Comments on: Another Rotten Apple

By: Terence

Terence — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 12:50:01 +0000

Another Apple repair hell story:

UNRESOLVED—iMac G5 is still not repaired after languishing for 5 weeks

By: John

John — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 02:46:51 +0000

Maria Consunji, comment from Oct 19 2006: Would your positive praise of Allmac.com, i.e. “they’ve saved my bacon,” etc., be because you -are- Allmac.com? Just wondering. Information courtesy Better Business Bureau, Silicon Valley company lookup. Hope you improve holding to your stated warranty a bit before you further illustrate how wonderful your company is. (BBBSilicon.org)

By: Van

Van — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 17:21:40 +0000

…and I thought my HP service was terible. Place a call to service for a crashed hard drive; spend 5 minutes with a service technician. After the diagnostic he forward it to a local service tech who contacted me about 2-hr later for location to have the drive replace. DAMM them!

By: Jeffrey

Jeffrey — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 16:39:53 +0000

Your trouble is so remarkably like mine. I was a truly Machead from my school day but was force to buy PC due to job market. When my new job provides me with a laptop (Pc of course); I immediately sold my own desktop PC and bought myself to a brand new dual-core Mac Pro nice Big 23” LCD display. The whole setup was nearly $6,400 but I was able to afford it with sizable increased in salary and sign up bonus from the new job. Everything was groovy in the first three months of usage; however, when problem of frequent lock ups due to excessive heat build-up (fan failure) I had to bring in for service. To my surprise, these tech service people actually accuse me on tinkering with the system after I had told them repeatedly that I never ever crack the case open; they told me to fill out some form describe in detail exactly what the trouble is and leave the system there until contact by them. This was just truly discussing but I had to suck it up and play the waiting game… After nearly three weeks passed without any call; I decided to make the call and find out what’s the trouble is. The reception was very nice and helpful but it’s another story when she passes me to service department. After telling me what he thinks how the connector wire was loose with a strong emphasize that it is being physically disconnected by the user (ME) he reluctantly sign it over to me. This is one of the most outrageous near accusation I have ever experiences and it got me thinking that if this is how Apple support are going to be from now on with their increasing popularity; I might as well save my hard earned money and sanity switch back to PC. So SAD! P.S. Anyone knows where to find a compatible AutoCAD software for Mac that can open native AutoCAD drawing files (DWG)?

By: tech support rep

tech support rep — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 12:12:21 +0000

“Your compensation is your warranty”; Brilliant! I am saving that one for the next clueless customer that asks for compensation when their HD crashes.

By: DW

DW — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 23:15:16 +0000

Here you go — Hope this helps.

MacBook SMC Firmware Update 1.1

The SMC Update improves the MacBook’s internal monitoring system and addresses issues with unexpected shutdowns

http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macbooksmcfirmwareupdate11.html

By: Don

Don — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 04:11:53 +0000

Liz,

Taking a car in for service can elicit similar feelings/attitudes. One must 'bite the bullet' and get over it.

Near the end of the first year of owning a PowerBook (15" Al, c.2004), starting up the PB was a hit-or-miss affair. Sometimes it would not start for several minutes of holding down the power button. Apple said to reset PRAM. This resulted in the PB starting fine for another month or so, until it would not start… period! At that point, it was beyond the 12-month warranty. The Apple authorized repair center said all the cards and ports on the left side were dead and for no apparent reason. Repair costs were estimated at $1700. They advised that I should invest in the AppleCare warranty with the next PB (which I did).

The replacement PB (15" Al Hi-res) was bought December 22, 2005, and its battery would not charge when it was opened on December 25. Apple was called about this defective battery on Monday, December 26. The replacement was delivered to me on December 27. Simply amazing!

My complaint was that Apple knew there was a problem (I read MANY similar reports on the Discussions at Apple) and could have provided a remedy instead of postponing it (with the advice to reset the PRAM) till it was beyond the warranty coverage.

Since I bought my first Apple in 1984, I have been able to help other users with their problems, most of which were software-related. This was the first bad experience. Certainly, to suggest that someone trip on over to one of the 'other' computer companies is not a valid response. And Apple's pricing is NOT that much different considering the freedom from viruses and the software that comes with the new Macs.

