I was just curious, has anyone ever gotten anything free from Apple support, beyond replacing a faulty product? I mean, I've read a few stories of free Superdrives and the like being handed out to dissatisfied customers, but I was just wondering how common this practice was. The closest I've come is getting free overnight shipping, personally.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Free stuff from Apple support?
- Thread starter Silvereel
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
What's your goal? Looking for free stuff? Curious.
I've known them to give things out to folks who make big stinks over things. I've gotten free overnight shipping when they were correcting a problem but I've never asked for anything free. I also tend to be very nice to folks working retail.
I've known them to give things out to folks who make big stinks over things. I've gotten free overnight shipping when they were correcting a problem but I've never asked for anything free. I also tend to be very nice to folks working retail.
I'm just curious, mostly. I'll admit that I did talk to someone over the weekend regarding getting a Mini DisplayPort VGA adaptor for my grandmother's Mac Mini - I talked her into getting a Mac because I've had such great experiences, but it's been awful for her, since all of her peripherals were from an outdated eMachine. She already spent more than she wanted to on a computer (had to go get new mouse and keyboard), and since I've heard of Apple giving out freebies to make a customer happy, I figured it'd be worth a shot.
I understand they're running a business and need to make money (I'm actually a shareholder), but I think that it's better to make a little less money and have a happy customer than to have an angry customer. Anyways, all I got was a rude representative, who could have at least apologized, even if it's not really Apple's fault, and maybe been a bit more understanding. I was really respectful the whole time, and wasn't really expecting much.
Anyways, I figured it was worth a shot from what I've read on here and heard from friends, and after my experience with support, I was just curious how common it is. Certainly not trying to pull a fast one on Apple, I like those fat margins, but throwing in a complimentary adaptor for something that most PCs include doesn't seem so bad when the item itself cost over $600.
I understand they're running a business and need to make money (I'm actually a shareholder), but I think that it's better to make a little less money and have a happy customer than to have an angry customer. Anyways, all I got was a rude representative, who could have at least apologized, even if it's not really Apple's fault, and maybe been a bit more understanding. I was really respectful the whole time, and wasn't really expecting much.
Anyways, I figured it was worth a shot from what I've read on here and heard from friends, and after my experience with support, I was just curious how common it is. Certainly not trying to pull a fast one on Apple, I like those fat margins, but throwing in a complimentary adaptor for something that most PCs include doesn't seem so bad when the item itself cost over $600.
I got a free laptop messenger case since Apple screwed up my transaction and it was delayed a few days.
I think that's about it. I've had my MacBook (Late 2006 - white plastic) palm rest repaired out of warranty, but that's Apple's fault due to crummy construction. They also replaced the magnetic chord on my MagSafe adapter out of warranty due to the class action suit.
I think the one battery replacement I had (swollen) was still under Apple Care. My current battery is swollen now, sadly.
I think that's about it. I've had my MacBook (Late 2006 - white plastic) palm rest repaired out of warranty, but that's Apple's fault due to crummy construction. They also replaced the magnetic chord on my MagSafe adapter out of warranty due to the class action suit.
I think the one battery replacement I had (swollen) was still under Apple Care. My current battery is swollen now, sadly.
So you convinced your grandma to buy a Mac, blindly. Instead of making sure your grandma had everything she needed to run said Mac Mini, you assumed it is not Apple's fault but they should pony up free **** and apologize just to make her happy?
When I encouraged my parents to buy a Mac I went with them. Even if I was unable to, I would have made certain they knew what it would cost them, roughly. I made sure if they wanted a Mac Mini then they knew they needed a new keyboard and mouse unless theirs had a USB adapter. While shopping, I informed my mom, who would use it most, that she would need a word processing app like Word or Pages. Again, I didn't let her walk into this purchase blindly.
