Hey Everyone,
I had some free time (I.E. geometry class) and decided to share my weekend story of trying to get a refund for my Macbook Pro (Core Duo, not the newest model). Let me start off with the history. I ordered my Macbook Pro from the Mac Store (not the Apple Store, but an authorizer re-seller) in early March. It was supposed to arrive in time for my birthday on April 2nd. It was recieved in the opening days of May; that delay aside, I loved my computer, it was fast, useful, and portable. Exactly what I wanted. Then, it started to develop the now infamous whining noise coming from the top of the keyboard. I called to see what applecare would do about it, and they told me to send it in. 10 days later I got it back; I opened the package and took out my beautiful repaired...oh wait. No. It was covered in scratches that were not previously present, and when turned on, still whined. However, this time the whine could be disabled, not with photobooth, but by turning off the backlight. Yes, they had replaced my functioning screen inverter with a faulty one.
So I called back apple, complained, and they told me to send it back in, which I did. Another 10 days gone. I got it back scratch free and whine-less: yay! Victory!...Right? Sadly, I was wrong; several weeks after I got my machine, it developed a rattling, noisy fan towards to top of the keyboard. Again, I called apple, and they had me run some tests which showed that the Logic Board was fried...again (3rd time). They told me they could fix it, but I requested a replacement, which they gave to me without a fight: amazing! I was happy, and ready to get back to using my computer without all these interuptions (by now we are right in the middle of the school year when I need my computer the most). They even gave me a free .16ghz processor boost. I was being a student leader at outdoor school when the machine arrived, nearly two weeks after I sent my defective one it.
I opened it and everything was great; no noise, the heat levels had gone way down, even battery life was up! So imagine my suprise when, two weeks later, I go to burn pictures of my sister's Bat Mitzvah onto a CD (first burn atempt so far), and the drive spins up all the way, making an awful racket and actually shaking my desk. I go to force quit iPhoto and find that OS X is frozen entirely. Wow. So I try again. And again. Both times with the same result. I check the disk; its fine. So I head over to the Mac Store where I originally purchased the machine since I needed to stop at a store nearby anyway. They tell me that the drive is "hosed" (their words), and that they can repair it, but since the new MBPs are out, that I should go into the official apple store and demand a new C2D. I didn't think that likely, and at this point I'm not sure if I want another apple product again, but I decide to go anyway because I have to go near to where the offical store is anyway. So I head off, and wait for 3 hours to be seen at the genious bar. They tell me that they can repair it, and it will take 5-10 days, but can't replace or refund the money, that only the Mac Store, where I bought it, or Apple Care phone support can refund it. At this point I want a refund so I have the option of going with another kind of less problematic computer. So I head back to the Mac Store (they are 45 minutes away from eachother).
At the Mac Store I am told that the Apple Store, in fact, cannot replace or refund me, and that only Apple Care phone support can do it. So I explain to him that I am doubtful of that, since apple didn't take my money originally, but he assures me that it is the only way. So I go home and contact Apple, where I sort through a seperate issue involving my applecare refund, and then come to the issue of my computer refund. The AC guy tells me that he can't do it, only Customer Relations can, but they are closed on the weekends and only available from 8am-8pm (central time) weekdays. Since I am two hours behind them, I get up at 6am in order to be able to call before school, as I don't get home from school until right before 6 every day this week. I am told, after an hour on hold, that under no circumstance can apple give me a refund, and that only the Mac Store can do so. So I took down her name and extention so that when I go into the Mac Store tommorow, I can have them call her and have them duke it out.
I know some people may read this as me just wanting a C2D MBP, but believe me, this is just me wanting my money back so that I can consider my options outside of apple. I love OS X, and the sleekness and power of the MBP, but considering it has been out of my hands for repairs for more than a month out of the last 6 that I have had it is unacceptable. I need a reliable machine, and my MBP is anything but.
