We generally do not comment on individual service repairs for folks, as we do tens of thousands of board rebuilds, system repairs, and other upgrades for folks every year, and we appreciate each of our customers. In fact, we've never commented before on this site, regarding our many customers.
I want to clarify the situation regarding this customer, as a dishonest and libelous post of this nature is particularly harmful to our business and our staff.
Based on the username of the posting (which matches the name and email prefix of the person in question), we have confirmed the records regarding this individual. All relevant data here is taken from our database and email records regarding her repair.
The person in question purchased a refurbished Macbook Pro in person from our shop in June 24, of 2010. [This individual resides about 8 miles from our downtown Columbia facility - her personal information will be protected here, even though she has chosen to libel us in a public manner].
On June 6 of 2011 (almost one year AFTER purchase), she brought it back to our shop, requesting repairs on the system, as her son had dropped a stereo speaker on it and smashed the laptop.
At the time she dropped it off, she signed the written service agreement (which states in very clear English the terms of repair process, and notes that systems abandoned are scrapped after 30 days to cover costs). This document is on file today in our shop with her signature on it.
The MacbookPro was fully tested and diagnosed that same morning, and the customer was called back that afternoon (6/6/11) by our service manager Nate, who went over the various needed parts and advised her as to cost and repairs.
At that point she demanded that we replace the battery for the system as a warranty (despite the fact that the battery was physically damaged by the speaker cabinet AND was NINE MONTHS beyond the 90 day warranty for a used battery)..
She was offered a new original Apple battery for $109.50 (which was 20% below Apple's MSRP at that time), and was given a number of options for repair of her system (including used parts, new parts, and straightening of damaged/bent components).
The customer advised that she would "need to think about it" as she did want to pay for a battery and that she thought it was unfair. She was advised on the phone call that she would have 30 days to decide and to let us know.
She did not ever call us back. We shelved the system, and waited to hear from her.
We called her again on 6/16/11 at 4:59pm, and she reaffirmed that she was still undecided on the repair, and was looking elsewhere for the battery. Our service rep Alex advised her then that we'd wait to hear from her, and advised again as to the timeline.
Weeks turned into months. She did not call again.
Eleven months passed. We emailed her (on 5/23/2012) that the system would be scrapped if not paid for, and asked if she could advise us.. The system was never claimed, and neither she nor her son called or wrote back regarding it. Sometime in June 2012 (around a year after the laptop was left with us), it was scrapped to cover our service costs and the parts used for other systems.
The customer did not reply by email, did not come by our shop, didn't call us, and in fact, didn't contact us again regarding the laptop until 9/6/2012 (more than 15 months after dropping the system off). We had emailed her, called her, and held the system for more than 11 months for her. It was at this point that she threatened to defame us (which she did on this site) if we would not replace the laptop for her at no cost).
Regarding legality
Most states have laws regarding unclaimed or abandoned property. Our policy regarding abandoned computers is per our state laws - which dictate 30 days. This isn't a secret-it's generally published in most state's laws. It is there for the protection of the customer AND that of the vendor - this is why states enact such laws, to provide for an honest and fair business for customer and provider..
We agreed (in writing which the customer signed) to diagnose and advise for repairs. The customer agreed to advise us within that timeline (30 days) and to either cancel or pick up the system. Now, just like every other small business, we have very real payroll, utilities, and other bills, so when someone is so inconsiderate as to abandoned a system, refuses to pay for service or even return a phone call, we have to recover our costs. It is not criminal - it is just basic business.
Occasionally someone simply forgets for a few weeks or even a month. But unfortunately, this was more than a year - actually 15 months!
The individual failed to mention in her posting that she left the computer and didn't bother to return calls or check on it for 15 months. Unfortunately, as the system was already scrapped and gone, we couldn't simply make it re-appear. We tried to work with her, but her demand was that we get the system back for her - an impossibility! She then made a complaint against us with the Better Business Bureau (after calling us several times and cursing out our staff). Unfortunately, she's refused to resolve it, so our BBB records currently show this issue.
It is an unfortunate situation, and we understand that things happen. However, abandoning a laptop for over a year, then defaming the company is not an honest method of interaction.
So sorry for the lengthy documentation, but I felt it necessary to clarify. When folks feel they can justify themselves by defamation, it becomes ugly.
Regarding the Pismo processor complaints as noted. We have been producing the Pismo upgrade kit since 2004 (quite possibly the oldest and longest-produced upgrade kit ever for a Mac!). To date, these are our best-ever selling kit, and are being used on every continent of the world (except perhaps Antartica).
Early on in production (2005-2006), there were a handful of instances where cards failed prematurely, and this led to customer complaints. We determined over time that this was generally due to improper installation, as a handful of the complaints were found to have heat-related failures (folks didn't install heat-sink assemblies and thermal paste properly, and the units overheated prematurely as a result). In general, we help the customer with a replacement unit if possible, or a discounted repair (if they actually burned it up or physically damaged it). This is possible because we do PCB board-level repair, so we can rebuild entire logic boards, to help the customer save cost whenever possible. We have several computer-controlled PCB hot-air reflow systems for BGA work, microsoldering systems, an ultrasonic cleaning system, and thousands of dollars worth of hand-soldering tools.
