Currently in the mail is an i5 2.4Ghz MBP w/ HR-Glossy screen that Apple is providing to replace my recently ever failing Late 2008 Unibody 2.4Ghz, 9600M GT 256MB + 9400M model.
After replacing the battery twice, and then the logic board and 2 other trips to the store prior where they said either nothing was wrong or just reset PRAM/SMC to diagnose a battery issue where it would not hold a charge 4-5 hours during sleep so when I got to class it would be dead..
Then receiving the machine back with what I suspect was a refurbished logic board, which exhibited the 'will not hold a pair of headphones in the jack to save my life' issue, as displayed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTK83kkvdC4&feature=player_embedded#at=65
They then replaced the logic board again after I called in with this issue and they said to go the store to get it diagnosed and maybe get it 'adjusted' the guy at the store said 'no way' then called back up, they set up a repair to have the logic board done again, so it came back 3 days later with the same issue...
Called up immediately after unpacking the machine at observing the same behavior, this woman was apologetic and sorry for what she saw on my history as a huge runaround and unwillingness on Apple's part to correctly diagnose two issues. During all of this I have been patient and calm knowing they'll take care of me even if it's a bit inconvenient, they have in the past.
She offered me a new machine as stated above and the option to do a paid upgrade. I opted for the HR-Glossy display for an extra 100+tax.
I exchanged emails with a replacement-rep and mailed off my MBP, the order for the new one was placed on Monday the 17th, when the rep could see on FedEx end that the new machine was accepted, I had a tracking # on the 19th, it started moving around on FedEx in Shanghai, CN on the 20th, and now it's been sitting in the destination sorting depot/warehouse over the weekend supposedly arriving by 10:30 on Tuesday, hoping since it's already in town it'll come Monday (Today),
I was incredibly surprised to see that Apple used the slowest shipping option they offer to mail off this replacement machine after I've been without and repairing mine for the better part of a month and a half with them.. Oh well, excited for a fresh start, got my 640GB WD Blue ready to be installed and all my installers and updaters and serials and CD's ready to go when it gets here... again, hopefully tomorrow.
I'll say that this is the 3rd machine Apple has 'gifted' me due to warranty repair issues I've experienced in the past, went from Core Duo BlackBook to Penryn C2D BlackBook, to a Late 2008 Unibody MacBook, traded that machine and cash for the Late 2008 Unibody MacBook Pro and this machine is getting replaced with the i5 2.4Ghz machine.
It's been quite a journey all these years, not feeling as if the QA/QC is totally there, especially having replaced my iPhones, all 3 models a number of times also, twice on the 2G, 9 times on the 3G, and twice now on the 3GS.
I'm incredibly happy with the phone support, less happy with the Genius Bar as of late, and incredibly unhappy with the local store especially, they dropped my girlfriends White MacBook and had the balls to return it to us after the repair in that condition, after raising a stink with sjobs email and the retail stores email and my blog, they replaced my GF's and my MacBook with the 2008 Unibody MacBook's as stated above also, they didn't have to replace mine, but since I was the one driving back and forth for the repairs and doing all the phone calls and emails and tracking it, they wanted me on good terms too I guess.
The guys at the store know me by name now, one manager is afraid of me because she was the one who handed me the White MacBook after it had been dropped, I was FUMING with anger at that time, luckily my girlfriend was there that time and told me to calm down and gather my thoughts/options and we ended up with the above resolution with our replacements.
But umm... this thread isn't really about that is it.. kinda just kept typing.. Yay new MBP hopefully today, probably tomorrow! Wish they'd have shipped it faster!
