Apple Customer Care - AKA Applecare

[TIN CAN]

Just thought i would share my experience with you all (even the Apple haters have got to be impressed with this!!) Damn i love Apple lol.

I own a 2007 Apple Macbook - as per sig. Last year it had a huge amount of repairs (it was the second year of Applecare warranty). Anyway over £700 spent last year everything was good - back to norm until last week when it overheated and then would not load up with one of my ram sticks in. I checked the ram and all was good so conclusion being it was the socket. It also had some palm rest cracks, case cracks that Apple recognise as an issue so thought i would book it in for repair.

I contacted Applecare and advised them of the faults. He asked if i could hold and 2 minutes later he came back on the phone and said 'we spent a lot of money on this one already, how about we replace it with the newer model, higher spec?' After agreeing and ending the call chuffed he emailed me the spec. Unfortunately unknown to me the new 'macbook' hasn't got firewire which i use camcorder, storage etc so i emailed him back saying that i did use the firewire socket however worse case scenario i would find another way of connecting......

After the above today i receive a new macbook PRO with top specs. I have also received a letter advising they are refunding me my remaining applecare warranty (pro rata cost) in the next few days..

HOW GOOD IS THAT? Well chuffed!!!

[FourRings]

You really can't complain with service like that! It's good to know should my MacBook Pro ever pack in!

[Brydo666]

I've always heard good feedback about Applecare and was glad I had it with my MacBook Pro.

I think after two service calls on the item though it's their normal practice to replace it with a brand new model.

[evilsatan]

I think after two service calls on the item though it's their normal practice to replace it with a brand new model.

Same with Sony Vaio and proper Toshiba laptops (not the ones that you find in PC World which are manufactured by a third party with Tosh branding).

I have had one contact with Applecare, although I was passed from call operator to call operator I eventually spoke to an American call centre and they sent me out my replacement iPhone 4 before those who hadn't received their pre-orders got theirs. I was also allowed to keep my original one for weeks after I received the new one. I was happy with their service.

I have only heard good things about Applecare though.

[Kushty]

What would have happened if you kept the original? Did they have your card details to charge you or were they just trusting you to send it back?

[Ganty]

Sounds like a deal after your 700 quid repair bill...

[evilsatan]

What would have happened if you kept the original? Did they have your card details to charge you or were they just trusting you to send it back?

They had my credit card on file but they would have probably blocked it too.

[ZX7R]

That is good customer care.

Now I have a 2008 MacBook with an extended warranty. It has a cracked case at the front so will go for repair. Now what else do I need to do to get it replaced?! Lol

[Kushty]

Sounds like a deal after your 700 quid repair bill...

I think Apple footed the bill for that £700 though.

[Ganty]

I think Apple footed the bill for that £700 though.

If that's the case i'll not only remove my sarcasm, but I'll take my hat off to them too

Although, it does beg the question; what could go so horrendously wrong it needs 700 notes to fix?!

[evilsatan]

Although, it does beg the question; what could go so horrendously wrong it needs 700 notes to fix?!

Probably not a horrendous failure, just apples horrendous pricing.

[Kushty]

Probably not a horrendous failure, just apples horrendous pricing.

Yea, it won't have cost Apple £700 but it would cost a customer that, so that's probably what they quoted.

[TIN CAN]

Yep it was paid by them but of course thats the 'rates' they no doubt would charge. It of course wouldn't cost them that but my points stands many manafacturers would not go as far as Apple i.e. replacement is one thing thats great but then upgrade it to higher spec and also then refund outstanding warranty too....

For info the £700 Apple repair (no charge to me) was for i remember right:

new logic board, ram, airport card, super drive, keyboard/palm rest, LCD....

So hell of lot of repair

[stu99]

Awesome mate, thanks for sharing.

I have Apple Care on my MBP and Mini and I'll be buying it for my iPhone 4 too. I bought my last one on the bay from a guy in the US, much cheaper.

[MsDG]

Yep it was paid by them but of course thats the 'rates' they no doubt would charge. It of course wouldn't cost them that but my points stands many manafacturers would not go as far as Apple i.e. replacement is one thing thats great but then upgrade it to higher spec and also then refund outstanding warranty too....

For info the £700 Apple repair (no charge to me) was for i remember right:

new logic board, ram, airport card, super drive, keyboard/palm rest, LCD....

So hell of lot of repair

I'm not being funny but for the logic board, ram, airport card, super drive, keyboard/palm rest, LCD to fail, either the Laptop is complete bag of shit or Applecare are lying cunts or someone unloaded an entire clip from a AK47 into it!

Seriously... 6 major components failed on a laptop? Not only is that virtually impossible but there is no way any company would attempt to repair that... it would have been cheaper just to bin the thing in the 1st place than repair it.

[TIN CAN]

Lol clearly i made it all up continue on with your life don't worry!!!

To be honest its now irrelevant but yes thats what was repaired/replaced last year.....i never said each item FAILED - the computer failed but the LCD was replaced due to colour issues , the palm rest due to cracking so take them away it leaves the main component i.e. logic board that has the other items bolted to it.......

The main thing is the service was and is outstanding and fast forward to now I have a shiny new MBP with warranty refunded...

I'm happy even if your not lol

[MsDG]

But you never got the palm rest repaired? In your original post you said you were reporting the cracked palm rest (and overheating + ram issue) when they offered a replacement laptop???

An LCD cost approximately £150 (I do them all the time)

That leaves a failed mobo. I can tell you that it is very rare for any of the ancillaries to be bad when a mobo goes... Maybe one if you are unlucky. They would have never replaced the ancillaries, your old ones would have been transferred onto the new mobo.

So....

Your laptop had a mobo failure. It also had a poor LCD, to which Apple reckoned was a £700 fix?

Then after the repair the mobo overheated, the ram socket was fubar and the case was cracking?

I don't wish to rain on your Apple parade but even with no Applecare what so ever, there is enough there to get a new laptop purely on consumer rights alone!

However, what I don't understand is how Apple were able to turn a expensive laptop that was a complete bag of shit (even after a repair) into you thinking you were getting great customer service. They must be teaching Jedi mind tricks at Apple now!

[TIN CAN]

What a load of tosh lol...... but for clarification to people who see the negative side no matter what...... yes i agree my original macbook was clearly a lemon. It had the work i advised above.

To people who know about computer or macbook repairs palm rest cracking is a common fault...to give you an idea though.

The palm rest cracking is where the lid magnets eventually wear the edge of the palm rest out and crack eventually spreading further. This is the second time this has happened.

I'm sorry but no company i have ever shopped with would ever replace a laptop thats 2 1/2 years old with out trying to bullshit you into repairing over and over again. Apple tried the repair and this year it went tits up again so they have not only replaced the lemon but given me a model higher to mine i.e. the PRO. They have also then refunded me my outstanding warranty. Its not jedi tricks that your brain is getting confused with its simple good customer service and has worked by keeping me happy.

Whether Apple inflate their prices is irrelevant to my outcome, thats what they ADVISED the cost of repair was last year (Apple are known to charge top prices for repairs so that i agree on) i failed to see how anyone can moan and groan with an outcome that i have had....

In ending i'm going to close this post - its pointless arguing with someone who wants to try to argue the toss or make a good result for someone into trying to indicate i'm bullshitting an online community about my new macbook pro (WHAT THE FOOK IS THE POINT IN THAT)

I'm happy so i couldn't give two shits if your not..