Apple canceling smokers’ warranties over ‘contamination’
Need another reason to quite smoking? This one’s a whopper — Apple is refusing to honor the warranties of Mac owners because the devices have become “contaminated” due to the effects of cigarette smoke.
The Consumerist is reporting the AppleCare experiences of several customers, who are smokers, where Apple has refused to service their Macs due to the “health risks of second hand smoke,” because the computers had become “contaminated with cigarette smoke, which they consider a bio-hazard.”
The really interesting bit is that the users appealed to Steve Jobs who said that company would honor AppleCare technicians decisions not to work on computers that had become tainted with nicotine, which “is on OSHA’s list of hazardous substances.”
If that’s the reason, then what of the known toxins (.pdf)—lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, and PBB and PBDE brominated flame retardants (BFRs)—that can be found inside Apple products?
When emotion takes over
The really twisted bit here is that Apple’s warranty contains no references to tobacco. Moreover, if Apple does have a policy of not honoring the warranty on Macs used by smokers, then the company should publicly say as much.
Although smoking certainly isn’t healthy and a filthy habit, it seems patently absurd that the Macs had become toxic. These are hysterical, emotion driven reactions by Apple and surprisingly Jobs himself.
At the very least, these people should either have their Macs repaired or money refunded…
What’s your take?
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November 21st, 2009
People have a civil right to comprehensive computer care no matter what their smokesual orientation might be. Smokers need to compute too. They didn’t choose that lifestyle, they can’t help that they were born that way. AppleCare techs are just hate-filled smokaphobics. Don’t they know you can’t catch emphysema by sharing hard drives? Smokers just want to be treated like everyone else.
November 21st, 2009
@Jeff
Before you try to make a logical point, go and get a science lesson because you can’t be born as a smoker, therefore, tainting your comment (like cigarette smoke) and making it illogical.
November 21st, 2009
As a computer technician that works on PC’s I can have first hand experience with this issue.
A PC that has been used for a few years by a heavy smoker gathers a larger amount of sticky tar inside it.This atracts dust and it all make a very disgusting sight.
Also when the PC is in operation the stink can be really very bad as the unit heats up.
I have never refused to serviced such a machine however I think that a penalty should apply and Techs should not have to work on them if they dont want to.
I think that the tar could also affect the components on the board but I have no prrof on that one.
Civil rights or not if I dont want to work on a stinking PC I should have that choice without penalty.
Regards,
Peter
November 21st, 2009
Okay. Seriously. Many things wrong here. 1. You are not born a smoker so quit trying to find an excuse for your bad habit (Jeff!) 2. Apple hasn’t used most of those chemicals that you listed in their products for the past year and a half. 3. Charge an extra fee but don’t denie customers service. I agree with Peter. Why should others have to deal with the consequences of your habit. It’s NOT a civil right (again, Jeff!)
November 22nd, 2009
If the info supplied when the machine was boght did not specify that the warranty could be voided if the machine was exposed to cigarette smoke, then Apple are open to legal challenge.
The infortunate thing is that this is unlikely to be tested in a courtroom because most of us cannot afford to go toe-to-toe against Apple and its lwyers.
And where someone was wealthy enought to do so, Apple would move heaven and earth to buy them off in an out-of-court settlement to ensure that no legal precedent was set.
November 22nd, 2009
WOW Jeff. Do you even know what a civil right is? Do you know anything about genetics? WOW!
November 22nd, 2009
If Apple says smoking automatically voids the warranty,they should say so. I wonder if smeone who is a WEED smoker at an Apple computer can still cause a “bio-hazard” for that piece of equipment?
If a computer tech doesn’t want to work on a computer owned by cig smokers, I agree he shouldn’t have to work on it. And the company needs to make it clear in writing computers owned by smokers can’t be fixed.
I’ll just make sure I never buy anything made by Apple ever again.
November 22nd, 2009
What people are describing is something recently called “Thirdhand smoke” by advocate-researchers trying to terrorize people. To see the full story behind it read the article AND the AfterComments at:
http://www.cupblog.org/?p=493
and you might be surprised. Note, I am NOT saying that heavy smoking over long periods near a computer can’t occasionally result in a problem, but the whole “technicians being poisoned” thing is nonsense – more of a psychological problem (see “Nocebo Effect”) than a real one.
