# Free Apple iPod Earbuds



## rodkin (Jan 7, 2003)

Free replacements:

http://freebies.about.com/od/computerfreebies/qt/ipod.htm


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## monokitty (Jan 26, 2002)

Um...

Was this ever a question?  Most repairs covered under _warranty_ are free. I don't understand the point of the article in question.


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## MannyP Design (Jun 8, 2000)

Lars said:


> Um...
> 
> Was this ever a question?  Most repairs covered under _warranty_ are free. I don't understand the point of the article in question.


Even if the problem is user-error? (ie: earbuds that have been stepped on) Because I certainly didn't know that:



> If your iPod earbud headphones are defective, or even if you step on them, or they get caught in the garbage disposal, or your dog chews them up -- Apple will replace them for free as long as your iPod is still under warrantee.


Warranties typically cover the cost of defects, not damage, correct?


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## monokitty (Jan 26, 2002)

> Warranties typically cover the cost of defects, not damage, correct?


Yes, but Apple never verifies the issue with iPod earbud claims in any case.


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## Blue (Jan 29, 2004)

Lars, 

So you're saying that I can send back my iPod earpnones that were all chewed up by my dog and Apple will replace them with a new pair? Because I for one would find that very hard to believe.

I also think it was very worthwhile for rodkin to post this info because I doubt that many people know their earphones can be replaced even if damaged by the owned.


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## monokitty (Jan 26, 2002)

> Lars,
> 
> So you're saying that I can send back my iPod earpnones that were all chewed up by my dog and Apple will replace them with a new pair? Because I for one would find that very hard to believe.


Unlike in the case of iPods, when you request replacement earbuds, Apple sends you the replacements _first_, not _after_ you send the original ones to Apple. Thus, you control the nature of the game. If (I'm unsure) Apple has your credit card number on file on control for the purpose of preventing fraud through the system, I doubt (it's unlikely) Apple verifies your claim notes when requesting replacement earbuds/headphones. The real reason Apple collects your credit card information is if you fail to return the defective pair to Apple after a specified amount of time (in that case, Apple will bill your credit card the full price for the replacement earbuds/headphones).


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## Oakbridge (Mar 8, 2005)

Come on people, use some common sense here. There is a cost involved in this which will ultimately be passed down to the consumer which will mean we pay it when we buy our new iPod or iPhone. OR Apple will be forced to review and/or change their current policies which means that in the future, some people who legitimately need replacements won't be able to get them as easy.

If the dog chewed them up, take it out of the dog's allowance or cough it up yourself!


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## Jason H (Feb 1, 2004)

Sooo thats where all the cheap iPod headphones on the RFD forums came from!

(I've known about this for months, think they sound like sh*t, have not opened mine and wont open the ones from my next ipod)


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## capitalK (Oct 21, 2003)

The clip on the case of my 3G iPod broke, I called Apple and they sent me a replacement case in the mail in about 5 days. Never asked me to send back the broken one.

I think the case sold for $49 on its own at the time. I was pretty happy with that service.


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## gordguide (Jan 13, 2001)

The cost of verifying the defect exceeds the cost of providing a replacement. Thus, they don't bother to veryify the defict, they just send out the replacement. It's a net saving for Apple to do it this way.

This is not as unusual as you might think; a case in point is the Griffin iTrip. Again, they do not bother to verify the defect: they ask you to destroy the old one, ask for a description of how you rendered it unusable (eg, you go "I smashed it with a hammer", they go "OK, fine"), and they in turn simply send out a new one. They do not want you to send in the broken one; it's a no-questions-asked warranty (although they do engage in eMail based support to solve problems, but once it's determined that the iTrip is probably defective, then a replacement goes out and that's the end of it).

Griffin actually have a little fun with it, occasinally posting photos of the creative ways people have gone about destroying their warranty-eligible iTrips (you don't have to send in a photo but some people do as proof they've rendered it unuseable).

The truth is there is no salvagable parts ( the form of wiring used in iPod headphones cannot be soldered or crimped, that leaves what ... used foam earpads, anyone? I think not ... ) in these devices, they are inexpensive to make relative to the cost of shipping (and in the case of the iTrip, packaging) and if you do send them back, they get to pay again to dispose of them. It's much cheaper to have you throw it away.

