HELP:Applecare void because too many dents?

pianodude123 · Sep 30, 2007

I have a powerbook G4 top of the line 1.67GHz model and the case has not been opened since I received it about 2 years ago. I bought the extended APP service plan with it for $350, but now when I take it to the apple store, they quoted me for a $600 repair because the hard drive is dead, and they won't fix it because the computer has "too many dents."

ƒirst of all, It has maybe 3 dents on the whole computer... and the computer was working absolutely fine with them... it was just a cosmetic thing. After I did a 7-pass erase on my hard drive, the hard drive crashed, and now I need to get it repaired. However apple overcharges so much on a simple repair for a $80 hard drive (100GB IDE)

I am APPALLED that they refuse to cover a machine because it is not in the best cosmetic condition. It is atrocious, actually. The aluminum cases bend and warp so easily a case which doesn't look like a brand new MBP after 2 years of pretty good usage is normal. This thing goes back and fourth with me everyday... so it is expected that it has a dent or two on it.. especially since the material dents so easily. The computer has never been dropped, but it does have its fair share of scratches and other cosmetic damage. The insides run beautifully, though... apart from the hard drive.

So I tried calling applecare tech support, and they said that they would send out a box, and fix it... however I told them that it has wear and tear as well as a bit of cosmetic damage, but the rep didn't say anything about that not being covered under the warranty. So what i;m asking is if there is anything I should do, before i send in the laptop to the repair depot to make it look cosmetically better? Or is the genius I talked to just trying to get a quick $600 out of me or was having a bad day?

The reason I am double checking this is because I have friends who have apple computers who have had their entire computer replaced because of cosmetic damage... and I'm not even asking them to replace even the case it's in... just fix the hard drive.. which is why i paid $350 for applecare. I haven't used applecare at all until this incident... so it would be a complete rip off if I never even got 1 repair out of that $350.

Thanks in advance

theman · Sep 30, 2007

I have heard of this before, but after reading the Terms/Conditions of the warranty plan, i did not see anything in there about it. I say it's total BS.

It only mentions that it does not cover "cosmetic damage to the Covered equipment including but not limited to scratches, dents and broken plastic on ports, that does not otherwise affect its functionality or materially impair your use."

That means they won't fix it for free if you just want to get some dents fixed and the computer still functions normally.

You should print out a copy of the terms/conditions and go back to the apple store. ask the guy to point to the place where it says you aren't covered if there are dents. If he says it's not on there, but they have some sort of "policy" about it, that is illegal. They have to disclose ALL terms of the warranty. they can't just make up terms, because you didn't agree with those when you bought the service plan.

good luck.

Tumeg101 · Sep 30, 2007

the same thing happened with my cousins iPod Nano, the center button no longer works, so she took it in to the store and they told her her warranty was over, because it only lasts 6 months (it's a year, says so in there policy)
and they wouldn't fix it for her because of a few dents...

theman · Sep 30, 2007

i am really sure this is just bs. i keep reading through the policy, and i cannot see anything about this! i hear about it all the time on the forums... weird.

Fuchal · Sep 30, 2007

They did the same to me for my Powerbook a few years ago.

It's really simple to replace the hard drive yourself in the 15" and 17" models.

aquajet · Sep 30, 2007

theman said:
You should print out a copy of the terms/conditions and go back to the apple store. ask the guy to point to the place where it says you aren't covered if there are dents. If he says it's not on there, but they have some sort of "policy" about it, that is illegal. They have to disclose ALL terms of the warranty. they can't just make up terms, because you didn't agree with those when you bought the service plan.

Look a little more closely. Under b. Limitations we have:

(ii) Damage to the Covered Equipment caused by accident, abuse, neglect, misuse...

If we use your logic, we could drive over the Powerbook with a car and demand Apple repair any damages because it doesn't state anything about running over it with a car.

This is an unfortunate situation and in all likelihood, the dents due to abuse/neglect on your part didn't cause the hard drive to fail. But you must realize that a hard drive is a delicate mechanism which can't withstand a whole lot of abuse, so the argument can be made on Apple's part that your abuse/neglect has caused the damage.

I've had two aluminum Apple laptops and neither had any dents or anything more than a superficial scratch. I would suggest you take better care of your equipment.

xUKHCx · Sep 30, 2007

I would suggest trying to take it in again and get a different (more friendly genius) to look at it. Try and pick the one that has a smile and looks happy. They might just put it through especially if you are really chatty.

disconap · Sep 30, 2007

Techs at Applestores vary; some are sticklers for the policy to the letter, others will spend 6 hours working on your G3 ibook two years past warranty with no Applecare and not charge you a dime (true story!). Just depends who you get, really.

