Apple Refunds 27-inch iMac Customers That Paid To Fix Faulty Display Hinge
Owners of certain iMac systems who previously paid to have the system's display hinge replaced or repaired are receiving refunds from Apple. A leaked internal document that's being distributed to Apple Authorized Service Providers contains the details, which at this time have not been made officially public. It remains to be seen if that will change.
The design flaw affects some 27-inch iMac systems that shipped between December 2012 and July 2014. Owners of affected systems are unable adjust the display to an upright position. Any attempts to do so are met with the display falling forward angling towards the desk. Other than having it repaired, the only recourse to correcting the limp display is to prop it up with something underneath, such as a box or a thick book.
Apple used plastic washers inside the hinge's spring mechanism, and that appears to be the culprit. The plastic washers simply aren't strong enough to support the weight of the iMac's display and eventually break, or at least in some cases they do. When that happens, users report hearing an unsettling popping or cracking sound.
This is a known issue on Apple's part. Back in September, the company extended its hinge repair program to include late 2012 and late 2013 model iMacs for up to five years from the date or purchase. That gave users an additional two years over their base three-year warranty.
The repair can be costly, running north of $100 in some cases. It's not clear if there's a limit on the amount Apple will reimburse customers for having the hinge repaired.
The design flaw affects some 27-inch iMac systems that shipped between December 2012 and July 2014. Owners of affected systems are unable adjust the display to an upright position. Any attempts to do so are met with the display falling forward angling towards the desk. Other than having it repaired, the only recourse to correcting the limp display is to prop it up with something underneath, such as a box or a thick book.
Apple used plastic washers inside the hinge's spring mechanism, and that appears to be the culprit. The plastic washers simply aren't strong enough to support the weight of the iMac's display and eventually break, or at least in some cases they do. When that happens, users report hearing an unsettling popping or cracking sound.
This is a known issue on Apple's part. Back in September, the company extended its hinge repair program to include late 2012 and late 2013 model iMacs for up to five years from the date or purchase. That gave users an additional two years over their base three-year warranty.
The repair can be costly, running north of $100 in some cases. It's not clear if there's a limit on the amount Apple will reimburse customers for having the hinge repaired.
