1.33 12" powerbook problems right out of the box

[Chrispy]

Hello. I posted part of this problem in another thread but then I figured I would stop taking over that one and make my own. Here is the issue. I ordered a BTO powerbook and just received it yesterday evening. I was concerned about it having a bad pixel in the monitor because this has happened to me before. I sent an e-mail (to have it in writing) to the apple support people asking them if the screen would be check before it was shipped. I said I did not want to receive a computer with a bad pixel in the monitor because I had had problems in the past. The tech support replied saying that there would be no dead pixels becasue that kind of thing gets checked. However....., when I booted up the computer right away I noticed a pixel stuck on white in the upper left part of the screen! Also, my bluetooth disappears every once and awhile when the laptop is in clamshell mode.

What makes me mad about this is they said they would check for something that they did not. It is a BTO and they say they do not take returns on those but frankly I think that is CRAP because you pay extra to have it a BTO and wait forever to get it, so if you have a problem they darn well better take care of it. I know they will give me a fight but has anyone else been in this kind of a situation and what was your luck? I would like to have apple give me a replacement but I know my wait time will be a long time with the updates coming so soon. Since I have that e-mail contact with customer support do you think I will have any luck? Any opinions would be great. Thanks all!

 

[Solafaa]

That sucks, i am sorry. I would call them if i was you and try to talk to the person who sent me the email. I am sure they would not do anythign about it but it could be your lucky day.

 

[slipper]

i seriously question the work ethic of the guys on the 1-800 line... i had a 'problem' with them before and ive heard a couple of the same problems with others also.

 

[bubbamac]

Good luck. I think you've got a long row to hoe.

When the guy you talked to on the phone said "those kinds of things are checked out," he wasn't lying. Apple's got a clear policy on dead pixels, and your PB falls within their acceptable standards. Sounds to me like you've been down that road before, so you probably knew of the policy somewhat intimately.

You knew beforehand that they don't take returns on BTO machines.

Whew. I wish you luck, but I don't think it's going to happen.

On the other hand, if it did, it would be a really great thing for Apple.

Just on a side note, would you agree to a "restocking fee" of 10-15 percent? Seems reasonable to me, considering you're clearly outside of Apple's stated policy. If so, try offering that.

 

[mduser63]

Unfortunately, I think the other posters are right about the stuck pixel. However, the fact that the tech said it would be checked out before being shipped gives you a little something to go on. The Bluetooth problem on the other hand should definitely be addressed. Don't let them off the hook easily.

 

[SpliceDWDM0]

Unfortunately, I think the other posters are right about the stuck pixel. However, the fact that the tech said it would be checked out before being shipped gives you a little something to go on. The Bluetooth problem on the other hand should definitely be addressed. Don't let them off the hook easily.

legally though, I believe you're SOL. The only thing you have going for you, is the hope that Apple will exceed customer expectations.

Remember, an employee of Apple can not provide you an "offer" that supercedes the company's existing policy (it's doubtful that a CSR rep has the authority). As far as I can recall from my computer law class, there are still issues surrounding 'offer and acceptance' (a contract) through e-mail.

 

[Chrispy]

Thanks for all the help and opinions. I am calling them today to see what they say. I will post the results of my call to them on this thread. From how it sounds on here I am pretty much screwed. Hmm... well we will see...

 

[Chrispy]

Ok the verdict is in. As expected, they would not do an exchange. However, they did credit my account $50 for my troubles which I guess is something. The pixel is stuck on white but it will go black if the screen has black in the area where the pixel is. Kinda strange but oh well it works out well when I am watching movies because then I don't even notice it. The other thing that makes it ok I guess is that the pixel is on the white menu bar at the top of the screen so you can't really see it there either. Oh well, I just wish Apple would be honest with their customers about policies when you purchase the computer. I still love my powerbook anyways

 

[AdmittedPCuser]

So if this order was not BTO, would Apple have exchanged the notebook? What would have happened if a standard PowerBook was ordered?

 

[Chrispy]

Well, I have had this happen before on a stock unit and they did exchange it for me. However, because this was BTO I got screwed. It is nice to know that Apple will gladly take more money from you only to screw you over when you have a problem. This will be the last BTO system I ever order and I imagine this powerbook will find its way to be on sale (at a discount of course) so I can replace it with something else in the next six months. Grrrrr. F-- for Apple's customer care in this situation

 

[JLaFrance]

Well, I have had this happen before on a stock unit and they did exchange it for me. However, because this was BTO I got screwed. It is nice to know that Apple will gladly take more money from you only to screw you over when you have a problem. This will be the last BTO system I ever order and I imagine this powerbook will find its way to be on sale (at a discount of course) so I can replace it with something else in the next six months. Grrrrr. F-- for Apple's customer care in this situation

Can't you sometimes "massage" a dead pixel away? Dunno if you've tried that..

 

[IDANNY]

That is wrong

Dont let them do that to you. Call them and tell them you want a replacement . What they did you was not fair. If they refuse which would be crazy if you ask me. Tell them you wanna talk to your supervisor. Think of it like this if you got a powerbook that would not start would that be okay because it is a bto. No get a replacement you need one. 50 bucks will not even cover how much it will take down the resale value.

 

[Lacero]

I have a stuck pixel on the upper left of the screen as well. I've had the PB for over 9 months now, and honestly, I don't notice it as much as when I first got it. LCD policies for bad pixels is in the range of 4 dead pixels. So 1 dead pixel is better than 4. We all wish for no dead pixels, but then again, no one wants to play a $xxx premium for such perfection.

 

[allisonv7]

That would drive me crazy. If I were you I would consider taking it into the store and seeing what they can do. Who knows, they may be able to hook you up or give you a solution. I'd much rather talk to someone in person about that if I were you.


allison.

