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I started to buy broken iPods that were still under warranty, mailing them back to Apple and receiving brand new refurbished iPods for the cost of shipping. Thi

I started to buy broken iPods that were still under warranty, mailing them back to Apple and receiving brand new refurbished iPods for the cost of shipping. This was the most lucrative venture of all but it was the primary reason why an Apple lawyer had called me that day. Understandably so, they did not like me taking advantage of their transferrable warranties. They knew that I was a kid and let me off the hook I don't get it. If you were buying units still under warranty and Apple had transferable warranties then I'm not sure what they let you off the hook from. You were not doing anything wrong. It sounds more like just another dick move from Apple.

J3L2404 15y ago
More like a dick move by him not telling them they could just get a new iPod.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
- gcb 15y ago
  how do you know it was a bad deal? he was paying something for that broken ipod. those people would have to pay shipping and then sell their refurbished ipod, also at a loss since they do not have the volume he had to make a profit from used eletronic sales (last time you were able to sell a used consumer camera at a good price on craigslist?) in the end, the profit for both parties may have been the same.
- fleitz 15y ago
  It could also be construed as an arbitrage opportunity vis-a-via the time value of money. Obviously some parties to the transaction might be unaware that their device is still under warranty, but the OP is providing a valuable service allowing them to liquidate their broken iPod into immediate cash and avoiding the risk that the warranty might be void, as well as the delay between sending and receiving the repaired unit. The OP didn't force the people to put their broken iPod on ebay, he's merely taking advantage of an existing offer.
  - J3L2404 15y ago
    I doubt many people would take the deal rather than get a new iPod if they knew all the facts.
    - schraeds 15y ago
      But obviously many people didn't want to put in the time to figure any of that out.
    - schraeds 15y ago
      Obviously many people didn't want to put in the time to figure any of that out.
    - jack-r-abbit 15y ago
      Since the OP did not write about his interactions with these sellers it is hard to know if he did or did not inform them. But I don't believe the OP was obligated in any way to tell everyone about Apple's warranty terms... so I don't think not telling them was a "dick move". I can also think of plenty of reasons why a person might know all those facts and still choose to sell the broken, still-in-warranty iPod. One of them being that you don't get a new iPod... you get a refurbished iPod and some people just don't want someone else's used stuff. Other people may have already upgraded to a new/different model and no longer need the broken one replaced.
      - deleted 15y ago
        [deleted]
      - ted0 15y ago
        "Other people may have already upgraded to a new/different model and no longer need the broken one replaced." That was usually the case. People often felt they were due for an upgrade anyway and wanted to simply part ways rather than dealing with the warranty process.
    - otterley 15y ago
      Most money in the world is made by exploiting knowledge of facts that others don't have. See: "trade secrets."
- dakrisht 15y ago
  Agreed. Huge dick move on behalf of Apple. If in fact the warranty was/is "transferable" (haven't read it myself) than you weren't doing anything wrong. Should have kept the business going.
tylermenezes 15y ago
They let him keep the money he'd made so far. Obviously he didn't do anything wrong, but he clearly wasn't going to be able to take on Apple in court. (Yes, this is stupid.)

J3L2404 15y ago

More like a dick move by him not telling them they could just get a new iPod.

deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
gcb 15y ago
how do you know it was a bad deal? he was paying something for that broken ipod. those people would have to pay shipping and then sell their refurbished ipod, also at a loss since they do not have the volume he had to make a profit from used eletronic sales (last time you were able to sell a used consumer camera at a good price on craigslist?) in the end, the profit for both parties may have been the same.
fleitz 15y ago
It could also be construed as an arbitrage opportunity vis-a-via the time value of money. Obviously some parties to the transaction might be unaware that their device is still under warranty, but the OP is providing a valuable service allowing them to liquidate their broken iPod into immediate cash and avoiding the risk that the warranty might be void, as well as the delay between sending and receiving the repaired unit. The OP didn't force the people to put their broken iPod on ebay, he's merely taking advantage of an existing offer.
- J3L2404 15y ago
  I doubt many people would take the deal rather than get a new iPod if they knew all the facts.
  - schraeds 15y ago
    But obviously many people didn't want to put in the time to figure any of that out.
  - schraeds 15y ago
    Obviously many people didn't want to put in the time to figure any of that out.
  - jack-r-abbit 15y ago
    Since the OP did not write about his interactions with these sellers it is hard to know if he did or did not inform them. But I don't believe the OP was obligated in any way to tell everyone about Apple's warranty terms... so I don't think not telling them was a "dick move". I can also think of plenty of reasons why a person might know all those facts and still choose to sell the broken, still-in-warranty iPod. One of them being that you don't get a new iPod... you get a refurbished iPod and some people just don't want someone else's used stuff. Other people may have already upgraded to a new/different model and no longer need the broken one replaced.
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
    - ted0 15y ago
      "Other people may have already upgraded to a new/different model and no longer need the broken one replaced." That was usually the case. People often felt they were due for an upgrade anyway and wanted to simply part ways rather than dealing with the warranty process.
  - otterley 15y ago
    Most money in the world is made by exploiting knowledge of facts that others don't have. See: "trade secrets."
dakrisht 15y ago
Agreed. Huge dick move on behalf of Apple. If in fact the warranty was/is "transferable" (haven't read it myself) than you weren't doing anything wrong. Should have kept the business going.

tylermenezes 15y ago

They let him keep the money he'd made so far. Obviously he didn't do anything wrong, but he clearly wasn't going to be able to take on Apple in court. (Yes, this is stupid.)