iMac>>broken superdrive>>repair>>scratched

[phalewhale]

To kick off, I'm devastated! My iMac was in the middle of burning a CD on Sunday and spat it out halfway through. Next it was spitting every disc out, including the OS disk at firmware.

Anyway, Applecare confirmed the superdrive needed replaced. The machine is only just over a month old (but it is the old top end 3.06GHz model)! So, it went off for repair in perfect order, all packaged up in the original packaging. Based on the advice on others, I also took many photographs before I dropped it off at the repair place.

When I picked up the machine today the back of it has been scratched in a number of places. The screen also has loads of dust/debris underneath the glass display.

Anyone with experience of this sort? Where do I stand? Any thoughts/advice appreciated.

[jmpage2]

To kick off, I'm devastated! My iMac was in the middle of burning a CD on Sunday and spat it out halfway through. Next it was spitting every disc out, including the OS disk at firmware.

Anyway, Applecare confirmed the superdrive needed replaced. The machine is only just over a month old (but it is the old top end 3.06GHz model)! So, it went off for repair in perfect order, all packaged up in the original packaging. Based on the advice on others, I also took many photographs before I dropped it off at the repair place.

When I picked up the machine today the back of it has been scratched in a number of places. The screen also has loads of dust/debris underneath the glass display.

Anyone with experience of this sort? Where do I stand? Any thoughts/advice appreciated.

Here's a thought.

Call Apple.

Bye.

[Insulin Junkie]

Bring it back to the repair center and show them your photos. You have quite a good chance of them taking it in, debris under the glass display is unacceptable.

On a side note, I love V! Have a V mask hanging in my room :)

[phalewhale]

@Insulin Junkie:
The repair centre is a contractor, not Apple itself. Was just gonna call Apple tomorrow and have written up what's gone on. Really cheesed off about it!

V Rules!

[Insulin Junkie]

@Insulin Junkie:
The repair centre is a contractor, not Apple itself. Was just gonna call Apple tomorrow and have written up what's gone on. Really cheesed off about it!

V Rules!

I can imagine! Out of curiosity... what was the contractor? If that was me I'd take it back to the contractor first and demand they fix what they mucked up. I'd say you have every right to make them go through the hassle of sending it to apple, if it needs be done, seeing that they screwed it up in the first place!
And good thing you made those photos, it'll make your case a lot stronger.

[jmpage2]

@Insulin Junkie:
The repair centre is a contractor, not Apple itself. Was just gonna call Apple tomorrow and have written up what's gone on. Really cheesed off about it!

V Rules!

What exactly do you expect us to do for you? There are literally hundreds of threads at Macrumors dealing with the same situation. The situation is always handled best by calling Apple and complaining, frequently this results in you getting a brand new Mac.

[phalewhale]

I can imagine! Out of curiosity... what was the contractor? If that was me I'd take it back to the contractor first and demand they fix what they mucked up. I'd say you have every right to make them go through the hassle of sending it to apple, if it needs be done, seeing that they screwed it up in the first place!
And good thing you made those photos, it'll make your case a lot stronger.

A place up in the North East of England. They were pleasant enough and the turn around was real quick. The screen should be easy enough to do, I'd do it myself but I'd rather be covered by having someone else do it. The back is a different matter though. Not sure how the black back of the iMac is fixed to the Aluminium, and therefore I'm not sure how easy that would be to replace?

So is that how it works? It goes back to the contractor first and they send the whole thing off to Apple? Thanks for the responses by the way!

[Insulin Junkie]

So is that how it works? It goes back to the contractor first and they send the whole thing off to Apple?

Yes, best thing to do would be leave apple out of the game for now and have it out with the contractor, they should take all the necessary steps to fixing up every thing they screwed up, even if that means sending it back to apple. It was their fault after all, not yours and not apple's!

Having said that, good luck!

[jmpage2]

Yes, best thing to do would be leave apple out of the game for now and have it out with the contractor, they should take all the necessary steps to fixing up every thing they screwed up, even if that means sending it back to apple. It was their fault after all, not yours and not apple's!

Having said that, good luck!

Wrong. The best thing to do is call Apple directly, complaining about the shoddy quality of work performed and that it is completely unacceptable that such a high end machine was banged up this way. You are concerned that they might have damaged something else which won't show up until after the warranty is up.

This type of call, when escalated to a supervisor frequently results in you receiving a brand new Mac as a replacement.

