Squatworthy: Applecare repairs
Posted March 13, 2006 at 7:04 pm by Spamalot
If you’ve bought electronics in the last few years, you know that the mob isn’t the only organization offering “protection services” these days.
Compusa, Circuit City, and the kid down the block that has a great deal on speakers are ALL pushing these extended warranties like nobody’s business. Apple computer’s brand of this legal larceny is Applecare.
Even though I complain about it, I don’t think that all extended warranties are evil . While it is very questionable for a company to sell you a warranty against their defective product, in some cases it can make for a sweat deal for the consumer.
A good example is applecare for laptops. The regular warranty is for a year. Applecare for laptops costs between 250-350 (Last I checked) and covers you for three years. While it doesn’t cover the biggie–accidental screen damage, It will cover you for hard drive failure for 3 years which, with a laptop, chances are you will need it.
My issue with applecare, however, is not their pricing or their terms. It is the quality of their repair service.
I bought my ibook a while back from compusa. A couple days in I noticed what appeared to be a tiny bump in the bezel, which within a week was a growing vertical crack, about 1.5 inches tall!
I was understandably furious, and I went to the Apple store with my $1500 headache in hand.
The “geniuses” at the Apple Store were helpful and offered to fix the laptop bezel as a “courtesy” (I was. however, miffed by this term as well, what COURTESY, I just paid 1500 dollars, FIX IT NOW!)
So this is all somewhat acceptable at this point, as acceptable as receiving a damaged piece of equipment can possibly be. The big problem occurred when I got my laptop back from the apple store.
After all that trouble, my brand new stylish laptop comes back covered in greasy scuffmarks. Two of the bottom feet were missing. The worst part of the whole thing was that the bezel was overtightened, squeezing and distorting the plastic frame, to the point where the case would pop loudly when i closed it. This would’ve caused another bezel crack, so I nervously loosened the screws myself.
I don’t know who apple has doing their applecare repairs, but they should be fired and/or sued immediately. I can’t believe that they have the nerve to charge for Crapplecare and then treat people’s expensive property in this way.
Also, shame on Apple for their pathetic quality control. Nothing that costs over a grand should ship with such an evident and obvious flaw…
- End Angry Spamalot Rant -
March 14th, 2006 at 8:44 am
You should totally put a Spamalot Rant category
That stinks dude. First of all, though, 250-350 for just hardware failure is a rip off. A new hard drive for a laptop is less than that, and you can get it and install it yourself, rather than wait for them.
So funny, the mob isn’t the only ones to offer protection lol. It’s getting to the point now where mainstream “protection” isn’t worth it.
The best support service I’ve seen so far is, by far, Gateway. We use them mostly at the job (though we are switching to Sony Vaio’s, which I am TOTALLY NOT a fan of for a plethora of reasons) but this is a typical conversation with Gateway support:
Tronsta: Help, we got a dead hard drive!
GW Support: Have you tried a hardware reset?
Tronsta: Yes!
GW Support: Have you tried re-seating the hard drive?
Tronsta: Yes!
GW Support: What error message do you get?
Tronsta: “Error 102* Bad Hard Drive.
GW Support: Ok sir, we are overnighting a new drive to you, you’ll have it by tomorrow. Just send the old one back.
Tronsta: Hooray!
No lie, it’s been that easy. On average, Gateway is more expensive than other brands, but the support is worth it.
March 14th, 2006 at 9:05 am
That’s what im talking about. Im glad I got a gateway laptop for my wife.
I love my ibook, but dealing with applecare is just dangerous.
Apples Laptops… geez, when they work, they’re great, but when they break, Apple is like “Just buy another, and make sure its an apple”
*Steve Jobs squats all the way to the bank*
March 14th, 2006 at 10:41 am
BTW, on that 250-300 being a ripoff to install a HD, i agree, but with apple laptops you pretty much cant self install the HD. Look up some tutorials, you’ll see it’s no less than 50 screws to get to the HD.
I just paid techrestore to do it. They’re awesome
March 14th, 2006 at 11:31 am
I have a four yo TiBook. I’ve had it in the shop three times. #1 FW port stopped working. #2 lost half my RAM (1 GB in, only 1/2 GB seen). #3 hard drive failed. In each case, AppleCare was polite and quick. I didn’t have to talk to a computer, I got through to a person immediately. They sent me a box, I put my laptop in the pre-paid shipping box and a week later, it was returned to me with my laptop working like new. I have nothing but good experience with AppleCare and they didn’t make me install my own hard drive ;). I never buy extended warranties but I just bought a MacBook Pro and got AppleCare. I guess people’s experiences vary.
March 14th, 2006 at 12:18 pm
Well Spammy isn’t very bright. Chances are he brought his laptop to a Dell center and the guys were just messing with him, hehehehe.
March 15th, 2006 at 2:08 am
I have had better luck than you guys. I recently bought a new Intel Imac. There was an issue with the keyboard and after raising it twice to Applecare, they rushed me down a new keyboard and mouse. Then they followed up to see how I was doing. It was impressive.
March 15th, 2006 at 10:29 am
I’ve been telling Spammy to stop swearing and using racial slurs when he calls Applecare. Methinks that’s his problem and why these two nice gentlemen have had pleasant experiences.