rMBP: ships in 3-5 weeks = 3-5 week loss of warranty coverage

[Fgirl]

rMBP: ships in 3-5 weeks = 3-5 week loss of warranty coverage

sort of. not for the rMBP itself, but for the other items purchased on the same order, such as tb displays, this is true.

on june 11 i order a full-spec rMBP, a pair of thunderbolt displays, and some other bits. the shipping estimate was 3-5 weeks. but the 2 thunderbolt displays etc on the same order shipped on june 11 and the warranty clock started ticking immediately on those items.

(i've gone through alot of 30" cinema displays (~$1800 each), every one of them had the flickering problem, and more than once i've hauled them down to the apple store for repairs in the last remaining days of coverage.)

so when my rMBP (finally) arrives in what may well be a month and a half after the monitors arrived, i've lost a month and a half of coverage on the pair of monitors. (i don't really care about the coverage on the other accessories) i checked the coverage online and confirmed that the clock has started ticking for the tb displays, even though the rMBP with which they are intended to be used hasn't yet shipped...

i call apple and get bounced through 3 differently named 'departments', all pleasantly saying "yep, that's how it works, you lose the coverage of the monitors for that period of time, but let me double check". a fourth person, in the 'online sales' department immediately saw the inequity of the policy, stating "this is apple, we don't do things that way" and passed me along to the 'customer relations' department. there, i was told that they "if needed, we would probably extend the coverage of the monitors to match the rMBP on the same order which was delivered many weeks later, but i'm not sure. i've never seen shipping delays as long as this. i'll put a note on the order that the rMBP for which the monitors are intended was inordinately delayed."

at this point i'm finding myself no longer amused, and decide to take it on faith that apple will do the right thing should the need arise. they have in the past. i'd just like to know it's a stated policy somewhere. it seems to me that if other people who find themselves similarly situated were to express their concern to apple, apple may form a more discernible policy for this situation.

and no, no one offered me a free usb-drive or whatever.

 

[Macman756]

No need to get all pissy. Your warranty is in effect as soon as the product actually ships. If not, ask for an adjustment from AppleCare.

 

[northernpaul]

Sometimes even the best companies mess up customer service. In that case, I'd email Tim Cook

 

[Fgirl]

No need to get all pissy. Your warranty is in effect as soon as the product actually ships. If not, ask for an adjustment from AppleCare.

another victim of the written word's lack of inflection.
who's pissy? i'm not pissy, they're not pissy, the online sales guy and i even had a nice conversation about vintage mac 128k's. everyone i spoke to there was a bit stymied because they couldn't find a direct answer.

in any case, i think you miss the point, that being that the warranty 'does' take effect as soon as the product actually ships, even if the 'other half' of the product won't ship for many weeks. applecare said they have at this time no stated policy for this situation. the rep could not tell me what would happen if i needed to use the coverage during that overlap of the coverage dates.

 

[iDabble]

Sometimes even the best companies mess up customer service. In that case, I'd email Tim Cook

Agreed. If they can't help you on the phone then get in touch with the CEO, that's the only other option...

 

[Slowball41]

actually i ordered launch day and got it a little over a week later, the warranty starts the day you order, according to my punching my serial number in apples support check up, so you will lose the time

 

[TheMacBookPro]

That's actually sort of how I would expect it to work, when you get the item that's when the warranty clock starts ticking, regardless of whatever else you have ordered.

Had Apple delayed your computer or something like that, then I would understand asking for an extension, but if it was already 3-5 weeks when you ordered the laptop while the other items were 'ships within 24 hours', you should have known that the other items would arrive first. (they even give you an estimated delivery date in the checkout cart)

I would have ordered the accessories later had I seen that it would be estimated to arrive several weeks before the item I plan on using the accessories with.

I'm not an Apple apologist (far from it), but what were you expecting? To receive the accessories and have the warranty not start until the rest of the order arrives? (not mocking you here, I'm genuinely curious)

actually i ordered launch day and got it a little over a week later, the warranty starts the day you order, according to my punching my serial number in apples support check up, so you will lose the time

I think the warranty starts ticking when your machine is completed and given an individual serial number- my box was marked June 15 and the warranty checker says it's good until June 15 2013. (I ordered on Jun-11)

You could probably ask them to adjust it with proof of delivery date via the UPS/FedEx tracking number.

 

[Fgirl]

That's actually sort of how I would expect it to work, when you get the item that's when the warranty clock starts ticking, regardless of whatever else you have ordered.

Had Apple delayed your computer or something like that, then I would understand asking for an extension, but if it was already 3-5 weeks when you ordered the laptop while the other items were 'ships within 24 hours', you should have known that the other items would arrive first. (they even give you an estimated delivery date in the checkout cart)

I would have ordered the accessories later had I seen that it would be estimated to arrive several weeks before the item I plan on using the accessories with.

