[Closed] Remind me not to buy Apple again...

So what makes you unique that your repair takes precedence over others who were before you?
I've got an expensive Barbour that is leaking, and had been with Barbour for three weeks and they haven't even assessed it yet, and can't be arsed to reply to phone calls from the dealer. Quit griping and be glad it's being fixed without quibble.

i would understand you gripe if the laptop was ****ed due to apples manufacturing (or their EMS mfg)- but getting zapped by lightning and your getting it fixed under warranty.

I would be pretty happy if i was you.

By all accounts, Applecare is fairly shocking, and their hardware isn't the most reliable.
I know of at least one Macbook Pro that went back with a faulty trackpad, and four months later (with considerable amounts of chasing) still hadn't been returned.

So what makes you unique that your repair takes precedence over others who were before you?

If it takes that long, one would question exactly [i]why[/i] there were so many others there before you.

just out of interest was this taken into an apple shop or sent to them via post?

By all accounts, Applecare is fairly shocking, and their hardware isn't the most reliable.

My experience was completely the opposite with Applecare though admittedly I booked an appointment and took it into the Regents St store.

I've also been using Macs for over 12 years and never had a hardware failure yet (if you ignore my daughters temporarily frying my keyboard by spilling baked beans over it). That's using G4s, G5s, iBooks, iMacs, Macbooks and Macbook Pros at both work and home. I had the same Mac at work for 5 years, in the same period my team members went through 7 pcs between them.

I'm with the OP on this one.
My IMac went in for repair and was fobbed off, mis lead and generally messed around for 2 weeks before I had the machine repaired.

One day you would be told you were 4 the in the queue for repair, then 2 days later told 7th in the queue?

As mine was an out of warranty repair Apple bumped me in favour of other customers with apple care etc.

I expected more from a premium brand.

Compare with Sony service - I called them up, they sent a courier to pick it up next day (who packed the laptop for me), I got a text the next day saying it was being looked at, another the day after saying it was fixed, then it was couriered back to me about a day later.

I'd be fairly annoyed with Apple's level of "service". If you are having to wait in a queue for it to be repaired, they clearly haven't got the staffing levels right.

Your posting this on the "friend of Apple" website, dont you know to some people criticising Apple is like criticising a member of the family?

i find it quite shocking,
i had a cheap advent laptop from pcworld,
and the motherboard needed changing, (under warranty)
phoned them,
next day picked up from my house,
next day phoned to confirm what was wrong,
next couriered back to me,

i wouldn't b happy with apple

i wouldn't be happy with a cheap advent laptop 🙂

applecare is fine if you know how the system works. i have had issues with a new macbook pro and the battery from my old macbook.
if i think it's going to be a big repair i take it to an authorised reseller/repair agent, this way there is no queuing involved and the turnaround is usually 1-3 days.
i had a new battery (in warranty) and a new keyboard/trackpad (out of warranty) from taking the laptop to the regent street store, was repaired in 3 days.

like all customer services/warranty claims people have different experiences. you only have to see the posts about commencal, orange, and ellsworth on here to see that.

Compare with Sony service - I called them up, they sent a courier to pick it up next day (who packed the laptop for me), I got a text the next day saying it was being looked at, another the day after saying it was fixed, then it was couriered back to me about a day later.

I'd be fairly annoyed with Apple's level of "service". If you are having to wait in a queue for it to be repaired, they clearly haven't got the staffing levels right.

That's quite different from the service I got from Sony when my 3 month old (nearly) top of the range Vaio's ethernet port died. I ended up getting a refund from the shop after about 3 months of no movement with no apparent hope of getting it sorted.

Also my experience of Apple repairs have been very different to those of the OP, but i suppose with all this is is down to how busy they are, how good the members of staff are at that particular branch etc etc.

With warranty work Apple have always turned around my stuff same-day, (same hour in the case of my macbook) taken to a 'genius bar' in the apple shop.

Sorry I can't agree with the OP either.

My 3 year old Macbook developed a small crack in the casing so I booked a genius bar slot, the said to leave it with them and an hour later they'd called me to say it was ready for collection. new casing, new keyboard and a damn good clean all covered under the extended student warranty that was included free when we bought it.

