First, they warn people to back up their data regularly because there is a high chance of failure. Then they tell you that if you come and get a new drive you have to restore it on your own.
Perhaps you've never had to support someone who isn't technologically savvy, but basically if I show this to her she will be very scared that her sacred pictures of her grandson will be gone forever. She won't understand this page beyond "my data will go away and Apple won't help me".
Whether that is their intention or not I don't know.
The only saving grace here is that I set up backups for her a long time ago, but she's probably forgotten.
Hey mate, I can attest to having this issue and at least give an account. I went in last month reporting failure of my HDD, the genius assumed that "Oh the partition somehow got corrupt, this happens" and somehow got a new installation on there after telling me they were not responsible for any data loss. So for some cases, some people would've already lost all their data if they didn't have a backup.
It failed again minutes after leaving the store so I arranged another visit with a genius. This genius was more helpful and understanding and swapped the drive out. Unfortunately the new replacement drive matches these model numbers. Not exactly happy about having to visit a far away store for a third time.
>> So now Apple has told her "you're going to lose all your data and we can't help you". Not cool.
boggles my mind. Perhaps skip the extra serving of hyperbole?