod killer" that isn't ugly as sin and i'll show you a normal person who cares about supporting ogg

QFT

AgOnNy · Post by **AgOnNy** » 20 Oct 2006 08:29 am

mech wrote:I love my video iPod. Show me a 60/80 gig MP3/video player for the same size or price.

You'll find many that have the size and many will be much cheaper too. Apple is such a rip off. They arent even that profitable for stores to sell anyhow.

Give me a Creative ZEN Vision:M anytime

Cardsy · Post by **Cardsy** » 20 Oct 2006 08:31 am

mech wrote:I love my video iPod. Show me a 60/80 gig MP3/video player for the same size or price.

I'm with Mech on this (WTF is the sky falling????) ... I've had a 40gig 4G ipod for a couple of years now and it's been fantastic, I'm about to jump to an 80gig black beastie coz I've filled it.

I think the itunes/ipod integration is fantastic ... it just works, and is simple to use.

Fuck fucking around to get shit working ... that's what I've got a PSP for!!!

Talez · Post by **Talez** » 20 Oct 2006 08:44 am

My iPod broke.

I took it back to where I bought it.

They had a replacement the next day couriered in from Apple (since they didn't have any of my model in stock).

I don't know where the fuck you guys are buying it from to get such shitty service. Apple gives the retailers like 4% breakage anyway on the shipments for stuff like DOAs and the like.

mech · Post by **mech** » 20 Oct 2006 09:43 am

AgOnNy wrote:
mech wrote:I love my video iPod. Show me a 60/80 gig MP3/video player for the same size or price.
You'll find many that have the size and many will be much cheaper too. Apple is such a rip off. They arent even that profitable for stores to sell anyhow.

Give me a Creative ZEN Vision:M anytime

Vision: M is fatter and more expensive than an iPod, and that's the only example you can give me? So where are the other "many" that have that size and are cheaper?

And what the fuck do I care if the store makes a profit on it or not?!

Texas · Post by **Texas** » 20 Oct 2006 09:54 am

AgOnNy wrote: They arent even that profitable for stores to sell anyhow.

Um... same for the PS2/Xbox/360/Wii/PS3...
Make money with add-ons. For iPod, it's the cases, etc, where the retailers make their money back

Gamma · Post by **Gamma** » 20 Oct 2006 10:17 am

mech wrote:And what the fuck do I care if the store makes a profit on it or not?!

Clearly if Apple don't take a loss on each unit, you're not getting value for money.