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Apple UK = Unbelievable...

I

iGav

macrumors G3
Original poster
Mar 9, 2002
9,025
1
As much as I love (often against my better judgment) Apple and their products, occasionally they do something that just truly pisses me off beyond belief.

Basically I'm having a bit of trouble with my PowerBook at the moment (I can't be arsed to go into details), I'm currently visiting family in Coventry and I'm here until the end of this month when I zoom back down to London.

So I decide I'll give Apple a call to arrange for it to be picked up, sent away and fixed, I'm busy but it needs to be repaired. So I call up Apple this morning at 9am to arrange for it to be picked up, after going through the whole process of explaining the problem and getting my case number, towards the end of the conversation I'm told that Apple no longer pick up portables to be shipped to repair, instead I have to take it to an Authorised Repair Centre, now obviously I'm a bit peeved, I paid out for the AppleCare Warranty for a couple of reasons...

1. The reliability of PowerBooks, especially the Titanium's dodgy as f**k, I've lost count of the number of times 2 of mine have had to go back.

2. Convenience, if you have a problem they come and pick it up. Fix it. And return it. Happy days.

Now so it would seem, they no longer supply this service. I can only put this down to the astronomical amount it was costing Apple to continually pick up/return (for a time I was even on first name terms with the courier man) their portable ranges, which lets face it aren't exactly widely regarded for being the most reliable products on the face of the planet, what with the original TiBooks having logic board, screen issues, body flex issues, paint issues, iBooks with their dodge logic boards, the new PowerBooks with their white spots, and iffy batteries.

I have no reason to believe it was costing them anything less than a royal mint to provide this service, but now they've decided to pass this cost and inconvenience on to their AppleCare customers.

So after being told that they no longer picked up, I'm given details of the nearest Authorised Repair Centre to take it to. Now bare in mind I'm not in London at the moment, I'm in Coventry... which ain't exactly the capital, but neither is it hickstown, it's one of the largest cities in the country, next to the 2nd largest city in the country. So where is the closest Repair Centre??Bromsgrove.

Which is a bit of a pain when you consider that I don't own a car, and it's on a completely different railway line to Coventry, and probably the best part of 25/30 miles away. So I call up this Repair Centre... only to be told that they don't repair PowerBooks.

So I call Apple again and explain what has happened, not sounding at all surprised they then give me details of another Authorised Repair Centre, this time further away and in a different County... Droitwich. Can't say I was best pleased at having to travel even further to obtain a repair, but what can you do. So I call them... a nice cheery girl answers, only to inform me that they no longer carry out repairs under AppleCare.

So I call Apple again, explain what's going on and that how twice now, the 2 places they've supplied me with, don't actually fix Macs under AppleCare. 5 minutes of hold, and they come back and tell me they've spoken to another Repair Centre and that they fix PowerBooks, and surprise, surprise the pattern continues... this one is even further away, infact 2 counties and over 50 miles.... in Twekesbury. Unf**kin'believable.

As I stand at the moment... I have no idea for sure if they do actually repair PowerBooks, I've been trying to call them all morning and their phones just rings through, I emailed earlier but they've yet to reply.... so what was usually a 10-15 minute process to get my PowerBook picked up and repaired, I've now spent half the day getting pretty much no where.

So basically I'm in a situation where I have a shafted PowerBook, with AppleCare that at the moment I can't get repaired and indeed it would seem that when I eventually can, it'll take me a round journey of 200 miles to get it sorted.

So I'll make the assumption then, that Apple doesn't know where people can actually get their shafted products fixed, Apple thinks that everyone has access to a car, that people outside of London don't mind making journey's of 200 miles to drop off, and pick up shafted products, and that it's better that their customers deal with the associated costs, downtime and MAJOR inconvenience even after forking out for the extra 'peace of mind' Premium Service that is AppleCare to get their products repaired.

I've thus come to the conclusion that I'm a sh*t magnet. No matter what it is... if it's sh*t it'll find me.

G
 
You're not the only one.

