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(update5/31)This 4th Imac/ hard drive crashed

Z

Zmmin3

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 20, 2009
127
0
Not sure why I couldnt update thread title?

Imac #4, cd/dvd drive no longer functioning update in first post

"If you are reading this thread for the first time, this thread originally started off as trying to figure out how long the exchange process took. Since then it has taken a different direction with problems I have had with refurbs concerning the power fluctuations, crashing hard drives, CD/DVD drive malfunctioning.

Refurb #1 bad power supply confirmed by Apple
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Refurb #2 left side of display twice as bright as right side but no electrical issues.
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Refurb #3 causing house lights to blink when unit is OFF or in Sleep Mode retunred to Apple for Refurb #4
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Refurb #4 refurb same problem as 3rd was determined house wiring not grounded
Refurb #4 May 31st 2009 hard drive died only 2 months old, Apple replaced hard drive
Refurb #4 March 15, 2010 DVD/CD drive malfunctioning making loud noises and not playing CDs or DVD's
"
 
I don't remember exactly how long it was, but when I needed to do that once a couple of years ago I called on a weekday afternoon and got the callback the following morning. Definitely less than 24 hours at any rate.
 
thanks for the reply :)

I called last night but havent heard anything yet so another reason I was wondering
 
Only been through this once before. When I called Applecare and they determined the computer was defective they set up the RMA right then and there. Seems odd that you have waiting for someone to call you.
 
I called Apple early evening yesterday. They couldnt give me an answer on when the "RMA" dept would call. The rep said since the request had come in on late Thursday thats possibly why I hadnt gotten a call on Friday. That its "possible" they will call as soon as sometime Monday.

Problem with that, I will be at work so I wont be there to get call at home and I have lousy cell coverage at work if they try the cell.

So even if they leave a voice mail on home phone I wont get it until after 5pm and thats after the RMA dept closes(or so I was told). If I have to actually talk to them between 9 and 5 thats def going to be a problem.

If this is the hassle I have to go through with a refurb I am definitely thinking about being done with it.
 
kind of a long update: :eek:

I did call Apple again on Saturday. The person I got this time found it not acceptable that I had not been called yet and actually got someone on the line from the exchange/sales dept.

The rep from this dept told me an email had been sent out the previous night with an RMA label to print out. I checked my email while on the phone with her. The email had come in sometime in the late morning not the night before(that may have been an email issue) I apologized for calling but mentioned the only reason I called was that I had been told I would be called not emailed. She did say that I should have been also called.

She had me click on the link for the label to make sure I could access it. Turned out the link didnt work. So she resent the RMA link. This time I was able to access Fed-ex's label and print it out.

The rep went on to say to speed up the process that once I got the tracking number to call them back and that would get the exchanged computer released that day.

Monday(yesterday):

So I take the Imac down to the Fedex center, drop it off and get my tracking number. I called the Apple number that the rep on Saturday had given me. I explained to the rep( I got a different one than Sat) why I had called. This rep goes on to say, that what the rep on Saturday was not correct.:rolleyes: That the computer could not be released.

She said she could go ahead and get the process going though but the computer would probably not ship out until the 23rd at the earliest. I told her (in a very polite way of course) that it was kind of upsetting to get a computer that worked one day, now I have to wait until the end of next week before I could get another one. That the whole process I have had to go through(the taking it to an Apple store, making several calls) has given me second thoughts on ever getting another refurb again seeing that this was my first Apple computer.

At this point she offered for an extra $150 that she would give me the current 24" 2.66 model (that normally runs $1499, the refurb I had got was the 24" 2.8 model with the dedicated video card.) She said that if I got the new one, it would go today. So another words she was giving me $150.00 off of a new model and it would go out that day.

I knew that new model came with an integrated card and I wanted a dedicated card. I declined and told her I really didnt want to spend anymore money. Thats one of the reasons I had gotten a refurb. So with the money saved with the refurb I could get Applecare. At this point she offered to give me the Applecare for just $19.99. I accepted :) That also once the computer was ready to ship it would be sent business next day class. :)

Thinking about it today when she was offering the new one, I should have just asked for one of the clearance 24" 2.8 models :rolleyes:
 
Congratulations!!! I just got my new 20" iMac and it seems to have heating issues, or logic board issues. I bought it from newegg and I'm taking it in tomorrow and received it less than 14 days ago. I'm hoping they help me out like they did for you. Even if it is fixed on the spot. I doubt it though....
 