[Insulin Junkie]

Wrong. The best thing to do is call Apple directly, complaining about the shoddy quality of work performed and that it is completely unacceptable that such a high end machine was banged up this way. You are concerned that they might have damaged something else which won't show up until after the warranty is up.

This type of call, when escalated to a supervisor frequently results in you receiving a brand new Mac as a replacement.

In any case, the scenario I recommended worked for my sister's machine. The contractor screwed it up, she sent it right back to them and they sent it to the manufacturer and she got it back all fixed.

[phalewhale]

What exactly do you expect us to do for you? There are literally hundreds of threads at Macrumors dealing with the same situation. The situation is always handled best by calling Apple and complaining, frequently this results in you getting a brand new Mac.


Listen fella, Any half wit would know they have to call Apple. I'm just after some thoughts on what other people have experienced. Why respond and waste your time, mine, and the time of other who may be interested in the thread?

"The situation is always handled best by calling Apple and complaining, frequently this results in you getting a brand new Mac." That would have been really appreciated if it had been your first and only contribution!

[rgarjr]

This is clearly a repair centre issue and not Apple's so best bet it to just deal with them.

[phalewhale]

Wrong. The best thing to do is call Apple directly, complaining about the shoddy quality of work performed and that it is completely unacceptable that such a high end machine was banged up this way. You are concerned that they might have damaged something else which won't show up until after the warranty is up.

This type of call, when escalated to a supervisor frequently results in you receiving a brand new Mac as a replacement.

OK, I read this after my previous post. It seems you can be helpful when you're not hiding behind a veil of sarcasm! I'm sorry my responses have been sharp. Hope you understand.

It's good to hear about all these experiences and is v reassuring.

[jmpage2]

This is clearly a repair centre issue and not Apple's so best bet it to just deal with them.

If the machine is under Apple Care coverage than it is Apple's issue. They authorize and certify the repair center and direct users on which repair center to take the unit to for servicing.

I bought a new car once that ended up having a small ding in the hatch. The dealer sent the car off to a scratch and dent place that actually made things worse, as they damaged the paint in the process of removing the ding and did a horrible job of repainting the car.

The manufacturer stepped in, sent the car to a professional body shop, got me a rental car, and a couple of days later I got my car back looking brand new again.

OK, I read this after my previous post. It seems you can be helpful when you're not hiding behind a veil of sarcasm! I'm sorry my responses have been sharp. Hope you understand.

It's good to hear about all these experiences and is v reassuring.

Well, I'm glad to see that you've come around to understanding that Apple has great customer service, and you will get the best results by calling them and complaining.

Keep it professional but don't take no for an answer. You don't trust this shop to repair the Mac again and you simply can't be without it yet again after they bungled the repair.

The only thing acceptable is if Apple provides a comparable machine as a replacement.

[alphaod]

I would call Apple up and ask them for some help. They may let you ship the computer to them directly or force the authorized dealer to fix the computer.

[phalewhale]

Just took the photographs of the scratches. There's also a small notch on the front at the bottom right - LIVID. So, I have packaged it back up. Obviously will call Apple ASAP tomorrow and see what they want me to do with the machine. Hopefully it will go back to Apple direct - maybe their customer service department or something? So gutted because my wife is about to give birth any day and I could have done with it over this period for photographs/movies/music and stuff!

[rgarjr]

how about posting some of those before and after pictures bro..

[phalewhale]

how about posting some of those before and after pictures bro..

Here you go. Once again thank you all for the interest.

http://i44.tinypic.com/348mwd3.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/f3tlrl.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/15oa1s3.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/20rk048.jpg

[Spanky Deluxe]

Ouch! Thank buggery you took photos before! I'd complain straight to Apple first. If its a certified Apple repair centre then they're certified to not do this kind of stuff. Where's your nearest Apple store? You might want to say you don't want to go near this other place again with your computer after the damage they've done.

[phalewhale]

Ouch! Thank buggery you took photos before! I'd complain straight to Apple first. If its a certified Apple repair centre then they're certified to not do this kind of stuff. Where's your nearest Apple store? You might want to say you don't want to go near this other place again with your computer after the damage they've done.

The nearest Apple Store is about 130 miles from me so I wouldn't really want to have to travel there. I haven't even tested the machine since it came back - just been so devastated about the marks... I dunno! My luck is so low at the moment if I were to fall into a bucket of boobs I would come out sucking my thumb!