Having spent some time as a reseller who did have an authorized warranty repair depot, and one who would refuse to sell anything unless the company agreed to let us repair the products (we'll pay for training if necessary, but we insisted that we service what we sell) let me just say for the record that warranty repairs and returns are very expensive for everyone involved. It's one reason why we would dump lines that proved to be less than stellar reliablity-wise. Other shops (can you say Best Buy?) can afford to sell junk, but any store that does warranty repairs cannot, I guarantee you. It's a little secret you can use the next time you go shopping.

The hourly rate we would get for repairing electronics and loudspeakers under warranty was laughable; our tech's wages alone were higher; we did it simply because it was a service we could offer our customers. Even though many people don't get it (thinking you are making a killing fixing stuff), the whole idea was that saving the two week turnaround to send things back and forth from Mississauga or Montreal for our customers was worth it to us. That's assuming that it would get fixed quickly once it arrived there, not always something you could expect or rely upon.

Although it did vary, I can tell you that even 20+ years ago it was common for some companies to simply send us parts and take our word for it that we used them to repair someone's gear and in other cases they took our word for it that there was even something to fix in the first place, let us deduct the warranty replacement from new stock, and asked us to destroy the original. Others wanted us to ship broken parts back, but usually were willing to wait so that we were shipping things back perhaps once or twice a year. Nothing new about this at all.

Now the computer industry is very different in many ways from other industries but then again broken gear is as universal as the market itself and there are only so many ways to deal with it. Very expensive gear might be different but broadly speaking the warranty policy had more to do with how anal-retentive the company was than anything else. Some firms would rather pay twice as much than lay awake at night wondering if someone ripped them off, even once. Corporations have personalities that mimic real people.

More companies will be doing this in the future; until now there's been a reluctance to admit how cheap the actual product is and a worry that people will take advantage of it. The latter will be the only reason it will be discontinued by some. I would very much doubt Apple would worry much about that though; similar to their longstanding approach to the OS itself. They used to allow user groups to simply make floppies at will, provided they only charged what the floppies were worth it was fine to give away copies of the OS. Later, there was more emphasis on selling retail box upgrades, but still there is relatively little lost sleep in Cupertino over copies of OS's destined for genuine Apple hardware, which until recently was the only thing it ran on anyway. You can download any OS up to 7.5 from Apple today for free, and I would not be surprised if all the unsupported Mac OS's eventually end up that way.

Apple assumes that iPod headphones belong to an iPod someone bought somewhere; there is a small potential for abuse but broadly speaking it's cheaper and simpler to eat those few and get on with it.


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## Garry (Jan 27, 2002)

Blue said:


> Lars,
> 
> So you're saying that I can send back my iPod earpnones that were all chewed up by my dog and Apple will replace them with a new pair? Because I for one would find that very hard to believe.


I had some earbuds that I had caught on a fence.. I called apple, and had a new pair sent to me the next day. They didn't even want the old ones back.


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## imachungry (Sep 19, 2004)

Hell, I have a brand new pair if someone needs one bad enough. They're garbage anyway.


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## Jason H (Feb 1, 2004)

imachungry said:


> Hell, I have a brand new pair if someone needs one bad enough. They're garbage anyway.


LMAO. 
Sell them to some n00b.


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## wooglin (Mar 26, 2005)

Jason H said:


> LMAO.
> Sell them to some n00b.



I don't know quite how to read that... I've owned several sets of earphones and earbuds over the years... from cheap $5 buds to sweet sets that cost me over $200. I find that on any given day, I actually prefer the stock apple earbuds. They fit well, they don't hurt after extended use, the dynamics are great for most of the music and podcasts that I listen to, and they're really not that expensive.

That being said, the set that came with my 1st gen nano started crackling a month ago, so I used the apple care on the new shuffle I got for my girlfriend to scoop a free replacement.

Anyway... it's a matter of personal preference. If you think they're for n00bs, then call me one and send them my way. I can always use a spare set.


