It's wonderful to hear all your success stories on the comments! I'm sorry I don't usually answer to your questions left on the comments. The answer is this blog itself.
The "iMac early 2006" is almost 5 years old now and it seems it's easier now to have it fixed than it was before. That's my only message to those still with lines, Call Apple Now!! And happy holidays to you all!
December 20, 2010
2010 - Happy holidays!
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47 comments:
Thanks for your update! I called today, had to jump through a bunch of hoops to get three levels up. Basically they will now try to sell you $50 phone support for out of warranty products, just be persistent and ask them to do one search to see if your screen is covered because of a factory defect you can add that you've heard it is and read about the issue on the support page of apple's website. I just told them #50 wasn't a reasonable price to pay for one search in their database and they did it right away. As soon as the issue was acknowledged it went fairly quickly and I'm bringing it in for appointment today to get sent to the repair center!
I should add, don't get stuck in the automated voice loop and don't give that robot your serial number or you will be suck. When it asks you for it, press 0 and you should be transferred to a representative.
Also incase anyone is wondering I have a W860 U2N iMac.
Hello,
I just wanted to say thank you very much for publishing these stories. My iMac screen had a thin cyan line and then an inch-thick, flickering white band appeared down the lefthand side...making it visually disturbing & migraine-triggering so as I couldn't use it
Thanks to your stories, and the words "just call Apple"...I called them, and, despite the machine being well & truly out of warranty, they were fantastic, and repaired my machine for free, with a brand new LCD screen! granted, it's summertime, it's Australia & it's almost Christmas, so the friendliness vibes are quite high here, but I've got to say I am really impressed with Apple's service on this issue, and now feel 100% more likely to purchase their products again. Go Apple! And yes, being able to quote from this blog was enormously helpful. I'm sure i would've had to pay otherwise. Thankyou very much! Cheers, Rachel
I saw this blog a few days ago and decided to take my iMac straight to the genius bar at the Bluewater, UK Apple Store. The genius didn't even turn my machine on, I explained the issue and he agreed to book it in for an LCD repair even though the machine is so old.
Thanks so much for this blog!
Just left my iMac in the shop Thursday to have the LCD replaced free of charge. I've been following this information for a long time and had my computer boxed up and stored in the closet. The last Wednesday I decided to give it a shot and my first call got immediate success. The man told me he wanted me to buy Mac again so he was gonna do all he could to make sure this was made right. I sure hope it works.
I saw this blog yesterday and, encouraged by what I read, went to my local Apple genius bar and explained that my 2006 Intel iMac had developed a vertical yellow line on the screen. I took a print out of this blog too. No argument! A new LCD screen has been ordered and will be fitted free of charge. I was so impressed by the efficiency and professionalism of the technicians in the store and also send thanks to everyone here.
Woo Hoo! Just left my iMac at The Apple Store (I walked it in figuring that was easier than trying to explain things over the phone) and they'll call me when it's ready to go - No charge!
Thanks!!
Have no doubts. Same thing for me as well. Called the service number. They acknowledged that a special extended warranty applied to my 17" iMac Intel from 2006. Made the appointment with the nearest Apple Store to me over the phone. Just got back and a $549.23 repair was free. He said they'll have it ready in three to four days. Unbelievable!!!!
Hi,
I have called apple, but they want me to take screen shots of the vertical lines to see if they show up or not. Is this normal as my mac is a 17" imac W863...WH5 or imac 5,2.
So now I wait for the line to appear as a the moment it is intermitent.
Any advise?
cheers Leah
I have an imac that is 5 years old next week, U2R serial in my case and has started developing the lines, called tech support from the apple contact-us page, and to get straight to the point, apple are going to fix it for free.
I would recommend that when you call and you dont find it much help ie the assistant is not familiar with the problem for whatever reason, they might be new or just have not come across it. You should definitely just keep calling back until you do speak to someone that is familiar with this issue, I got what I needed on the second call from a guy who knew and passed it onto his senior advisor who was fantastically happy to help and issued the repair. At no point in any call did anyone try to sell me phone support, they just listened to my problem and got to it, it was at the very end of the day when i called as well.
UK based and taking my imac to the genius bar tomorrow. Also this website has been extremely helpful in highlighting the issue, and providing a platform for peoples experiences with apple support regarding a product which is way out of warrantee even if it is a fault. Many thanks
I just got my MAC back from service. My IMac is over 5 years old, and started developing the lines a couple of months ago. After reviewing several blogs regarding the lines, I called Apple. Got a rep who didn't know about the problem, but referred me to his service manager. The manager took my serial number, then set up service for me at a local service provider I didn't even know existed. I took in my machine on Jan 17, and got it back today. New LCD screen, No lines, no cost to me. Just be nice when you call Apple, and realize that a newer rep, may not know about the problem. Be kind, but persistent. It pays off.
Myparents serial is W863847bac1 Does that matter? my parents bought it in late 2006.
Ohmigosh! I just called Apple Care today (my mace now has 15 vertical lines), after weeks and months of putting it off, because I was afraid they would give me a hard time.