[phalewhale]

OK, have phoned Apple and after being transferred between AppleCare and Customer Support, they are wanting to pick the machine up, replace the whole front and back case, get all the debris from behind the screen and get it back to me in the same perfect condition it was when it left me earlier in the week. They've said I'll be without it for over 5 business days.

They also said they would give me a gesutre of goodwill when it's all sorted. Just hope it's gonna come back how it left me!

[Spanky Deluxe]

My luck is so low at the moment if I were to fall into a bucket of boobs I would come out sucking my thumb!

That just made me "LOL". :D

They also said they would give me a gesutre of goodwill when it's all sorted.

I wonder what a "gesture of goodwill" is.... I just hope the delivery person is a girl when they return it... ;)

[phalewhale]

That just made me "LOL". :D

I wonder what a "gesture of goodwill" is.... I just hope the delivery person is a girl when they return it... ;)

Been on the phone to them a few times today. Not very happy that they are going to be taking the innards out of my machine and transplanting them into a new casing both front and back. But anyway, if they get it right i suppose I'll be happy. It just takes the sheen off of my shiny new computer that's just over a month old. AND, they've said it's gonna take around 2 weeks to get the machine back from me after they pick it up on Tuesday next week. Anyway, they mentioned ipod cases and stuff as the gesture of goodwill which would really peave me off. A decent discount towards a PAYG iPhone might be enough to convince me though.

Just hoping this other company Amsys will do a better job. However, they did fix a computer for us at work last year and that came back scratched so I can only hope!

I've spoken to a few people who've said that I should be demanding a brand new machine - what does everyone else think? I know jmpage2 mentioned yesterday that's what Apple would probably do...

UPDATE: Have also realised two other faults now. There appear to be at least 6 dead/stuck pixels. I've counted 9 but 3 might actually just be debris under the screen. Checked by having a white background, finding the pixel, keeping an eye on the location and seeing if something is there when the display is blank. Also, my bluetooth mouse will not connect. It was working before I sent it away, and battery level is good. Have since been able to connect it to a macbook so i know it's working!!!

[jdaco6]

Been on the phone to them a few times today. Not very happy that they are going to be taking the innards out of my machine and transplanting them into a new casing both front and back. But anyway, if they get it right i suppose I'll be happy. It just takes the sheen off of my shiny new computer that's just over a month old. AND, they've said it's gonna take around 2 weeks to get the machine back from me after they pick it up on Tuesday next week. Anyway, they mentioned ipod cases and stuff as the gesture of goodwill which would really peave me off. A decent discount towards a PAYG iPhone might be enough to convince me though.

Just hoping this other company Amsys will do a better job. However, they did fix a computer for us at work last year and that came back scratched so I can only hope!

I've spoken to a few people who've said that I should be demanding a brand new machine - what does everyone else think? I know jmpage2 mentioned yesterday that's what Apple would probably do...

UPDATE: Have also realised two other faults now. There appear to be at least 6 dead/stuck pixels. I've counted 9 but 3 might actually just be debris under the screen. Checked by having a white background, finding the pixel, keeping an eye on the location and seeing if something is there when the display is blank. Also, my bluetooth mouse will not connect. It was working before I sent it away, and battery level is good. Have since been able to connect it to a macbook so i know it's working!!!

I find this very unsatisfactory to say the least. I would suggest you either spend a long time on the phone pushing for the machine to be fixed in 5 days not 2 weeks or you get onto Executive Relations to get the machine replaced, as you say.

Apple will always do their best to help, but sometimes they need that extra push.

Hope that helps.

[carlosbutler]

that is very bad service. i had a problem with my iMac about 6 months after purchase. HDD died:(. but i took into apple store and they fixed it over night.

if they provide that service in the apple stores, they should provide that server else where if you take it to an actual retailer/apple related company.

personally i would have rung up apple straight away. even though its not their fault directly, they should have 'fake', mystery customer type thing. someone hired by apple to test the company for any measures they have.

[phalewhale]

I find this very unsatisfactory to say the least. I would suggest you either spend a long time on the phone pushing for the machine to be fixed in 5 days not 2 weeks or you get onto Executive Relations to get the machine replaced, as you say.

Apple will always do their best to help, but sometimes they need that extra push.

Hope that helps.

I spent an absolute age on the phone to them on yesterday - on several occasions too. She was very insistent that Apple would not be replacing the machine at this stage.

Executive relations? Is that the sjobs@apple.com address I've seen mentioned around here before? Or is that different for UK customers?

