Contact Numbers anyone??

[dyxie64]

How do you get help with one of these apple computers? I looked online at the apple.com/support CRAP which didn't help me one bit. Then, I found some numbers to call of your computer/ipod/iphone/iwhatever else they make BUT its only a complimentary thing for the first 90 days. So then I found the request replacement parts button and I'm like yeah, awesome. But no, once again not what I thought it would be. I need my cd burner replaced SO, um... yeah do they just expect that these things don't break? The closest store to me is an hour and a half away and I don't really have time to go. If anyone knows a contact number for some sort of help line where I can find information about sending this thing back and getting it fixed/get a new one please let me know because I can't find anything online. Thanks yet again

 

[Makosuke]

The system is pretty simple: Any new (or Apple-refurbished) Mac comes with 90 days of phone support and 1 year of hardware warranty.

Assuming your computer is more than 90 days old, but less than one year, what you want to do is call AppleCare at the standard number for your area; in the US it's 1-800-APL-CARE (1-800-275-2273).

The person you get will walk you through diagnosing the problem (if you know your way around the computer and can explain that you've already tested/diagnosed it it should go quite quickly), and assuming it's a hardware issue, they'll send you a replacement part with a prepaid label to return the broken one.

If it turned out that your problem was NOT hardware, just a mistake on your part, then you'd need to pay for the call if you're outside of the 90 day period.

I've dealt with Apple in this exact situation several times, and although the phone person is required to get payment information from you "just in case," so long as the problem is hardware there's no hassle at all.

You could also buy AppleCare and get three full years of support and hardware warranty, if you're so inclined. In very general terms it's not worth it on a desktop (though mine paid for itself when my graphics card flaked out), and it probably is with portables.