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Apple no longer providing hardware support in Europe!

W

witness

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 7, 2005
435
0
Austria
I've just been on the phone to apple care, and apparently they no longer provide a mail in service for hardware repairs. My MacBook has failed again and they won't fix it.

It is now your responsibility to take your faulty hardware to your nearest apple store or 3rd party service centre.

Apparently they stopped their mail in service last week. But I haven't seen any mention of it until I called them.

I live about 100 miles away from an apple store, and I just put in an order for a new MBP. Perhaps I'll have to cancel.

On average I've had every peice of Apple hardware repaired at least twice (about 14 hardware failure/quality issues over the last 2 years!). I like apple hardware, but the quality is not what it should be, but I've been telling myself "at least they have good support when things inevitably go wrong", but that's no longer the case.

I'm strongly considering cancelling my order for the new 17" MBP. And I told the guy on the phone just that. He responded by saying that they have already logged quite a few complaints.

I knew this would happen: Mac's get popular, and service/quality goes down :mad:
 
S

storage

macrumors 6502
Jun 4, 2005
275
0
If this is true, me buying a Mac is really unlikely, since my closest Apple Store is some countries away. :mad:
 
Osarkon

Osarkon

macrumors 68020
Aug 30, 2006
2,161
4
Wales
I also found this out the hard way today. Macbook has the random shutdown problem, live about the same distance, and am in uni studying computer science. I can't afford to get to the nearest shop, and to be honest i can't afford the 3 week wait for it to be fixed, but there's little i can do about that:( Totally disgusted with the service i received. they could at least try and be accomodating.
 
Cabbit

Cabbit

macrumors 68020
Jan 30, 2006
2,128
1
Scotland
This dosnt sound good i live in scotland and if i have to take my mac to england to get repaired i dont think i will bother buying a mac untill i get some training on repairing them and a good supply of spares.
 
skunk

skunk

macrumors G4
Jun 29, 2002
11,758
6,108
Republic of Ukistan
That's really bad. Not for me, as it happens, because they're just about to open an AppleStore in Kingston, just down the road. But that's not much use if you're in Wales or Scotland. Or Andorra.
 
bartelby

bartelby

macrumors Core
Jun 16, 2004
19,795
34
Osarkon said:
I also found this out the hard way today. Macbook has the random shutdown problem, live about the same distance, and am in uni studying computer science. I can't afford to get to the nearest shop, and to be honest i can't afford the 3 week wait for it to be fixed, but there's little i can do about that:( Totally disgusted with the service i received. they could at least try and be accomodating.
Click to expand...

Where in Wales do you live?
 
B

BoyBach

macrumors 68040
Feb 24, 2006
3,031
13
Complain to Watchdog on the BBC! A bit of bad press and a 'grilling' from Nicky Campbell might change Apples policy.
 
D

dalvin200

macrumors 68040
Mar 24, 2006
3,473
69
Nottingham, UK
are u sure it wasn't just a silly customer service operator?

maybe call back and see if you're put through to someone else who "knows"?

i would seriously be very surprised if they stopped supporting this as Apple stores aren't exactly on every high street town/city are they?
 
Osarkon

Osarkon

macrumors 68020
Aug 30, 2006
2,161
4
Wales
welshandrew said:
You're at university? With spelling like that? :p ;)
Click to expand...


Heh. Yeah. I've resorted to typing shorthand these days, especially due to the fact I never know when the laptop will turn itself off. And seeing as I rang 3 times, and asked to be put through to the supervisor, and got through, and he was just as much of an idiot so asked to speak to whoever was higher up and was told there wasn't any wasn't very reassuring. I've managed to work out a way to get the laptop to Cardiff (the nearest) but now that leaves me without a laptop for at least 3 weeks. and I'm doing a Computer Science course. go figure.:rolleyes: Going to have to try and rent one.
 
