Regular readers, and anyone who’ll listen, will remember the problems I had trying to get my iBook fixed through AppleCare. Once I had finally got my laptop back I wrote (a real letter on paper) to Apple to complain, quoting most of the post I had written on the subject. Despite searching the Apple site (and Googling) I couldn’t find an AppleCare Europe address to write to so I ended up sending the letter directly to Cupertino. That was on 16 February 2005.
Six weeks later I received a letter from Apple Customer Relations in Ireland. For your reference, and mine, their address is:
Apple Customer RelationsIn the letter, Apple apologised for the inconvenience [resulting from the] considerable delays caused during repairs
and asked me to call so that they may be able to offer some form of compensation for these delays
. The phone number they provided was the technical help line but eventually I got put through to customer relations, whereupon the representative apologised and read out a list of Apple hardware compatible with my iBook. Airport Extreme card? (no thanks, got that); extra RAM? (already maxed-out); Bluetooth? (got that too); spare battery? (ooh yes please); Apple Pro speakers? (sounds good to me).
And so the next day I received my spare battery (worth £89) and a pair of lovely-looking Apple Pro speakers (worth about £40). And I was happy – a pretty generous compensation package I would say. Apart from the speakers which aren’t compatible with my iBook, and in fact only work with iMac G4 and the PowerCube because of a proprietary jack (why oh why?) Here we go again.
So I phoned up again and eventually persuaded the technical support to put me through to a customer relations representative. I eventually convinced the rep that their hardware database was wrong – Apple Pro speakers definitely don’t fit an iBook, regardless of what the computer says. So he went through the remaining list of Apple hardware of similar value to the speakers, all of which I had already (it wasn’t a long list). How about a Shuffle then?
I asked hopefully. The rep said he couldn’t authorise that but would ask his supervisor and phone me back (he didn’t).
The following day I hurdled my way through the AppleCare telephone system once more (the line to Ireland via Bangalore was surprisingly good). Customer relations said that a 1Gb iPod Shuffle had indeed been approved as compensation. But they wouldn’t send it out until I posted the speakers back to Ireland (which cost me seven quid). Two weeks later and no Shuffle. Thinking maybe the speakers hadn’t made it back to Ireland I phoned to check. The speakers had arrived but TNT had failed to deliver the Shuffle to my office. So we verified my address and the delivery was rescheduled. This happened two more times – I know Apple can’t control the crapness of TNT but the onus should be on Apple to ensure my compensation arrives, or at least to notify me that TNT had failed to deliver.
Getting the compensation I was promised was proving to be another frustrating process, somewhat ironic given the reason for the compensation in the first place. But six phone calls, seven pounds and 8 weeks later I finally received the last part of £187 worth of recompense, for which I’m grateful, but it hardly left me with the cosy feeling that Apple might have wished.
And a final word of advice. If your Apple hardware goes wrong within its warranty period, even if you bought it directly from Apple just take it to your nearest Apple repair specialist. That’s what I’ve done with my iMac G5 (dodgy capacitors, anyone?)
tom wrote:
You are not alone in this Apple replacement insanity.
Last week I received a desktop keyboard to replace the keyboard which broke in my ibook g4 in january. Apple originally said they would replace the keyboard under warranty, but when the replacement turned up, it was a g3 keyboard and came complete with an invoice saying they had charged my card they had on file for the keyboard.
After I complained, it took them from january until last week to send me this new keyboard, which isn’t much use on my travels. I await the response to my next communication.
It seems equally difficult to get Apple Europe telephone or fax numbers. These ones, also in Cork, seem to work:
Tel: +353 214 392088
Fax: +353 214 392220
Fatty wrote:
You know, this really isn’t something I ought to be reading as a new Mac owner: it’s a very effective way of scaring the pants off me ;-)
Ethan wrote:
Awesome tip, Rich-I’ve stopped dealing with AppleCare altogether. The authorized service centers I’ve dealt with are far more courteous, timely, and (when the work isn’t warranty-sanctioned) economical than Apple’s own.
Small Paul wrote:
Shame, isn’t it? With $6.5 billion in the bank, you’d think Apple could “Think Different” and give us a customer service experience to match the general computing experience, i.e. minimal fuss, nice little touches, and general pleasant-ness.
Employed by AppleCare wrote:
I would just like to say (especially to Fatty)-
with much regret to the author for his unfortunate series of screw-ups, I would like to point out that AppleCare Americas has received Consumer Reports magazine’s ‘#1 in Technical Support’ award for 5 years in a row, in both desktop and portable support.
You all may not be in the Americas, but this issue is not reflective of AppleCare as a whole. Perhaps in the Euro areas it needs help, but rest assured Apple stands behind it’s products.
Rich wrote:
Thanks to Employed by AppleCare for that clarification. In fairness I’ve heard first hand stories of fantastic service from AppleCare in the UK, but of course mine of been different. I should add that my experiences with the technical service have not dulled my enthusiasm for Apple products, in particular OS X which, one year on, remains a joy to use.
Andrew wrote:
My powerbooks currently in for repair, it went in 2 weeks ago, I called today to find out how much longer the repair will take and I’m told by the authorised repair centre told me the hinge needs replacing but isn’t covered by my warranty.
I’m awaiting response back from them as they have to contact apple direct to see if they will make an exception to the warranty.
So what is covered by the warranty? I’m told the whole powerbook is, correct me if I’m wrong but I had an understanding that the hinge is connected to the powerbook.
Employed by AppleCare wrote:
Andrew-
The Powerbook as it pertains to electronic components and parts that can go ‘bad’ is covered. Any cosmetics, casings, or anything that is observed as “abuse” or wear and tear is not covered, including hinges. (abuse, of course, meaning dropped, hit, smashed, etc)
In certain cases, if it is a ‘known issue’ that a part is defective across multiple units of a certain computer, then AppleCare will cover the repair either case by case or under a ‘Repair Extension Program’. At least, that’s how it works in the Americas.
eyezberg wrote:
I will never buy anything Apple, even though I love their designs, simply because there is no (obvious) way to contact them.
I checked out the iPod prices on all of their international websites, and there are HUGE price differences (try it!).
I then searched all of apple.com for any contact form, mail, or phone, and came up with nothing!
If I want to buy a PC, I walk into any store; if I want to buy an Apple, I go where? (grocery I guess, lol)
Nice article, but I guess the brand could just as well be interchanged for any other like Dell, HP or whatever..
Joe
Jens Meiert wrote:
Though there were some problems (which likely are the usual issues in larger companies…), it only seems to confirm that Apple cares for its customers. The compensation sounds in fact generous.
Derek Featherstone wrote:
Egads, Richard. Will this saga ever end? This doesn’t inspire much confidence in a person such as myself that is contemplating the switch… Glad to hear it is all sorted now!
Jzilla wrote:
TNT SUCK so bad it’s beyond a joke. My G5 rev a (ordered as soon as possible) took weeks (literally) to arrive. EVERY experience I have ever had of delivery from the online Apple store has been as painful. I complained and was told that Apple were looking into it – year ago, still TNT, still awful.
It’s a shame, because up until TNT get involved Apple have got it on lockdown (tech issues which are mainly unavoidable IMO aside).
TNT must die.