14 DAY TRIAL // A mother trying to have her son's iMac repaired at a local authorized repair center was shocked to find that AppleCare warranties were voided due to secondhand smoke, the Consumerist reveals in a report. Teader Ruth wrote a letter to the website after trying to have her son's computer repaired. The letter can be read below, in its entirety.
I bought an iMac for my son (for school) along with the extended Applecare warranty. A month ago, it quit working. My son took it to the authorized Mac service center. The "tech" informed him it would be ready in 48-72 hours. Five days go by and he's heard nothing, so I called. They informed me that his computer can't be worked on because it's contaminated.
When I asked for an explanation, she said he's a smoker and it's contaminated with cigarette smoke which they consider a bio-hazard! I checked my Applecare warranty and it says nothing about not honoring warranties if the owner is a smoker. The Applecare representative said they defer to the technician and my son's computer cannot be fixed at any Apple Service Center due to being listed a bio-hazard.
This computer cost approx. $3,000, with the extended warranty. I'm all for destroying cigarettes and putting big tobacco out of business (yes, I'm a reformed smoker), but to label a computer a biohazard because one is a smoker is going a bit too far in regulating who can have the warranty they purchased honored. Shouldn't there be some disclaimer stating that they won't honor warranties from smokers?
According to The Consumerist, Ruth appealed her case to Steve Jobs's office, where she was again turned down. Dena from Jobs' office told Ruth that she should just get it repaired elsewhere at her own expense. Asking why the Mac’s warranty didn't cover the repair, Ruth was told it was an OSHA violation. Nicotine is on OSHA's list of hazardous substances.
Softpedia note
Given that thousands of Macs have seen their way in and out of Apple’s technical support centers, it is without a doubt that at least ten percent of those computers have been exposed to cigarette smoke. However, this is only the second time we hear of such a serious case where Apple simply refuses to repair a still-under-warranty computer. One can’t help but wonder: how much can a person smoke in front of their computer that it damages the inner workings?