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Apple "Support" is a JOKE - I'll never buy another $3500 machine from them again.

R

rob5

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 5, 2003
107
0
Connecticut
So I bought a Mac Pro exactly one month ago. 2.66GHz with 4GB (4x1GB) Apple RAM. Everything was fine until two days ago.

I noticed that OS X was now only reporting 2GB of RAM instead of 4GB. So I opened the case, and noticed a red LED on the riser board for one of the memory sticks. I isolated the problem to this one memory stick; no matter what riser board or slot I put it into, it would display a red LED. Further, upon viewing the "Power On Self-Test" Diagnostics in System Profiler, I see:

Power On Self-Test:
Result: Failed
Failure type: Memory
Memory slot: DIMM 1/DIMM Riser B

So I figure I just need to get the memory stick replaced and I'd be good. So the lady on the phone says I can bring it to the "Genius" bar and they'd replace it. I go there today and after about 25 minutes of who knows what they were doing in the back room, the guy comes out and says that the riser board is bad and displaying "high temperatures" and that'd it'd need to be replaced and he'd have to order the part. He said he never saw any red LEDs and that there is no problem with the memory, despite me telling him what I said above. I also told him that I tried the first two memory sticks from the first riser board on the second riser board and it worked fine, so I doubt the riser board was bad. But he insisted.

So I tell him he can order the riser board if he wants, and then he says that I actually need to leave the computer there for days until the part comes in?! For "liability" reasons. What? It's a small riser board I can install myself. Why can't they order it and I'll bring the machine back once it's in and have it replaced? I use this for business and can't go "days" without it. That's not an option. Not to mention I don't need my $3500 machine in the back room for days without knowing who's touching it or eating their lunch on it.

And based on the observations above, and how other memory works fine on this riser board, I don't even think it's the problem.

Is this the type of support to expect from Apple with a $3500+ computer? I had a Dell 2405FPW monitor I used for 6 months and went dead one day after a power failure. Dell overnighted me a new one and it was here at literally 9AM the next morning.. total time: 14 hours, and I sent the old one back once I received it. Right now I'm seriously considering cutting my loses on this one and just going for a Dell.. at least I know they won't dick me around like this.
 
This is a constant gripe that Apple need to sort out. Since the Genius Bars became more widespread, Apple have stopped sending engineers round to user's homes to carry out repairs there and then like they used to. Macs for business tend to be in the smaller companies or for individuals. Being without the computer for days simply isn't an option.

So if anyone from Apple is reading this, we're not all home users using it to organise our photo collection.
 
well, Those "Genius" really aren't much better than anyone who play with computer for sometime, and they are far from "geek", its really funny apple call them "Genius", just to make normal user feel "admire" and "reliable", lol, its really funny.
 
rob5 said:
I had a Dell 2405FPW monitor I used for 6 months and went dead one day after a power failure. Dell overnighted me a new one and it was here at literally 9AM the next morning.. total time: 14 hours, and I sent the old one back once I received it. Right now I'm seriously considering cutting my loses on this one and just going for a Dell.. at least I know they won't dick me around like this.
Click to expand...
I've never had to use Apple support except once when they made me go to the store for approval of a repair that should have been done over the phone (according to the Apple "Genius"). OTOH, I've never had anything but great support from Dell (similar to what you mentioned). Why can't Apple do as well?
 
I've actually never come across a Genius who is not ultra-helpful even for the smallest thing. I really think they're an asset for Apple. The problem is getting to see one of them in the first place... at least here in the UK.

But as the above poster alluded and is also my experience, Dell Latitude and Precision support blows seven kinds of snot out of Applecare for MB, MBP and Pro even when Dell aren't on the ball.
 
Apple genius? more like apple dumba**

I just want to share this cause it annoys the hell out of me. So i bought a 23" aluminum cinema display, I have had it a little over a year with no problems. Recently it started getting the "pink halo" around the bezel of the screen, and since I do a lot of photoshop and color correcting in FCP, I cannot have a pink halo on my screen. I take it to the "apple fu**tard and he tells me that its going to be 400 to repair it. I can get a brand new 30" dell display for 1200, and that comes with a 3 year warranty. This guy is telling me that I have to pay 400, on top of the 2000 I already paid for this monitor. So he wants 2400 for this display, Thats 2 dells! Fu** apple support. I have been a long time apple user, never even had a PC. I have never had any products have problems, and now after 15 years I get one little problem and they Fu**ing shaft me.

I searched around for this problem, and it seems that a ton of the 23" have this pink halo problem, and apple just ignores it. How the hell do they call them a "professional calibur display" when they turn frickin pink?

does anyone know how to start a class action lawsuit, as I am sure there are a ton of people with this same problem who have all been told to go take a hike by apples retarded ass "geniuses"

Rant over, peace out---> I feel the pain Rob5
 
I don't get it. You don't buy Applecare, it's out of warranty, it breaks and you rage about it because you're a long-time Apple user without problems? How are Apple supposed to know that? You think they keep an Apple Friends list? You come across one of the people that the anonymous Genius railed about in this thread.
 