B

BoyBach

macrumors 68040
Feb 24, 2006
3,031
13
Osarkon said:
Heh. Yeah. I've resorted to typing shorthand these days, especially due to the fact I never know when the laptop will turn itself off. And seeing as I rang 3 times, and asked to be put through to the supervisor, and got through, and he was just as much of an idiot so asked to speak to whoever was higher up and was told there wasn't any wasn't very reassuring. I've managed to work out a way to get the laptop to Cardiff (the nearest) but now that leaves me without a laptop for at least 3 weeks. and I'm doing a Computer Science course. go figure.:rolleyes: Going to have to try and rent one.
Click to expand...


Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the technical term is: Bugger!
 
W

witness

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 7, 2005
435
0
Austria
dalvin200 said:
are u sure it wasn't just a silly customer service operator?

maybe call back and see if you're put through to someone else who "knows"?

i would seriously be very surprised if they stopped supporting this as Apple stores aren't exactly on every high street town/city are they?
Click to expand...
Positive, it is a new Europe wide company policy.

Of course you can take it to an authorised service centre if you have one closer than an Apple store. But it's just a question of whether you trust them with your valuable hardware. And there is still no guarantee that you will have one of those close either.

My opinion is that if you buy online and have product delivered then you should be able to have repairs done in the same way.

Up until last week Apple support has always been very good, but no longer.

I am a unix user and would be just as happy to buy PC hardware and run Linux or FreeBSD, and if Apple push me, that is exactly what I will do.
 
MRU

MRU

macrumors Penryn
Aug 23, 2005
25,370
8,952
a better place
Well they have had that policy in Ireland for ages, I'm as remote as you - but the benefit of Apple Care is that Apple at least pay for the machine to be picked up and taken to the repair center in Dublin.

Without the extra Apple care (even in your first 12 months) its your responsiblity to get it to the repair center - you have to pay for a courier basically.

Dell's service here is far better. Our neighbours bought a Dell desktop and the extra 3 years cover cost only €78 (a quarter of the price of Applecare) extra and they get next day on-service repairs/replacements and yet they are just as rural as me obviously.

Apple after service is far from great.
 
Shadow

Shadow

macrumors 68000
Feb 17, 2006
1,577
1
Ugh...please say this isnt the case. It wouldnt be so bad but theres only 6 Apple Stores in the UK. Not happy a bit. :mad: :mad: :mad:
 
Osarkon

Osarkon

macrumors 68020
Aug 30, 2006
2,161
4
Wales
witness said:
I am a unix user and would be just as happy to buy PC hardware and run Linux or FreeBSD, and if Apple push me, that is exactly what I will do.
Click to expand...


Likewise, only this is actually making me contemplate going back to Windows. :( Never had a problem like this with any Windows laptop. And as much as I don't want to go back, I can't afford to have an unreliable laptop for my course. I need something rock solid, and I hoped the mac would be that. Ah well. We'll see how the repairs go. And how I deal with having to rent a laptop out for 3 weeks, with everything backed up onto my ipod. :mad:
 
A

angeldust33

macrumors newbie
Sep 30, 2006
19
0
storage said:
If this is true, me buying a Mac is really unlikely, since my closest Apple Store is some countries away. :mad:
Click to expand...

wow this sux ... and its surprising !! where do you live ??
in most indian cities they have an apple store/official retailer/service center everywhere... heck there's one bang opposite my house :D

and they seem knowledgable !! apparently apple makes them go through some exams every year or so !!
 
S

storage

macrumors 6502
Jun 4, 2005
275
0
angeldust33 said:
wow this sux ... and its surprising !! where do you live ??
in most indian cities they have an apple store/official retailer/service center everywhere... heck there's one bang opposite my house :D

and they seem knowledgable !! apparently apple makes them go through some exams every year or so !!
Click to expand...
Maybe I misunderstood everything. What stores can you turn it in to? Does it have to be one of those flashy Apple Stores, or can it be an "Apple Center" or an "Authorized Service Provider"?

Otherwise, ThinkPad + BSD, here I come! :(
 
W

witness

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 7, 2005
435
0
Austria
bartelby said:
Remember there are other Apple dealers, not just actual Apple Stores!
Click to expand...
Yes, but you can't always take your apple to any dealer. For example: you can't take your MPB to PC World unless you bought it there.
 
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