I'm happier with Apple UK now that the Regent Street store has opened - I live about 40 minutes train ride from it, and I find it's better to talk to the "genius"' in person - things get done quicker.

But

I'm now at University in the east midlands. Luckily not back till Sunday. Right now infact I'm waiting for the chance to see one of these lovely geniuses so they can replace my power adapter under it's original 1yr warranty, and then enquire about ProCare. Because, like you, I've had a lot of bad experience with crummy laptops. My first was an iBook G3 with constant logic board issues, so I bitched and moaned and they replaced it with a G4 Powerbook. Woohoo you might think, except the case melts a lot so it doesn't sit straight on the desk meaning I had a 2-week wait whilst these guys decided to repair it... GUH!

Well, I love the systems and stuff but they're starting to annoy...

Hob
 
wow

sorry friend, I do hope they make it right...

this is the second case I read where Apple refused to do a pick up. my thoughts on replacing my wallstreet with a new PB are leaving me.

i live in Alaska, and frankly refuse to drive to a store to have my purchase fixed.
 
My nearest one's in Cambridge....45 minutes away by car and the place is miles from the train station (Cambridge train station is MILES from anywhere you'd want to go generally). All the other possible places are tin pot dealerships dealing with the pre-press crowd - and only open on weekdays. My best bet is to haul the thing to the AppleStore in London....Shame I've got a heavy desktop mac! A portable is not so much of an issue.

It sucks they don't do a pick-up service now. They did when my ibook packed up. I can understand the cost argument BUT they charge extra for Applecare on portables as they're less reliable AND IT'S THEIR FAULT IT'S SCREWED. If their machines were better made they'd have fewer repairs to do.

You do seem to be a **** magnet. Remind me never to buy a mac from you :(
 
Even when they picked up the notebooks for repair, dealing with Apple uk service/customer relations etc, was akin to having teeth pulled. No, correction, at least the dentist gave an anesthetic.

My last couple of dealings with these tw@ts was something to be believed. I think i may have mentioned this on previous threads b4.
 
AppleCare UK suck, they were great when I used them a few years back, but now they've gone downhill big time. They need to get their act together.

Good luck with it all iGAV.
 
Bear in mind when planning on lugging stuff to Regent St that you need to have set up an appointment with a Genuis first.

You can do that online as soon as the store opens but by 11am, they'll be pretty much gone for that day. Otherwise, you might have a long wait in the store - I was in on Tuesday night to get headphones swapped but there was no Genius available that night (store still had 3 hours opening)

Procare (as opposed to Apple Care) will allow you to book more than one day in advance but it appears to be temperamental as to which days those are. It's supposed to be 7 days ahead but it's been anything from 2 to 4 lately.
 
hob said:
You're not the only one.

I'm happier with Apple UK now that the Regent Street store has opened - I live about 40 minutes train ride from it, and I find it's better to talk to the "genius"' in person - things get done quicker.
Hob
Click to expand...

Well I'm a lot happier now - the Apple Store is a revelation after the average MicroAnvika and terrible, terrible, terrible Square Group. I am in the happy situation of having Regents Street on my way home. Hooray.
 
I'm glad I have had no problems with this mac and that I didn't get Applecare. Seems pointless if they do this.

Lucky, if something does go wrong I'm okay for dealers around here (up in Blackpool btw).
 
Let me contribute to this "service House of Horrors."

Denmark isn't too good either... My iMac died 13 days after I bought it, and I spent a few days on the phone with various apple-folk (none of which spoke danish, even though I called the danish help-line. Not too bad for me, as I'm quite fluent in english, but others might have severe communicationproblems added to their load) who passed my call on to 3rd party repairshops. It was a couple of days and a lot of exeedingly louder phonecalls before I could bitch my way to them arranging a pickup. I was then 6 months pregnant and they still insisted that I simply picked up 18 kilograms of hardware, walked down from the fourth floor where I live and down to the nearest freakin postoffice with the thing.

Please note the 13 days. I was still in my right to cancel the purchase!!!