Zmmin3 said:
Thinking about it today when she was offering the new one, I should have just asked for one of the clearance 24" 2.8 models :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Yeah. Voodoo gave good advice. I think it pays to remember this, that anytime Apple inconvenience you on their fault, be prepared to get something from their part in return. You probably could've gotten a 24" clearance for the same price as the refurb, since it shouldn't have even shipped considering the faulty wiring. Hopefully smooth sailing from hereon.
 
I'll also have to do this same thing. Got stuck pixel 5 days after delivery so I called Apple and they'll give me a replacement
 
Update of sorts...

Back on Monday when the rep said they would give me the Applecare for $19.99, I asked if it would ship with the computer or by itself. She said its at a different warehouse so it would ship immediately via next day and I should have it by the next day(Tuesday). Well Monday evening I kept track of it through the online status screen. It was there and marked as delivery on 17th-18th.

Tuesday came, I checked the status. It still showed as not shipped, never received tracking number for it.

Today(Wednesday) I checked again. It still showed as supposed to be delivered by today BUT it also showed as NOT being shipped.:rolleyes:
I checked email, no tracking number.

So again I called Apple just to make sure this wasnt lost in the system.
( I swear I should just go ahead and put Apple's phone number into my speed dial on my phone).

Turns out for "some reason" the Applecare was not released. He also checked into the computer as well. According to him, both would be shipping via FedEx next day business class "soon" and I should have both by the 19th and no later than the 23rd.

We'll see...........
 
first an update on how the first exchange process ended.
Wedneday(3/18) I kept checking the online status. It went from not shipped to being prepaired for shipment to shipped which was 6pm :) Also received tracking number at that time as well. FedEx tried to deliver the next day:) but seeing I was at work, I need to go to the center to pick it up. I received the computer and the applecare package as well.

So the turn around process from when I first reported the problem to receiving the exchange was 1 week but I think that was because I kept up on it. If I had not, it might have been another 2-3 days before it was shipped.

Soooo as I stated above...yes first exchange process.

This second Imac has a severe brightness gradient. This time I waisted no time phone wise waiting for this person or that person to call me back.
I stated right off the bat, that I wanted an exchange seeing as I was in the 14 day period. Didnt want to take it anywhere to get it looked at.
I went from tier 1, to tier 2, then onto sales/rma department.
She got the process going and said I will be receiving an email with the link to RMA labels in 24-48 hours.
 
Zmmin3 said:
first an update on how the first exchange process ended.
Wedneday(3/18) I kept checking the online status. It went from not shipped to being prepaired for shipment to shipped which was 6pm :) Also received tracking number at that time as well. FedEx tried to deliver the next day:) but seeing I was at work, I need to go to the center to pick it up. I received the computer and the applecare package as well.

So the turn around process from when I first reported the problem to receiving the exchange was 1 week but I think that was because I kept up on it. If I had not, it might have been another 2-3 days before it was shipped.

Soooo as I stated above...yes first exchange process.

This second Imac has a severe brightness gradient. This time I waisted no time phone wise waiting for this person or that person to call me back.
I stated right off the bat, that I wanted an exchange seeing as I was in the 14 day period. Didnt want to take it anywhere to get it looked at.
I went from tier 1, to tier 2, then onto sales/rma department.
She got the process going and said I will be receiving an email with the link to RMA labels in 24-48 hours.
Click to expand...

Will you exchange it for another 2.8? Do they pay the return shipping?
 
well, 24 hours have come and gone. Granted she did say 24 to 48.

I have to say I have never ever had this much trouble with trying to exchange an item before.
 
They say "24-48hr" but typically the email comes in 5min. If you've waited a whole day already call back and complain.

If I didn't have bad luck I'd have no luck. But thankfully I've had great experiences with apples CS and their refurb products. I did have a bad macbook last year that had to be returned. They shipped the replacement overnight before I sent the bad one back.
 
VoodooDaddy said:
They say "24-48hr" but typically the email comes in 5min. If you've waited a whole day already call back and complain.

If I didn't have bad luck I'd have no luck. But thankfully I've had great experiences with apples CS and their refurb products. I did have a bad macbook last year that had to be returned. They shipped the replacement overnight before I sent the bad one back.
Click to expand...

