Apple Tries to Silence Owner of Exploding iPod
We've all heard about iPods and even iPhones overheating. What most of us don't know that it appears Apple tries to keep these kinds of occurrences on the down low.
Recently, an iPod belonging to an 11-year-old Liverpudlian girl was dropped. The Times Online reports that the girl's father, Ken Stanborough, dropped the device, which then emitted a hissing noise. Stanborough picked up the device and, upon feeling the iPod getting hotter in his hand, threw it out into the back yard where within 30 seconds, the device "popped" and jumped 10 feet into the air in a puff of smoke.
When Stanborough's attempts to obtain a refund from his retailer failed, he contacted Apple who replied with a letter outlining what Apple claims is "standard practice." The Times Online reports that the Cupertino-based company sent a letter to Mr. Stanborough denying liability but offering a full refund.
However, the letter also said that in accepting the money, Mr. Stanborough was agreeing to "keep the terms and existence of this settlement agreement completely confidential." The letter went on to say that any breach of confidentiality "may result in Apple seeking injunctive relief, damages and legal costs against the defaulting persons or parties."
Stanborough refused Apple's offer, but it does make you wonder how many customers out there accepted the offer of a refund in exchange for silence. Given the choice, what would you do? Take the money and run or reserve your right to talk about your exploding iPod? Let us know in the comments below!
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doesn't amaze me..
apple and it fidel castro complex.
Those sort of gag orders are pretty standard... nobody like bad publicity.
HOWEVER, in the case of a device that could cause injury if it malfunctions in this manner... I think Apple is looking for even more problems if a lawyer can prove they tried to hush up a problem and someone got injured as a result.
Dangerous line to walk Apple.
I'd either take the money and buy a zune, or post about it happening and then buy a zune.
But then, I bought a zune, and it doesn't explode...
Why not talk about it THEN accept the terms.
What did Mr. Stanborough do after refusing the money.............?
its dangerous to not let news sources know about this. could be a very rare defect that needs to be addressed. What if the father had kept it in his hand? Or if the girl was around and put the ipod to her ear to listen to the hissing noise.
Hilter and Apple have something in common. They both like white and think they're the best.
good title... maybe they should give them another one, this time with better luck in finding it's target...lol
I'd like to see Tomshardware obtain the model and version of the ipod that blew up and try to duplicate the experience on video. Apple needs to be knocked off its high horse.
This is why I would not waste my money on apple products. They are worthless. I still cannot figure out the whole Ipod, Itouch craze. I mean my cell has a built in MP3 player and it has a 3.5mm port so I hook it up to my truck or computer speakers. As far as all these Apps, most seem quiet stupid. And if you want to play games, get a handheld like PSP. I think I am going to submit the Icrush app to the app store. It will be the coolest app ever. I will give people step by step instructions on how to crush there iphone. And as you crush it, it will make an aswesome breaking sound.
Warning : Dropping your iPod may cause it to blow up.
surprise surprise...
If my ipod blew up it would take way more than a refund to make me happy....
New idea for laptop hunter Lauren... "I'm looking for something that doesn't explode."
I would tell them to stick their refund and ask for compensation (for tramua caused to the daughter etc). Then I'd create such a media shit storm with my youtube vids, media interviews (consumer programes love this kind of story) and my own website (myipodexploded.com maybe!). I would document and report all of my correspondance with Apple publicly.
Also, I'dgo to trading standards and report Apple and Argos (the shop) for providing faulty goods and refusing a refund.
Apple needs to understand that as long as only the facts are reported, there is not a damn thing they can do about it. Any company with these kind of business practices needs to be outed with as much publicity as possible.
If my iPod simply stopped working, I'd assume some sort of manufacturing flaw occurred and would be happy to get a full refund (and probably buy a replacement with that refund.)
An exploding device is another story, especially being my kid's device. I'd have a hard time keeping silent in these circumstances. If the iPod really did blow up and jump 10 feet, I could just imagine the damage it would have done had it been in a person's pocket. Thats a more of a safety concern, than a nuisance if you ask me.
That said, considering the type of failure (IE explosive). If I were Apple I may have re-worded my generic response and told the individual to allow me to collect the defective unit for analysis, and then follow up accordingly once the failure mode had been properly analyzed, rather than asking them to be silent before actually bothering to find out what caused the problem.
That's pretty creepy that it blew up and got sent 10 feet into the air. If it was more money than just a refund, then I would keep my mouth shut but simply getting you a replacement is the least they could do.
Unless Apple was sending in a few dump trucks worth of money my way, I would much rather retain slander rights.
Refuse the money and call a lawyer. You'll probably get more money (or at least your lawyer will).
Added bonus, Apple gets bad press.
When will companies learn that in the internet age, trying to silence or cover up an issue will only make things worse.
It's the same thing with video game publishers and review sites, apple and the laptop hunters ad. Time and time again, the news of your underhanded dealings will get out.
Warning : Dropping your iPod may cause it to blow up.
But it shouldn't. Understandably, you should expect these gadgets to break when you drop them, but not EXPLODE. Devices like this that explode when dropped shouldn't pass safety testing, what if it had been dropped in a plane or petrol station or other fire sensetive area?
if this happened to me i ask for as refund plus stock shares
i would make a load of cash every time the apple drones keep buying a new generation of the Iphone or Ipod
What did Mr. Stanborough do after refusing the money.............?
He called a newspaper :-)
I'd make a website about my experience with pictures and possibly video. I'd tap into social networks and youtube to get the message out there. I'd send everything that I found to every press outlet in existence and I'd do it all for the purpose of seeking out others that have had their iStuff explode. Collectively we could go class-action, and should have no trouble finding a top-notch lawyer to sue the bejesus out of Apple.
I agree that covering up the issue is complete idiocy, but it's nothing new for Apple. However, people need to understand that as batteries become more and more powerful, they contain more energy in a defined amount of space. Batteries are fragile, and when damaged, they can heat up and explode. Read the warnings on a box of Energizers or Duracells sometime.
this is a issue with Lithium Polymer batteries and not directly with the icrap or any other device that uses them. this issue could also be replicated with Lithium Ion batteries if their casing is damaged. i can't stand apple or their icrap but the reality is this problem stems from the battery technology. take any old laptop battery and crush it or drop it on concrete and watch the pretty lights and smoke! LiPoly batteries are even smaller and pack a bigger punch! anyone that plays with airsoft guns can attest to this...
Take the money and tell Apple to fuck themselves. Getting a refund for a defective product does not mean a corporation can require you to keep your mouth shut on the subject. I would love to see Apple try to do that to me.
It's this sh*t that DRIVES faithful customers away
What a bunch of dodgy bastards!
Ipods are shit, my cousins got me one for my Birthday and wore out within 6 months of regular use... You can't replace the batteries without sending it back to the manufacturer and that costs around $200 in fees! Sooo glad i didn't buy it with my own money.
It has to be the battery, no? Are there any other gadgets, like cell phones, that we should be concerned about?
Of course its the battery. Apple got more 'splaining to do