Apple broke my computer during repair

[delic13]

I told apple forum moderators that if they deleted my post that I would post it on 15 other blogs on the internet so here we go.

This is apple repair horror story...


Here is my story. This is what I wrote on the repair survey they sent me. They have yet to contact me even though at the end of the survey it says... "where all of your issues resolved?"; "Which is your preferred contact". Their survey lead me to believe that someone would call me and help me work through my issue but I guess I was wrong. They are beginning to remind me of my cell phone provider's (AT&T) customer support. Since they won't contact me I guess I'll take this approach.

Here is my story...

I dropped of my macbook pro to be worked on. The heat off my the video card damaged the plastic strip on the on the back of the lid, it was cracked from heat. The track pad was getting stuck on the left lower corner of it and was a smooth click on the right side, like it wasn't centered correctly. I asked for the battery to be tested as well. When apple took it in for repair they quoted me 5 days, it was on a tuesday 11/23 that I took it in. The genius did not put the battery notes on my service ticket that I signed but he said that he added it to the repair ticket after I signed my copy of the ticket. I didn't hear anything from apple about my repair so I called the following Sunday. They said it was not ready yet. I asked to make sure that they looked at my battery because I was not getting as much life from it as I should be getting and it was not on my service ticket. The rep I spoke with on the phone said he didn't see it on there but he would add it. He didn't have the
status of my repair but said that a tech would call me back on Monday and let me know the status. The tech never called. About 5pm on Monday I looked my repair up online and it said "pickup pending" and the repair had been completed. I sent my girlfriend to so pick it up. They turned her away saying that it was not ready to pick up. She called me and let me speak with them. They told me the same thing. They said it would be ready on Tuesday (7 days after I brought it in). I asked why the website said that it was ready to be picked up if it wasn't ready. The store manager didn't know. The manager said that the macbook hadn't been tested for release yet. I went back on Tuesday to pick up my macbook. I was excited because I was getting it back. When I got it back the first thing I looked at was the top lid. I noticed that it was the same lid. The genius had told me that they were going to replace the entire lid because it was all one piece. I was a little bit disappointed but t
he black plastic piece had been repaired so I was happy. I opened the lid to realize that the trackpad was not to my satisfaction and was not being returned to me the same way that the trackpads are installed from the factory. The problem was that the trackpad was sitting down in the computer about an 1/8' from being flush with the top of the laptop. When I rubbed my hand across it, it felt like a piece of junk. I questioned the rep that gave me the machine back. He told me to hang on and he would go ask a genius. He come back and said that it was installed that way to ensure the "clickyness" of the trackpad. I opened the other macbooks there at the applestore and rubbed on the trackpads. They were all smooth and flush with the top of the computer. I told the rep that this was not satisfactory. That when I bring my macbook in for repair that I want the same if not better quality that it came in with. I stated that I have never seen a trackpad look or feel like this in my lif
e. The rep continued to try to sell me the fact that this repair was up to "apple's standards". I told him that it wasn't up to my standard and asked them to fix it "the way it was suppose to be fixed". He told me that if I wanted it to be worked on again that it would be five days to get my macbook back. I told him that I shouldn't have to wait 5 more days to reinstall my trackpad that was not installed properly the first time. He stated that the macbook would have to be "completely" dismantled to be adjusted. He said there were two set screws that could be adjusted but that they were set that way for the "clickyness" of the trackpad. He again told me it would be 5 days. I asked if there was a genius I could speak with right now. While the rep was gone, I flipped the macbook over and took out the battery (they did replace the battery, I was happy about that). I opened the lid to feel the trackpad and it was smooth and flush while the computer was upside down. I flicked it w
ith my finger and noticed a set screw in the middle of the trackpad (looking at it from the bottom). I was thinking that this is the screw that will set the trackpad back up and flush. The rep came back and told me that the genius was busy and he was the only genius there out of the 15 employees that I counted. I asked the rep to go ask the genius if this was the set screw that needs to be adjusted to set the trackpad back up where it was suppose to go.The rep left and went to go ask the genius again. He came back saying that the genius was busy with another customer and could not come over. I told the rep that I believe that this is the set screw and I would do it myself before I let them put me in the back of the repair line after I had already waited 7 days for a repair that was not "tested". I feel that they should have fixed my macbook right then and there. I was really surprised to find out that only one genius was working (this is not the perception that apple gives t
heir customer looking in from the outside). I feel like apple there was always techs there that could work on my equipment right there in the store if I had a problem. I was disappointed to find out that there are NO techs that could help me or even know what there talking about when it came to repairing my macbook. I had been told so many things that was not true. #1 my lid was going to be replaced, it wasn't. #2 My trackpad was to apple's standards, 1/8' from being flush is not apple's standards I hope. #3 I could look online for my repair to say its ready for pick up, it wasn't ready when the website said it would be. #4 a tech would call me back and give me the status of my repair on sunday, they didn't. #5 a tech would call me and let me know when it was ready, nobody called me. Even after Monday after they turned us away the first time. They still didn't call and let me know it was done. #6 the computer had to be dismantled to re-adjust the trackpad, it didn't. I did i
t when I got home in about 30 seconds. Why can't I have 30 seconds of the genius's time? If your genius knew what he was talking about then he could have fixed it real fast and made me happy with my repair. #7 My machine was tested. Are you ready? Here it comes... My keyboard backlight is no longer working after the repair. It was working before I took it in for the repair. Now it doesn't. I have called apple support and they could not resolve the issue over the phone. I have reinstalled snow leopard and they are still not working. So NO I AM NOT HAPPY WITH MY REPAIR. I don't want to take it back to the apple store because I don't want to be without my laptop for 7 more days. What is apple going to do about this? I questioned your genius about the computer running hot causing the plastic in the back to crack the way it did. I told them that the fan gets really loud and it is hot to touch when I start playing games on it. They told me that it is normal because of the aluminum
body. I don't think that it is normal for it to crack the plastic because of the heat and it his hot to touch with my hand. What is apple going to do about this? Probably nothing. They just delete ****.