[rgarjr]

Yeah, i would be a little concerned too if they took out all the guts of a 1 month old new machine and put it on another case.

[ryan.hayes79]

Hope you get a good resolution. One of the reasons aside from the OS people get a Mac is because of the aesthetics. I recently had my screen replaced on my iMac due to discoloured areas and it was a 3rd party repair arranged by apple via a courier.

I would say I am pretty realistic in terms of expectations and I was completely happy with my repair. Aside from some dust which seemed to have come from the box and shipping I experienced no problems at all and was very happy.

If I was in your position I would give apple the opportunity to "repair" and return in a good condition as you have already accepted a repair on the item and push for reasonable compensation.

If they return and it is not in good condition you deserve a replacement as it isn't very old.

I still find it odd that they put such a high priority on products looks, feel and design but allow shoddy repairs to be carried out. You pay a premium price and expect that to flow through everything that they do.

Hope you get it all sorted and let us know how it ends up.

[jdaco6]

QUOTE=phakebrill;7657780]I spent an absolute age on the phone to them on yesterday - on several occasions too. She was very insistent that Apple would not be replacing the machine at this stage.

Executive relations? Is that the sjobs@apple.com address I've seen mentioned around here before? Or is that different for UK customers?[/QUOTE]

Yes sjobs@apple.com will get put through to them, they do have their own address as well but I can't remember it at the moment.

Best of luck, be firm with them, the way it works is you get through to a 'relation' who is part of the 'executive department' and they together then discuss your case at the end of each 'communication' day in a team to decide what steps they need to take to keep you 'happy'. They wont have these discussions until they have called you back and spoken to you yourself and it is also worth noting that as these decision's are ultimately made as a team it will not matter which 'relation' you get.

Hope that helps (PS I am in the UK, and have used Exec Relations before. They are based in CORK Ireland (euro base).)

[phalewhale]

Yes sjobs@apple.com will get put through to them, they do have their own address as well but I can't remember it at the moment.

Best of luck, be firm with them, the way it works is you get through to a 'relation' who is part of the 'executive department' and they together then discuss your case at the end of each 'communication' day in a team to decide what steps they need to take to keep you 'happy'. They wont have these discussions until they have called you back and spoken to you yourself and it is also worth noting that as these decision's are ultimately made as a team it will not matter which 'relation' you get.

Hope that helps (PS I am in the UK, and have used Exec Relations before. They are based in CORK Ireland (euro base).)

Thanks for that. Gonna spend the afternoon (after the footie and F1 race) constructing an email with a rundown of what has gone on and why I am not really happy!

[jdaco6]

Thanks for that. Gonna spend the afternoon (after the footie and F1 race) constructing an email with a rundown of what has gone on and why I am not really happy!

Might be worth noting that apple are very in-tune with customer disappointment and the effect that could have on future purchases, so you might want to use some hints at that in your letter.

Can't believe they couldn't get the repair down to 5 days, strange!

[jdaco6]

Any News On This?

[phalewhale]

Hi, not much news as of yet. They did call to say that they were busy fixing it but that it might take some time for the parts to arrive and for the machine to come back to me.

I suppose I have no alternative but to let them try to repair the problems. They have said they can't see any dead pixels. However, when I was checking them, a few did disappear depending on the colour being displayed - used a paint package to test it. So to me, it seemed a good bet that stuck pixels were the cause. Anyway, they say the problems were simply caused by the inside being in a bit of a state.

The thing is though - why should my new flamin computer be in a state?!!!! Again, another reason to ask for a bloody new machine! I don't know.

Haven't written my complaint letter yet - my wife just gave birth so my time is limited!

[jdaco6]

Hi, not much news as of yet. They did call to say that they were busy fixing it but that it might take some time for the parts to arrive and for the machine to come back to me.

I suppose I have no alternative but to let them try to repair the problems. They have said they can't see any dead pixels. However, when I was checking them, a few did disappear depending on the colour being displayed - used a paint package to test it. So to me, it seemed a good bet that stuck pixels were the cause. Anyway, they say the problems were simply caused by the inside being in a bit of a state.

The thing is though - why should my new flamin computer be in a state?!!!! Again, another reason to ask for a bloody new machine! I don't know.

Haven't written my complaint letter yet - my wife just gave birth so my time is limited!

