Apple won't replace lost Leopard CD

Rollo Tamasi

I bought OSX Leopard a few months back. I installed it on my Macbook.

I then upgraded the HD on my Macbook. I put Tiger on the MB because I thought I had left Leopard in Cork (I work in Dublin).

Grand, I said to myself, I will install Leopard once I'm back in Cork.

I didn't find it when I was in Cork. It must be in Dublin so. Nope, not there either.

Opps. I lost it.

So I phone up Apple Care.

I have my Macbook serial number at hand as well as the order number for OS Leopard. I explain to the guy that I lost the CD and can they send me out a replacement.

He said that I would have to buy Leopard again. WTF!

I'm not going to buy something again which I bought a few months ago.

I'm going to mail Apple with a complaint about this.

Has anybody else experienced this?

bluemachaveli

No tbh, ive never needed to replace an install cd.
When i finish i have a drawer i keep the lot in, 9 times outta 10 ill have a copy of the original floatin around anyway.

I can see Apple's point tho i mean if you buy a PS3 game and lose the disc, Ring Sony and they will laugh at you!

I wouldn't expect to get a replacement!

Rollo Tamasi

But aren't Apple meant to provide you with support if you buy their products?

John Kimble

You are kidding right?! You lost the disk by your own admission and you want Apple to replace it free of charge. That's a freebie, not support. If you bought an ipod from them and lost it, would you expect them to replace that too?

bluemachaveli

Support for the disc being defective, I.E. not working.

If you lose your MacBook will you ring looking for a replacement free of charge?

babypink

as much as i hate to say it.......tuff!

you lost it yourself, expecting someone else to bail you out is ridiculous.

Apple may decide to give you a copy in the end, but that'll be charity and nothing else.

conzy

oh snap! you mac users are angry people

the op paid for an OPERATING SYSTEM not the 1c disk it came on...

Surely the 100% price premium on most apple products covers the cost of mailing a 1c disk to the op?

hmmmmmm

PaulieBoy

conzymaher wrote: »

oh snap! you mac users are angry people

the op paid for an OPERATING SYSTEM not the 1c disk it came on...

Surely the 100% price premium on most apple products covers the cost of mailing a 1c disk to the op?

hmmmmmm

Hang on and we'll try this out ..... I'm on the phone to M$ .... "eh, Hi, I bought Vista some months back, I lost the disk, will you please send me out a copy, it's only a cent or two's worth of plastic when you think about it" ....... "Hello.. hello"...... Damn, she hung up on me :-(

mickoneill30

There are companies that will replace lost disks (for the cost of postage) if you can provide proof of purchase so I don't think it's out of this world for the OP to expect the same from Apple.
If companies don't want you to copy their disks they need to have this kind of programme in place.

mickoneill30

PaulieBoy wrote: »

Hang on and we'll try this out ..... I'm on the phone to M$ .... "eh, Hi, I bought Vista some months back, I lost the disk, will you please send me out a copy, it's only a cent or two's worth of plastic when you think about it" ....... "Hello.. hello"...... Damn, she hung up on me :-(

Try it out properly.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326246

PaulieBoy

mickoneill30 wrote: »

Try it out properly.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326246

If you loose the original OS that came with a Mac, you will get a replacement no problem. Just like MS would do.
You may run into a problem if it's an upgrade as it is in the OP's case.

You buy a system with XP, upgrade it to Vista from a retail copy, format it back to XP, loose the Vista disc and then try call MS and see how your get on!!!


Not very well, I am fully willing to bet! Think about why ???
Any idiot could call MS or Apple, or as another poster mentioned Sony, etc and say I lost my disc!

unklerosco

Is it not the licence your paying for when you buy an OS?? I'd have thought it'd be easy enough to get a replacment...

Isn't every XP/Vista disk the exact same, its the key your paying for??

conzymaher wrote: »

oh snap! you mac users are angry people

Indeed.....

440Hz

unklerosco wrote: »

It isn't the most welcoming place on boards.

Care to elaborate on that sweeping statement?

unklerosco

babypink wrote: »

as much as i hate to say it.......tuff!

you lost it yourself, expecting someone else to bail you out is ridiculous.

Apple may decide to give you a copy in the end, but that'll be charity and nothing else.

Well a post like that for starters... There hasn't really been any helpful advice on this thread so far bar say 1 or 2 posts.. The rest are just slagging off the OP...

Overall its a good forum, sure you remembered to email about comic life a while back after I'd completely forgotten about it. I just think that sometimes "mac" users can be a bit condescending

440Hz

I think it is very unfair to generalise about the 'wecolming' nature of this forum based on one thread - the majority of threads on this forum are very helpful, and I would like to think there is a good sense of community in the Mac forum, I know a lot of other posters here certainly think there is.

This is OT and not the right place for it, but I am offended by that statement to be perfectly honest - I would hope that I am welcoming on here, as that is what I try to do. I set out to help people where I can, and make of point of welcoming new posters to the forum, where applicable. I think the same can be said for many posters on here who go out of their way to be helpful to other users.

Back on topic now!

BanzaiBk

Surprisingly I think this is one of the most friendly forums on boards, it's the reason I joined up in the first place actually.