Keep the faith,

Don

By: Ed Evans

Ed Evans — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 18:17:13 +0000

Liz,

I am truly sorry to read of your recent experience with service. I have been an Apple customer for about two years and have bought both a Mac Mini and more recently a MacBook. I have had some problems with both, fortunately relatively minor, and have either visited the local Apple store or have spoken to someone over the phone. The problems have always been resolved quickly and to my total satisfaction in the most helpful and professional manner. I cannot fault the service I personally have received and, when compared to any other retail establishement I have dealt with, these people are saints. Nothing is perfect in life, I am just very glad indeed that the folks at Apple have bent over backwards for me: Just another customer.

These comments were not paid for, either in full or in part, by Apple Computers: Neither am I an employee nor shareholder. I am just a product owner, and a happy one.

By: Andy Abramson

Andy Abramson — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 16:58:52 +0000

Liz,

As Om will tell you, I had this happen twice to me with the MacBook. I actually told him about this and said it was a huge issue that would one day be a story. Glad to see you brought it to light. This story is about Apple being in denial and their cone of silence approach to anything that they don't issue in a release or that Steve Jobs can't announce in a black turtlneck and jeans. The first time what happened to you occured to my MacBook right after a software and firmware update six weeks or so after the MacBook, a black CTO edition 2.0 gig processor, the 2 gigs of RAM and the faster hard disk had been put into ue. It started to show the signs called Sudden Shutdown Syndrome.

The Genius Bar guys did a core reinstall and the next day the problem reappeared. At each turn there was constant denial that this was a problem, even in the face of mounting online reports.

After the MacBook was returned with basically all new motherboard and more, then following the next firmware update the problem returned. My machine went in and it took 3 weeks while Apple sourced new parts. In the end I was given a new MacBook.

FYI-Despite my call to Apple PR even as a reporter (KenRadio.com) I never even received the courtesy of a reply.

This is as you point out a problem Apple has known about. Why they haven't done a recall is anyone's guess.

If you want more chapter and verse, Om knows how to find me.

Andy

By: The Masked Blogger

The Masked Blogger — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 16:02:37 +0000

Losing Confidence…

…

By: CC

CC — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 12:35:03 +0000

Only an Apple user would apologize for expecting good service…sad, very sad!

"Update: Now that my anger has cooled, I realize it’s not my god-given right to good service…but I expected better."

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 07:52:27 +0000

I was a victim of the Powerbook 5300 fiasco and have not bought another mac since. I did break down and buy an iPod shuffle and then a nano and iPod video, and I was thinking of perhaps getting a mac for my next laptop… until I read this story.

Thank you for shining some light on the fact that Apple doesn't appear to have improved its customer service policies in the past 11 years!

BTW, the 5300 fiasco went like this. 1) Computer crashed randomly. 2) I sat on the phone with tech support swapping floppies reloading the OS five times in two months while techs claim it is impossible that there is a hardware problem. 3) Recall announced. 4) Another recall announced, 5) machine still crashes now and then, 6) I vow never to get another Mac.

By: MovieWalah

MovieWalah — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 23:49:40 +0000

if there was a better iPodesque product out there, I would buy it…not that I hate apple products, I just hate their holier than thou attitude…which is evident from their commercials too…

By: Keith

Keith — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 21:14:36 +0000

Genuis Bar - hardly. While I have met some genuis bar members who do belong there, most do not. Our local Apple store actually has a few that are quite good, and I usually refer friends and family members to them directly, the rest are pretty much a waste of time. I have had several give me suggestions/instructions that made no sense at all, I am sure it was something they heard someone else say, so they thought it sounded good and could get rid of me.

Overall, I have had great experience with my apple products, and the service at my local apple store and apple resellers has been fantastic. Do the heatsink repair, it will fix your problem. My guess is they get the macbook back to you sooner than you think.

By: Manager of We-Fix-Macs

Manager of We-Fix-Macs — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 18:39:39 +0000

What we have found is when buying any Apple intel laptop you must install the full 2GB of Ram in exact matching pairs. This will reduce some the heat and save component wear and make the system run better. Only install Samsung factory original ram modules to reduce freezing.

By: Curtis

Curtis — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 18:31:13 +0000

Personally, I've not had a problem with the service from Apple. However, it's been my experience that poor service is not confined to any particular company. Nor is it confined to this industry. When I encounter poor service, then I complain to someone who is in a position to change things. Did you seek out and complain to a manager?

I also agree with Kevin Murphy - there is always a choice. If you are truly unhappy then try your luck with another company.

DW, if everyone had that attitude there wouldn't be a second generation…