Congrats on the baby! Will be interesting to see how long they keep you waiting to be honest, I have always said to Apple myself when having issues that they have a maximum on 1.5 weeks or I will ask for a replacement, gets even more annoying if you have stumped up the extra cash for apple care! Keep us updated m8, its always interesting to hear the end to a story rather than just the beginning, as so often happens on Mac Rumors.

[phalewhale]

Hi, just sent my email to the executive relations email address so I'm hoping to get a response soon. No further update from Customer Relations or the new company carrying out the repair/transplant work.

[student_trap]

Hi, just sent my email to the executive relations email address so I'm hoping to get a response soon. No further update from Customer Relations or the new company carrying out the repair/transplant work.

Hey there, sorry that you are having so much trouble with your new mac. I am in the UK and suspect that things are different in the US, emails to the supposed steve jobs email address just dont work, if you want to get this sorted you have to go the correct channels for uk customer support.

I experienced a similar issue last year.

Basic details:

bought mac pro that turned out to be faulty within 3 weeks, they tried to repair it and it came back to me in a terrible state, they tried 2 more times to repair it and failed, they wanted to keep stringing me along, but I spoke to the right people and got a brand new replacement and £800 worth of compensation (£200 cash and £600 worth of apple products).

My mac pro cost me £3k so the 'good will' they offered me reflected that, as such I wouldn't expect the same amount for an imac, however they too tried to fob me off with ipod cases etc at first.

HOWEVER...the people I spoke to were very good to me and I wouldn't want to recommend anything outside of PM'ing (seems a bit unfair on the customer service people you know?). So, if you want any help with it, PM me and i'll let you know what I did last year.

Its awful when stuff like this happens to such a new product, and really puts a big fat smudge on something that (at least in my case) had been really well researched and also well anticipated. Either way I hope you get it sorted.

[jdaco6]

Hey there, sorry that you are having so much trouble with your new mac. I am in the UK and suspect that things are different in the US, emails to the supposed steve jobs email address just dont work, if you want to get this sorted you have to go the correct channels for uk customer support.

I experienced a similar issue last year.

Basic details:

bought mac pro that turned out to be faulty within 3 weeks, they tried to repair it and it came back to me in a terrible state, they tried 2 more times to repair it and failed, they wanted to keep stringing me along, but I spoke to the right people and got a brand new replacement and £800 worth of compensation (£200 cash and £600 worth of apple products).

My mac pro cost me £3k so the 'good will' they offered me reflected that, as such I wouldn't expect the same amount for an imac, however they too tried to fob me off with ipod cases etc at first.

HOWEVER...the people I spoke to were very good to me and I wouldn't want to recommend anything outside of PM'ing (seems a bit unfair on the customer service people you know?). So, if you want any help with it, PM me and i'll let you know what I did last year.

Its awful when stuff like this happens to such a new product, and really puts a big fat smudge on something that (at least in my case) had been really well researched and also well anticipated. Either way I hope you get it sorted.

I have to disagree, emails to Steve Jobs from the UK get forwarded to Executive Relations at Apple's European Base in Ireland.

I have done it a few times myself a few times with suggestions for apple and a few times with complaints and every time I got a call back from executive relations, the top of the european Apple customer service chain.

[phalewhale]

OK, no response from that email as of yet. I did however speak to customer relations again today though to express my concerns about accepting a machine that had been in a state, as mentioned by the second repairer. Why the hell should i accept this machine back?!

Told them I'd emailed the sjobs address and they advised me to write to the head office in Cork instead. They said that was for US customers. Not doubting what anyone is sayiIng on here of course - just relaying what the guy said this afternoon. Of course, they may try to deny that the address exists if the mailbox is inundated??? I dunno. Anyway, thought I'd provide the update.

UPDATE:
Got my machine back again. Can't believe this! The front and rear casing is OK now - all sorted - but the arm that the iMac stands on isn't. I aint happy chappy and as I'm sure you'll guess. I'm pressing now for a replacement. I'm not having this. Attached a pic for you to see.

http://i40.tinypic.com/2cniil0.jpg

[jdaco6]

OK, no response from that email as of yet. I did however speak to customer relations again today though to express my concerns about accepting a machine that had been in a state, as mentioned by the second repairer. Why the hell should i accept this machine back?!

Told them I'd emailed the sjobs address and they advised me to write to the head office in Cork instead. They said that was for US customers. Not doubting what anyone is sayiIng on here of course - just relaying what the guy said this afternoon. Of course, they may try to deny that the address exists if the mailbox is inundated??? I dunno. Anyway, thought I'd provide the update.

