OPEN LETTER

OPEN LETTER TO STEVE JOBS

Dear Mr. Steve Jobs

Sorry for my poor English.

Apple has gone worldwide. Yeah.

But how does your company manage the repair/replace services to those countries outside America?

I’m from the not so great "the Philippines" and let me tell you that the apple service here really sucks.

Allow me to tell you a little story. October last year I purchased a 32gig iPod touch 2nd generation and it showed annoying whitish lights at the upper and lower corner of the device after 3 months of use. Contemplating if the so called apple tech in this country will replace my device, I took a huge gamble and went to the authorized apple retailer after a month. So I get my ass there and the attendants looked at my device - and they just keep on saying "the problem is not so obvious," turning the device up and down, left and right. I forgot how many times they said and did that. But I insisted so they took my device and told me to wait for 7 to 10 days, hoping that everything will be fine. After 7 days the apple retail store messaged me telling that my new iPod is ready for pick up. Thank god.

So I picked it up after a day and hurriedly went home so I can start all over again. I placed the new iPod to the rubber case, powered it up, and synced it to iTunes, done.

But I am so so wrong. On the 8th day of using the new iPod - just out of curiosity, I removed the rubber casing and I was amazed of what I saw: there is a leaking light at the right corner of the device. Thinking that the problem was minimal, I switched off the room light to check for the problem again. Much to my dismay, that lighting problem is much worst than I previously thought.

The light at the corner of the device is much much brighter than the screen itself. If you look closer you can even see the interior of the iPod. I even googled the problem and found out that other people are experiencing the same thing. (http://www.hacktheipodtouch.com/hardware/light-leak-problem-on-the-2g-touch/comment-page-1#comment-7745)

So I decided to return the product again. I went to the store again - and tell the attendant that there is a problem again on the device. They looked again and want to know what they said? "not obvious not obvious not obvious" I tell them to look closer so they can see. I even tell them the problem is really noticeable if you are in a dark room. But the tide is really against me - the not so obvious thing is just so powerful. But I did not concede and insist again that they take the device because it’s defective. He said that the servicing team may not replace the stupid thing. I’m disgusted. He excused himself and went to the other customers, leaving me there hanging, not knowing what I am going to do with my stupid iPod. Good thing I installed Tap Tap Revenge2. When the other customers are gone he returned to me and said "so what we are going to do with it" I tell him that I needed the device to be replaced. He called another attendant and that person get a service order slip and asked me about the problem, took the device and the process is repeated: wait for 7 to 10 days. On the 9th day I called that apple retail store to ask if they are going to replace that god damn thing and they delivered me the most amusing news of all time: "NO!!!"

Actually Mr. Jobs we are really planning to abandon Windows since last year. The Mac operating system really fit with our needs: saving photos, making movie clips, keeping our music well organized, and a lot more things. We are about to purchase a new line of Apple Macbook, but the world financial crisis prevented us from doing so, because the investment of my parents to a local bank here partnered with an insurance company based in Australia is slightly affected and they lost a considerable amount of money.

But this experience that I had with a local authorized apple retailer really made me think otherwise.

P.S. hoping you in good health and please move your assembly plant out of china.