Australian company tackles the iPod repairs that Apple won't touch

Tony:

I bought an iPod Nano, and like it so much that I take it with me on my daily half hour walks. Unfortunately, while the ear headphones that come with the iPod have a reasonable sound quality, they are extremely uncomfortable to wear for any length of time (hard edges hurt the ears).

So I decided to look for options. Naturally enough I looked at my local Apple reseller's Web site. There I found (and bought) a pair of Apple iPod in-ear headphones. They're comfortable and fit in the ear but their sound quality is awful (high pitch tinny and squeeky). This at a cost of $59. There is no way I could put up with the poor sound these ear phones create.

So, back on the Web searching around again. This time I discovered Koss Sparkplug ear phones. These have snug cone inserts which are like cushions when inserted into the ear (sheer bliss). A spare set of cone inserts comes with the Koss Sparkplug ear phones but I probably won't ever need them. The Koss Sparkplug ear phones come in white or black but I chose black which matches my black iPod Nano (Apple doesn't sell earphones in any colour other than white). The Koss Sparkplug ear phones have much, much better sound quality than Apple's earphones (the base is just amazing). The Koss Sparkplug earphones cost $59 too. So, while the mistakes I made have cost me, I did end up with a good solution.

Just goes to show, while Apple are certainly innovative and make great products, good third party accessories can sometimes be just as good or even better.

So, it's not just Apple servicing costs one to be wary of.

Anonymous:

A company in Melbourne called Synergetic Australia has been doing these repairs for over a year now and their service is very quick and offers a 6 month warranty on the parts replaced (1 year on batteries).

Paul:

Synergetic seem to charge $50 - $60 more than auiipodrepairs for repairs e.g. logic boards

Gabriella De Mey (New user):

Hello, Could you please Email me the Email address of Synergetic who do the logicboard repairs on Ipods. My Email address is gabdemey@gmail.com

Haden:

www.dcoda.com does ipod repairs as well, located in Sydney but repair Australia wide, great technicians, work down to board level. The coolest!

Adam:

Is this not the same postal address as www.ipodrepirs.com.au. I was very dissapointed with this companies service so used auipodrepairs instead. I found the service to be excellent.

macman:

I was very dissapointed with auipodrepairs service so used Macmedic.com.au instead.
I found there service to be excellent.Check them out see there site www.macmedic.com.au

Anita:

I found that MacMedic were helpful but they do not offer the same number of repairs that auipod repairs do . I needed a logic board replaced on a video iPod and auipodrepairs replaced it the same day. I think that their service was excellent and I`m glad that there is competition in ths market. They are all 10 times better than Apple!

macman:

bollox, you obviously work for or are auipodrepairs...yadayda

David74 (New user):

I contacted Macmedia to get a quote on replacing the glass on my IPOD Touch 8 gig which was otherwise working fine, they offered to replace the whole unit for about $250 which I consider to be a pretty poor deal. The glass would seem to be a simple repair and the price for the exchange of a reconditioned unit is about what ive seen brand new units for sale for.

Anonymous:

There is also a company in New Zealand now providing exactly the same service. Phone +64 212997538 for details. Web site in progress.

Anonymous:

I`m glad you have featured this company. I found their service to be second to none. I had my screen replaced the day they received it. I didn`t even know you could repair iPods. The Apple store told me to buy a new one! The venture with Mac1 stores sounds as thiugh it will really benefit the customer.

Francesca:

I was travelling around Australia and did not have a fixed address. auipodrepairs fixed my broken screen on my video iPod while I waited which saved me a lot of messing about with Apple! I was impressed by their speed and service.

Andrew:

I just had my iPod repaired by taking it to a Mac1 store and was very impressed with their service. Lets hope this is the start of out of warranty iPod repairs!

Colin:

I dropped my iPod in at Mac1 Canberra and found the face to face service brilliant. Visit www.mac1.com.au for their stores. At least there is an option for repairs now. Apple have offered no support at all.

drewbee3:

Well if it starts clicking or freezing check here.

http://fixitnoworlater.blogspot.com/

So much for Apple trying to ask $400 for a new one. The U2 iPod isn't even worth that much!!!

ColinH:

Apple advised me to buy a new 60GB video iPod as the screen was broken. They offered no other advise. I contacted auipodrepairs and they fixed the screen and returned it the same day. When are Apple going to start telling customers about out of warranty repair companies. I see the collaboration with Mac 1 as a step in the right direction.

dave:

About time a company tackled the problem of out of warranty repairs. www.auipodrepairs.com seems to be helping out those that Apple have ignored!

Tom:

www.auipodrepairs.com have carried out 15 repairs on various iPods myself and friends and family have owned in the last 8 months and their service has always been excellent. The fact that we can now drop our iPods off at 8 stores makes it even better!

Dan Warne:

Wow you guys have had a bad run with your iPods!! You should go and work as their marketing manager...!

Serge:

I`ve had to send my iPod back 5 times during ther warranty period! Why have Apple not provided any after sales service. They have left it up to small companies to clean up their mess. Good on auipodrepairs and the other companies helping out the customer.

Marti:

My iPod was sent back three times and the warranty has now expired. I wrote to Apple to complain as they wanted $400 for a new unit. I sent it away to auipodrepairs and they did the repair for $130 for a new circuit board. Why don`t Apple offer a more reasonable after sales service? They have made their money and deserted the customer.

paulb:

Seems like iPod repairs are becoming big business! www.auipodrepairs.com looks like a professional website and it seems as though they have a lot of satisfied customers. Isn`t this Apples job though. I cannot believe they have abandoned their customers like this, especially when you consider the global profits they must have made from iPod sales.