UPDATE:
Got my machine back again. Can't believe this! The front and rear casing is OK now - all sorted - but the arm that the iMac stands on isn't. I aint happy chappy and as I'm sure you'll guess. I'm pressing now for a replacement. I'm not having this. Attached a pic for you to see.

http://i40.tinypic.com/2cniil0.jpg

Intresting. Thanks for the update, can't believe that machine damage! I stand corrected about the 'only for americans' thing but I can only go by personal experience and myself as a UK resident have always used that method of complaint. I will PM you another contacts details for a very fast escilation on this matter.

[Spanky Deluxe]

OK, no response from that email as of yet. I did however speak to customer relations again today though to express my concerns about accepting a machine that had been in a state, as mentioned by the second repairer. Why the hell should i accept this machine back?!

Told them I'd emailed the sjobs address and they advised me to write to the head office in Cork instead. They said that was for US customers. Not doubting what anyone is sayiIng on here of course - just relaying what the guy said this afternoon. Of course, they may try to deny that the address exists if the mailbox is inundated??? I dunno. Anyway, thought I'd provide the update.

UPDATE:
Got my machine back again. Can't believe this! The front and rear casing is OK now - all sorted - but the arm that the iMac stands on isn't. I aint happy chappy and as I'm sure you'll guess. I'm pressing now for a replacement. I'm not having this. Attached a pic for you to see.

http://i40.tinypic.com/2cniil0.jpg

Man that sucks. What are these guys using as a workbench, a sanding machine?!!

[jmpage2]

Can you imagine if we took our cars in for servicing and got them back with the finish scratched or tears in the leather interior?

It's amazing that people repairing very high end computers like iMacs can't take the trouble to put a cloth down when disassembling the machine.

Amazing.

[phalewhale]

Finally sorted. Hopefully! Been in touch with Apple Executive Relations and they have apologised and said they would send me a new machine. Suppose that should be a bit of an upgrade since I had the older top end iMac. Anyway, I want to thank everyone involved in this thread. You have all been extremely helpful! Especially those who PM'd me with extra help - I REALLY APPRECIATE IT!

Thanks again all!

[cjacks68]

Congrats! What happens to the banged up imac now? A small token of gratitude for your troubles perhaps :D

[uberamd]

I saw the pictures and thought to myself, if that was my Mac I would complain too. Then I thought about PC owners, and how chances are they wouldn't bat an eye if their system had some small scratches on it after repair. Thats the difference between us Mac people and the PC crowd.

[phalewhale]

Congrats! What happens to the banged up imac now? A small token of gratitude for your troubles perhaps :D

It goes back to them when my new one arrives in about 5-8 days time... I don't get to keep it! I wouldn't have a need for two big machines anyhow so I would probably just sell it on.

[jdaco6]

Finally sorted. Hopefully! Been in touch with Apple Executive Relations and they have apologised and said they would send me a new machine. Suppose that should be a bit of an upgrade since I had the older top end iMac. Anyway, I want to thank everyone involved in this thread. You have all been extremely helpful! Especially those who PM'd me with extra help - I REALLY APPRECIATE IT!

Thanks again all!

That's all right m8, just glad I was able to put you in touch with someone who could help! Nice shiny new one, at the end of the day which is always nice!

Apple Executive Relations are a great department and they really do live up to their aim to please the customer and ensure satisfaction. After all is finished it's always a nice touch to send them a thank you email or letter, as they never seem to get positive things passed to them as I am sure you can imagine!

Anyway good luck with your new Mac!:apple:

(PS Your machine should be replaced with whatever model you bought it as e.g. if you bought the top of the range one then you will get it replaced with the top of the range of todays model or if your bought BTO you will get BTO of todays model etc so you should be in for a nice upgrade!)

[student_trap]

Apple Executive Relations are a great department and they really do live up to their aim to please the customer and ensure satisfaction. After all is finished it's always a nice touch to send them a thank you email or letter, as they never seem to get positive things passed to them as I am sure you can imagine!

Really is great news, glad to see you didn't get pushed to one side.

I second jdaco6's point above, after getting my good will and replacement machine last year I sent an email to the boss of the representative who I spoke to just to say that the service she gave me was excellent.