Sesshi said:
I don't get it. You don't buy Applecare, it's out of warranty, it breaks and you rage about it because you're a long-time Apple user without problems? How are Apple supposed to know that? You think they keep an Apple Friends list? You come across one of the people that the anonymous Genius railed about in this thread.
Click to expand...

I'm glad to know a one month old machine is "out of warranty". Perhaps you should read the posts you reply to?
 
Sesshi said:
I don't get it. You don't buy Applecare, it's out of warranty, it breaks and you rage about it because you're a long-time Apple user without problems? How are Apple supposed to know that? You think they keep an Apple Friends list? You come across one of the people that the anonymous Genius railed about in this thread.
Click to expand...
oh, see, its its interesting that apple's product just be "healthy" for one year, is it calculated? interesting

rob5 said:
I'm glad to know a one month old machine is "out of warranty". Perhaps you should read the posts you reply to?
Click to expand...

I think he was talking about Proto Media's display, but still, a display that can only be "good" for exactly one year, and gong bad right after warranty expire, its just scary.
 
Should have quoted, shouldn't I? It was a long post so I decided not to. Perhaps you should read the replies before posting a reply to a reply, yeah? :p

Anyway I feel your pain rob5 - but Proto Media's not so much :p
 
I can relate to your problem you are going through. Apple Genius people are nothing but an average dense Mac user. Some know nothing about technical stuff. Every time I went to the Genius Bar to talk to one of them my problem to the Genius, they would eithor go on the Internet and look at Apple website to see what Apple say. Or give me some BS crap that I don't need to hear. I have 2 services there so far. One is my Mac Pro which ended me a lost time of 1 month and 1 weeks, which they didn't comprehent my lost like a free upgrade of some sort. They told me "Oh, we did a job with replacing your Mac G5 to a Intel Xeon, you get a nice upgrade" Which I already own a Mac Pro. Then there come a problem with my Apple Cinema 23 Display. It have pink hue, and they told me to Calibrate it for it to go away which I already did and refuse to swap it. They say they have to sent it back to the factory to have the display Calibrate for a fews week. I got mad and ask for refund and they ask for restocking fees. Unbelieavable and so unprofessional business! I guess it just range from different Apple Store though, some are run by idiot and some are not. However, I did find Apple Care phone support better. Atleast it more professional then run by all this complete idiot call themself Apple Genius.

But your 1 days lost is normal, and I could say it would be the same with other Company and can even take longer. Just be glad it's didn't take longer.
 
Sesshi said:
Should have quoted, shouldn't I? It was a long post so I decided not to. Perhaps you should read the replies before posting a reply to a reply, yeah? :p

Anyway I feel your pain rob5 - but Proto Media's not so much :p
Click to expand...

u should, at least part of his post, I misread ur post at first time too.
 
[proto]
$400 is completely normal for an out of warranty large screen LCD repair.

Cost of Dells, length of time you have owned Apples, whether 1 day over, 1 month over or 1 year over the warranty you bought = irrelevant.

Cost and effectiveness of B!^$#!*& on MacRumors = zero but priceless.

(see, I can use punctuation to beat the obscenity filters too.)
 
Proto Media said:
I just want to share this cause it annoys the hell out of me. So i bought a 23" aluminum cinema display, I have had it a little over a year with no problems. Recently it started getting the "pink halo" around the bezel of the screen, and since I do a lot of photoshop and color correcting in FCP, I cannot have a pink halo on my screen. I take it to the "apple fu**tard and he tells me that its going to be 400 to repair it. I can get a brand new 30" dell display for 1200, and that comes with a 3 year warranty. This guy is telling me that I have to pay 400, on top of the 2000 I already paid for this monitor. So he wants 2400 for this display, Thats 2 dells! Fu** apple support. I have been a long time apple user, never even had a PC. I have never had any products have problems, and now after 15 years I get one little problem and they Fu**ing shaft me.

I searched around for this problem, and it seems that a ton of the 23" have this pink halo problem, and apple just ignores it. How the hell do they call them a "professional calibur display" when they turn frickin pink?

does anyone know how to start a class action lawsuit, as I am sure there are a ton of people with this same problem who have all been told to go take a hike by apples retarded ass "geniuses"

Rant over, peace out---> I feel the pain Rob5
Click to expand...

Should have bought the extended warranty. Their warranty is only 1 year. If you didn't like it, then why didn't you either buy a Dell, or buy an extended warranty?