[whereswaldo]

Luckily the reps at my local apple store aren't like this, where did this happen to you?

[delic13]

This was in knoxville, tn

[Tkf]

Email Steve Jobs about this.

[thetoothfairy]

So far they have always been really good when I have needed them. However I would not be happy either if I were you. Hope you get things straightened out. Good luck!

[Imahottguy]

What would you expect them to do if you are unwilling to give up your laptop? Also, how much time are you playing games on it, I'm just curious because that sounds like a lot of abuse to have it crack due to heat. How old is the machine? Sorry to ask so many questions, after reading through, I was just thinking those to myself. Best of luck to you.

[Lombardo Joe]

That's pretty buns, dude. This is the kind of crap I'd expect from HP, not Apple. Anyone who has ever attempted HP support... You know.

[one1]

No cliffs, no care. Time is money.

[Zeal]

Will of texts hits you for 359879387965896589658965896589658043


Zeal dies.

[gQstatus05]

No offense but if you put that long extended paragraph in your survey I probably wouldn't read it either. You should try to summarize the story to at least three small paragraphs. I'm guessing that's why they didn't call you.

[Lombardo Joe]

No offense but if you put that long extended paragraph in your survey I probably wouldn't read it either. You should try to summarize the story to at least three small paragraphs. I'm guessing that's why they didn't call you.

Yeah, but it's not your obligation to read the whole thing. They're getting paid to read it, it's their job. Even if he'd gone about it being a jerk, he's the consumer and they're supposed to serve him.

I see where you're coming from though; in the event that they're not properly working the way they're supposed to (clearly indicated by the story), they'd probably just write something that long off.

[CaptainChaos]

That's pretty buns, dude. This is the kind of crap I'd expect from HP, not Apple. Anyone who has ever attempted HP support... You know.

I have never been treated like this from HP. Quite the opposite. They go out of their way to support the products I have from them. Apple touts superior hardware when lately they have been pushing failware on their customers. It seems to have become their SOP.

[Lombardo Joe]

I have never been treated like this from HP. Quite the opposite. They go out of their way to support the products I have from them. Apple touts superior hardware when lately they have been pushing failware on their customers. It seems to have become their SOP.

Huh... I've had a few HP products (laptops, printers) for a couple years. Maybe I'm just extremely unlucky, but it's been a nightmare with their support.

Sent from my iPhone using ModMyi

[CaptainChaos]

Huh... I've had a few HP products (laptops, printers) for a couple years. Maybe I'm just extremely unlucky, but it's been a nightmare with their support.

Sent from my iPhone using ModMyi

Their printers leave a lot to be desired for sure. The drivers are always quirky with them.

[SiFO]

No cliffs, no care. Time is money.

truly