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## yatko (Oct 9, 2004)

The cheapest piece on your ipod purchase perhaps is this POS earbuds. I guestimate it to be about 20 cents or less. Something equals to the cost of the packaging and the sticker combined so what if you can get another one for free?


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## AppleEnthusiast (Sep 25, 2006)

wooglin said:


> I don't know quite how to read that... I've owned several sets of earphones and earbuds over the years... from cheap $5 buds to sweet sets that cost me over $200. I find that on any given day, I actually prefer the stock apple earbuds. They fit well, they don't hurt after extended use, the dynamics are great for most of the music and podcasts that I listen to, and they're really not that expensive.
> 
> That being said, the set that came with my 1st gen nano started crackling a month ago, so I used the apple care on the new shuffle I got for my girlfriend to scoop a free replacement.
> 
> Anyway... it's a matter of personal preference. If you think they're for n00bs, then call me one and send them my way. I can always use a spare set.



Couldn't agree more, they're the first pair of buds I've ever liked. Not AMAZING, but certainly not garbage, and considering they come for free with the player definitely a good deal.

I much prefer my dads Grado Hi-Fi phones, or even my Sennheiser's, but still use the buds a lot of the time.


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## Cole Slaw (Aug 26, 2005)

I have a problem with my iPod Nano earbuds. One side plays fine but the other side has almost no volume.
Anyway, I contacted Apple Service by email and they're going to send out a new pair, but they want the old ones sent back to them. I hope I don't have to pay for the return shipping!


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## biggpopa (Dec 25, 2006)

Cole Slaw said:


> I have a problem with my iPod Nano earbuds. One side plays fine but the other side has almost no volume.
> Anyway, I contacted Apple Service by email and they're going to send out a new pair, but they want the old ones sent back to them. I hope I don't have to pay for the return shipping!



You won't. I just got my replacement, and you have to peel the top part of the shipping label (which becomes your receipt), and under that layer is the return shipping label. You just call purolator and have them pick it up, and they'll bill Apple for it.


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## Cole Slaw (Aug 26, 2005)

biggpopa said:


> You won't. I just got my replacement, and you have to peel the top part of the shipping label (which becomes your receipt), and under that layer is the return shipping label. You just call purolator and have them pick it up, and they'll bill Apple for it.


Good to know. Thanks.


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## gord (Nov 4, 2002)

I find the Ipod buds to be alright for initially but seem to be too hard on my ears after listening to them for awhile (no foam covers) so have been using some cheapo Sony headphones for now til i get something better.


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## Jason H (Feb 1, 2004)

biggpopa said:


> You won't. I just got my replacement, and you have to peel the top part of the shipping label (which becomes your receipt), and under that layer is the return shipping label. You just call purolator and have them pick it up, and they'll bill Apple for it.


WTF

purolator will come pickup HEADPHONES that are going to be junked anyway yet I have to bring my damn ipod to the ups store to ship it?

thats a ripoff.


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## AppleEnthusiast (Sep 25, 2006)

Cole Slaw said:


> I have a problem with my iPod Nano earbuds. One side plays fine but the other side has almost no volume.
> Anyway, I contacted Apple Service by email and they're going to send out a new pair, but they want the old ones sent back to them. I hope I don't have to pay for the return shipping!



Did you try the Nano with other phones? Because my 60 gig developped the same problem, but it was the jack in the iPod, not the phones. Had to get a replacement iPod. I've heard of others having this problem too, not sure if it affects the nano or not though.


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## Cole Slaw (Aug 26, 2005)

AppleEnthusiast said:


> Did you try the Nano with other phones? Because my 60 gig developped the same problem, but it was the jack in the iPod, not the phones. Had to get a replacement iPod. I've heard of others having this problem too, not sure if it affects the nano or not though.


Yeah, it was the buds, because when I'd plug in a pair of headphones into the iPod Nano it would play fine, and when I'd try the earbuds on my Macbook I'd have the same problem with the unbalanced volume.
BTW, I recieved the new earbuds from Apple maybe 4 days after I told them about the problem using thier online service, and, yes, I did have to return the old set (prepaid, though).


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