But they were SO nice and are fixing my computer for free. The rep told me that my warranty was expired and so was my phone support, but that he would listen to my problem and see what steps could be taken. I explained the problem and the blogs/forums regarding this issue.
He looked it up and then put me on with a senior adviser. I had to take a screen shot and email to the adviser (to verify if the lines were an LCD issue not a graphic card(?) issue. -If you take a screen shot and the lines do not appear in the image then it is an LCD issue). Once he verified the issue was the LCD told me that they would fix FOR FREE! My genius bar appointment is Friday! I am so happy and excited that my call went so smoothly. Call people. Don't put it off like I did!
Just blog walking! I enjoy reading your post! Keep sharing!
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Thank You! I had this problem today and I googled it and found this website. I called apple support uk and they offered a free repair with no hassle at all. Thank you.
Thanks
After all this time problem finally resolved all thanks to this blog. My vertical lines started 2 years after I bought mine and got so bad now there are hundreds and I no longer use the iMac at all. Took into Norwich applestore Chapelfield today 1st March 2011 and they are fixing for free by Friday.
I have the same vertical lines on my 2006 iMac. I called Apple about it yesterday and took the computer to the Genius Bar this afternoon... The guy said that my warranty have expired and need to charge me $650 to replace the screen. I mentioned that many people have recently repaired their screens for free but it was no use....
WOW!! I tried the same thing today (3/19/2011) and, after being put on hold only once, I spoke to someone who approved the repair quickly, easily, without hassle!! I was shocked!! how amazing... gotta love it!
Thank you, thank you! This blog and other commenters helped me know what to say and how to say it - and my late 2006 iMac was covered! I called this afternoon (3/20/11) and the chain of events was just as others described it - had to question paying $50 for phone support and mention the factory defect issue, spoke with a technician, took a screen shot, and finally got a senior technician to agree to cover the LCD replacement at a local Apple Store. FYI - my 17 inch iMac has a W864 serial number. Good luck to others!
@phil: how old is ur imac? Went to apple store in regent with my imac g5 btoday, but was told they never repair vintage products. When i insist it was a factory defect, he said it was not. Well, i could not argue anymore coz i know i'll never win. I wonder if i take it to blue water if i'll get the same answer.
Thanks,
Stuart
Just took my IMac to the Mac store today. They are replacing the motherboard and lcd screen at not cost to me. Thanks for letting me know about this.
My father-in-law had the same vertical lines problem on his 17 inch iMac, we called Apple Support, they sent us to an authorised Apple agent in Ireland who replaced the screen free of charge. Great. But four months later the lines have returned....
At apple.com it says the extension program was closed on December 2008....So that's not true? Can I still ask for my repair?
And I have another question, replacing the LCD Display was the solution?
(Reposting, as my previous post didn't go thru. Sorry if it gets posted double).
I'm in Italy. I have the 17" Core Duo iMac 2006 with 2-3 colored vertical lines. After reading the comments here, I just called Apple Support in Italy and they responded immediately about the problem, they are aware of it, and they gave me the phone no. of the closest authorized store near me.
They said that they are aware of the problem and will fix it free IF it meets the requisites, i.e. a CERTAIN number of vertical lines, and if the iMac is in the effected serial no. range. My serial number matches, but what about the certain no. of vertical lines? Is 2-3 enough? Has anyone heard of any minimum no. of lines before they fix it free?
Another possibly tricky point for me may be the fact that I opened the iMac to see if any video cable or similar was loose or broken or squashed, and may be the cause of the lines, and also to install a bigger hard drive. I put it back together pretty well, or so it seems to the naked eye. Do you think they'll have any problems with the fact I opened it?
Anyway, I'll keep you posted. Thanks for the site and the info!
Hello all,
I took my late 2006 iMac into a London apple store last week. I explained the problem, they confirmed it was the LCD booked it in for a free repair : )
They did mention that the machine was almost too old to be accepted in an Apple store. Apparently machines that are to old can only be repaired at authorised repair centres.
I suggest if you are having the vertical lines problem then take it to an apple store asap.
Ours has just started exhibiting the problem. Apple Support were helpful but the Brighton AppleStore and our local authorised service centre both say it's unfixable as parts are not available... Can I ask which London AppleStore accepted your unit for repair last week? Thanks...
Yes here in San Antonio, TX I just took a 2006 iMac to the apple store. They replaced it for free under their internal "EM80" article. But they mentioned that this campaign is ending "within days"
The Regent street store accepted my iMac, I would suggest calling Apple first.
me lo arreglaron gratis.
gracias por la información.
un saludo
I called today and now they are NOT FIXING this problem. Apple service told me that they have fixed all of the computers for this "issue" and are not planning on fixing anymore. This is crazy because I am 6 days late they won't fix it? I'm going to try and bring it in to my local apple store and see if they can help but I'm sure I'll get the same thing. SUCKS!