Heh… anyone over 40 or so may remember this particular type of attack on smoking first came up in the mid-80s as millions of smokers typed away on their Commodore 64s. Smokers were warned that their “1541″ disk drives would be destroyed by their smoke. Since many of them had already been not only smoking for years around those drives at that point but had ALSO used the drive itself as a convenient base for ashtray placement the “urban legend” died a rather quick death at that point.
Michael J. McFadden,
Author of “Dissecting Antismokers’ Brains”
November 22nd, 2009
AppleCare is not accidental damage insurance. AppleCare states that it will honor service for failures attributed to manufacturing defects. This alone disqualifies repairs being covered by AppleCare. Nicotine creates a tar film on the internal components of computers contributing to their failure, get a tech job and see this for yourself if you’re in disbelief.
Additionally, AppleCare Protection Plan is not marketed as an accidental coverage or even as a warranty. The term warranty requires companies to honor service terms as is. By using the words protection plan, terms and fees can change at any time. If you do not like your AppleCare service you can contact Apple and they will cancel the remaining term of your protection plan and refund you a prorated amount.
Enough with the tone of entitlement. Read what you’re buying into. Accidental insurance, which APP is not, have rarely been profitable for companies or priced reasonably because people can break or damage what they want and get a replacement. This makes no business sense to offer.
November 22nd, 2009
In the present cases, Apple hasn’t argued that failure was caused by tobacco damage. Apple has said they wouldn’t even attempt a repair because the Macs in question had become contaminated—that second hand smoke killed the warranty on the grounds that it would be harmful to anyone attempting to repair the Macs.
That may be a valid argument (seems a bit extreme), but given that 10 to percent of the people in this country smoke (depending on where you live) it only seems fair that if Apple’s going to claim that as warranty exception every time a tech catches a whiff of tobacco residue they should publicly state as much.
After decades of prior practice, they shouldn’t be allowed to suddenly and arbitrarily changed their policy.
November 22nd, 2009
@dylan
@pdog
@roth
Wasn’t my post a little too outrageous to be taken seriously? Didn’t “smokesual orientation” clue you in to the idea that my comment was tongue in cheek? Lighten up folks.
My post is a commentary on how people are calling lots of things civil rights these days from home ownership to killing children. Sorry you didn’t “get it”.
My real opinion is that AppleCare is being ridiculous. I hate cigarette smoke too but come on Apple, be real.
November 22nd, 2009
I have worked on computers before. I have worked with computers in a lot worse condition than a heavy smoker’s computer. I once worked on a computer that smelled like dead grasshoppers and febreeze. Bad mix. And what about animal owners? It’s a lot worse to have a bunch of piled up cat/dog/other hair in the fans and on the parts.
There are tons of bad particles in the air that gets sucked into a computer. You don’t know what MAY just be living inside all that dust and debris inside a computer.
If you have problems with a smoker’s computer, think twice about working on computers, because dust and large of amounts of buildup from particles can have a lot worse things in it.
November 23rd, 2009
Wow…whats next?
So if one has a dog or cat that sheds…the warranty is canceled too.
What if someone has a dusty keyboard? Warranty canceled.
Monitor a bit dirty? Warranty canceled.
Not using a Apple made extension cord? Warranty canceled.
Whats next? Unless you have the Mac in sterile clean room built on top of a altar with a huge painting of Steve Jobs …they won’t honor the warranty?
Sounds like the company is trying to tell its customers how to conduct their lifestyles.
I could see it now…. a new ad campaign by Microsoft,
“Welcome to the P.C. , a computer for everyone…and we don’t discriminate”….
November 23rd, 2009
guess Apple stock just went down, don’t smoke, hate it but to not fix a computer due to smoking is just bad business.
Hard to believe that their customer service would be this poor, they probably just lost hundreds of sales due to this, maybe more, if I did smoke I certainly wouldn’t buy an Apple computer now.