Also, Small fault in Iphone screen discovered upon purchase but I didn't act on it until 6 months later. Again Genius bar booked and walked out with new phone 10 mins later.

I'll keep buying apple thanks.

Apple are crap - see my post above (or below)

My 3 year old Macbook developed a small crack in the casing so I booked a genius bar slot, the said to leave it with them and an hour later they'd called me to say it was ready for collection. new casing, new keyboard and a damn good clean all covered under the extended student warranty that was included free when we bought it.

Me too - it looks brand new now.

Re Sony - when my brother had to reinstall the OS on his 2 year old laptop that hadn't come with the OS discs, they told him they no longer supported that model so his expensive VAIO was now junk.

Btw Apple consistently get the highest ratings for reliability and customer service from independent ratings. Sony generally do pretty badly.

In my experience of service of companys.

PC world service = CRAP!!!
Mercedes service = Brilliant
Apple service = Ok
Sony = Shop sucked big time but help full when I rang the customer care up.
Amazon = Brilliant

are u 'beating them out' on an iphone..? just out of curiosity

<tannoy>
Fanboi's to the forum please, fanboi's to the forum...
</tannoy>

Your 3 week wait was due to the NFU then 10 days for Apple, thats not actually all Apple taking the time over it.

Insurance companies take ages to do stuff and to be fair it's not actually a warranty is it.

logic board, 20 mins? are you serious? changed an ibook g4 logic board, it certainly didn't take just 20mins, (opened my macbook pro to change ram-20mins-fair enough) and i'm pretty damn good with a screwdriver/handskills imho! to do it with care and attention you are looking at an hour at least.
"[u]apparently[/u] the service is no different to what you get with extended apple care warranty" mmm, apparently, is a good word,who told you that?!

I think Apple are like any company. Some will have good experience and others will have bad.

Its like being trapped in a feedback loop on here sometimes.

Incidentally i am a Apple owner who loves his overpriced shiny macbook but also hates the fact that as with every laptop from Apple the superdrive is ****ed after a year.

as with every laptop from Apple the superdrive is ****ed after a year.

Funny I've used mine pretty heavily every day for about 3 years, and we have several at work that get used a lot - there have been a few issues but none with a broken superdrive.

grumm:
as with every laptop from Apple the superdrive is ****ed after a year.
Funny I've used mine pretty heavily every day for about 3 years, and we have several at work that get used a lot - there have been a few issues but none with a broken superdrive.

I should have added the drive works for reading but writing doesn't...well the odd time it does.

One brand versus every other generic brand ever. Fight!

Only repair I had any experience of was with a mates G4 tower, went to somewhere in Europe, and back, repaired, via courier in about 36 hours. Was bloody astounded!
That was a few years ago though, don't know if things have changed, haven't had to find out.

I'm not getting it fixed under warranty - I'm paying for the repair.

Oh yes, and writing from an HTC Hero. No Jesus-Phone for me.

You need an Apple technician as a friend. I have. Not had to use him yet though. Not like with last PC. Pile of crap. Although tbh I think it's the Microshit bits that cause the problems.

Phoned them this morning:

[i]THEM: "Oh, that one. No, we haven't looked at it yet."[/i]
ME: "Have you actually ordered the part?"
[i]THEM: "No. We don't do that until we start the repair."[/i]
ME: "So, even though you know the logic board needs replacing, and that you don't have it in stock, and that it takes 5 days to get to you, you don't order it until the computer is in pieces on the desk?"
[i]THEM: "Correct."[/i]
ME: "Can you just sell me the part and let me fit it myself?"
[i]THEM: "No, we can't do that. That would mean we sold you the part."[/i]
ME: "Yes, that's what I said."
[i]THEM: "No, we don't sell parts. Try looking on eBay."[/i]

When you've got it fixed i'll take it off your hands for £50...