To help eliminate this installation issue, we overhauled our entire kit, and included a more thorough instruction guide. In general, we've found that this issue has been generally resolved (though sometimes folks simply don't follow the instructions still to this day!). This kit is still in production (though it'll probably be phased out soon as our stock of the 7410LE chipset is getting lower), and it is a great way to extend the life of a very solid laptop.
With the thousands of these in use, of course there will be someone with an unhappy situation, one that fails prematurely, or some other odd issue.. But, that's why we warranty them for a year..... If you've got a problem, call us - we stand behind them! We aren't faceless individuals behind a curtain-we love our Macs just like everybody else, and we'll help you get the most out of your system! Seriously-who else is crazy enough to offer a processor upgrade on a 12+ year old laptop?!
Of course we stand behind everything we provide - we've been in business for decades, operating under the same business name (unlike a number of our competitors who have changed names several times in past years).
We maintain the exact same phone number that we've had for more than a decade (803-926-1555), and we aren't exactly hiding. Our facility is located in downtown Columbia, and we are happy to help anybody during normal business hours, or emails for help. If anyone has a complaint or issue, they're always welcome to call our shop or stop by - that's why we're here! We'll treat you fairly, and we'll help you however we can.
It is unfortunate that, as humans, we sometimes only see one side of an issue. In today's world, the nature of web searches is such that it "pre-filters" responses in such a way as to narrow one's information, so a simple google search is generally going to return with a number of one-sided perspectives. (if you're reading this, its quite likely because you've "googled" us and landed here).....
And airing one's laundry in public is never considered polite, so it leaves folks like ourselves in a bit of a quandary. How do you handle a complaint when you arrive at a point where can't satisfy the customer? Do you air the "laundry", all the details, do you protect the individual's information, or do you "lay it all out"? Do you deny everything and ignore them? If you discuss problems like this, it often comes across as one-sided, or becomes a "he said, she said" cat fight...
Sad, a bit unfortunate (and from a legal perspective, it puts even the folks who run forums in a legal conundrum), when someone such as this individual makes libelous and false accusations. Personally, I hate it. We have hundreds of personal friends as clients, some stretching decades.. So we hate having a problem, and we want to resolve them whenever possible.
We could easily create a website full of fake praise for our business, as do many Mac service companies (ever heard of reputation.com?-> you can now "buy" good reputation!) , but this would be both a dishonest and misleading process.
We've chosen instead to build a business for decades the old-fashioned way--doing service for folks one Mac at a time, providing all the help we can, and if needed, reaching out to help any way we can. Sometimes this means fixing something for free, sometimes it means trying to help the customer find a part which is impossible to locate, and sometimes it means hours of unpaid phone support. It certainly doesn't make us rich, but we go to sleep at night knowing we've done our best by every customer possible.
The used & legacy Mac market is full of folks who want the most out of their Mac without breaking the bank in the process. That's been our niche for years. We don't claim to corner the market, but we do our very best to provide a great system or service at a very reasonable price. And we stand behind each & every system, part, or widget that we supply.
That's who we are and that's how we operate. Unfortunately there are some folks who mistake our honesty for weakness, and then try to badger or threaten us into doing something for nothing. Unfortunate, yes, but it's reality - every business experiences this.. And while we try our best to help everybody get the most out of their Mac, we also have bills to pay just like everybody else. We aren't perfect, but if we mess up, we fix it. But we ask for a fair and honest exchange with our customers as well.
We go to great lengths to provide quality products at the best price possible. Our newly updated website is now based on a live feed from our refurbish shop's database, and we actually photograph EVERY system when it completes the burn-in process in our refurb shop. So now you can see (in full-size photos) the exact system that you're buying, complete with blemishes, etc.
It is our best method of showing the customer EXACTLY what they're getting. We strive to be as blatantly honest with our customers as possible, which is why we've undertaken a process of this nature. We warranty every system at least 90 days, and offer up to a year additional coverage against non-abuse failure (sorry, but if you drop a 50lb speaker cabinet on it, well, we aren't gonna cover THAT!).
So, if you've taken the time to read this rather long epistle, good for you! I hope it clarifies things a bit! Our website & phone numbers are all listed below, and our email contact info is on our site. Just email or call - we're happy to help however we can!
I understand just as much as the next guy, that there are a thousand scam artists out there - we've seen them just like you have. But that's not us. We are here, we've been here for years, and we'll be here to help you get the best Mac experience you can.
Thanks,
David
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Wegener Media
1928 Taylor St
Columbia, SC 29201
8776227795 - sales & support
8039261555 - office
2128574931 - fax
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http://www.wegenermedia.com
Wegener Media sells computers that are left for diagosis/repair after 30 days if not picked up. That's criminal! I bought a used computer from them for my son for graduation. The computer cost $1000. Within 6 months the defected battery imploded. Since my son was at school, I had to wait until he brought it home to take it to them. They would not warranty it, and quoted a high price for a new battery and other parts. I told my son to go by and pick it up. He forgot. When I finally called about it, they had sold it for the $65 diagnostic fee. A $1000 computer for a $65 diagnostic fee because he had not picked it up in a timely manner (within 30 days). They didn't even bother to pick up the phone and tell me they would sell it if it was not picked up.
Definitely, do not take your computer there for repair and don't bother buying anything from them because the warrantly isn't any good either.
