Design fault? 27" 2013 iMac stand just gave up!

Tell whomever you speak with at Apple that you refuse to pay for it, because it is an obvious design flaw that would have happened regardless of what you did and it is not something that is considered 'normal use'. Explain that you found this thread with more and more customers coming forward with this issue and that it is an obvious design flaw.

The Apple Rep I spoke with said that he believes Apple will cover this regardless of warranty considering it is appearing to be a known defect with the design. Also, I know of some other customers that were out of warranty that claim Apple is paying for the repair.

Try and fight it! You should not have to pay for a design flaw. I certainly would not.

Hope that helps!

Crikey!

Just happened to me this morning, too! My 27" just issued a loud snap and the screen tilted forward. Stays there, will use some books or something in the interim to keep at a proper viewing angle.

Also 10 months old - what's with the 10 months with everybody?

I guess I'll have to take it into the Apple Store (where I got it from) but bloody **** is that a pain in the neck. I was **always** suspicious of the screen and the tilting - and you know what? I was right! Wish I wasn't, though .... : ((( Not cool, Apple - not cool at all.

This happened to me! My 27" computer is only 5 months old! Just heard a loud crack and it tilted down. I have so much work to do and now have to take it in to get fixed? This *****! I agree with you Korkut! .... : ((( Not cool, Apple - not cool at all.

This just happened to me today! "SNAP!"

My iMac 27 was purchased through Apple.com in January 2014 and this happened 9-months later. I have the 3-year AppleCare and was able to get information on where to get it fixed locally through their "chat" feature in Support. That agent said he's never had a customer with the issue, but heard of one that did.

I called the local Mac shop and he heard of it and it's a part that will have to be ordered. Glad that the diagnostics will only take about 10-minutes and then I can take it home until the part arrives. They said they have only 48-hours to do the repair (under the warranty program) so I'll have to bring it right down when it does arrive. At least I don't have to ship it from Hawaii and be without it for a couple of weeks.

I hope they'll do something about the part as I don't want to expect another fail 10-months from now!

Hi, the exact same thing happened to me on Saterday, I took the Mac in for repairs on Monday. I was told that I will be reponsible for possible costs and it will take 5 to 7 work days. It is obvious that this is due to a design issue, why don’t Apple own up and admit there is a problem and fix it. My Mac was bought and handed back to Menlyn iStore South-Africa.

Same thing happened to me, working away, all of a sudden crack & monitor flops forward.

I have contacted Apple and got a service operator who was very helpful and is sending someone
out to fix at my place of work, as this is my primary computer and can't be without it for a few days.

This is obviously a design fault where the stand spring can't take the weight of the 27" monitor. Glade I'm not the only one with this issue.
Apple operator tells me he's never heard of this happening, I have sent him this for his reference.

I am still awaiting technicians call, so here's hoping its soon.

Same, just an hour ago. "CLICK!" I'm in ... why I should pay for this now. I'm buying top iMac in the line to NOT have any problems and not to take it to the repair shop 9 month later ... 😐

10 Minutes ago.

Same here. Blood curdling crack and now a very limp iMac looking dejectedly at the floor...

It's not even a year old, I hope we can get this sorted as we live quite a long way from civilisation.

I guess it's hold music time tomorrow...

After all I'm not alone😝. One fine morning I see my iMac (27" late 2013 model) is shy and refused to look up. Tilt mechanism is broken somehow.

Have give it to AASP today they said (ABM care in Dubai). They said mechanical faults are not covered under warranty however will speak to Apple to get it included, I guess it's Apples way of saying we won't accept the design fault.

WIll ill have to spend 14 days without my Mac😟

Crack... and there goes another one! Have found that an old audio cassette tape wedged in the back of the screen is about the 'right angle'.

The thing is, I bought my iMac second had from the company I work for. Consequently I won't have any Apple Care warranty 😟

Will Apple now fix ANY iMac with this issue, regardless of AppleCare?

I'm certainly not paying hundreds of pounds to fix something that can be fixed with a plastic cassette tape (or a golf ball)!!

Any answers gratefully received!

Take it in for service, chances are Apple will pay for the fix.

To the person who said "I've never heard of it so I know it's not a design flaw" - sorry but that logic does not hold, unless you work for Apple and it's your job to know of all such issues. You cannot possibly know *everything*. Still, it probably isn't a design flaw, just a fluke.

This happened to me, too, in late Sep/ early Oct (can't remember exactly) but unfortunately about a year after it was purchased (late Sep/ early Oct 2013), and I couldn't afford Apple Care this one time (my wife and I have close to a dozen Apple computers, tablets and phones and have Apple Care on most). I also need this computer every day (7 days a week), so I can't even take it in, even if I could afford to pay for what will probably be an expensive fix. For now, I've had to prop the screen up with some notebooks and strong metallic boxes. Not very flexible, but better than trying to look at a downward-tilting screen.

Add me to the list of people who this happened to who are unsupported. Seems like a design flaw to me.

About 2 weeks ago exactly the same thing happened to me.

Sitting in front of my iMac 27" (late 2013) I heard a snap or crack and the screen tilted forward. My heart stopped for a moment and after several expletives and cold sweats I established all was ok except the stand. Thanks to this post and other similar ones I was relieved to find out it was an uncommon fault - but not unheard of.

The computer was just out of its 12 month warranty and I thought f%$K! - this is going to cost a lot. Various figures mentioned on blogs ranged from $24 - $600. Having had bad and frustrating experiences with Applecare in previous years I thought they would refuse to accept liability for a parts failure so soon after the 12 month warranty ran out. The computer which had sat on the same desk since new had failed and I imagined Apple not accepting liability for something that could only be a parts failure or defect. Fortunately they were actually very helpful on the phone and agreed in principal to fix it for free. By this stage I remembered that EU (European Union) consumer law effectively means your products should be covered for 2 years (for pre-existing faults) and Apple also made it clear on the phone that I had additional consumer protection under EU law even though their parts warranty had recently expired. They booked in a genius appointment and wrote up notes effectively saying to the store that it should be fixed for free.

Although I didn't have to pay for the repair they have to cost it. So I got to see a cost for the repair. I thought this figure would be huge given the work involved (un-glueing the screen and taking the whole thing apart). It was about £50 inc VAT - £22.80 parts and £28.80 labour. The Apple guy said they no longer have different rates for labour in the way they used to. It's now a standard flat-fee no matter how much work is involved.

If it weren't for additional EU consumer protection it's difficult to know if Apple would have accepted liability and done the repair for free.

Excellent and speedy work carried out by Apple Store, Cribbs Causeway, Bristol, UK. Computer back up and running and stand working fine - let's hope it doesn't happen again 12 months from now - from various other posts it does seem to happen around the year-old mark

Just add me to the list: exactly same thing, late 2013 model so under a year old, same crack without any reason. Luckily I have apple care, but I live in a remote location and need my computer daily for work, what a nuisance!!!