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My new iMac really wasn't.. very disappointed

R

RickT67

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 26, 2007
79
0
Maine
:mad:
11/3/07 - I purchased a 24” iMac for $1799. - along with Applecare $169.

11/12/07 - I return my iMac to the Apple store and demonstrate the screen gradient issue. The give me a new iMac - I’m am happy.

Fast forward to 10/2008 - I get snail mail telling me that my warranty is running out. That’s when I figured out that my Applecare didn’t transfer from my old machine to my new one (not a big deal, I was told I could get a pro-rated refund).

11/11/2008 - I call Apple to purchase new Applecare it over the phone and get a refund for my “old” Applecare.
I give them my serial number and the guy tells me he has somebody else associated with my “supposedly” new iMac. This really pi$$es me off. Last year, when I bought my new machine and had it for 9 freakin’ days - only to return it and get a refurb! WTF Apple? I am so disappointed right now. That’s not a good business practice. I put my hard earned money up for a new machine - straight from the factory - NOT a machine that has been gently used and returned by somebody else! I could see if I had my machine past the 2 week return time, but 9 days...C’mon Apple, that’s not cool!
Am I wrong to be upset?
 
I don't think you're wrong to be upset, but it was probably your responsibility to ask about the AppleCare when you got the new machine. I know that Apple should have transferred it over, but they probably just overlooked it.
 
I'm not upset over the Applecare.

I'm upset because I bought a new machine, and had to return it 9 days later because it was defective - and they replaced it with a refurbished machine...
 
RickT67 said:
I'm not upset over the Applecare.

I'm upset because I bought a new machine, and had to return it 9 days later because it was defective - and they replaced it with a refurbished machine...
Click to expand...

Did they tell you that you got a refurbished machine or are you assuming that because someone elses name was coming up for your serial number? They might have entered in the wrong serial number somewhere.
 
Applecare was previously issued on my 'new' machine. I don't think I would have known this if I had walked into the Apple store and bought Applecare and came home and registered it. The guy on the phone was tap dancing around the issue and was more than happy to put my name in there to get the process moving along.

My apologies - I don't want to seem like I'm whining about this, it just bums me out a bit. My machine works great - just feeling a little let down by Apple.
 
I think you have every right to be let down. Thankfully it seems that it was pretty much flawless and came across as new, but I'd feel a little ripped off. Sadly you can't do much about it now.
 
Why does it matter, its an out of site out of mind issue. You had no problems with your machine until you knew that it might have been refurbished. Most manufactures would try to repair your original issue making you send the computer in for service, Apple is a stand up enough of a company to give you a replacement computer on the spot and up until you called apple you were perfectly fine with your "refurbished" computer. Stop complaining, transfer your AppleCare and enjoy your computer.
 
I'm confused. You walked into an Apple store, gave them your old broken one, and they gave you a new one that you now think is refurbed?
 
Refurbs don't come in the original Apple packaging. Did it come with the same iMac box? If so, my guess is it was new, and something went haywire with the serial number and apple care stuff.
 
Recap: I originally bought a brand new iMac a year ago... It had the screen gradient issue, so I returned it after 9 days... got a 'new' iMac in nov. '07.

Today, I called to get applecare and they had my machine listed with somebody else. The machine that I got (nine days into my purchase) was a refurb. That was my point... The guy at Applecare knew it too.

The applecare transfer is a non issue - its transferred, or should I say refunded and I bought a new one. The issue is that I bought what I thought was a new computer and it wasn't. End of story.

I love my iMac - but I'm disappointed at the process Apple used.
 
czachorski said:
Refurbs don't come in the original Apple packaging. Did it come with the same iMac box? If so, my guess is it was new, and something went haywire with the serial number and apple care stuff.
Click to expand...
That's where I was going with this, too. The retail stores don't have refurbed models. If a customer returns one for any reason, it gets packed up and shipped back to the depot.
 
RickT67 said:
Well.. Maybe I'm wrong, I hope so.. maybe the numbers got messed up... who knows.
Click to expand...

I'm betting that's the case. The only other possibility is a shady employee or store manager who manipulated a returned unit into an new-looking Apple box (although this would be strictly against Apple normal practice and policy). When you unpackaged it, do you remember the tape on the box being "like new" and the white plastic sheet that encapsulates the Mac being un-penetrated? If so, you can relax - you got a new one. A shady store manager or employee would not be able to return these packaging items to a "new" status.

Call AppleCare and explain to them your situation, and ask them to explain what happened. Apple employees are human, and it is very possible that someone just keyed in a number in mistake. At this point, that may even be the most likely explanation.
 
Here's an interesting point - When I brought my 1st mac back, (I had an appt. at the genius bar) I was sitting there and they brought out my "new" Mac and opened the box right then and there so I could see that it did not have the same issue as the 1st mac (screen gradient). So I never saw if the box was ever opened previously... Hmmmm

I am at the point right now that I'm fine with it I guess. My 'new' mac is running fine and I've got Applecare for another 2 years. Like I said - just a little disappointed at what transpired.

Thanks for all the input :)
 
That's interesting.

I ordered my 3.06Ghz iMac online with AppleCare on the same bill. The iMac arrived and the screen was messed up with vertical lines. I quickly went online and reserved an appointment with the Mac Genius. Since it's a CTO iMac with 4GB of factory RAM, the Mac Genius had to check the backroom for availability. He put out a stock 3.06Ghz iMac and installed the extra 2GB of RAM in it. On the spot, he transferred the AppleCare Protection Plan to my replacement iMac.

He said I may have to contact AppleCare to make sure the new serial number ties to the AppleCare plan, but it's already taken care of without any hassle.
 
You say refurbed. That is most likely not correct.

Official Apple refurbs typically get a brown box and a NEW serial number -typically with RM for the first digits.

What you got was a used machine. Or some idiot got Applecare on the wrong serial number.
 
Here is my story: bought a new 20" iMac in September of '07. Purchased Apple Care at the same time. Got home and attempted to activate Apple Care and was told that my computer had been purchased and returned as defective. I was pretty ticked off, but Apple talked to CompUSA and told them I was on my way to the store to return it, and they were to give me a new one, with no questions asked. They did, the first one was the white model on clearance, and the new one was the aluminum model. All has been good since. Not sure how this is happening.
 
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