 

[Chrispy]

Thanks for all the replies. You are all like my support team of sorts So, some of you think I should keep being persistant about this? Would going into a store really help me at all? The problem is, it is an hour drive to the nearest store in Chicago (I live in Valparaiso, IN in the middle of nowhere haha). I do not want to drive all the way out there and have then say no. Plus, if the new powerbooks come out on Tuesday will that cause even more of a conflict since they will not be able to give me the same thing? The more opinions the better. I really, really apprecaite everyone's input on this situation. You have all been very helpful

 

[DanTekGeek]

ive also read about "massaging" dead pixels. This is the one big problem I have with apple. If i am going to pay 2500+ bucks for a laptop, it better be fsking prefect. That is why I am hoping that the new PBs will have 128mb vram standard, so I can check out the screen before I buy it in-store. Might want to google about the dead pixel massagve.

 

[jaromski]

hmmm...

i bought a dual 1ghz g4 a few years back with the BTO option and i got hosed the same as you. i wanted to return it after i had it for a few days but apple doesn't accept returns for bto. frankly i think it is crap. but what can you really do?

so i put it up on ebay and took a $500 hit. ouch. some lessons in life are expensive.

my latest apple purchase was last april, a 12" pb like yours. however i chose a different route, i just got the stock barebones config and bought extra memory from a good 3rd party supplier. and i think that is the only way i would do it with future apple transactions. plus your gear gets shipped way faster if it is stock. i got the pb right after it came out and it took less than a week after i ordered it to show up on my door.

some things in life just suck. apple bto is definately one of them. right near top of the list. (well ok that might be a bit dramatic)

jaromski

 

[Rod Rod]

So, some of you think I should keep being persistant about this? Would going into a store really help me at all?

You still have the bluetooth problem, so don't capitulate that point. Be persistent. They may need to replace your logic board, or if you're lucky they may replace the whole machine. More likely it'll be a logic board replacement (if it's determined that it's not a case of a bad OS install).

 

[Chrispy]

Hey all. I tried the pixel massaging thing with no luck :-( Oh well... again, all your opinions are really helping keep em coming

 

[AdmittedPCuser]

If they refuse which would be crazy if you ask me. Tell them you wanna talk to your supervisor.

I'm sure many of you know this already, but based on my own experiences of working in a call centre, asking for a manager (or a supervisor) usually amounts to the person you're talking standing up and saying "Who's free to play manager?" to the call centre team. The person who takes the call is a regular associate pretending to be the manager just to appease the customer. I'm not saying that's how Apple does it, just something to be aware of.

PS. I've never, ever, ever seen this happen at a computer company whose name starts with D and ends with L and sells directly to consumers.

PPS. In a completely unrelated story, did I ever tell you guys I used to work at Dell?

 

[DanTekGeek]

youll catch more bees with honey than with vinegar. be nice. tell them how much you love apple products, and how long you have been waiting to get this thing.

 

[Chrispy]

Finally! Resolution

Well finally, after days of debate with apple, I was able to get a return. They were trying to tell me that ALL computer companies view one pixel as acceptable. So, I did some research and found out that both Dell and IBM will let you return and exchange your computer if it has even one dead pixel in the screen. I called apple back today and informed them of this and they finally cracked and let me do an exchange. Now the real question is what powerbook will I get in its place? If the updates come out Tuesday then I would imagine I would get one of those... hmmm.. also, how long will it take for me to get a replacement now? Only time can tell the tale. I will keep you all posted on this developing issue. Overall, I am happy Apple finally saw my side but a little disapointed that it took so much work to make it happen. Oh well, all is good now and I was very impressed with the person I spoke to over the phone. Good job for him Just wanted to update you all on the situation.

 

[ibilly]

Seriously...

You have a stuck (not even dead) pixel that falls under the replacement requirements for Apple's stated policy. It is in an area that is mostly bright grey all the time (menu bar), and when it is in a situation without the menu bar, it goes black... Sounds like you're agonizing over something tiny–something that a tester might miss because it is so minor and hard to see? Now if it were dead (black all the time) or in a prominent area, it would seem like an issue, but the menu bar??? On a diff. note, how far away is the bluetooth device it flakes on when the lid is shut? Have you installed all bluetooth firmware updates? These would seem like common tech support questions. If you have done both of those, it would seem as though it were a hardware problem. That would be covered under the warranty (I believe). Send it in for a bluetooth modem replacement, and note the stuck pixel. You may not down two birsd with one repair, but the bt sounds like a legit problem.

P.S. Don't you wish Apple would move away from the all in one logic board (GPU, CPU, I/O ports, etc). If you had a seperate IO and mother board, taht would cut costs if one of the ports foul up (FireWire can do this with bad cables VERY easily), and a Graphics card that could be removed by pin. It wouldn't even need to be user srevicable. Lastly, the Hard drive should be a user serviceable part. In the Al books, it isn't, and my 40G, 4200RPM is crampin me and acting like an anchor for the entire system. This would allow customers to address the BTO options later, after they find out that they want more (or less) from their machine. I'm not talking 1400 modularity ( you could remove most any component in about a minute–CPU, Drive (hard and media), battery, keyboard, speaker grille, etc) but some upgradability beyond RAM would be nice.

 

[Chrispy]

I agree that it is a very minor issue. The reason I was so persistant with apple on this was becuase I was being fed different stories througout my purchase process. It was more for the principle that apple was going to follow through with what they told me at the time of purchase (and in the stores when I was looking). And I agree it would be much nicer to have everything more separate to make upgrading easier. Just wanted to clarify the reasoning for this whole process.