I have to wonder why you think Apple should have done anything. If you were met with a rude rep then it is either because you were likely rude and took an overwhelming sense of entitlement on the phone or they saw you coming from a mile away. Regardless of what others have received for Apple's screw up, the scenarios do not apply to a buyer who knew what he was getting into and failed to plan accordingly. Apple makes it very clear what comes with the Mac Mini and what ports are available. Perhaps you should pony up the adapter and other accessories instead; since you did convince your grandma to buy a Mac Mini after all.
When I encouraged my parents to buy a Mac I went with them. Even if I was unable to, I would have made certain they knew what it would cost them, roughly. I made sure if they wanted a Mac Mini then they knew they needed a new keyboard and mouse unless theirs had a USB adapter. While shopping, I informed my mom, who would use it most, that she would need a word processing app like Word or Pages. Again, I didn't let her walk into this purchase blindly.
I have to wonder why you think Apple should have done anything. If you were met with a rude rep then it is either because you were likely rude and took an overwhelming sense of entitlement on the phone or they saw you coming from a mile away. Regardless of what others have received for Apple's screw up, the scenarios do not apply to a buyer who knew what he was getting into and failed to plan accordingly. Apple makes it very clear what comes with the Mac Mini and what ports are available. Perhaps you should pony up the adapter and other accessories instead; since you did convince your grandma to buy a Mac Mini after all.
Trust me, I was quite respectful. I just figured it would be worth a shot, I wasn't expecting much. With this thread, I was just curious to hear about other experiences, not get yelled, sheesh.
No one yelled, trust me.
Free stuff comes when a company generally feels as though the customer was wronged. You, nor the grams, was wronged.
I got two free Magic Mice when my MacBook Pros were delayed by a week.
Didn't ask for it, but it was in the same order and they offered to take the cost off. Pretty good if you ask me.
Didn't ask for it, but it was in the same order and they offered to take the cost off. Pretty good if you ask me.
Please do not call them expecting to get something, maybe you should just buy the accessories for your grandmother as you were the one who convinced her to buy the Mini.
This, and when people try to get their iPhones replaced due to a hairline scratch, ties Apple up when they genuinely want to give something to someone due to a negative experience. In your case, nothing happened to the point where there was a need to give anything out.
This, and when people try to get their iPhones replaced due to a hairline scratch, ties Apple up when they genuinely want to give something to someone due to a negative experience. In your case, nothing happened to the point where there was a need to give anything out.
Free things
I called in on a Saturday to check if a MacBook Pro I was going to buy was stolen, they said no, so I bought it and it ended up being stolen. I called the owner and we arranged when to meet. So then I called apple and told then why they said it wasn't stolen, when the owner had reported it stolen on Wednesday. So I told then I was mad and so they sent me a $100 case for the MacBook Pro I already owned. I was glad they tried to make the customer happy!
I called in on a Saturday to check if a MacBook Pro I was going to buy was stolen, they said no, so I bought it and it ended up being stolen. I called the owner and we arranged when to meet. So then I called apple and told then why they said it wasn't stolen, when the owner had reported it stolen on Wednesday. So I told then I was mad and so they sent me a $100 case for the MacBook Pro I already owned. I was glad they tried to make the customer happy!
If you specifically ask for something for free, they most likely won’t accept your wish. However, if you ask in an indirect manner, such as compensation for your time and/or money, they will be more likely to accept your wish. I have had AirPods since September of 2018, and I’ve had to replace them 4 times because they would stop connecting to my phone. Every time one breaks, I have to have a $70-$75 hold on my bank account. I mentioned to the guy at Apple support that sometimes both break, and that is a $150 hold on my account for 1-2 weeks. Especially when you are only 16, that’s a lot of money to be gone that long. I asked for compensation for my time and money, and he let me pick anything on their website, except flagship products (AirPods, Apple TV, etc) I’ve always wanted the space grey magic keyboard to match the vibe with my space grey HomePod, so I picked that ($149). It will be shipped out Thursday.
Apple Support isn't a charity, dude/ma'am. They will only give away something for free under certain circumstances. Ex. I got my iPhone 4 completely replaced with a new model due to the sleep/wake button getting stuck.