[phalewhale]

Hey all again,

My machine is still not even ordered yet! Got an email from exec relations yesterday saying they are wanting to know if I want the ATI 4850 card or the standard GT130. They said they would give me the high end ATI card as a gesture of goodwill for all that has gone on.

Just wondering if the supposed problems with this card have been fixed??? Otherwise I'll be going for the GT130. I'll STF when I've finished - so I might find the answer myself but just in case I don't - if anyone knows, I'd appreciate it.

Or should I just get the GT130 and ask for the £40 voucher? If that's poss of course.

[fhall1]

Get the 4850!

[jdaco6]

Hey all again,

My machine is still not even ordered yet! Got an email from exec relations yesterday saying they are wanting to know if I want the ATI 4850 card or the standard GT130. They said they would give me the high end ATI card as a gesture of goodwill for all that has gone on.

Just wondering if the supposed problems with this card have been fixed??? Otherwise I'll be going for the GT130. I'll STF when I've finished - so I might find the answer myself but just in case I don't - if anyone knows, I'd appreciate it.

Or should I just get the GT130 and ask for the £40 voucher? If that's poss of course.

I would have assumed you get the 4850 anyway because you had a BTO machine in the first place with the additional graphics card, and the system normally does like for like in the terms of ordering on the system. 4850 problems have pretty much been resolved and it really is the card worth getting!

Let us know when it arrives!

[richkent72]

Thanks for the advice regarding taking pictures. My iMac's off to the Apple Store tomorrow for a broken superdrive to be fixed. I hadn't thought of doing this but will certainly get the camera out tonight.

[phalewhale]

Hey all, just thought I would provide an update since I received the machine yesterday. Have to say though that there are what looks to be 3 aluminium/glitter type spots under the screen which you can see when the machine is off. It's also really annoying when the machine is on but with a dark background!

There is also a black spot which is not a dead pixel(s), just like a black smudge behind the TFT? It appears behind images on the display which is a bit weird. The other thing is on light backgrounds, there is a noticeable dark patch across the centre of the screen. Oh and there was a small patch of condensation on the screen which disappeared after about 15-30 mins or so.

All in all I'm not much impressed with Apple's quality. Obviously I've mentioned it to the lady I've been speaking to, and she has asked for some photo's -- but I mean it's not like I'm making it up!

I dunno. Maybe I have inspected it closer than I would have ordinarily done given the other problems but is it too much to ask for these issues not to be there?!

Anyway richkent72, let us know how your repair goes and well done for taking the pics! Pleased the thread has been of help.

[DavidR91]

Get it completely replaced - again. You've put it with "repairs", you've now got a replacement which is also flawed - and you've got decent grounds to demand another replacement

If you're in the UK, at least, your product is protected for 6 months after purchase, irrespective of their internal policies, which means regardless of how many times they repair or replace your product in this period, you can still demand another repair/replacement. During this period, the burden of proof is on the retailer to prove that is not defective (and not your burden to prove that it is)

I'm currently perusing this route for a dodgy screen - they insist that "replacement is definitely not an option yet" etc. but remind them of trading laws, and they soon escalate the case for you. Basically, they'll try to get you to do the least possible, to keep it easy for them: by making the "that's not an option" sound serious, they make it sound official/legally correct. This is not the case, and all you need to do is correct them: It IS an option, and I want my now defective product product replaced.

Good luck getting it sorted

[phalewhale]

Get it completely replaced - again. You've put it with "repairs", you've now got a replacement which is also flawed - and you've got decent grounds to demand another replacement

If you're in the UK, at least, your product is protected for 6 months after purchase, irrespective of their internal policies, which means regardless of how many times they repair or replace your product in this period, you can still demand another repair/replacement. During this period, the burden of proof is on the retailer to prove that is not defective (and not your burden to prove that it is)

I'm currently perusing this route for a dodgy screen - they insist that "replacement is definitely not an option yet" etc. but remind them of trading laws, and they soon escalate the case for you. Basically, they'll try to get you to do the least possible, to keep it easy for them: by making the "that's not an option" sound serious, they make it sound official/legally correct. This is not the case, and all you need to do is correct them: It IS an option, and I want my now defective product product replaced.

Good luck getting it sorted

Thanks for the advice. I know email can be a funny communication medium but I'm getting the impression that the lady I'm speaking with in Executive Relations thinks I'm simply a pest. I might be wrong but that's just what I'm picking up.