Fortunately, some of the stories about pregnant womens tempers are true, and in the end they promissed to send pickup asap.

It came back (delivered to my doorstep) with new logicboard an has run smoothly ever since.

Happy ending, after all.

-Squirrel
 
i had the same trouble this week - i had to send my AlBook back because of a hinge and casing problem (another long story).

they announced i would need to take it in. i proceeded to use my gift of argument (from my father - a lawyer) to persuade them in to picking it up, in about 5 min, because my beast of a car is in for a service and there's no public transport to get there in less than a round trip of about 4.5hrs (round trip by car is 2hrs)

they came yesterday and took it away. they then phoned me up today and said they could do the hinge but not the case as they didnt agree with the cause of the problem. cue photographic proof emailed to them and another argument and apple fold again.

sorted :)

my ipod's away too because of a few problems on that - i called them up to make sure they got it ok (i'm paranoid that way) and they said "yes, we're just sending your new pod out tomorrow - there's a wait while we engrave the new one". i found out it's still a 3G one but i'm happier that way as i still haven't come around to the click wheel on the "big" ipod. and i'll get better battery life.

just learn how to politely but firmly make your case and you're going to push them over any day.
 
I have had continous issues with my new imac and wireless networking. I have spent about 6 hours on the phone and online after going through all the same trouble shooting. I and they thought it was the Extreme card, sent a new one (i thought wow what good service). Got it and everything worked for a few days but again it is having the same problem. Getting the wrong ip address from the wirless router (Belkin). The ibook works fine around the house connecting wirelessly with Extreme and so to does the Dell connected with a wireless adapter.
Anyways, did the online chat thing with the agent for the 4th time. Then had to call up the Irish (is it the accent that doesn't make you angry?!) Apple care and they proceeded to tell me that i had to take it to the Apple store. This is a good 15/20kg computer! I don't drive (17yr old Student) and the station is a good 20 mins away. I complained that this is ridiculous and that there was no way i am taking it upto the Apple Store in Regent street. But then he told me local resellers who would do it but again it is a hell of a hassle to take it around (i can only imagine with a Powermac!) and i really don't trust re-sellers with my imac when it offers them no financial incentive to treat it well.
I am not sure whether i should lug it upto to London or risk it at a Reseller.
If i had Apple care would i have it collected? I am bit annoyed at Apple's lax attitude towards this and if i had a Powermac i would force them to collect it. I accept paying a premium for a high quality good, i then accept paying 300 odd quid more than if i bought it in USA but i expect some sort of service if there is a problem with your computer.
 
I have to take back some of my complaints from earlier in this thread...

I logged on last Friday to book my Procare appointment - not just 7 days but I could have booked 3 weeks ahead.

Process wasn't perfect. I didn't show up on the store 'next 5 customers' when I arrived so I spoke to someone wandering around Genius Bar area with a clipboard. He did make sure that I saw the next Genius that became free - I guess Procare customers take priority over others who have booked.

The Genius I spoke to was the same guy as I had the day the store opened and I was most impressed that he remembered what was 'wrong' with my Mac that day. Well done
 
can't you use fed ex, ups or some other overnight mail service? I had my powerbook fix with applecare (new logic board) and had the option of sending it out fed ex, but i went to the apple store because i like to look at new stuff.
 
Yeah, when my iBook died the nearest service place was 90 km away, so it was easier to just courier it to them.
 
iGAV,

You could have taken it to the KRCS Applecentre in Birmingham. Or there's one in Leicester. You mentioned you were near to Birmingham or did I missunderstand ?
 
I don't think the issue here is so much how you can get your apple product repaired, but rather how difficult Apple UK seem to make it...

I don't care where you live or what computer/ipod you have - they should give you the option of having it picked up.

I happen to live near the apple store in London, but it's still a BIT of a trek... If my powerbook died when I was at uni, i'd have to take it to a re-seller in Birmingham, costing me at least £15 in travel costs... I'd rather they just picked it up - even at extra cost! I'd rather pay them £15 to take it than lose most of a day...

Hob
 
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