I paid Microsoft €9.95 for a replacement Vista CD after I lost my original disc as I had the product key. I didn't mind paying, I did lose it after all. Apple didn't offer anything like this?

Rollo Tamasi

If I bought Vista or XP I would have received a serial number. Therefore it doesn't really matter that I loose the CD. I can just use the same serial on a different CD.

Likewise with Adobe products. Adobe actually recently converted a Windows license for Creative Suite to a Mac license for us. All we needed to do was to cover the postage. I would gladly pay the postage to receive a replacement OSX CD.

But I'm flubbed if I loose the OS X Leopard CD because it doesn't have a serial. I don't see why I have to repay for what is essentially a digital product.

unklerosco

Well I apologize if I offended you.. I suppose my comment was a bit to generalised...

Well I don't know if its any use or even legal but if it helps OP I can give u a lend of my copy.. I'm not sure how the licencing of Apple OS's works, all I know that in the land of microsoft once u've a key u can use another CD/DVD...

Doctor DooM

Rollo Tamasi wrote: »

If I bought Vista or XP I would have received a serial number. Therefore it doesn't really matter that I loose the CD. I can just use the same serial on a different CD.

Likewise with Adobe products. Adobe actually recently converted a Windows license for Creative Suite to a Mac license for us. All we needed to do was to cover the postage. I would gladly pay the postage to receive a replacement OSX CD.

But I'm flubbed if I loose the OS X Leopard CD because it doesn't have a serial. I don't see why I have to repay for what is essentially a digital product.

But it's not, its a physical product.

A music CD is also in essence a digital product. If you lost a music CD and went back to the store to look for another one, or the music company, would you expect to get it?

It does suck, and I would ask to speak to a manager, but legally they are certainly doing naught wrong ( and bear in mind, Apple often offer alot more care wise than the legal minimum).

Breezer

SDooM wrote: »

A music CD is also in essence a digital product. If you lost a music CD and went back to the store to look for another one, or the music company, would you expect to get it?

Probably not. However, Apple themselves have been known to allow users to redownload iTunes tracks lost when a HD goes south and there's no backup. The general idea with software is that you pay for the licence to use it (yes I know music CDs are the same), and to be honest I'm surprised at Apple's response to this (in other ways not - Apple have made a few strange customer support decisions in the recent past that most companies wouldn't dream of).

They probably don't legally have to do anything but most companies will sort their customers out in cases like this, even if it takes a bit of wrangling. Keep at them.

unclebill98

Mac user are not condescending.

Any one would react the same regardless.

OP lost something and wants a new one..... That is being plain silly. Apart from posters saying its not going to happen, I guess we feel the need to also point out the errors of OP ways, we are only human.

There is also a big diff between downloading something and buying a hard copy. I downloaded some DJ software last year, I wiped my mac and I needed another copy. They where happy to let me download it again, as it turns out I can do this as many times as i want. Then again, DJ software is not in the same realms as a OS.

Doctor DooM

Breezer wrote: »

Probably not. However, Apple themselves have been known to allow users to redownload iTunes tracks lost when a HD goes south and there's no backup. The general idea with software is that you pay for the licence to use it (yes I know music CDs are the same), and to be honest I'm surprised at Apple's response to this (in other ways not - Apple have made a few strange customer support decisions in the recent past that most companies wouldn't dream of).

They probably don't legally have to do anything but most companies will sort their customers out in cases like this, even if it takes a bit of wrangling. Keep at them.

Pretty much what I said in the rest of my post, dude.

OP, when you were talking to Apple, where you talking to a Scottish or Indian assistant?

Breezer

SDooM wrote: »

Pretty much what I said in the rest of my post, dude.

True enough, but on these things when a few people start giving the same opinion it tends to lend a bit of weight to it. If I have offended you by lack of originality please accept my sincerest apologies

Doctor DooM

Breezer wrote: »

True enough, but on these things when a few people start giving the same opinion it tends to lend a bit of weight to it. If I have offended you by lack of originality please accept my sincerest apologies

I thought you thought that I thought that you thought I was making a different point to the one I was! I shall stop talking til the OP gets back.

Rollo Tamasi

SDooM wrote: »

OP, when you were talking to Apple, where you talking to a Scottish or Indian assistant?

Indian guy.

A music CD is also in essence a digital product. If you lost a music CD and went back to the store to look for another one, or the music company, would you expect to get it?

Buying an OS is a lot different to a music CD though. I paid for a license. The license is in my name. Because I lost the CD does that mean that I also loose the rights on the license?

Well I don't know if its any use or even legal but if it helps OP I can give u a lend of my copy.. I'm not sure how the licencing of Apple OS's works, all I know that in the land of microsoft once u've a key u can use another CD/DVD...

I think it's actually okay to do this. When I phoned them originally they wanted the serial number of the Macbook to which Leopard was installed on. They didn't want to know anything about the Leopard CD. They must match the Macbook serial number with the OS. The Tech guy said that he could see that Leopard was installed on my Macbook by checking my MB serial number. I wouldn't mind finding out more about how Apple handle serial numbers and the like with their OSs.

sedohre

As far as I knew microsoft would issue a replacement disc if you lost one, at a vey small charge.