UPDATE... I took my iMac to the apple store near my house in Carlsbad, CA on 6/10. The very nice person working told me that yes they can fix it for $300-400! So I left the apple store sad and hopeless. Jump to 6/10, I called apple again and was told there is nothing they can do they are no longer fixing this problem for free. At this point I'm starting to cry because I will have no computer to work on! Then I spoke to a supervisor, (this was a long call) and in the end he told me he would make an exception. I was so happy and love apple more than ever! Today a second vertical line showed up on my screen so this could not have come at a better time!
Got my iMac 17" in for repair today, for free! Apple very helpful and kind.
Just to add to the above comments: it is *definitely* worth calling Apple, still. I phoned AppleCare in the UK on 9 June 2011: I was told that this was a known issue and that if I took it to the Genius bar or an authorised repair centre and the problem was confirmed to be the display, then a free repair would be carried out.
I asked the AppleCare phone rep to check that this program was still ongoing, so she went off to check with her manager and then came back saying that, in fact, it had ended on 26 May 2011! I was very polite, but said that this was disappointing as the issue had been ongoing and getting worse for over a year, but that I had not realised there was a repair program available. She was very sympathetic and put me on hold again before saying that a one-time customer satisfaction policy was being applied and they would still do the repair for free!
I took it to the nearest Apple store the next day; the issue was confirmed and the Genius said with a smile, "We'll probably have to order this part, given the age of the computer" but then he came back a minute later looking very surprised and saying that by a miracle they actually had the LCD panel in stock, and that as it was a "nice easy" repair to do, it would probably be fixed that day. It was! Amazing service! And of course, this makes me even more likely to buy my next computer from Apple.
Incidentally, the AppleCare phone rep did not mention a phone support charge or anything like that: the whole experience was just great. So it's still worth a try: clearly they can't keep doing this forever, and five years is probably a fair cut off point, but I was still lucky.
I called Apple care. I had called them before without success. They told me today if I could get a case # of someone who got it approved after the May 26th cut off date that they would see if they could work it out the same way. Any one have any ideas?Supervisor gave me # to call back if I got any other info.
I have the same issue that started 2 days ago, a single vertical blue line running on my imac's monitor. Today I tried using my imac but it won't turn on and it's totally dead. Please advise if they will still fix it for free. Thanks!
Noticed the problem last week. Exclaimed, "Are you frickin' kidding me!?" Took the computer to my local Apple reseller who tried to dispute my case with Apple. The fix was denied as Apple stopped supporting this fix about a month ago. I left the machine at the shop and called Apple myself. I pleaded my case and after speaking with a number of reps/supervisors they "made an exception". Success! My advise is to be patient, kind, and pleasant. Yelling and screaming at them won't work. Be nice and hopefully Apple will help you out as well. Good luck!
I now have 4 vertical lines on my MAC. Called the MAC shop in Melbourne and they said because it was out of warranty and the cut off date was 26 May I would have to pay or get a new screen. Very disappointed. I love my MAC and wouldn't buy anything else.
I'm glad most of you had good luck. I just called and the rep acted like it wasn't a common problem and informed me that my 2006 Mac was at the end of its life.
I bought my iMac four and a half years ago. The serial number begins W970 and ends in VUX. My screen is pretty much impossible to read thanks to a thick vertical line. I have been treated with nothing but rudeness and contempt by Apple staff when I've attempted to find a solution to this problem both by calling and writing. I was even told that the Sale of Goods Act doesn't apply to Apple products. (I should legally be entitled to a repair for up to 6 years for a manufacturing fault). I am going to get legal advice and would be interested in any other recent iMac vertical lines stories.
I've had a similar experience to the last poster - appalling customer service verging on contempt. My problem first appeared about a year ago and I contacted Apple about it only to be told there was nothing they could do and basically to get lost. I gave up until I recently came across this blog and decided to try again. I was told that the program for fixing this fault had now expired and there was nothing they could do. This despite it being an Apple manufacturing fault and one that I'd reported a year ago! The supervisor/manager I spoke to was pretty rude again and uninterested in what I had to say. I will not be buying Apple again I'm afraid.
Following up on various postive blogs, I contactedApple Care in France where I live. I got to speak to an English speaker senior advisor. He pointed out that the replacement option had died in May 2011, but then put me on hold whilst he enquired whether an exception could be made. In the even the stumbling block was that the necessary part could no longer be sourced; Thus no repair could be offered either at cost or free.
Im based in Dublin, Ireland. My iMac has 2 vertical blue lines and 1 yellow. Like the last poster I was also told the program to fix this problem ended in May 2011. I waited over an hour on the phone to Apple Support to be told "my supervisor couldn't justify repairing your imac due to the time elapsed since the May deadline". They also said my iMac was vintage model i.e. over 5 yrs old. In some ways I wish this problem had arisen sooner. At least then I would have had a chance of making the cut off.
Thanks for all the info but I am afraid the Apple helpline ( even the supervisor) refused me a free repair even though the the machine was bought May 2007 and the problem (1 inch vertical white line)gradually developed from mid 2011.Beware if you try the helpline in Ireland for this problem as they were pleasant but ineffective. It's Bill Gates from now on.
Very nice info and right to the point. I don't know if this is actually the best place to ask but do you folks have any ideea where to employ some professional writers? Thanks :)app agentur berlin
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