Apple genius bar caught ripping off a customer on camera

[AppleHaterLover]

Yeah, unfortunately Geniuses have a protocol. If there’s something broken, replace the entire logic board. They’re not repair people, they’re replacement people.

I SERIOUSLY recommend using these third-party specialist shops for out of warranty Mac repairs (not iPhone), since Apple will want to replace the logic board for anything.

One time my Macbook air stopped charging and Apple wanted one of my kidneys for an entire new logic board. No ****, Apple, replacing 90% of the computer surely will fix the problem?

A specialist just like the one in the video identified the issue, re-did some micro-soldering, the repair cost 70% less and this MB Air is still going strong with my mother.

**** Apple Geniuses.

 

[Ma2k5]

Yeah, unfortunately Geniuses have a protocol. If there’s something broken, replace the entire logic board. They’re not repair people, they’re replacement people.

I SERIOUSLY recommend using these third-party specialist shops for out of warranty Mac repairs (not iPhone), since Apple will want to replace the logic board for anything.

One time my Macbook air stopped charging and Apple wanted one of my kidneys for an entire new logic board. No ****, Apple, replacing 90% of the computer surely will fix the problem?

A specialist just like the one in the video identified the issue, re-did some micro-soldering, the repair cost 70% less and this MB Air is still going strong with my mother.

**** Apple Geniuses.

Don’t blame the Apple geniuses, blame Apple. They would rather sell you half the machine to fix any problem you may have instead of fixing a component.

I am happy that when my dads iPhone had a faulty camera, they replaced the camera module for like £30-£40. I wouldn’t have been pleased to fork over half the devices cost to replace half the phone to have that fixed!

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Shocking video but to be honest I’m not at all surprised. My kids have broken iPads screens and there’s no way I’d take them to Apple as I know they’d try and write the devices off. It’s best to get a £30 third party repair.

Apple do need to wise up though as news like this spreads very quickly and can be damaging. It puts their employees on the firing line too and lets face it a company that size is wealthy enough not to have policies to rip off its customers.

 

[bladerunner2000]

Don’t blame the Apple geniuses, blame Apple. They would rather sell you half the machine to fix any problem you may have instead of fixing a component.

Are the Apple 'geniuses' working there against their will?

 

[Ma2k5]

Are the Apple 'geniuses' working there against their will?

Good luck finding any company with 100% ethical business practices.

 

[bladerunner2000]

Good luck finding any company with 100% ethical business practices.

So we should just ignore everything Apple does that's shady?

 

[Ma2k5]

So we should just ignore everything Apple does that's shady?

Apple and pretty much 95%+ of companies (and that's being optimistic)? Let me guess, you only work in ethical companies?

 

[OllyW]

Yeah, unfortunately Geniuses have a protocol. If there’s something broken, replace the entire logic board. They’re not repair people, they’re replacement people.

Sadly, that's just indicative of the age we are living in and is common practise throughout the retail business. We have become a wasteful, throwaway society where replacement is encouraged ahead of repairs and upgrades.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Apple and pretty much 95%+ of companies (and that's being optimistic)? Let me guess, you only work in ethical companies?

Every company has a mark up but when it comes to repairs I don’t agree with taking advantage on an enormous scale. It’s one thing charging perhaps a bit more than is worthy, but suggesting a product is scrap and advising a customer to buy a brand new model when there is an easy repair is quite simply, fraud. I wouldn’t expect a company with Apples power and integrity to be using the same tactics as a dodgy back street plumber!

I’ve always had a great sense of customer service with Apple and enjoy their products, but that video shocked me. It’s either a tactic which staff are trained to employ or the store is rogue and is doing this to up its sales figures on new devices. Either way its unsavoury.

 

[macjunk(ie)]

Apple and pretty much 95%+ of companies (and that's being optimistic)? Let me guess, you only work in ethical companies?

large companies usually have a strong code of ethics. Many times, this code is shaped by lawsuits, sometimes by the will of people. At this moment, Apple has money to burn on lawsuits and possibly amoral decision takers

 

[Ma2k5]

large companies usually have a strong code of ethics. Many times, this code is shaped by lawsuits, sometimes by the will of people. At this moment, Apple has money to burn on lawsuits and possibly amoral decision takers

I've worked with over 10 really big name companies in my life and I can't name one which doesn't have some shady practice or business process, not one.

 

[briloronmacrumo]

Oh the best lie? It’s for security reasons!

Nothing wrong with making money but duplicitous statements about security without disclosing how they benefit is not the "transparent" company they like to portray. Clearly, many so-called security efforts are merely roadblocks erected to prevent device repair and encourage new device purchase.

 

[nofunsir]

Excited for my new fully loaded ThinkPad to arrive this week! First non-mac I or my family has owned in 30 years, and this is why.

I got off the phone with a support tech at apple, frustrated, and promptly ordered it.

 

[V.K.]

I had almost exactly the same experience at the Eaton Centre Apple store in August. I posted about it then.
My 6s would not turn on. Apple genius told me it's likely something wrong with the motherboard and it would be too expensive to fix and the phone is a total loss. I went to a 3rd party repair shop near my house, they reconnected the battery and that was it. They didn't even charge me for anything.

 

[Tech198]

3rd party repairers would actually make allot of money from customers if they returned their devices faulty.. Just saying

I believe some would get it fixed than genuine Apple Store, even if one was close by, they probably would still choose the cheaper option, based on distance.

Haha

Oh this popped up on Reddit:

CPU exploded, customer told its water damage.

Well, if been in the bathtub obviously that's gonna be first thought... Because electronics tend to be when in contact with water.

