[MBHockey]

My closest friend has a 2008 unibody MacBook Pro (unibody). It has been in for service a lot, mostly for a problem where (when it was brand new, like two months old) it would just randomly put itself to sleep mid-use. It took several trips to the Apple Store to get it fixed, where they eventually ended up just swapping out the logic board. About a year later he started having problems where it would overheat. He'd boot it up, the fans would slowly rev up to the max, and after about 10 minutes it would just shut itself off. This was with no programs running other than the OS itself. Took a few more trips to the store and they replaced the logic board, again. The machine is covered for three years under AppleCare.

Two days ago I'm at his house and we were listening to a podcast on his laptop and I noticed the sound was really, really tinny and had a really low volume. He showed me that it only sounds right if he puts pressure on this one spot on the bottom of the casing, which somehow makes his right speaker/subwoofer unit actually work. He picked it up with one hand at a certain spot and the sound came blaring back. I looked at him with one of those "wtf?" faces. He was just tired of taking it in and dealing with the repair process, and being without a computer for a few days.

That's when he told me the history of repairs (I remembered him telling me about these issues before but for some reason I thought it was the PowerBook he owned previously.)

I made him make another appointment at our local Apple Store (I actually made the appointment online for him), where I've found the Genii () to be pretty helpful and understanding, aside from one or two of them. I told my friend that for the amount of times he's had to bring his computer in they really might just replace it with a new one.

So he went to the store, reluctantly, and mentioned that he had brought that computer in a few times before but he couldn't remember how many times exactly. He said the Genius then said, "Hmm, hold on a second. Let's take a look at that." When he looked up the serial number he saw that the computer had indeed been in for repairs no less than seven times which equated to about 29 days of "computer-less-ness" within an 18 month span (five times for the two logic board replacements alone.) He said that was ridiculous, that he was sorry for all the trouble, and that they are replacing it with a 2.53 GHz Core i5 machine, brand new, if that was okay with him.

It was.

[turtle]

That's awesome. Makes me think it might be worth getting APP on my next MB/P.

[psmith2.0]

That's a great story. Good for your friend! I'll never neglect to buy AppleCare again, that's for sure. I've always purchased it, but never really needed it. But this recent situation with my iMac cured me of that "roll the dice" thinking.



Even better, at my Mom's (and another friend's) spurring, I called Apple, simply to find out if this machine had some known, product-wide defect and that while I knew I wasn't covered by AppleCare, I also didn't want to keep blindly throwing money at it at the local MacAuthority repair facility (when nothing they've tried had worked). I wasn't even asking for a favor or hand-out, just some advice and general information to help make a decision on what I wanted to do (pay for repair or get a current-gen refurb). I wound up getting "pushed up the ladder" to a guy named Doug who apparently took pity on my situation and got in touch with MacAuthority and said "fix whatever this guy's problem is, once and for all, on us."



That was nearly two months ago, and my screen hasn't gone black since (I got a new graphics card, and didn't pay a dime on parts or labor...eight months past my "shoulda bought AppleCare!" * (closed) window of September 2009.

So even when you don't have AppleCare, they've been known to step up and do right (even when it was my own stupid, cheap fault for not shelling out the $169 like I should've). I'm living proof. And that was all the "sign from above" I needed to know not to ever neglect buying it again.



I love stories like mine and the one above. Granted, you pay a lot for these machines. But I've rarely ever had a major issue, and the couple of times I had, Apple made it right (once under AppleCare, which I would expect, and then this most recent episode...which kinda blew me away). Doug at Apple, seeing I didn't have AppleCare, had every right to say "sorry, we can't help you" (and I was pretty much expecting that, I was just trying to get some info on that particular line of iMac) and he went above and beyond, explaining it was an "exception" and that he had the ability to do such things at his discretion, based on the situation and repair history.

Sometimes a polite, inquisitive phone call (slightly tinged with desperation? ) gets a ball rolling that you didn't even know existed.

Needless to say, I was happy and appreciative as could be. I'm putting Doug on my Christmas card list.

AppleCare FTW, indeed!

[addison]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Even better, at my Mom's (and another friend's) spurring, I called Apple, simply to find out if this machine had some known, product-wide defect and that while I knew I wasn't covered by AppleCare, I also didn't want to keep blindly throwing money at it at the local MacAuthority repair facility (when nothing they've tried had worked). I wasn't even asking for a favor or hand-out, just some advice and general information to help make a decision on what I wanted to do (pay for repair or get a current-gen refurb). I wound up getting "pushed up the ladder" to a guy named Doug who apparently took pity on my situation and got in touch with MacAuthority and said "fix whatever this guy's problem is, once and for all, on us."

That was nice especially without AppleCare. There was a woman who came in and had a base iMac with a dead HDD. She had no Applecare and just wanted it replaced which cost around $200. The job took longer than quoted and after a week she came in to complain. In the end the drive Apple put in died as well so they decided to give her a new base iMac. $200 for a new computer is a good deal.

These situations are random but if you call or go in and be honest and nice your chances of catching a break go up dramatically.

[Satchmo]

Originally Posted by AWM These situations are random but if you call or go in and be honest and nice your chances of catching a break go up dramatically.

I think that's the key. If you come in shouting off at the mouth and making a scene, I think you're less likely to get good service in return. However, it might be understandable if you do, especially if you've had to bring it in seven times! But showing, frustration and sadness probably works better.

[psmith2.0]

Just put yourself on the other side, and pretend you're an Apple employee or rep (or any other company or situation, for that matter)...

If someone comes in being loud, vulgar, demanding and snotty, what would your initial gut instincts be?

Exactly.

Someone who has a more low-key, reserved tone and seems genuinely bummed about their situation (but not angry, and not taking it put on me) is going to "get me on their side" instantly. I'd want to help that person and feel motivated to do all it took.

It's amazing how many people have probably screwed themselves out of a fast fix, or even a solid, one-time break or favor, just by instantly launching into full a-hole mode.

There's a time for anger and frustration, sure. But some jump to that approach immediately, always.

They're the ones you hate to see coming...throwing their weight around, making a big stir, making everyone around uncomfortable.

In the past (I've done the retail/dealing with the public thing), people like that I've tended to move a little slower for. I'm not gonna be abused and work my ass off to fix your problem. It's one or the other...take your pick.

[jcoley2]

I had a similar story with my first Apple Laptop (Ti4) and they replaced it after a year of use. After that, I always buy APP. Used it a number of times. Probably about break-even on costs vs repairs but I love the service aspect.

[Maciej]

There should be tons of generic paperwork for people who automatically launch into a-hole mode to fill out.

"Okay sir, you'll have to fill these our first."