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The Right Way to buy a Brand New iPod
I try to be as sincere with everyone as I can about how practical their iPod is to repair. Remember I want to keep as many iPods working as possible so the land fill isn't added to unnecessarily and Apple isn't obliged to manufacture (over-manufacture really) one more iPod from fresh resources.
However there are times when it is just best to replace and iPod. Sometimes a water damaged device has too many things wrong to be practical to repair other times a part isn't made any more... think IDE hard drives used in the 1st through the 4th generation and Photo iPods.
When that happens I tell people straight up, "This won't yield a good outcome and you need to replace it". Frequently I am then asked if I happen to sell used iPods and my answer is always the same. "If I sold used iPods then people would believe I was trying to sell them an iPod when told I couldn't make theirs work." I don't want people to believe I have a conflict of interest by selling used iPods. Apple does this. When you bring an iPod into them and ask if it can be repaired almost everytime the Genius, (really a sales person) will tell you, it's out of warranty (for what ever reason) and the best thing to do is buy a new one... and lucky you, they will give you 10% off when you trade that iPod in on the new one. That "It can't be repaired/10% off" bit I consider to be really manipulative. There are high percentage of people that just take the Genius's direction and trade it in. Very rarely do the 'Apple People' let anyone know there is an inexpensive repair alternative.
Elsewhere on my site I teach you "How to select a used iPod". Here I am going to teach you how to buy a new iPod.
I need to emphasize this, there is no good reason to buy an iPod from anyone other than Apple directly. When you buy it from them you get the benefit of a 12 month warranty. If you buy it from Costco after 30days they refer you Apple anyway. If you buy it from Worst Buy, after 30 days you will be referred to Apple. If you buy it from Circus City, after 30 days you will be referred to Apple..... see a trend here?
The next part of the equation is this.... these other places... Apple sells the iPods to just 15% below the retail price they are all selling it for. The only place that sells an iPod new for less than the Suggested Retail Price is Wal-Mart who sells the device for just $1.50 below Manufacturers SRP. That dollar fifty is not enough to not have a warranty relationship with "God". The 15% off list Apple isn't enough to keep the doors open selling iPods. Typical retail needs a minimum of 18% margin so they are loosing money when they sell an iPod which is why there is general warranty indifference on their part. They need to sell you accessories to make the iPod transaction break even or become profitable.
So BUY your iPod from an Apple store or the Apple website!!! Why not have a relationship with the warranty god instead of a monsignor?
When you are involved in manufacturing small electronic devices you have to believe that certain number of them will be found to be defective in hands of their new owners. In the case of iPods Apple sells them with a 12 month warranty. Under most circumstances when an iPod under warranty is returned and it is deemed a manufacturing defect they replace the device with a new one.
Since it is really impossible to go back a re-build a manufacturing line to build warranty replacements, Apple approaches it the way most makers do. They over manufacture by 4 to 8% of the production and then send those iPods back from the Chinese sub-contractor (FoxConn) in non-descript white box packaging instead of the expensive retail clamshell boxes they use or the clear plastic jewelbox they use for Nano models.
This 'over-production" is sent back to Apple's Elk Grove facility near Sacramento and they draw from it as needed for warranty replacements/spares.
The amount that arrives again is a percentage of manufacturing. When the on-hand stocks for the known outstanding 'potential warranty liability' becomes higher than they deem they will need to satisfy their potential claims they sell the excess iPods.
It would impractical for them to re-package the iPods in retail packaging so they could sell them as "refurbished" but they aren't they are BRAND NEW. They come with new earbuds, a new data cable and a cute little Chinglish owners manual
To find these BRAND NEW iPods, go to the Apple website, and click on the Store tab at the top of the page.
When that page comes up, scroll down to the bottom of the page and look in the lower left corner where it says "refurbished iPods" click that link and that page will have a whole list of models all brand new at terrific prices. They ship them by FEd Ex ground free to the buyer but you will have to pay sales tax at whatever rate is charged in your state.
The 6th Generation video iPod with an 80GB drive that sold a week ago for $250 is being sold on that page for $169.
I'm in Sonoma County... Northern California wine country.
If you live nearby, are traveling through or live in the San Francisco Bay Area bring your iPod to me and I can do the work while you wait or go wine tasting for a while. Send me an
email just to make sure I have on hand whatever parts your repair will require.
Call or email me
with questions or to set up a repair. You can also call, I am here most days from 8am to 8pm
Toll Free 1-877-iPod-Pro (1 - 877 - 476-3776)
Send the device to:
Frank Walburg
2145 Service Court
Santa Rosa, Ca 95403-3139
Methods of payment
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