Simply a bad business move on Apple’s part, IPODS/phones next??
November 24th, 2009
This is utter bull. I’ve been a smoker for 55 years. I’ve owned 4 Macs since 1986 and never had a problem with them. I clean my computer every six months to get the usual accumulation of dust and dirt out of them, you know the same dirt you find in a vacuum cleaner bag.
I would think Apple would be one of the last places to become infested with anti-smokers. I just spent $4,000 on a Pro and Led monitor and it will be my last purchase until Apple gets rid of the real grime in their company.
November 28th, 2009
Will replace my computer during the next 2 months.
Mac just pushed me away.
Will let other smokers know about this.
Since roughly 20% of the population smoke, it is the duty of Mac to come clean and clearly state on their products that use of tobacco will void the warranty.
January 14th, 2010
The official reason may be that nicotine is a dangerous substance, but I guarantee that the real reason is because smoke and the resulting tar will gum up the fans and possibly harm circuitry. I am a smoker, and recently had to replace the fan on my Macbook, but I didn’t even think to call AppleCare because I knew it was my own fault and knew the risks of smoking near an computer with good ventilation.
January 26th, 2010
I was surprised when a Mac-certified store refused to repair the noisy fan on my Mac Pro because of the “cigarette smell”. When I called an Apple Repair Store and explained the problem, the Rep laughed and said “that’s just an excuse they use to avoid warranty work. We’ll fix it”. I drove 30 miles to deliver it.
Well, they called and refused to work on it too. They offered to sell me a new one. Clear bait and switch!
When they explained the problems that cigarette smoke causes, and pointed out that the smoke damage was not their fault, I accepted that it was my fault. But interestingly, when I offered to pay for the repair in full, they still refused.
They really really did not want to touch it. Well, OK…
Shouldn’t there be some company somewhere that specializes in cleaning cigarette smoke tar from Macs at a premium price? Seriously, shouldn’t there be some kind of whole-machine solvent cleaner dip that could be used? They wouldn’t even have to repair it, just clean it so Apple would repair it.
I have a useless $3,500 Mac Pro that is only 16 months old. I would certainly pay a lot to have it cleaned and repaired.
Another odd thing is that none of the PC repair stores I used for 14 years ever had a problem with cigarette smoke. They just cleaned it up and/or replaced the parts. After all, I was paying… Perhaps that’s because PC repair stores are fiercely competitive (Four within 3 miles of me) and Apple Stores are not (the nearest one is 25 miles away).
August 7th, 2010
The Columbia University Press evidently archives expansions on its articles for a very limited time period. Apologies to any who clicked on that link, although Kabat’s article is good in and of itself. You can find my expansion at Global Health Law intact however at:
http://globalhealthlaw.wordpress.com/2009/01/11/third-hand-smoke/#comment-52
Meanwhile the craziness has grown. One professor is getting a hundred thousand or so to scrape dust from the floors of smoke chambers and mush it into bleeding injured rats or somesuch (the details of how the “experiment” is set up aren’t yet available). Why would someone lay out a hundred grand for this? Simple: she’s going to show that “thirdhand smoke” inhibits wound healing.
See my article “Third Hand Smoke Causes Leprosy!” at:
http://www.smokersclubinc.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=5188
or in the Club Newsletter for Aug. 6th at:
http://www.smokersclubinc.com/
Michael J. McFadden,
Author of “Dissecting Antismokers’ Brains”
September 29th, 2010
I’ve smoked for 39 years and I have to say that I will never quit. I know it’s really terrible on me, but I have come this far and done all the harm to my body that I can already do. Wish I would have had good info like on this site when I started smoking and maybe I wouldn’t of ever begun in the first place.
January 18th, 2011
GOOD FOR APPLE! Toxic tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemicals (many of which are carcinogenic and/or poisonous). Toxic tobacco smoke KILLS 65,000 INNOCENT Americans every year!
Smokers are mentally ill and otherwise brain-damaged from tobacco addiction. More info at: http://medicolegal.tripod.com/preventmentaldisorder.htm
BAN ALL SMOKING AND BAN THE ILLEGAL TOBACCO DRUG, NOW!