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FREAKING OUT: Powerbook FELL

dermeister

dermeister

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 19, 2003
458
96
Hi,

My 1 GHz Aluminum powerbook slid on a table and hit the ground! the corner that hit is the one with the battery... The metal at the corner of the battery is bent, and the corner of the powerbook going around the battery is bent!

I'm in university res so my parents don't know, but oh man they're gonna kill me when they find out (and rightfully so!).

I HAVE the extended 3yr applecare -------- WILL THEY FIX IT?

I'm completely freaking out, I messed up bigtime...
 
I am so very sorry. Macs aren't accident prone and neither are humans. I feel for you, man..I really do. Like a stab in the heart, isn't it?
 
Yeah, its like the day just imploded and I don't know what the hell to do... I can't believe I did this............................................ agh

unless i can get applecare to fix it (it would be so easy for them but i doubt they would... and i paid like almost 400cnd for it), im gonna have to tell my dad.... this is hell
 
I started transitioning to laptops two years ago and I fear the day this happens to me. If I ever have kids, its back to a desktop. A friend of mine had chocolate milk spilled on a Dell by his little munchkin. Killed that Dell quick. Of course, I would call that progress. But, a powerbook, shed the tears.
 
How to get it replaced (since Applecare sucks balls and doesn't cover anything).

1) See if you have your items insured through your parents. Things like 'home owners insurance' might cover it if you're part of the plan (even if you are at a univeristy). If so, proceed to step 2.
2) Drop it agian, but this time...down a flight of stairs.
3) Call the insurance people and tell them you dropped it and need to have it replaced.
4) Use the cash you get to buy a new one.

Or, you could take a risk, call, and hope they'll just give you money to send it somewhere to get the casing replaced...

Another reason to never pay for Applecare. Get home owners insurance instead.

Sorry to hear that by the way.
 
crachoar said:
1) See if you have your items insured through your parents. Things like 'home owners insurance' might cover it if you're part of the plan (even if you are at a univeristy). If so, proceed to step 2.
2) Drop it agian, but this time...down a flight of stairs.
3) Call the insurance people and tell them you dropped it and need to have it replaced.
4) Use the cash you get to buy a new one.
Sorry to hear that by the way.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't that jack up my parent's insurance costs since its a claim?!
 
dermeister said:
Wouldn't that jack up my parent's insurance costs since its a claim?!
Click to expand...

You might have to fess up and tell them so they can try and help you out...
 
Well, you could lie and say it was stolen. Some insurance plans cover that kinda stuff 100%. It all depends on how much money you guys waste on insurance really. The more money you waste, the nicer your plan is. Call and ask, or see if you can find information on google.

I know a lot of people that dropped their laptops and called saying things like, "my dog knocked it off the porch" or "a tree fell on it". :p

They had them replaced and I'm pretty sure it didn't raise their rates (since most people never use their insurance, they have little reason to suspect).

It shouldn't really knock your prices up if you haven't used it at all I don't think. I mean, you pay it so that, incase things like this happen (stolen/broken) you can have them replaced. As long as you haven't used it before, you should be golden (so says common sense). Then again, I could be completely wrong.

So until I use this plan myself (if I ever need to), I have no clue. Sorry. However, my roommate lost his iBook G4 to the dreaded 'table-fall'. LCD shattered and the case is trashed. I'll post here again if we get that figured out...

A friend of mine dropped his 17" powerbook and paid Apple something like $1300 (maybe it was even more?) to have the screen replaced (he has a lot of money...and he's not so smart). They didn't fix the latch or the dent. And he had Applecare. So, Apple is probably out of the question unless your insurance company covers the damage and is willing to pay for new casing. Not sure if they cover cosmetic damage (the insurance company; I know Apple doesn't).

If it's just dented, you might just have to live with it. Does the dent keep the battery from functioning? You'll just have to go dig up some info and find out what kind of damages your plan covers. :confused:

Post some pictures so we can all be a little more careful with our babies. :(
 
jet3004 said:
You might have to fess up and tell them so they can try and help you out...
Click to expand...

I just did that... my dad wasn't impressed. he bought it for 3200cnd after tax, ram, and applecare (which he activated 2 weeks ago)... now id be lucky getting 1700 cnd on ebay, so he says i cant do anything about it and that when i buy my own later on i'll learn the value of things and be more careful - like I did it on purpose or didn't care or something... I didn't say anything though, since i'm the royal screw-up here.

He told me to bring it to the campus apple store, since they might be able to replace the battery cover for a small fee or something, which would fix much of this esthetic problem.

...now that ive calmed down its true that its just a small esthetic problem... ugh this is definately one of those "worst day of my life" candidates
 
dermeister said:
I just did that... my dad wasn't impressed. he bought it for 3200cnd after tax, ram, and applecare (which he activated 2 weeks ago)... now id be lucky getting 1700 cnd on ebay, so he says i cant do anything about it and that when i buy my own later on i'll learn the value of things and be more careful - like I did it on purpose or didn't care or something... I didn't say anything though, since i'm the royal screw-up here.

He told me to bring it to the campus apple store, since they might be able to replace the battery cover for a small fee or something, which would fix much of this esthetic problem.

...now that ive calmed down its true that its just a small esthetic problem... ugh this is definately one of those "worst day of my life" candidates
Click to expand...


Well, although it might not have seemed like the most logical thing to do, I believe you did the right thing. Good luck, and see about buying some replacement parts.
 