If you got this far, thanks for reading my rant, but I just needed to get that off my chest
I had some free time (I.E. geometry class) and decided to share my weekend story of trying to get a refund for my Macbook Pro (Core Duo, not the newest model). Let me start off with the history. I ordered my Macbook Pro from the Mac Store (not the Apple Store, but an authorizer re-seller) in early March. It was supposed to arrive in time for my birthday on April 2nd. It was recieved in the opening days of May; that delay aside, I loved my computer, it was fast, useful, and portable. Exactly what I wanted. Then, it started to develop the now infamous whining noise coming from the top of the keyboard. I called to see what applecare would do about it, and they told me to send it in. 10 days later I got it back; I opened the package and took out my beautiful repaired...oh wait. No. It was covered in scratches that were not previously present, and when turned on, still whined. However, this time the whine could be disabled, not with photobooth, but by turning off the backlight. Yes, they had replaced my functioning screen inverter with a faulty one.
So I called back apple, complained, and they told me to send it back in, which I did. Another 10 days gone. I got it back scratch free and whine-less: yay! Victory!...Right? Sadly, I was wrong; several weeks after I got my machine, it developed a rattling, noisy fan towards to top of the keyboard. Again, I called apple, and they had me run some tests which showed that the Logic Board was fried...again (3rd time). They told me they could fix it, but I requested a replacement, which they gave to me without a fight: amazing! I was happy, and ready to get back to using my computer without all these interuptions (by now we are right in the middle of the school year when I need my computer the most). They even gave me a free .16ghz processor boost. I was being a student leader at outdoor school when the machine arrived, nearly two weeks after I sent my defective one it.
I opened it and everything was great; no noise, the heat levels had gone way down, even battery life was up! So imagine my suprise when, two weeks later, I go to burn pictures of my sister's Bat Mitzvah onto a CD (first burn atempt so far), and the drive spins up all the way, making an awful racket and actually shaking my desk. I go to force quit iPhoto and find that OS X is frozen entirely. Wow. So I try again. And again. Both times with the same result. I check the disk; its fine. So I head over to the Mac Store where I originally purchased the machine since I needed to stop at a store nearby anyway. They tell me that the drive is "hosed" (their words), and that they can repair it, but since the new MBPs are out, that I should go into the official apple store and demand a new C2D. I didn't think that likely, and at this point I'm not sure if I want another apple product again, but I decide to go anyway because I have to go near to where the offical store is anyway. So I head off, and wait for 3 hours to be seen at the genious bar. They tell me that they can repair it, and it will take 5-10 days, but can't replace or refund the money, that only the Mac Store, where I bought it, or Apple Care phone support can refund it. At this point I want a refund so I have the option of going with another kind of less problematic computer. So I head back to the Mac Store (they are 45 minutes away from eachother).
At the Mac Store I am told that the Apple Store, in fact, cannot replace or refund me, and that only Apple Care phone support can do it. So I explain to him that I am doubtful of that, since apple didn't take my money originally, but he assures me that it is the only way. So I go home and contact Apple, where I sort through a seperate issue involving my applecare refund, and then come to the issue of my computer refund. The AC guy tells me that he can't do it, only Customer Relations can, but they are closed on the weekends and only available from 8am-8pm (central time) weekdays. Since I am two hours behind them, I get up at 6am in order to be able to call before school, as I don't get home from school until right before 6 every day this week. I am told, after an hour on hold, that under no circumstance can apple give me a refund, and that only the Mac Store can do so. So I took down her name and extention so that when I go into the Mac Store tommorow, I can have them call her and have them duke it out.
I know some people may read this as me just wanting a C2D MBP, but believe me, this is just me wanting my money back so that I can consider my options outside of apple. I love OS X, and the sleekness and power of the MBP, but considering it has been out of my hands for repairs for more than a month out of the last 6 that I have had it is unacceptable. I need a reliable machine, and my MBP is anything but.
If you got this far, thanks for reading my rant, but I just needed to get that off my chest