UPDATE: I'm being asked to produce 'photographic evidence' of the things I mentioned in my previous post. It's fair enough but to me that's her saying I'm not sure I believe you. I mean, if I have to send the computer back to them, I'm hardly going to be making it up!!! Jee Whiz. It's a little concerning though because I cannot get the dark patch on the middle of the screen to show up in a photograph. Any tips on how to do this. The aluminium spots should hopefully be covered by my camera's macro mode. I'm getting a little tired of this and the customer service is leaving a bit to be desired given everything that has gone on. Why would I lie about the machine being the way it is? All I want is a flamin machine that works and doesn't have this crap under the screen/dark patch!!! ARGH!

[Spanky Deluxe]

Thanks for the advice. I know email can be a funny communication medium but I'm getting the impression that the lady I'm speaking with in Executive Relations thinks I'm simply a pest. I might be wrong but that's just what I'm picking up.

UPDATE: I'm being asked to produce 'photographic evidence' of the things I mentioned in my previous post. It's fair enough but to me that's her saying I'm not sure I believe you. I mean, if I have to send the computer back to them, I'm hardly going to be making it up!!! Jee Whiz. It's a little concerning though because I cannot get the dark patch on the middle of the screen to show up in a photograph. Any tips on how to do this. The aluminium spots should hopefully be covered by my camera's macro mode. I'm getting a little tired of this and the customer service is leaving a bit to be desired given everything that has gone on. Why would I lie about the machine being the way it is? All I want is a flamin machine that works and doesn't have this crap under the screen/dark patch!!! ARGH!

Does the patch show up if you turn the flash of your camera off maybe? Maybe try some different exposure times etc. :(

[jdaco6]

Thanks for the advice. I know email can be a funny communication medium but I'm getting the impression that the lady I'm speaking with in Executive Relations thinks I'm simply a pest. I might be wrong but that's just what I'm picking up.

UPDATE: I'm being asked to produce 'photographic evidence' of the things I mentioned in my previous post. It's fair enough but to me that's her saying I'm not sure I believe you. I mean, if I have to send the computer back to them, I'm hardly going to be making it up!!! Jee Whiz. It's a little concerning though because I cannot get the dark patch on the middle of the screen to show up in a photograph. Any tips on how to do this. The aluminium spots should hopefully be covered by my camera's macro mode. I'm getting a little tired of this and the customer service is leaving a bit to be desired given everything that has gone on. Why would I lie about the machine being the way it is? All I want is a flamin machine that works and doesn't have this crap under the screen/dark patch!!! ARGH!

WOW! I am very sorry to hear this! If it's any consolation they always ask for photographic evidence of issues with machinery. Though knowing who you are speaking to and they way he/she comes across I know what you mean about you feeling that she thinks your a pest but I think its just the way he/she is.

They should sort it out for you asap, very disappointing to say the least.

[phalewhale]

Does the patch show up if you turn the flash of your camera off maybe? Maybe try some different exposure times etc. :(

Cheers, tried fiddling about a bit and have managed to get something to show. The banding doesn't show very well - and would be interested to hear constructive feedback from folk. Have posted them here:

http://i43.tinypic.com/2ui9qhf.jpg(There are 3 of these 'aluminium' type things)

http://i42.tinypic.com/2mn39mq.jpg

http://i39.tinypic.com/2zpnig1.jpg

Unfortunately I didn't get a pic of the condensation. When I got in from work last night it was late and I was just in a state of disbelief really. It was gone in 15-30 mins or so but Applecare said that wasn't good.

WOW! I am very sorry to hear this! If it's any consolation they always ask for photographic evidence of issues with machinery. Though knowing who you are speaking to and they way he/she comes across I know what you mean about you feeling that she thinks your a pest but I think its just the way he/she is.

They should sort it out for you asap, very disappointing to say the least.

I'm pleased you said that. That makes me feel a little better. I can be a sensitive little soul at times... :)


EDIT: Oh dear, that last one didn't go so well... Will have to re-think that one. Didn't look that bad in preview!!!

[phalewhale]

OK, so they are sending another replacement with their profuse apologies. Just thought I would update you all. Thanks again.

[richkent72]

Anyway richkent72, let us know how your repair goes and well done for taking the pics! Pleased the thread has been of help.

Got my iMac back today :D (a lot quicker than they said when I dropped it off). Everything's fine. Except for a couple of finger prints on the screen it was as I left it. The new drive works better than the old one ever did (which probably means it was a dud from the start).

Hope then new replacement is OK as your experience has been completely unacceptable.