I am going to be near the fed-ex facility later today so I did go ahead and call again to find out when I was going to get it. Only response I could get from the person was that a different department handles that so she didn't know and hopefully sometime today. I asked if she could contact that department to find out. She said she couldn't and she could only send them email and that's it :confused: I asked how come someone is able to contact them(thats what happened with my first exchange) and you cant? She just apologized and said she could send an email to that department but that was the best she could do.

She offered to give me a full refund at this point. I almost accepted but decided to see what happens first.
 
Another company may have offered less support/service for purchase of a refurbished machine. Apple supports the heck out of them, which is why I will likely buy refurbished machines in the future.
 
I've returned a few new and refurbished iMacs before and never had the problems that you seem to be experiencing.
All I do is phone up explain the fault, they then setup an RMA for the old mac and ship out a new or refurbished mac same day for next day delivery. Apple delays the courier pick-up so I have time to transfer files/settings which is nice of them :)

I would give them a call and demand a refund they will soon sort things out.
 
myuserid08 said:
I would give them a call and demand a refund they will soon sort things out.
Click to expand...

She did offer to refund my money seeing how unhappy I was with how things were being handled. So at this point I am thinking they really aren't all that interested in trying to keep my business,(that might not be so but at this point that is how I am feeling)

I also just found out, when something is being returned because it is defective, a different Returns Department handles it(as opposed to returns that arent defective) and that is why it takes much longer than usual to get the RMA out.
 
I got my RMA labels just as I was getting ready to leave yesterday evening. So I was able to to get it into FedEx.
Called Apple and gave them the tracking number. They confirmed it and released the computer...to be processed, not shipped.
According to her, it is officially suppose to ship in 3-5 days but also possible that would ship as earlier. Possibly even as early as today BUT officially
it will take 3-5 days before it would ship.

Way my luck has gone, I am thinking the 5 days before it will ship.
 
Zmmin3 said:
I got my RMA labels just as I was getting ready to leave yesterday evening. So I was able to to get it into FedEx.
Called Apple and gave them the tracking number. They confirmed it and released the computer...to be processed, not shipped.
According to her, it is officially suppose to ship in 3-5 days but also possible that would ship as earlier. Possibly even as early as today BUT officially
it will take 3-5 days before it would ship.

Way my luck has gone, I am thinking the 5 days before it will ship.
Click to expand...

I understand your concerns but you are blowing the whole thing way out of proportion! When ever something goes wrong in our lives we want immediate gratification and we want it now! Unfortunately that’s not how things work...

I recently had my main computer system go in for repair which took roughly 3 weeks give or take a few days and yes I will admit the first few days you go through a bit of withdrawal but after the first week had past I found it very refreshing to be offline for awhile which gave me time to really catch up on my rest and start to feel like a real person again. I live in a large metro area where people do not even look up anymore, they stare into the PC all day at work then stare into the Blackberry on the train ride home then sit in front of the PC at home during the evening.

I recently read a post here on MR about someone getting a new Mac Mini and how they spent every day checking the tracking number atleast every 20 mins.

Relax enjoy the break!
 
dwl017 said:
I understand your concerns but you are blowing the whole thing way out of proportion! When ever something goes wrong in our lives we want immediate gratification and we want it now! Unfortunately that’s not how things work...
Click to expand...

When you plunk down money and buy a unit that malfunctions immediately, there is no way any consumer should feel its okay to be jerked around for weeks instead of just getting a proper replacement. Instant gratification should be the name of the game with a new purchase. Do we buy something but only pay Apple a few months later when we feel like paying? No. They get their instant gratification at the time of sale, and the consumer should as well.
 
well I received my 3rd one yesterday over nighted....
I plug it in...and....it has the same problem as the first one!:mad:
Just simply plugging it into the light socket causes the lights in the house to blink. I didnt even turn it on, just plugged it in. Its just like my first refurb which was diagnosed as a bad power supply!

I know this isnt the norm because the 2nd exchange didnt do it.

Now I dont know what to do. I really wanted an Imac and the refurb is what I could afford but seeing as I keep getting all the crap ones and I am tired of the exchange process, I am tempted to walk away from it all now.

So for those keeping score...first refurb basically DOA,
second refurb no problems with the power supply, didnt make the house light blinks,
this third one display is better but back to having a bad power supply.
 
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