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Applecare has become a joke
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Applecare is worth it - even if it means the fun of escalating things like this 
Because this sort of thing happens to me all the time, accept it is going to happen and I get enjoyment out of seeing just how far I can take it. Once you come to terms with it and the money / time lost and try and write to them objectively, it can be amusing.
Because this sort of thing happens to me all the time, accept it is going to happen and I get enjoyment out of seeing just how far I can take it. Once you come to terms with it and the money / time lost and try and write to them objectively, it can be amusing. 
that works when you call the applecare people. But i think he has a tech call him when they recieved his comp.
I betcha that if you searched through the forums here for posts from four years ago (when you had a great AppleCare experience), you'll find posts from others incensed and ranting about how horrible AppleCare is.
If your belief is really that the AppleCare depot is lying about the physical condition of your Mac to avoid paying for the repair, when the store calls to let you know that your Mac is ready to be picked up, ask to speak to a Genius Admin or a manager. If you politely explain your position (that you think AppleCare made a mistake diagnosing it, and how the AppleCare rep gave you no option for escalation at the depot), I'd be very surprised if they wouldn't oblige a request that the store open up your Mac and show you the alleged dust damage.
Apple Care is no different then any other extended warranty - it is a rip off. All extended warranties take advantage of people's fear. The fact is that most products, if they are going to fail, will fail in the standard warranty period. If you added up all the money spent on Apple Care over the years and instead used that money for repairs, you'd have money left.
Sure there are occasions where people are "saved" by an extended warranty, but in the long run, you are better off never buying one. These are money makers for companies, or else they wouldn't sell them and push them so hard.
I am sorry you are having trouble with Apple Care and I hope it works out, but if you never buy it again, you will be better off.
Sure there are occasions where people are "saved" by an extended warranty, but in the long run, you are better off never buying one. These are money makers for companies, or else they wouldn't sell them and push them so hard.
I am sorry you are having trouble with Apple Care and I hope it works out, but if you never buy it again, you will be better off.
I never buy apple care. You could probably take the money you make from selling your used laptop 1-2 years later and your $400 you spent on apple care and go buy the new Macbook.
So whenever they ask me if I would like apple care I'm like "no thanks I don't keep these things that long"
So whenever they ask me if I would like apple care I'm like "no thanks I don't keep these things that long"
I betcha that if you searched through the forums here for posts from four years ago (when you had a great AppleCare experience), you'll find posts from others incensed and ranting about how horrible AppleCare is.
If your belief is really that the AppleCare depot is lying about the physical condition of your Mac to avoid paying for the repair, when the store calls to let you know that your Mac is ready to be picked up, ask to speak to a Genius Admin or a manager. If you politely explain your position (that you think AppleCare made a mistake diagnosing it, and how the AppleCare rep gave you no option for escalation at the depot), I'd be very surprised if they wouldn't oblige a request that the store open up your Mac and show you the alleged dust damage.
I understand and accept your first point -- everything goes great until it doesn't.
As for your 2nd -- I very well could do that, but to what end? It's a 3 year-old laptop. Open up any 3 year old laptop and you'll see dust. Should I bring along my dustometer so I can gauge the 'level' of dust??
Applecare is worth it - even if it means the fun of escalating things like this
I derive no 'fun' whatsoever from this. I end up having enough necessary confrontation at work every day, and have no interest in wasting a great deal of time and effort in the back and forth.
well that's nice. apple has people like me absolutely paranoid that something is going to go horribly wrong just after having it for one year or something. i'm sure that's what they want me to think, which goes against paying a premium price for a premium product. if it costs this much, it shouldn't NEED a warranty. (my jimmy choo's don't have one! should i knock on wood?
)It seems to me that you asked the wrong question. Instead of asking how much to fix it, you should have asked them how many particles of dust are needed to qualify as "excessive dust".
srsly
Just have them fix the video card ... since this repair replaces the logic board anyway it is cheaper than the $960 dust issue fix.
Seems like the place is double billing, and seeking to get paid by both you and Apple.
AKA, the video card is integrated into the logic board.
Look here, step 19 shows the logic board, step 20 tells you what those 3 big chips on it are (CPU, Nvidia 9600 GPU, Nvidia Chipset Controller)
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook-Pro-17-Inch-Unibody/618/3 the 8600 is similar with a CPU, Nvidia 8600 GPU, and Intel Chipset Controller.
Seems like the place is double billing, and seeking to get paid by both you and Apple.
AKA, the video card is integrated into the logic board.
Look here, step 19 shows the logic board, step 20 tells you what those 3 big chips on it are (CPU, Nvidia 9600 GPU, Nvidia Chipset Controller)
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook-Pro-17-Inch-Unibody/618/3 the 8600 is similar with a CPU, Nvidia 8600 GPU, and Intel Chipset Controller.
Just have them fix the video card ... since this repair replaces the logic board anyway it is cheaper than the $960 dust issue fix.
Seems like the place is double billing, and seeking to get paid by both you and Apple.
AKA, the video card is integrated into the logic board.
Actually, I never thought to ask this seemingly basic question, but who runs the regional repair centers? I took it in to the Apple Store, and they are the ones who sent it to the regional repair center. When I got my call, it was from 'Apple Computer.' I was working under the (perhaps naive) assumption that the center was owned by Apple. I never thought to ask if it was organized differently. So I was incorrect?
The idea to fix the graphics only may not work.
they may pull a "sorry but everything has to leave in perfect condition" for us to complete the work, and in that case we have to do the whole logic board.
It's still worth a try, but if it fails call their resolution center to try and get some satisfaction
they may pull a "sorry but everything has to leave in perfect condition" for us to complete the work, and in that case we have to do the whole logic board.
It's still worth a try, but if it fails call their resolution center to try and get some satisfaction
If it is the US, should be Flextronics International.
Wouldn't be the first time that they have been caught doing shady stuff with a members warranty repair.
Think somebody here caught them saying water/dust damage even though the machine photos sent show zero damage or water stains.
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I would call scam alert when talking to Apple, since the GPU repair is covered and they may have told you that, but they want to have you pay again for the same repair -- they are just calling it a 2nd logic board replacement that the owner pays for this time.
GPU replacement = logic board replacement code X paid by apple
dust repair = logic board replacement code Y paid by laptop owner
GPU replacement + dust repair = 2 logic boards = something fishy
Yeah, it's in the US (I'm in NOLA).
That fact actually makes me even more pissed, though it gives me some semblance of hope for getting resolution going through Apple...
They are going to try to tell you there is a GPU card, but the only Macs shipping with actual CPU cards in the last few years are the iMac and the Mac Pro.
All the laptops have 1 logic board with most everything there.
If the HD hasn't had issues, then dust didn't break that either, it is just dusty and at risk of overheating later ... use canned air and cleaning products on the Flextronics techs workbench. After pulling this scam, that should be done free.
Yeah, when she said that they'd need to replace the Logic board, she also said they'd need to replace the fan and hard drive (mind you, I used Disk Utility when it first cropped up last week and the hard drive -- along with permissions -- were fine).
i think the real question here is..
Why do you have a maid coming to your house 3 time a week?
Yes, if there is dust, spend $15 a month on a high end furnace filter, and leave the darn thing on circulate 24 hrs a day.
i think the real question here is..
Why do you have a maid coming to your house 3 time a week?
LOL.
My wife's a surgeon and, therefore, a total clean freak.