# Apple will not repair computers that have been used in smoking environments - Is this a fair policy? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 20, 2009, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-will-not-repair-computers-that-have-been-used-in-smoking-environments-is-this-a-fair-policy/518344 "2009-11-20T22:31:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![hobscrk777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a6a055/32.png) [@hobscrk777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hobscrk777)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-will-not-repair-computers-that-have-been-used-in-smoking-environments-is-this-a-fair-policy/518344/21 "2009-11-21T15:09:30Z")
As someone with very few kind words for Apple computers…aren’t they, as a corporation, free to enact whatever policies they so desire as long as they’re within the law? Or is the issue that refusal to work on computers exposed to smoke isn’t mentioned in their warranties, and so _is_ against the law? What if in the future they included a clause in their warranty expressly excluding warranty coverage on computers that have been noticeably exposed to smoke? Would that be legal? Would it be acceptable? ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-will-not-repair-computers-that-have-been-used-in-smoking-environments-is-this-a-fair-policy/518344/22 "2009-11-21T15:32:26Z")
Apple finds pretty much any excuse not to provide service that they can these days. I used to work in a computer store, and we’d take anything that came our way. Sometimes I’d take computers out to the delivery deck with an air compressor and blow ten years of soot out of a 286 that was in a smoking office. I never felt like I was in any particular danger. I blew the soot away from me and didn’t breathe it in. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-will-not-repair-computers-that-have-been-used-in-smoking-environments-is-this-a-fair-policy/518344/23 "2009-11-21T16:45:51Z")
The story made it to [slashdot](http://apple.slashdot.org/story/09/11/21/147253/Apple-Voiding-Smokers-Warranties?art_pos=2) this morning. It’s still not clear to me this isn’t a hoax, but it’s now garnering lots of attention… ---
**Author:** ![Vihaga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Vihaga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vihaga)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-will-not-repair-computers-that-have-been-used-in-smoking-environments-is-this-a-fair-policy/518344/24 "2009-11-21T18:31:54Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Apple finds pretty much any excuse not to provide service that they can these days. This has been my experience in the last few years, too, so I’m not all that surprised that they’d claim the AppleCare was voided because of smoke. I think I’ve even complained in an old thread about their claims of abuse when I’ve needed repairs that seemed like they should have been covered. I’m done with them now, as much as I like the machines; their “customer care” has burned me too many times for insanely expensive repairs on computers that were supposed to still be covered. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-will-not-repair-computers-that-have-been-used-in-smoking-environments-is-this-a-fair-policy/518344/25 "2009-11-21T18:50:40Z")
> [@Vihaga](#): > > This has been my experience in the last few years, too, so I’m not all that surprised that they’d claim the AppleCare was voided because of smoke. I think I’ve even complained in an old thread about their claims of abuse when I’ve needed repairs that seemed like they should have been covered. I’m done with them now, as much as I like the machines; their “customer care” has burned me too many times for insanely expensive repairs on computers that were supposed to still be covered. Right, I am going to buy PCs from now on. For the cost savings, I can fix the machine myself. Being as a Mac + Applecare is about twice the price of an equivalent PC. Even if I have to replace a component a couple of times during the three years it would’ve otherwise been covered by Applecare, it’s still unlikely to exceed the price difference. I’ve been screwed on my iPhone a couple of times now. So when I am done with the contract, I will be getting an Android phone. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-will-not-repair-computers-that-have-been-used-in-smoking-environments-is-this-a-fair-policy/518344/26 "2009-11-21T18:57:20Z")
Meh. Random thoughts: 1. Apple is basically a monopoly. Monopolies are bad. This is a good example. If it wasn’t smoke, they would be pulling all kinds of dumb reasons out of their butt. I heard a story of an HP or Dell tech who refused to do service because of “liquid spill” when the there was never a liquid spill. 2. Warranties are rife with abuse. Always turn those puppies down. I got the extended warranty on my car, and I found out some interesting facts after purchase: it’s added on to the original 4 year manufacturer’s warranty, so when I thought I was buying a 6 year warranty, it was actually a 2 year warranty. It cost 2k, so I thought I was paying ~300/year, but actually I’m paying 1k/year. This is double my car insurance. I’m still in the original 4 years, but if I want to cancel the extended warranty (without ever even being eligible to use it) they will refund only a prorated amount. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-will-not-repair-computers-that-have-been-used-in-smoking-environments-is-this-a-fair-policy/518344/27 "2009-11-22T01:49:53Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > Apple is basically a monopoly. For certain definitions of “monopoly,” anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-will-not-repair-computers-that-have-been-used-in-smoking-environments-is-this-a-fair-policy/518344/28 "2009-11-22T03:32:13Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > I got the extended warranty on my car, and I found out some interesting facts after purchase: it’s added on to the original 4 year manufacturer’s warranty, so when I thought I was buying a 6 year warranty, it was actually a 2 year warranty. When I was a cust. serv. rep., I spent a lot of time explaining to pissed off customers that they were out of warranty. They would wait until the original year warranty on their pc was almost up and then call back and buy the 2 year warranty. Well guess what…the 2 year starts from the day of purchase, so they only got one more year of warrranty. They were not thrilled to hear that when they call back nearly 2 years later. No matter how much I tried to explain it to them, they seemed not to understand. Not just to be pissed or unaccepting…but to genuinely not understand what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-will-not-repair-computers-that-have-been-used-in-smoking-environments-is-this-a-fair-policy/518344/29 "2009-11-22T03:41:56Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > For certain definitions of “monopoly,” anyway. Can you explain what he means then? I don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-will-not-repair-computers-that-have-been-used-in-smoking-environments-is-this-a-fair-policy/518344/30 "2009-11-22T03:49:49Z")
I assumed he believes that since Apple is the only company that makes their hardware (what with the recent Psystar lawsuit), that it’s a monopoly. Or that he’s referring to the market domination iPod and/or iPhone and extending it to the rest of the company. Or that he’s referring to the closed source OS. I’ve heard all three enough to assume he was referring to ONE of 'em. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-will-not-repair-computers-that-have-been-used-in-smoking-environments-is-this-a-fair-policy/518344.md?page=1)