If Apple sends it back to you saying the Applecare policy was void, replace the hdd yourself, don't pay them for it. You can get a hdd for around $80-150 that will work perfectly, or a used one for less, and another $12 will get you the tools you need. And here is a site that will tell you how to do it with visual guides (I've worked on several ibooks, it's pretty easy, but it does take a couple hours):

http://www.faqintosh.com/risorse/en/guides/hw/ibook/g4hd/

Be SURE to use static protection (bracelets are about $5) and I usually use a piece of cardboard and a pen to keep track of where the screws go. There are a LOT of screws. Just draw very basic diagrams of each step and stick the screws into the cardboard as you go, you'll be glad you did when you start reassembling...

But that is last resort since you paid for Applecare, and Apple are usually very fair with their repair policies, though (as you've experienced) you may have to go through a few people before you get what you want. Make sure they know that you are not approving any costs without consent when you send it in. Good luck!

pianodude123 · Sep 30, 2007

Fuchal said:
They did the same to me for my Powerbook a few years ago.

It's really simple to replace the hard drive yourself in the 15" and 17" models.

I know... but #1: opening the powerbook voids the warranty... (stupid)

and #2: I didn't pay $350 for a warranty for nothing...

Hey... lets all give apple $350 for absolutely nothing... and then they can keep $250 of it... and give the rest to n00b iphone people who bought before price drops. People should be getting upset at this... that they don't even replace/support the thing that made them famous... the mac... nevermind a stupid $100 rebate on a goddamn phone. Now that they have fricken marketshare, they dont give two shi*ts about mac consumers.

disconap · Sep 30, 2007

I've never purchased Applecare for any machine. I've found that fixing it myself is 99.9% of the time more cost-effective than the Applecare policy.

pianodude123 · Sep 30, 2007

disconap said:
I've never purchased Applecare for any machine. I've found that fixing it myself is 99.9% of the time more cost-effective than the Applecare policy.

What if you get a screen that fails... or worse.. a logic board.... you're in for at least $400 just for the part...

theman · Sep 30, 2007

aquajet said:
Look a little more closely. Under b. Limitations we have:

(ii) Damage to the Covered Equipment caused by accident, abuse, neglect, misuse...

If we use your logic, we could drive over the Powerbook with a car and demand Apple repair any damages because it doesn't state anything about running over it with a car.

This is an unfortunate situation and in all likelihood, the dents due to abuse/neglect on your part didn't cause the hard drive to fail. But you must realize that a hard drive is a delicate mechanism which can't withstand a whole lot of abuse, so the argument can be made on Apple's part that your abuse/neglect has caused the damage.

I've had two aluminum Apple laptops and neither had any dents or anything more than a superficial scratch. I would suggest you take better care of your equipment.

Yes, but there is no way they can prove that the dents caused the hard drive to fail. If you run over it with a car, it's pretty obvious why the computer no longer works. Unless they can prove that the force required to dent the powerbook was enough to break a hard drive (300 G's of acceleration for most commercial drives) and the force was directed at the HDD... I am relatively sure the hdd is stronger than the thin aluminum of the pb. Also, do they have some sort of secret rule about the number of dents allowed?

On another note, they use the words "act of god" well, does that mean if you don't believe in god and your macbook gets destroyed in a tornado it's still covered?

Naimfan · Sep 30, 2007

Can you post a couple of pictures of your PB?

MacAficionado · Sep 30, 2007

Naimfan said:
Can you post a couple of pictures of your PB?

Yes, please, maybe that your concept of a few dents is different from others. So lets see it.

The Flashing Fi · Sep 30, 2007

theman said:
Yes, but there is no way they can prove that the dents caused the hard drive to fail. If you run over it with a car, it's pretty obvious why the computer no longer works. Unless they can prove that the force required to dent the powerbook was enough to break a hard drive (300 G's of acceleration for most commercial drives) and the force was directed at the HDD... I am relatively sure the hdd is stronger than the thin aluminum of the pb. Also, do they have some sort of secret rule about the number of dents allowed?

On another note, they use the words "act of god" well, does that mean if you don't believe in god and your macbook gets destroyed in a tornado it's still covered?

There is also no way that you can prove that those dents didn't cause the HDD failure. It's a two way street, but Apple is more likely to side with their side of the street, if you catch my drift.

I'm not saying that the OP broke his laptop, or that the dents broke the laptop, but from the Apple Store's point of view, they don't have to honor the warranty since it's been voided due to the dents. However, many companies will still honor their warranty to maintain a good reputation.

Go back there and find another guy who will help you.

pianodude123 · Oct 1, 2007

See attatched for pictures. The powerbook has the expected damage of a 2 year old computer. It has one "major" dent on the side, and that is really all...

Naimfan · Oct 1, 2007

Wow.

Go back, be very polite, and talk to the manager. Seems ludicrous from the pictures that they'd deny Applecare. Or, if you can, try another store.

If that doesn't work, I'd write corporate.

Good luck!

majordude · Oct 1, 2007

pianodude123 said:
...they quoted me for a $600 repair because the hard drive is dead, and they won't fix it because the computer has "too many dents."