The guy was doing his job, and it sounds like he did it correctly. And if that's the kind of attitude you carry around, then I'm completely ok with him charging you $400. Happy holidays. :p
 
well, that's not so great, but i think you're blowing it out of proportion. did you leave at the genius bar? If not, call apple and tell them to send you the part. i've had nothing but fantastic support through applecare.

your situation is unfortunate and i certainly don't like to see anyone with any issues with any type of computer. that said, saying you might go back to a dell? that's like a lexus owner saying they'll go back to a neon imho.

yuck.

i hope it gets fixed for you though. call apple again...explain that you use it for business and that's unacceptable.

rob5 said:
So I bought a Mac Pro exactly one month ago. 2.66GHz with 4GB (4x1GB) Apple RAM. Everything was fine until two days ago.

I noticed that OS X was now only reporting 2GB of RAM instead of 4GB. So I opened the case, and noticed a red LED on the riser board for one of the memory sticks. I isolated the problem to this one memory stick; no matter what riser board or slot I put it into, it would display a red LED. Further, upon viewing the "Power On Self-Test" Diagnostics in System Profiler, I see:

Power On Self-Test:
Result: Failed
Failure type: Memory
Memory slot: DIMM 1/DIMM Riser B

So I figure I just need to get the memory stick replaced and I'd be good. So the lady on the phone says I can bring it to the "Genius" bar and they'd replace it. I go there today and after about 25 minutes of who knows what they were doing in the back room, the guy comes out and says that the riser board is bad and displaying "high temperatures" and that'd it'd need to be replaced and he'd have to order the part. He said he never saw any red LEDs and that there is no problem with the memory, despite me telling him what I said above. I also told him that I tried the first two memory sticks from the first riser board on the second riser board and it worked fine, so I doubt the riser board was bad. But he insisted.

So I tell him he can order the riser board if he wants, and then he says that I actually need to leave the computer there for days until the part comes in?! For "liability" reasons. What? It's a small riser board I can install myself. Why can't they order it and I'll bring the machine back once it's in and have it replaced? I use this for business and can't go "days" without it. That's not an option. Not to mention I don't need my $3500 machine in the back room for days without knowing who's touching it or eating their lunch on it.

And based on the observations above, and how other memory works fine on this riser board, I don't even think it's the problem.

Is this the type of support to expect from Apple with a $3500+ computer? I had a Dell 2405FPW monitor I used for 6 months and went dead one day after a power failure. Dell overnighted me a new one and it was here at literally 9AM the next morning.. total time: 14 hours, and I sent the old one back once I received it. Right now I'm seriously considering cutting my loses on this one and just going for a Dell.. at least I know they won't dick me around like this.
Click to expand...
 
clevin said:
I think he was talking about Proto Media's display, but still, a display that can only be "good" for exactly one year, and gong bad right after warranty expire, its just scary.
Click to expand...

THANK YOU!! for seeing my point. Look I know I didnt buy applecare, and I KNOW its out of warranty. The fact of the matter is that I STILL THINK IT IS RIDICULOUS THAT YOU PAY $2000.OO FOR A ****ING DISPLAY THAT IS SUPPOSEDLY "PROFESSIONAL" AND IT LASTS JUST OVER A YEAR.

conveinant that 14 months into owning it, it craps out and turns pink, and all apple says is o sorry pay 400 bucks or you get nothin. Dell includes 3 years for free!
THAT IS THE POINT.
 
You knew the warranty terms before buying the machine, no? You essentially took a risk and you lost.

I feel bad for you, but you know that once that 1 year warranty is up, and your machine bums out after 12 months, they're not going to fix it for free anymore. I don't think what Apple did was unreasonable even if you'd think that their display SHOULD be problem free for longer than 14 months. It's not like they control these things. Some people have displays that have lasted for over 5 years with no issues. It's random bad luck.

Get the extended warranty next time to feel more secure, or get a Dell 24" even if it's less colour accurate. Calibrate often. Leave it turned on for 20-30 minutes before using it for anything requiring colour accuracy, and you're set, since you have their 3 year warranty.
 
Replacement is an option from Apple.
I've had to do this once before on a G4 that stopped working after three weeks.
They overnighted me the new custom-built tower and I mailed back the other in its original box. No problem, one day.
Ask them about it 'cause I don't think they brought it up on their own. ;)

Peace out.
 
Abstract said:
Get the extended warranty next time to feel more secure, or get a Dell 24" even if it's less colour accurate. Calibrate often. Leave it turned on for 20-30 minutes before using it for anything requiring colour accuracy, and you're set, since you have their 3 year warranty.
Click to expand...

oops, where did u get these info about dell's LCD? a link plz?
 
Apple does offer a ProCare plan, but I'm not sure about the specifics

The people at Apple have always treated me well online and at the Genius Bar.

I understand that having spent so much, it's not easy to cope with a problem, but at least they are not fighting you about getting it fixed.

While you may be an advanced user, Apple may not consider the riser assembly as a user serviceable item.

Your best option may be to speak with Apple Customer Relations to see if they
can help you avoid lost time with your system.
 
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