Apple Reportedly Addressing Fraud by Third-Party Service Centers

[Michaelgtrusa]

Number 1 on the fraud list should be....

Best Buy.

I have personally overheard conversations by sales people telling an innocent couple they need to purchase the Best Buy protection plan. (Because it is better than Apple Care) Just as I would in any case, I enter myself into the conversation and tell the consumer they do not need to buy Best Buy's plan and can wait up to a year to purchase AppleCare, for les money than the BB protection BS. As the sales person back peddles, I find they are often incredibly misinformed and are simply reading from a script.

I have always had an OK experience at Best Buy, but I would NEVER suggest to anyone purchasing an Apple product from Best Buy, or bringing it back to the store for repair. It absolutely IRRITATES me when I see a beautiful brand new iMac sitting back in their Geek Squad, knowing a family was ripped off by some up-sell. IMHO, their tactics are no less deceiving than this other fraud being described.

Agreed.

 

[Dunepilot]

The customers, the AASPs, but perhaps the biggest source of fraudulent costs to Apple is the Genius Bar employee.
These folks can issue a CS code for any part for any reason. Including replacing an entire unit. My understanding is that they have the power to replace a machine even if there is obvious liquid or impact damage and there is little to no oversight of the CS codes issued.

CS codes are not Genius Bar employees defrauding Apple - the CS code exists to right a situation where a customer has had a bad experience and a small part of the Genius role is to exercise discretion and repair that relationship between the customer and Apple.

CS codes do get checked by senior management, and I honestly can't see a situation where a Genius would waste a code on a case of liquid or impact damage where it could be better applied to a customer who was a week out of warrantee and suffered a logic board failure. Apple Stores also have a culture of Fearless Feedback, i.e. staff pulling each other up if something is unacceptable. The reality is that Geniuses scrutinise each others' work pretty closely, and a misused CS code like that wouldn't wash when the staff member on repairs got to the machine.

 

[charlituna]

Number 1 on the fraud list should be....

Best Buy.

probably won't surprise you to find out that several Best Buy stores were being investigated for defrauding customers. It seems that on high end items like computers and tvs the stores are rated on that little "Protection Plan" add on.
in a handful of stores, the sales staff would do their pitch and then go to sell whatever and if the person didn't want The Plan "oh i'm sorry it looks like we are out of that item". the bosses were turning the other way about it cause if the percents are really high, they get bonuses.