List of thing's Apple "Care" has done to make me hate them since my last blog entry:
1) Managed to have inconsistent information between their website, their 800 number and the store. Literally - when asked, each location gave me different or incomplete information.
2) Their website is a joke - you log in and not only does it give you different information from the Apple store and the 800 number, but it lists things twice and sometimes changes listings. When I first logged in to check the status Monday night, it said "closed." By 2am it said "Ready for Pick Up." By morning it said "Ready for Pick Up" TWICE. But, of course, when I called the Apple store, they didn't have it and told me it was still being repaired.
3) Today, I decide I'm going to give the Apple "Care" 800 number the first of many daily calls until my iBook has returned to me. I call them and they confirm what the store told me yesterday. It's being repaired at this very moment. I ask the nice lady at Apple "Care" how long they've had it for repair. She says "They've had it since the 24th. No, wait, that's not right - that's today."
Well, it was right. They DID just get my iBook today. Which is really funny since I dropped it off last Thursday. According to the lady on the phone someone mis-filed it at the Apple store so it didn't leave there when it should have. So much for getting it back in 5 business days.
Meanwhile, the status listed at the Apple site still says twice that my iBook is "Ready for Pick Up."
Boy, good thing I don't need that iBook for WORK...
OH WAIT, I DO.
Once again, I'd like to remind anyone reading this that I do prefer Mac OSX to ANY version of Windows. But I am writing these blog entries to remind Apple elitists that their precious company is just like any other company - out to make the most money regardless of the cost. Even if they have to inconvenience their customers and even cost their customers money, which they basically are doing to me.
Trust OSX, trust Apple machines - except for the dual USB iBook! (I spoke with a friend of mine who has a 14 inch iBook and he's had the same "Disaster Sandwich" problem.) AND MOST OF ALL: PRAY YOU DON'T HAVE A DEFECTIVE MACHINE BECAUSE APPLE "CARE" IS NOTHING OF THE KIND. Once again for the search engines:
applecare sucks apple care sucks apple care complaints applecare complaints apple care can lick me apple care is for losers who like being treated badly apple care = masochists anonymous apple care just as bad as microsoft customer service apple computers work their policies don't apple sucks apple bites apple OSX OS X OS 10 OS ten apple customer service sucks apple customer care sucks
I feel your pain man. Apple refused to give me a new power adapter about 5 months after buying my iBook when the thing just stopped working. The trick you have to use is to make everything appear to be their fault. Tell them you have been using everything perfectly. I know this doesn't help with your case, but just for future reference! They'll try to say everything is broken through abuse and such...
ReplyDeleteThanks for your advice--I do appreciate it. Actually, this entire thing has wrapped itself up, I'm just so lame as to not have all the categories for all of my entries reassigned yet. In another week or two, you'll be able to click on the category "MacStories" and get all of my adventures with my Mac(s). In a nutshell, when Apple lost my iBook in the mail (after it had died on me three times in 2 different ways) they tried to offer me a replacement iBook. I demanded a refund. After another day or so of mistreatment, they finally caved and gave me a refund. Two weeks later I got it. A month (or so) after that I had saved up some extra scratch to buy the PowerBook I'm typing this comment on. So, in the end, I can't complain too much.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the comment and sorry I don't have all of my categories in order yet! I hope your power supply problem gets worked out!
I went from PC to apple. I do like the apple platform much better but the whole apple care system and customer support sucks!! Heres my story.
ReplyDeleteI sent my 20" flat screen in for repair 7 weeks ago. I called them 2 times per week for updates as apple were waiting on a new backlight to arrive. On the 4th week they said it was fixed and was being shipped. A week goes by and no Flat screen. I log onto my account which indicated my 'dispatch sent'. When I call apple they cant tell me where my goods are and that someone will call me with details. Another 2 weeks have passes and I call Apple everyday. I'm told customer relations are dealing with the matter but I still have to go through technical support and they will not give me a direct number or email of the person dealing with the problem who is always away from there desk or at lunch. I'm promised someone will call me back the same day but they never have thats 5 times now.
I'm at a lost who to turn to now although I have been in contact with Consumer Advice who say Apple are obligated to make the repairs in a reasonable amount of time but I cant find any documentation anywhere to say what 'a reasonable amount of time' is?
As I'm a freelancer I need to think about purchacing another monitor this week or I loose more income. As I'm a freelancer I need to think about purchacing another monitor this week or I loose more income. I've spent £200 on apple care already and for a new monitor £699 so in total £899. Any Suggestions on how I should get something done would be greatly appreciated.
Wow, thanks for sharing your story, Shane. I'm sorry you're having to deal with this. Like I said in the email I sent you, when Apple gets it wrong, they're like every other damn company out there. One of the things that always bugs me about a lot of Mac-users is their blind, deaf and dumb loyalty to the Apple company--as if they never make any mistakes--well, this is not the reality. Apple is a big fat corporation like any other. They don't have to care about every little person because they've got scores of happy customers--why should they care about the minority? The solution I mentioned in my email, Shane, is your best bet--email Steve Jobs directly and he should get the ball rolling.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely email me back or comment again to this post to let us know how it goes. Good luck!
I prefer the mac to pcs too, but my dual usb ibook has been a total lemon. Apple care is a must buy if you buy a notebook as far as im concerned, not that im likely an apple notebook again. Luckily I got the extended three year service with mine in feb 2002.
ReplyDeleteA brief history:
ordered end of jan 2002
ibook never arrives. lost by fedex. bad omen.
replacement arrives end of feb.
a few days later dies. sent to apple care, which fixes it within a week. logic board replaced
2003 logic board replaced again.
2004 hard drive fails and is replaced. power adaptor fails and is replaced.
2005 combo drive fails. bring it in a day before applecare expires. have been waiting for 3 weeks for an answer.
The other day my brother in law says, yeah macs are ok, but if they break your screwed. a pc you can take to fix anywhere. an apple your stuck with apple. I couldnt disagree.
In the past 3 years ive been without the ibook for about 3 months due to repairs. Gee, too bad I wanted to use it every day.
That sucks, man, sorry you had to deal with that. It sounds like you bought your iBook from the same problem year as I did. I got mine in September of 2003 which was about a month before they intro'ed the iBook G4s which have apparently had much less trouble. Regardless, when my saga ended (I was without my iBook for 3 months out of the 1 year I owned it) I bought a PowerBook which has treated me just fine. So, I still think a Mac is the better choice. I didn't go with AppleCare this time, either. From what I've heard AppleCare just means you don't pay for repairs--you're still without the laptop. I've had gadgets for all of my adult life and have never gotten the extended waranty or anything like that and haven't needed them. I put my electronics through the wringer and they've always been fine. If things break, it's a design flaw (my iBook) or a defective part (the monitor on my Toshiba). At least, that's in my experience. Just in case, in any major city there will be plenty of Mac repair places. I know of 2 or 3 in my area of Los Angeles, alone. Going back to a PC full-time? The thought makes me shudder. No thanks! I don't need those constant updates, random freezes and crashes, and clunky OS. I will probably buy another PC, but it will NEVER be my primary machine again.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, I still think Apple sucks as a company, but then again, I think most companies suck because they all have the same motive--make money for their shareholders. Translate that to mean: screw the customers as long as we get their money.
That's the heart of all companies. Too bad they make such cool shit.
Thanks for posting, Adam! I wish you luck and hope you stick with Mac for your sake.