Charlie:

About time Australia got a decent iPod repair company. They are the most unreliable product I have ever used.

Wendy65:

iPod Repairs are becoming big business and it seems as though www.auipodrepairs.com provides exactly what Apple customers have wanted for years.

kenzel (New user):

Do not go to AustralianMP3Repairs for IPOD Touch Screen Replacement because they're very incompetent in that area.

I sent mine in over a month ago to get a screen replacement and still haven't received it back yet.

Two weeks into the order they lied to me by saying it's fixed and shipped back to me and then when I followed it up a week later they say repair is stil in progress

Beware!

kenzel (New user):

Do not go to AustralianMP3Repairs for IPOD Touch Screen Replacement because they're very incompetent in that area.

I sent mine in over a month ago to get a screen replacement and still haven't received it back yet.

Two weeks into the order they lied to me by saying it's fixed and shipped back to me and then when I followed it up a week later they say repair is stil in progress

Beware!

kenzel (New user):

Do not go to AustralianMP3Repairs for IPOD Touch Screen Replacement because they're very incompetent in that area.

I sent mine in over a month ago to get a screen replacement and still haven't received it back yet.

Two weeks into the order they lied to me by saying it's fixed and shipped back to me and then when I followed it up a week later they say repair is stil in progress

kenzel (New user):

Do not go to AustralianMP3Repairs for IPOD Touch Screen Replacement because they're very incompetent in that area.

I sent mine in over a month ago to get a screen replacement and still haven't received it back yet.

Two weeks into the order they lied to me by saying it's fixed and shipped back to me and then when I followed it up a week later they say repair is stil in progress

tiol (New user):

I tried getting my iTouch screen repaired elsewhere but used www.australianmp3repairs.com.au as there was nowhere else who did it. It took over a week but it`s better than a new iPod!

tiol (New user):

I didn`t know you could fix iTouch screens! I don`t care how long it takes as long as I don`t need to pay for a new one. $150 seems better than $4-500. I don`t know what you are whining about, Apple would have just told you to buy a new iPod like they did with me.

bmoran (New user):

Hi Guys

bmoran (New user):

These guys also carry out ipod repairs in Perth
http://it.minidigital.com.au/ipod_repair.html

Willcox (New user):

I wish I had read these comments before sending off my ipod to Australianmp3repairs! After being informed that I needed to replace the battery in addition to the circuit board, I paid $150 and waited for my "repaired" ipod to arrive. I opened the envelope and found that it is still not fixed! Now noone is answering the listed telephone and I'm not getting any response from the company. Who are these guys? Has anyone else had an experience with their service?

G Benson (New user):

Perhaps you did not update (read look at the website) the phone number, they moved.

I busted my iTouch, Apple was no help wanted to sell me a new one.

Service was great - they emailed me on receipt, then sms'ed me the next day with the price, and sent it the same day.

When they sent it I got an email with Australia Post tracking number and instructions to track it.

Very professional, good service - and unlike some others, the return postage is included in their prices.

No complaints, and would recomend to anyone.

jamtin (New user):

Yes I sent my daughters Ipod 6 months ago and paid the requested quote of $150 before they would start. It was returned in much the same condition as it was sent. I sent it back and was promised same day service and retun. I still don't have my Ipod back and of course can't contact them. If you type in Australian MP3 repairs bad experience. Guess what comes up, lots of people in the same predicament.

Harrier (New user):

I have never stepped foot in your great country but I never thought I would ever own an iPod because they were so expensive and I couldn't see what use it could serve. Then in 2005, I was able to purchase a 30G 5.5 Gen Video iPod that had a custom scratch proof paint job for dirt cheap. One thing I know about Apple is when a product is out of warranty, they design the product deliberately so nothing is simple to replace or fix and everything takes work. They also deliberately try to design their software and products to obsolete their products ASAP and prevent folks from upgrading despite the fact hardware should work.

For example, there is 120GB hard drives capable of working in my Video iPod, but Apple firmware is preventing that from working using its firmware and control cards. This is because Apple wants to have that drive only work with its latest model. But next year, the 120GB will work.

Still, after a lot of trial and error, I was able to find a backdoor to make me use the 120 drive.

I do all repairs on my iPod and never buy an Apple warranty. There are now so many videos on how to fix Apple products (iPods included)-youtube. In addition the parts, like earlier posted can be purchased on the aftermarket fairly simply and far less expensively as Apple refuses to sell parts and charges more than the cost of buying a new iPod for changing a battery that cost almost nothing. The time to replace a battery is 2 minutes. This is not by accident. Apple gambles that nobody performs the research. Only when something because popular and the parts are discovered does Apple top it. Apple with not allow its authorized repair centers to perform a variety of functions. Apple made hard drives replacement easier instead of charging 25% of the cost of a computer just to change a simple hard drive. That is normally a 30 second operation. The company that use to say it was to impossible to to redesign, they did so in a period of about 6 hours and had a new design shipping within months. Third part repair shops are setting up all over the states because people are so frustrated with Apple prices and service.

I hope that puts that into perspective to those from the land down under. I do like Apple products, but I go in with both eyes fully open.

Claire Atherton 21 (New user):

Hi , I can not find on your site where I need to take my IPOD in Perth to have the touch screen repaired??? could you please help :)

Claire Atherton 21 (New user):

Hi , I can not find on your site where I need to take my IPOD in Perth to have the touch screen repaired??? could you please help :)

hels (New user):

my ipod will not install onto my pc. It tells me a program required is missing?? And to contact my support personnel??? Has anyone heard of this happening? Should I just throw throw the darn thing away? It's a 12 month old 5th Gen
Hels