First off, a new HD plus labor should be less than $300. (You can buy a large drive and do it yourself for less than $175.)

Second, your computer DOES have too many dents. The extended warrantee is for material failures... electronics, HD, screen... wear and tear type of stuff. When you start playing street hockey with your Mac (and using it as the puck) you void that warrantee. It's only common sense.

caffeeneaddict · Oct 1, 2007

pianodude123 said:
What if you get a screen that fails... or worse.. a logic board.... you're in for at least $400 just for the part...

I had a failed logic board once and it cost me 250 to fix it myself, and apple wanted to charge me $1000. So even if it had cost almost $400 I probably would have bought it again.

IDANNY · Oct 1, 2007

pianodude123 said:
I know... but #1: opening the powerbook voids the warranty... (stupid)

and #2: I didn't pay $350 for a warranty for nothing...

Hey... lets all give apple $350 for absolutely nothing... and then they can keep $250 of it... and give the rest to n00b iphone people who bought before price drops. People should be getting upset at this... that they don't even replace/support the thing that made them famous... the mac... nevermind a stupid $100 rebate on a goddamn phone. Now that they have fricken marketshare, they dont give two shi*ts about mac consumers.

1. Well if your warranty was already void cause of the dents why would it matter if you replaced it yourself (stupid)

2. I think when you send it to them they will just fix it they wont even say anything about the dents. I have always had better luck sending my computers then getting help at the store.

Clipse79 · Oct 1, 2007

I`m sure there is a clause about things saying beyond normal wear and tear. I worked at Futureshop in Canada for those that don`t know and i`m sure its a different program then Apple`s but when they see dents they assume dropped and that is what caused the issues and well not there fault or electronic breakdown....

Clipse79 · Oct 1, 2007

emac82 said:
Ditto.

Opps...Went over this...Exactly...

aquajet · Oct 1, 2007

pianodude123 said:
The powerbook has the expected damage of a 2 year old computer.

For someone who is a trifle careless with their equipment, then I guess that would be the case. Thinking back at how much money I spent on my MBP, however, I could never imagine myself being quite as dismissive.

pianodude123 · Oct 1, 2007

I'm very sorry if you all think this laptop was treated poorly. No, it was not abused or neglected. It was taken every day with me back and forth to work, in a PELICAN CASE, the strongest in the world...

In the pictures, the dents look exaggerated because of the flash and i zoomed in on just sections with the dents. However, if you used your MBP nearly as much as this one was used, you will be surprised just how many "battle scars" it can get.

I have a 2.33 GHz MacBook Pro that I also use, and that is flawless. However, I do not drag it back and forth with me every day, so it would have no right to be anything but.

My Mac Pro is also flawless. So please stop the insults and ranting, I do take good care of my computers, but because I bought this one used about 1 year ago, it came with a couple dents on it. It was a coworker, so I know he did not abuse it either. And it's worked perfectly up until a few days ago.

I think i've gotten most of the help i need so far, but I was wondering if anybody's tried using an apple authorized service provider instead of shipping it directly to apple. I ordered a box, and I wrote a note to include to the tech who works on my computer, so they will feel that their work is appreciated.

Naimfan · Oct 1, 2007

pianodude123 said:
I'm very sorry if you all think this laptop was treated poorly. No, it was not abused or neglected. It was taken every day with me back and forth to work, in a PELICAN CASE, the strongest in the world...

In the pictures, the dents look exaggerated because of the flash and i zoomed in on just sections with the dents. However, if you used your MBP nearly as much as this one was used, you will be surprised just how many "battle scars" it can get.

I have a 2.33 GHz MacBook Pro that I also use, and that is flawless. However, I do not drag it back and forth with me every day, so it would have no right to be anything but.

My Mac Pro is also flawless. So please stop the insults and ranting, I do take good care of my computers, but because I bought this one used about 1 year ago, it came with a couple dents on it. It was a coworker, so I know he did not abuse it either. And it's worked perfectly up until a few days ago.

I think i've gotten most of the help i need so far, but I was wondering if anybody's tried using an apple authorized service provider instead of shipping it directly to apple. I ordered a box, and I wrote a note to include to the tech who works on my computer, so they will feel that their work is appreciated.

Using a Apple authorized service provider is probably a good idea--they will probably be less likely to question small dents and so on. And I agree with you--I don't see anything in your pictures that says "abused!" Unless I'm missing something, looks like normal wear and tear to me. I've seen far worse machines handed over at the Genius Bar with no questions asked.

In any event--good luck with it, and let us know how it goes.

HELP:Applecare void because too many dents?

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 68030

macrumors 68020

Administrator emeritus

macrumors 68000

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 68000

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 6502a

Suspended

macrumors 6502

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 6502a

Attachments

Suspended

macrumors 68020

macrumors regular

macrumors 6502a

macrumors regular

macrumors regular

macrumors 68020

macrumors 6502a

Suspended

Our Staff