Oh my...I almost just lost my lunch...That..that's a crim scene..I am very sorry.

That must have been hit JUST right.
 
In situations like this all you can do is try to look on the bright side. At least it does still work fine right? I know the dent is enough to make you sick, but it could have been a lot worse. God forbid if the screen had been busted or the logic board damaged or something. At least you still have a working computer.
 
wait so it's not dead right?

id say... get some ducktape and wrap it all around it (just the metal parts and a slit for the superdrive) and make it a 'mummy' powerbook... it'll be like a collage, avent garde kind of thing...
...or wrap it in toilet paper and have the apple 'glow' from no where...
...or what would be awsome is to put velcro on the tops and bottoms of it, velcro your ipod, watch, pencil or whatever and just have it be like a big velcro-ey, fabricy, type of thing-a-ma-jig.

anyways it could be worse... it could be like totally dead... are there powerbook cases that surround it like a... (power)book-cover?
 
Gosh, another damaged case. :( By the number of posts on this subject, you would think the AL Powerbook is prone to such things. Nahhh, surely not :rolleyes:

Goodluck man, Apple will probally charge you a Tier 3 Repair.. which might be around $650+. Do check to see if your parent's insurance covers it, otherwise for your next notebook you might want to try Safeware or another insurance provider!

If your brave, you can check out pbparts.com and find the bottom casing for your Powerbook. I'm sure it could easily be replaced for a few hundred less than Apple charges.
 
joshuawaire said:
Do check to see if your parent's insurance covers it, otherwise for your next notebook you might want to try Safeware or another insurance provider!
Click to expand...

I asked my mom, she said she's pretty much sure their premimum would be jacked up (we were robbed 7 years ago also so thats a claim).

As for safeware... (yes I know it would be fraud) is it possible to signup and in a month make a claim?
 
dermeister said:
I asked my mom, she said she's pretty much sure their premimum would be jacked up (we were robbed 7 years ago also so thats a claim).

As for safeware... (yes I know it would be fraud) is it possible to signup and in a month make a claim?
Click to expand...

Possible, but they are going to be suspicious.. hehe. I would not recommend that. Whats it hurt for you to call your insurance agent? I doubt your premium will change. Call em' up and ask, it doesn't hurt to ask!

And if you decide to sell your Powerbook, I would cancel AppleCare on it, and get a refund for the AppleCare extended warranty cost (minus a few fees). The 3-Year warranty will probally not up help the resale value of your Powerbook, basically because its damaged---and typically only bargain hunters purchase damaged products.
 
joshuawaire said:
Whats it hurt for you to call your insurance agent? I doubt your premium will change. Call em' up and ask, it doesn't hurt to ask!
Click to expand...

Yea insurance people cant do anything even if you flat out tell them you did it, they cant jack up premiums w/ out them having papers with you claiming it...

I got into a car accident which wasn't my fault (a good friend ran into me [90 Accord] w/ his dad's car [00 Eddie Bauer] ) but the insurance agent said that they couldnt change the rates because they have no proof that it ever happened because no one filed anything with them...
 
ashon3611 said:
wait so it's not dead right?

id say... get some ducktape and wrap it all around it (just the metal parts and a slit for the superdrive) and make it a 'mummy' powerbook... it'll be like a collage, avent garde kind of thing...
...or wrap it in toilet paper and have the apple 'glow' from no where...
...or what would be awsome is to put velcro on the tops and bottoms of it, velcro your ipod, watch, pencil or whatever and just have it be like a big velcro-ey, fabricy, type of thing-a-ma-jig.

anyways it could be worse... it could be like totally dead... are there powerbook cases that surround it like a... (power)book-cover?
Click to expand...


I like the duckt tape idea.

On the bright side it still works. You could trying to use some force to get it bent back to better look and then just duckt tape the to cover everything up. Looks udgely but ducktape would hold it together and prevent farther damage.

If it can not be fix with duckt tape It can not be fixed
 
ashon3611 said:
Yea insurance people cant do anything even if you flat out tell them you did it, they cant jack up premiums w/ out them having papers with you claiming it...

I got into a car accident which wasn't my fault (a good friend ran into me [90 Accord] w/ his dad's car [00 Eddie Bauer] ) but the insurance agent said that they couldnt change the rates because they have no proof that it ever happened because no one filed anything with them...
Click to expand...

I hope your friend paid to get your car fixed ;)
 
What kind of parents do you have? Anal retentive Neo-Nazis? No wait, looks like you're the one w/ the anal retentive symptom. So you bent the PB's corner, big deal. It's not like you crashed a brand spanking new $30K car.
 
Get a new battery. The cost isn't that high, and it'll take care of a lot of the dent.

And putting your laptop on homeowners insurance and making an immediate claim, even if after a month, is suspicious, and would get your parents in deep ****. Don't do it. Do you honestly believe you're the only person who has ever tried this obvious plan? The insurance companies deal with this all the time. They're professionals. They would NEVER fall for that. They may give you the money, but they'll red-flag your parents' account with them forever.

"Uh oh, my laptop just got stolen. Better get homeowner's insurance on it, quick!" Or how about the classic, "It has been 3 years since I bought a new laptop. Lets break it on purpose and get a new one! I can do this every 3 years!" :eek:

And I got homeowners insurance for my PB when I got it a year ago for an additional $10 a year. It covers accidents such as drops, as well as thefts. There's also no deductible. :)
 
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