I'm very surprised that Apple wouldn't have the same policy.

I feel like telling everyone to email apple with this same problem in the hope that they would question, and revise, their policy

SouperComputer

I wouldn't mind finding out more about how Apple handle serial numbers and the like with their OSs.

Smoke and mirrors TBH, if the are harvesting such information they are doing nothig with it. Try Apple again, and maybe again after that. You are looking for replacement media which is normally available for a nominal fee. You just need to get someone helpful on the line.

I haven't delved too deeply into the 10.5.x EULA/SLA, but I can say with confidence you can use "almost" any 10.5 install CD without any "practical" repercussions.

Doctor DooM

Rollo Tamasi wrote: »

Indian guy.

Speaking as someone who used to deal with Apple on a daily basis, it might be worth your while to keep ringing back til you hear a Scottish voice at the end of the line. They tend to be less about the rules and more about CC.

whiterebel

Ordinary Tech Support won't do anything - And I wouldn't expect it no matter who answers, be it Irish, Indian or Scottish. If you bought it from the AppleStore you could try going though the AppleStore after sales who MIGHT do something for you.
Personally speaking, I don't see you have a leg to stand on, but maybe the Apple way is too ingrained in me.

Doctor DooM

whiterebel wrote: »

Ordinary Tech Support won't do anything - And I wouldn't expect it no matter who answers, be it Irish, Indian or Scottish. If you bought it from the AppleStore you could try going though the AppleStore after sales who MIGHT do something for you.
Personally speaking, I don't see you have a leg to stand on, but maybe the Apple way is too ingrained in me.

The OP DOESN'T have a leg to stand on, I'm just trying to give him an option which might work.

whiterebel

SDooM wrote: »

The OP DOESN'T have a leg to stand on, I'm just trying to give him an option which might work.

I know, so was I.......

Tar.Aldarion

PaulieBoy wrote: »

Hang on and we'll try this out ..... I'm on the phone to M$ .... "eh, Hi, I bought Vista some months back, I lost the disk, will you please send me out a copy, it's only a cent or two's worth of plastic when you think about it" ....... "Hello.. hello"...... Damn, she hung up on me :-(

They actually did send out xp to my friend for free.


As for vista there is no install cd for me, just the recovery partition, I like this, apple should do it. ;-)
Also yes, all vistas are on the same install cd if you have one(apart from enterprise) and just have different keys.

Sucks that you can not get it back off them, would have thought they would just give you it rather cheaply.

Diarmuid

conzymaher wrote: »

oh snap! you mac users are angry people

the op paid for an OPERATING SYSTEM not the 1c disk it came on...

I agree with this poster. Do you think you are paying 160E for the physical disc? No it's mostly for the licence to run the software. As the poster can prove that he paid for the licence previously I would see it as being very reasonble to expect Apple to ship him another dvd. Obviously he would have to pay some token amount for the DVD + shipping etc but something in the region of 10Euro would be reasonable.

As to the posters who rhetorically asked if MS would replace their lost/broken Vista DVD's, you clearly didn't run your question by Google before checking that the answer aligned with your assumptions

Breezer

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

As for vista there is no install cd for me, just the recovery partition, I like this, apple should do it. ;-)

No no no no no no no no :eek: Not a good thing, makes reinstalling all the more awkward and what happens when the hard drive dies? Physical media is great - well, until you lose it of course

Tar.Aldarion

How is installing more awkward? It takes 10 miinutes instead of hours, and it is not even a crappy reinstall, it restores it to teh settings when you got the computer. You can also remove the partition if you want or just make a cd as well. Win win.

Also, in 10 years, I have never had a hard drive that died!

Breezer

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

How is installing more awkward? It takes 10 miinutes instead of hours, and it is not even a crappy reinstall, it restores it to teh settings when you got the computer. You can also remove the partition if you want or just make a cd as well. Win win.

Also, in 10 years, I have never had a hard drive that died!

Hmm, fair point I guess, although I prefer just popping in a CD rather than messing around with partitions. I've done both, neither's any major hassle, just personal preference.

And lucky you on the hard drive front. TBH I'm the same but I've heard way too many horror stories to trust hard drives.

Tar.Aldarion

Yeah, it's just your preference. I like to have my partition and cd in case either breaks. :-)




(If a hard drive dies, stick it in the freezer and then get your stuff off it, did it a few times for people.)

papu

+ on windows you can pull your windows install key and write that down , then use ANY kind of vista disc , or OEM XP disc to re-install... handy as

randylonghorn

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Also, in 10 years, I have never had a hard drive that died!

Lucky you, I've had two commit hara-kiri!

challengemaster

Wow, Apple are being pr!cks about this. I mean ffs if M$ will replace a disc for free...

papu

challengemaster wrote: »

Wow, Apple are being pr!cks about this. I mean ffs if M$ will replace a disc for free...

and send out a 64bit version if you pay for postage!

Red Alert

I presume given that you've a valid license for Leopard you could borrow somebody else's quite legally? You lost the disc, so tough luck I'm afraid.