My Macbook case cracked (in all fairness it was 4 years old and out of warrenty) i called apple they had a quick conflab then told me i could send it back to them or take it one of there service partners. I decided on the later option as it was 20 mins away when i got there they took a quick look then said it would take up to a week to get the new case you can leave it with us or we will call you when it comes in and you can bring it back to be done which would take a couple of hours true to there word it did take about a week and then they swapped it over in a couple of hours.

Fast forward 9 months the cable on my charger melted at the magsafe connector called up apple (please bear in mind still not under warranty) no problem sir we will pop it in the post and it will arrive tomorrow and true to there word it did.

Nothing but good things to say about them im afraid, but if i was you i would want to know what NFU are up to, a logic board is often quite expensive plus labor why arnt they just replacing whole thing?

I guess you get some bad apples in the orchard huh?

(yes - will shut the door, i know it gets cold...)

a logic board for a Macbook Pro is circa £600, someone had a broken one the last time I was in the Istore and I over heard the conversation with the tech.

I bought a powerbook a few years ago. with applecare. the service from the local genius bar was excellent. the logic board got swapped twice in close succession with no resolution of the problem. Apple kindly exchanged the powerbook for a macbook pro. that has worked flawlessly. My other interactions with AppleCare and the Genius bar have been very reasonable. I would not hesitate to recommend AppleCare from my experience.

Argh! Got it back today after coughing up £370 for the repair and the Ethernet port doesn't work, nor the Mini Displayport. FFS, how hard is it to check these damn things before giving it back? It's the logic board that was replaced, it's all ****ing integrated, and now it's going to be another bleeding month.

(1) Make appointment at "Genius Bar" (at least a week).
(2) Get it booked in to be fixed (another week).
(3) Wait for them to fix it (fortnight + Christmas).

Probably find it's broken again.

Apple repaired my MBP (with failed GPU) FOC and on the day (Apple Store Glasgow), the machine was 2 years out of warrantee . . . now that doesn't help you (and I sympathize) but they are not all bad . . .

Conversely it took over 3 months to get my basically brand new Thinkpad X300 repaired by Lenovo, who returned it multiple times with the same (very visible) screen fault and finally returned it incorrectly assembled but working . . . I gave up and fixed it myself . . .

I may buy another Apple but I wouldn't wipe my ar$e with Lenovo product . . .

YMMV

Fd

I know it's annoying...

Hey it took them 8 months to repair my Acer Ferrari...

I'm pissed off with Macs too. I've been using them for nearly 20 years. I have to buy a new one every 5 years, but the old ones keep on working so I can't throw them out.

My PCs are much better, I can rely on having to dump them every couple of years. You feel much smarter when you're working on a PC because you have to know all the current Juju to make them work properly which impresses all your friends and colleagues. They are also much more rewarding to own, they get all sorts of illnesses, just like a baby, how could you not get attached to them?

Everyone knows you don't have to be smart to make a Mac do wondrous things.

(For the ferrous deficient, that's a crude attempt at irony)

my experience with applecare is that it's great but very expensive (for a laptop). they replaced a macbook case for me because it was grubby (well, stained)

[i]My PCs are much better, I can rely on having to dump them every couple of years. You feel much smarter when you're working on a PC because you have to know all the current Juju to make them work properly which impresses all your friends and colleagues. They are also much more rewarding to own, they get all sorts of illnesses, just like a baby, how could you not get attached to them?[/i]

Jesus. Seek help. Medical help. It's a tool, whether it's a macbook or a PC, it's just a tool and they both have many great good qualities and also have a number of deficiencies.

initial answer is to push back and break the balls of your insurance company or change firms!

Phone and tell them you NEED a laptop ASAP and get their fingers out of their fat useless arsehols and send oyu a brand spanky lappy, and sell the old refurbed one...............mine is brand spanky new, care of my insurance company.....you just need to lead them to offer you the best solution

Phone and tell them you NEED a laptop ASAP and get their fingers out of their fat useless arsehols and send oyu a brand spanky lappy, and sell the old refurbed one

Well, it's all right if you can just turn on the charm like that, but some of us don't have your silver-tongued ways.

samuri - Member
Jesus. Seek help. Medical help. It's a tool, whether it's a macbook or a PC, it's just a tool and they both have many great good qualities and also have a number of deficiencies.