Battery Recall

It is 00:30 GMT on the 26th and the online register is still not accepting my battery serial number although it definitely falls within the range stated on the website. I have no desire to sit at the phone for hours so Apple better get it sorted.

12" iBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.7)

I got exactly the same response when I finally reached an Apple rep on the phone. He wouldn't (or couldn't) tell me how he knew my battery (6C538...) was not from Sony. If they don't clarify this further on the website I'll still be a bit nervous about using this battery.

Having my iBook flame up in my lap is actually preferable to the grief of trying to get though to Apple to get my battery replaced at this time.

For those of us who have batteries that fall within the serial numbers, but due to the form database problems, are rejected, waiting a couple weeks is a better way to go.

I tried the form again this AM, and they still haven't fixed it. Think it will probably stay that way.

Well, they have had ample time to clarify this mess on the web site and I still don't see any update or changes.

So - unless he was lying, or Apple is looking for a
lawsuit, the web site should accurately tell you if
your battery is affected or not.

Try having the form work, my battery needs to be replaced, but I am in Argentina, going to Chile and there are no Apple Shops in either county.
I have written tech support but that avenue has never helped me on this trip before. Any suggestions from anyone on how I will be able to solve this?

Perhaps the easiest way, Bob, would be to have a friend in the United States contact Apple Customer Support on your behalf and have the battery shipped to them, then have them re-ship it to you.

They might also do the contact work, but see if Apple would ship to your expected location in six weeks or so. If Apple will ship to there, it would save you the cost of shipping the batteries both ways.

GOOD LUCK!

Tomas

Good reply, makes sense. A Canadian friend in Canada is the only change.
I'll have to make some plans around that but hey, plans are good.

Thanks

I got the "same song & dance" when I called Support. I'd love to know how the rep knows that I don't have a Sony battery when he never even asked me for the serial number to verify it. As soon as I said "battery recall...serial number within range" he said it wasn't a Sony battery. I'm not buying it until I see an update on the recall page stating that's the case. Perhaps I'll try Customer Service tomorrow, seems that people are having a better time getting answers through them.

Hmm this whole thing is an awful mess. My battery serial number is definitely in the range Apple has posted yet is also invalid 6C542. Now how can one feel safe using this battery when it meets both the serial number and the made in China criteria in the original recall? I bought an Apple because all I heard was it was sooo much better than a PC. LOL, what a joke!!!! My first and last Mac. My Windows machines allow me to do what I want with them at a cheaper price, my poor little iBook treats me like a 5 year old child and tries to simplify my life and ends up driving me insane. Perhaps I'll list it on Ebay as an expensive firestarter, just in time for winter heating season.

Yeah this battery thing is a drag, but if you're going back to Windows, have fun with those viruses and spyware and lock ups. Heck, I'd offer you my old PC but it had a meeting with my 12 gauge last year. May it rest in pieces.

I didn't say I was going back to Windows. I never left. We have 7 computers in this house, only 1 Mac. I bought it on a whim thinking I would like it, and yes I did like it, for about a month or so. Then I became increasingly frustrated by the iStuff and reinstalled the OS without it. As far as spyware, viruses and all the other crap, yes.....it does seem to affect Windows more. Why bother writing something malicious that would only bother 3 percent of the market? But at the same time, you can avoid this by being careful.
The battery recall fiasco is not shedding a good light on Apples polished image. At a time when Apple is trying to recruit switchers, this is just bad business in my opinion. But then again, its only my opinion and no one has to agree.....LOL, atleast not in a Mac forum of all places.

I've read a lot of griping about Apple. I was frustrated too when my serial number kept getting kicked back and I couldn't get through on the phone, but then I decided Apple was smart to get the recall info out ASAP (so we could take out batteries out of our laptops to avoid any more injuries). Better to get that info out right away than to wait until all the bugs were worked out of the form on the site. Also remember that the problem is with a Sony battery, not Apple hardward, and Dell is having to do a recall of Sony-made batteries for the same reason. Things might be even more chaotic over there since there are a lot more people with Dell notebooks than with Apple iBooks and PowerBooks.

Apple HAS now added some clarifying information on the website that put my mind at ease about whether my battery is safe. Now the serial number ranges include not only the beginning 5 characters but the last 4 as well. Maybe that's what tells Apple what batteries are made by Sony and what batteries are made by another manufacturer. The clarification of the last 4 characters took my battery out of the recall, so for now, I'm going to relax and put my battery back in my computer.

Thanks for the info. Looks like I'm in the clear.

I can only dream of getting through to a real live person. Got hung up on after 7 expensive minutes of button pushing and musical waiting. I'm not going to try any more as they obviously are stressed out over in Ireland where the call centre is, and clearly won't give me any useful answers.

Obviously, I have the same problem; my battery comes in the 6C5 band and is getting the not valid message. Less obviously, ever since I bought the lappy, the battery has been growing burning hot on my leg - normally gets quite uncomfortable after a couple of hours, so if it's okay, what on earth are the other ones like???

Actually I am more worried about the thin bit of plastic round the edge of the battery space getting snapped, so I don't feel I want to have the lappy vulnerable for several weeks. By which time the guarantee will have run out.

I think my best hope is that my leg gets blown off by the blast and Apple have to supply me with free products for life. See - I haven't lost faith...




Pippin, a dear little 12" iBook Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Not to address any one in my reply; but instead to share both grief and a
measure of relief in this process of finding out and then submitting information
to Apple online regarding the battery replacement issues.

The site accepted my computer's serial number and battery serial numbers.
Then when I went to submit the page, the site told me the address I use
(and have bought several computers, Apple accessories, and get my mail
over several decades) is NOT CORRECT and so it could not proceed with
my replacement battery request. This went on for about 5 hours; nope 7
hours. Too late to call into Apple Support or AppleCare about it, I went
through the web page hoping to find some other means of contact.

I reported the errors to the Apple web site security department, as such
an error needed to get to whomever was most qualified to look into it;
since I have also bought several items from Apple direct, and my address
IS the correct one; not what the site was implying. After all, with all this
headache, if where I'm living is not my address, Apple can send all my
money back... I'll supply a different address, of course.

In the meantime, I'm thinking "Nu Power, Newer Technology" rather than
wait 4 to 6 weeks so I can use my iBook G4. I seldom use it now; so
why should I plug it into a power adapter for 4 to 6 weeks, awaiting battery?

This is nuts. I should be able to take my battery the mere 200 miles to
the nearest Apple authorized reseller and get a new one. I was in there
just yesterday and said hi to Ben... One Apple guy in a sea of CompUSA.