Unsatisfactory progress in faulty product (unmerchantable quality) MacBook Air.
Apple Reference # 96490xxx
Serial # W880xxDxxx.
Service Centre reference: 868xxx
Apple reference: 9649xxxx
Retailer: xxxx, Hornsby.
Authorised Service Centre: MacCentric, Chatswood.
I wish to update Apple on my unhappy experience with Apple Customer Care and with this product.
Please note the information and my grievance with this product.
I have requested a written response, in 'My grievance'.
Timeline
21 February 2008:
- Purchased from xxxxx. MacBook Air (henceforth referred to as MBA) (MB003X/A) & AppleCare (MA519/FA).
17 March:
- Unable to wake up MBA from sleep state. Symptom: Folder with a flashing ?
20 & 22 March:
- Visited Apple Reseller (JB Hifi Hornsby) Apple salesperson to advise and try to rectify problem on
MacBook Air could not find Remote Disk of nearby Macs.
- After >1hr trying various networks and computers, I was recommended to take the MBA to an Apple Service Centre.
- I left MBA at the MacCentric Service Centre, Chatswood. Job# 8681xx.
- I met and spoke with the technician (Michael) who admitted the MBA and has done all warranty work to date.
- Michael advised that if it was a software corruption issue, he would run tests.
- Michael stated he hoped to have the MBA ready with reinstalled software on Monday or Tuesday (if this was the fault) as he had time to look at the MBA on Monday.
25 March:
- Michael at MacCentric advised that the MBA had hardware issues.
- After zeroing the hard disk and reinstalling the software, he reported that the problem remained.
- Michael advised that I should contact my retailer to arrange a DOA.
- I contacted JB Hifi (contact is Iain xxxxxxxx).
- Iain advised that Apple would not allow a DOA based on the MBA fault being addressed more than 10 working days after purchase date.
- I Contacted Apple on t. 133 622.
- A service centre person took approximately 35 minutes to document all steps to date and the MacCentric Service Centre job number. (Apple job # 96490432).
- The Apple service centre person asked that I wait to be switched through to an 'Apple Customer Care' representative.
Apple Job# 9649xxxx.
- The Apple 'Customer Care' person would not allow any option other than for the service centre to replace parts.
- This process has been followed to the present day, without a satusfactory repair as of Thursday evening, 10 April.
11 April:
- At the end of today it will be 14 days in the service centre, still with the original fault.
- It will have had ten working days dedicated to a solution at the service centre.
- The technician has failed to rectify the problem through:
- system reinstall after testing and zeroing the hard disk
- replacing the thermal unit
- replacing the motherboard
- Michael has also ordered a Bluetooth/Airport module as this has reportedly not worked as well as another MBA next to it.
I believe that after all of the time, resources, parts, my daily phone calls to the service centre and after being without a working MBA for almost three weeks, I wish for Apple Australia to escalate this matter beyond its present cycle of replacing parts.
My grievance
This product is not of merchantable quality according to the Trade Practices Act 1974 and I seek Apple Australia's reponse to this issue.
I have contacted the retailer, who has indicated a willingness to replace the MacBook Air if Apple can provide a RA number.
What will Apple Australia offer in response to this unhappy experience, before I commence a grievance through Fair Trading NSW and through legal channels?
I visited the retailer yesterday (Thursday night) but the salesperson Iain was not there, so I am considering my options with the retailer and Apple, under the Trade Practices Act 1974, the Fair Trading Act 1987 and directly with the retailer.
I believe that Apple Australia needs to respond to this complaint, beyond what 'Customer Care' has dictated, given the failure of that course of repair work, to rectify the problem.
If the retailer cannot assist then I will have no other option but to escalate matters through Fair Trading NSW and legal or other action in the public arena.
Please provide a written response by e-mail as the official response from Apple to date has been entirely unsatisfactory from a consumer point of view.
Regards,
BB