I'm not an Apple apologist (far from it), but what were you expecting? To receive the accessories and have the warranty not start until the rest of the order arrives? (not mocking you here, I'm genuinely curious)


I think the warranty starts ticking when your machine is completed and given an individual serial number- my box was marked June 15 and the warranty checker says it's good until June 15 2013. (I ordered on Jun-11)

You could probably ask them to adjust it with proof of delivery date via the UPS/FedEx tracking number.

in order for apple care to cover an external monitor and accessories, they must be on the same order, ordered at the same time. i just wanted to know how they would deal with extended shipping delays of the main item that the other items are for.

kinda goofy exaggerated comparison, but like if you order a pair of shoes with a 30-day warranty, and the left shoe is delayed for 35 days, but they ship the right side shoe straight away and start the 30 day warranty clock immediately. you wont even get the left shoe until after the warranty has expired.

keep in mind, the rMBP warranty is whole, but the dependent items shipped many weeks earlier are technically being shorted on their coverage.

 

[TheMacBookPro]

in order for apple care to cover an external monitor and accessories, they must be on the same order, ordered at the same time. i just wanted to know how they would deal with extended shipping delays of the main item that the other items are for.

kinda goofy exaggerated comparison, but like if you order a pair of shoes with a 30-day warranty, and the left shoe is delayed for 35 days, but they ship the right side shoe straight away and start the 30 day warranty clock immediately. you wont even get the left shoe until after the warranty has expired.

keep in mind, the rMBP warranty is whole, but the dependent items shipped many weeks earlier are technically being shorted on their coverage.

D'OH, I feel like such an idiot now! I just remembered that ordering the MacBook Pro AppleCare covers the accessories as well- I completely understand why you're disappointed now.

I thought you'd purchased separate AppleCare for the displays but just realized that they're covered under your MBP's AC, which technically shouldn't come into effect until the laptop is delivered Sorry about that!

 

[iViking]

rMBP: ships in 3-5 weeks = 3-5 week loss of warranty coverage

sort of. not for the rMBP itself, but for the other items purchased on the same order, such as tb displays, this is true.

on june 11 i order a full-spec rMBP, a pair of thunderbolt displays, and some other bits. the shipping estimate was 3-5 weeks. but the 2 thunderbolt displays etc on the same order shipped on june 11 and the warranty clock started ticking immediately on those items.

(i've gone through alot of 30" cinema displays (~$1800 each), every one of them had the flickering problem, and more than once i've hauled them down to the apple store for repairs in the last remaining days of coverage.)

so when my rMBP (finally) arrives in what may well be a month and a half after the monitors arrived, i've lost a month and a half of coverage on the pair of monitors. (i don't really care about the coverage on the other accessories) i checked the coverage online and confirmed that the clock has started ticking for the tb displays, even though the rMBP with which they are intended to be used hasn't yet shipped...

i call apple and get bounced through 3 differently named 'departments', all pleasantly saying "yep, that's how it works, you lose the coverage of the monitors for that period of time, but let me double check". a fourth person, in the 'online sales' department immediately saw the inequity of the policy, stating "this is apple, we don't do things that way" and passed me along to the 'customer relations' department. there, i was told that they "if needed, we would probably extend the coverage of the monitors to match the rMBP on the same order which was delivered many weeks later, but i'm not sure. i've never seen shipping delays as long as this. i'll put a note on the order that the rMBP for which the monitors are intended was inordinately delayed."

at this point i'm finding myself no longer amused, and decide to take it on faith that apple will do the right thing should the need arise. they have in the past. i'd just like to know it's a stated policy somewhere. it seems to me that if other people who find themselves similarly situated were to express their concern to apple, apple may form a more discernible policy for this situation.

and no, no one offered me a free usb-drive or whatever.

Interesting point and one I haven't seen anyone mention before. Seems it's best to start the warranty once each of all the products ordered has been signed for by the recipient.

 

[Jeff3f]

safari just ate my post (I hit command z one too many times...)

I think it'd be best to line this up and get it in writing now...when it's clear your just seeking peace of mind and not trying to get something extra (i.e. odds are good that you won't have any issues and the extension of warranty won't cost apple anything). Good to not have to worry about that, and probably easiest to get solved now rather than later.

It's tricky, but if you were waiting for the rMBP to install the displays this is the way to go. If not, then it's probably not fair--though we all have probably gotten something "extra" from Apple for our happiness (probably very shrewd and worked to secure me as a PC-to-mac convert from my iPod entry device!).