 

[Ma2k5]

3rd party repairers would actually make allot of money from customers if they returned their devices faulty.. Just saying

I believe some would get it fixed than genuine Apple Store, even if one was close by, they probably would still choose the cheaper option, based on distance.




Well, if been in the bathtub obviously that's gonna be first thought... Because electronics tend to be when in contact with water.

Customer never mentioned being in bath tub...

 

[macjunk(ie)]

I've worked with over 10 really big name companies in my life and I can't name one which doesn't have some shady practice or business process, not one.

About the same and most of them have been banks

Like I said, these companies' code of conduct is beaten into shape by lawsuits, regulation etc. While at banks, I was appalled many times when I was asked to program a trade, wondering how this could ever be legal. Then regulations came and banks can no longer execute such trades. They would if they could.

With Apple and its current practices, no such thing in sight. They can quote whatever they want to for repair (a case of no regulation), design glued systems and yet call themselves an environmentally friendly company (a case of regulation failure/corruption)

 

[charlituna]

A lot of people defend battery gate but they don’t understand why it was so wrong. If you slow down a phone due to battery without informing the customer by a software update, you are tricking them into buying a new phone instead of replacing the battery. It’s very shady and deliberate, particularly when it comes to timing of said update.

but they did inform the customers. it was all right there in the release notes. it's not Apple's fault that most folks don't read them.
[doublepost=1539666356][/doublepost]

There are bad shops - but as you saw, this Apple store was also taking a customer for a ride. At the very least, people should have the choice who to risk their repair with, and at a cost that they can afford.

customer do have a choice. you can always decline a repair at apple and go wherever you want, at the risk of shoddy parts and labor. but don't expect Apple to rescue you after someone else turns your device to ****. after all they legally only have to warranty their product and their parts. the **** shop has to warranty what they did
[doublepost=1539666499][/doublepost]

Yeah, unfortunately Geniuses have a protocol. If there’s something broken, replace the entire logic board. They’re not repair people, they’re replacement people.

exactly. apple doesn't want their in store folks doing the level of work cause then they'd have to pay them more

 

[Ma2k5]

but they did inform the customers. it was all right there in the release notes. it's not Apple's fault that most folks don't read them.
[doublepost=1539666356][/doublepost]

customer do have a choice. you can always decline a repair at apple and go wherever you want, at the risk of shoddy parts and labor. but don't expect Apple to rescue you after someone else turns your device to ****. after all they legally only have to warranty their product and their parts. the **** shop has to warranty what they did
[doublepost=1539666499][/doublepost]

exactly. apple doesn't want their in store folks doing the level of work cause then they'd have to pay them more

Please show me the original 10.2.1 patch notes from which this was derived from? You think it’s a coincidence this was only identified when someone noticed weird Geekbench scores and the whole world didn’t read the patch notes? I can’t beleive you defended Apple on this matter with falsehood - Apple never informed the customers, some guy did by analysing benchmarks.

Edit: https://bgr.com/2018/02/07/iphone-slowdown-apple-explanation-congress/ changing the change log one month after patch, and if that wasn't dodgy enough, it didn’t even tell you that replacing battery will fix slowdown or that any slowdown would occur. Corporate spin indeed. Tim Cook should be ashamed of how he tried spin this one.

 

[AmazingRobie]

I'll just leave this here

More of this, people!!! The iFixit guy and Rossman are both HUGE heroes in my eyes.

 

[Tsuchiya]

The funny thing is the the Apple technician in the video probably wasn't trying to be underhanded. Apple gives them guidelines and repair processes to follow, as ****** as they are.

 

[I7guy]

A lot of people defend battery gate but they don’t understand why it was so wrong. If you slow down a phone due to battery without informing the customer by a software update, you are tricking them into buying a new phone instead of replacing the battery. It’s very shady and deliberate, particularly when it comes to timing of said update.

I didn’t buy a new phone, Apple replaced the battery. Yes that could have been handled better.

 

[willentrekin]

I'm confused. The video noted that both the Apple store and the third party repair vendor detected moisture exposure. The third party vendor pointed out at least two sensors that indicated moisture exposure.

And then jiggled a pin to make the screen work again.

I mean, yeah, it looks like the screen works fine and the third party vendor claims that jiggling it will likely last the life of the machine, but is the machine's life shortened by corrosion caused by the moisture exposure?

I'd be curious to know if the journalist who set this up can explain the moisture exposure.

 

[SDColorado]

I'd be curious to know if the journalist who set this up can explain the moisture exposure.

As Rossman explains in the video, those indicators not only turn red when they see water, they also turn red when they are exposed to humidity. For anyone who lives in a humid area, there is a good chance those indicators will turn red even without a significant amount of moisture. So likely the laptop has not been significantly impacted by moisture, despite the appearance of red indicators.

Apple has already been sued a couple of times as a result of false positives from moisture sensors...

https://www.macstories.net/iphone/apple-facing-problems-with-iphones-moisture-sensors-again/

https://appleinsider.com/articles/1...e_of_moisture_indicators_to_deny_free_repairs

Some MacBook Pro's were also perhaps prone to condensation?

https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/314047/MacBook+Pro+Is+Prone+to+Condensation!

 

[willentrekin]

As Rossman explains in the video, those indicators not only turn red when they see water, they also turn red when they are exposed to humidity. For anyone who lives in a humid area, there is a good chance those indicators will turn red even without a significant amount of moisture. So likely the laptop has not been significantly impacted by moisture, despite the appearance of red indicators.

Yes, I saw the vendor say that, but the journalist didn't corroborate or comment on it. Seemed like it was set in and around Manhattan, which is on occasion a humid area but not exactly a tropical climate.