27-inch iMac display issues cause European replacement panel drought, Apple to refund customers

In the wake of widely reported yellowing and flickering display issues on Apple’s line of 27-inch iMacs, rumors have it that Apple has halted production until they get to the bottom with the problem.

Apple’s denied the production halt, but if a UK-based Apple Authorized Service Provider speaking to Gizmodo is to be trusted, the situation’s a lot more dire than Apple is letting on.

Writing to Gizmodo’s Mark Wilson, who has an iMac afflicted with the display issues himself, the reseller said:

The short of it is that apple doesn’t have any 27’ LCDs in Europe and there is a backlog of 230 machines that are waiting on this part, with no eta on shipping. So to keep customers happy(ish) they’re paying them. That’s right apple is now (quietly) offering people a full refund and 15% of the price extra, and they are arranging a free pick up of your machine. I’m not 100% if this is the case in the US, but it’s happening over here in the UK.

As far as i know it’s both Apple stores and 3rd party retailers, but the refund itself comes from Apple not the 3rd party retailer. We’ve had two customer that have both gotten there machines’ refunded plus the 15%.

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Another authorized Apple tech commenting at Gizmodo says that 27’ LCD panels are also out of stock in Wisconsin, with no ETA available.

Is the problem so bad and the solution so out of sight that Apple’s now paying afflicted customers off? Maybe not, but clearly this problem isn’t entirely being blown out of proportion: there are very real issues with the 27-inch iMac that make waiting for Apple to fix the problem once and for all before purchasing one a no-brainer.

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