Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Genius and Manager deny repair as "Act of God" for my AppleCare Protection Plan for M

R

rkahl

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 29, 2010
1,021
0
My ethernet port recently stopped working so I called Applecare (I still have more than a year support left on my policy). I told them that I could not connect to the internet after the storm. Phone support could not help me so they scheduled me an appt. the next day at my local apple store. I went in there with the attitude of let me tell you everything I can say to help out... BIG MISTAKE! Once I mentioned storm or lightning he shot to the back for verification on electrical surges from his manager. He came back out and told me that AppleCare would not cover my damaged iMac because it was an act of God. I said prove it, he already reset the pram settings and did determine that it was most likely the logic board that went out. When I got home I typed in my serial number and looked up specifics on my AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac, especially what is NOT covered.

(ii) Damage caused by (a) a product that is not the Covered Equipment (b) accident, abuse, misuse, liquid contact, fire, earthquake or other external cause,

Now before people start saying "but other external cause is an Act of God", let me point you to AppleCare Premium Service and Support Plan which can also be found in the Apple - Additional Legal Rights for Consumers on the Apple Support Page.
Under the Premium Service and Support Plan Policy, the plan does not cover:

ii. Damage to the Covered Equipment caused by accident, abuse, neglect, misuse (including faulty installation, repair, or maintenance by anyone other than Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider), unauthorized modification, extreme environment (including extreme temperature or extreme physical or electrical stress or interference, fluctuation or surges of electrical power, lightning, static electricity, fire, acts of God or other external causes;

Notice how Apple threw in Acts of God. What is an act of God when they already have "other external causes" written in there. Also notice how they go in depth on lightning, surges, and static electricity.

Since my policy (AppleCare for Mac) lacks the in depth wording about storms while other AppleCare Policies do not (AppleCare Premium Service and Support Plan) do you think I have a case against Apple? It was a horrible experience and for the manager telling me no based on an act of god really bothers me. I packed my computer up and left the store immediately and now that I have read the scope of MY POLICY with my Serial Number of my iMac from the support page I am really pissed! Has anyone had the same experience of them trying to reword their policy to fit their needs first?

If anything, wouldn't you think the AppleCare Premium Service and Support Plan would be the plan that would not have electricity or act of god mentioned in it, while the regular plan (mine) would not????
 
Last edited:
Just go to a different store and don't say anything about lightning

And if they ask you, say that is a filthy lie
 
Occamsrazr said:
Just go to a different store and don't say anything about lightning

And if they ask you, say that is a filthy lie
Click to expand...

When I called 1-800-MY-APPLE, the rep told me to go to a different store. I dropped off no problem with no mention of the storm. About 30 minutes later I get a call from the store I dropped it off and they said they were going over my notes from the other apple store I went to earlier! LOL, I have a csr exception pending no charring on the logic board, but like I said. When I purchased applecare and registered applecare with my mac it didn't mention anything about acts of god or storms or anything related. Apple has since changed their policy, and I will fight this all the way. The treatment at the first store was unacceptable!

----------
miles01110 said:
Nope. You're wasting your time.
Click to expand...

Why is this wasting time? Are you a lawyer? Not trying to be a jerk, but they have since revised their wording to include acts of god, lightning, surges, static that was not included in my policy at time of purchase. the policy that is registered with my product long before apple changed it.

----------
BornAgainMac said:
Worst case use a USB to Ethernet adaptor from the Apple Store. I use it on my Air.
Click to expand...

Not gonna spend $200 on AppleCare then have to buy something because they won't offer my AppleCare.
 
Acts Of God or " other external cause " are not covered by Apple Care.

Would you expect them to cover it if you dropped it down the steps? ( other external cause )

You do have cause for a claim, but not against Apple.

Were any other devices in your home damaged? Is so you might have a claim against the power company.

If only your computer was damaged as a result of the storm, then you might have a claim against your Home Owners/Renters Insurance.

You brought this on yourself when you volunteered too much information to Apple. Had you walked in and said ...... " I think it is broke. " and shut up. It would have been up to them to decide and they probably would have done the repair.
 
rkahl said:
Why is this wasting time? Are you a lawyer? Not trying to be a jerk, but they have since revised their wording to include acts of god, lightning, surges, static that was not included in my policy at time of purchase. the policy that is registered with my product long before apple changed it.
Click to expand...


No, but I'm intelligent enough to know that Applecare doesn't cover "accidental" damage or damage from an "other external cause", broadly worded clauses in your agreement that could certainly include lightning. Just because your agreement doesn't explicitly state "lightning" and the new one does state it outright doesn't mean lightning damage is covered in the original agreement.

So now you have the long way of saying that you are wasting your time trying to get Apple to cover this. It's not going to happen, as it shouldn't.
 
In our country they have to abide by the law of contract - which is the policy in place at the time of purchase.

Besides this there are a couple of options open:

1) go to your home and contents insurance and tell them that Apple states that your computer has been damaged by an act of God. Do they cover the repairs?
2) Did anyone record your conversation at Apple's first store? Deny you ever said this, let them prove you mentioned damaged by a thunderstorm. Is your ethernet still working - if so how can they then claim it is something related to a thunderstorm?
3) Ask Apple to prove it is an act of God. No-one today has been able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that God exists so if He does not exists then how can he cause something?

At the end of the day: You have not misused or maltreated the computer, it should be able to cope with the normal conditions happening during operation. If Apple does not built in surge protection on the ethernet / modem / PSU then it is bad design.

PS I have had a direct hit about 100 meters from my home on the overhead power lines, blowing out the power companies transformer supplying the neighbourhood. My neighbour had the telephone socket blown of the wall, the neightbour on the other side had all electrical equipment damaged - I was working on an IBM A31 Thinkpad connected through a surge protector to the mains and the surge protector blew apart.

And my computer works happily without any repairs / faults up to this day after the power company restored power and I plugged it into the mains without the protector. (I sold it on to a friend whose kids are still using it). I had thoughts that the modem would have fried but no, it did not.
 
Last edited:
harcosparky said:
Acts Of God or " other external cause " are not covered by Apple Care.

Would you expect them to cover it if you dropped it down the steps? ( other external cause )

You do have cause for a claim, but not against Apple.

Were any other devices in your home damaged? Is so you might have a claim against the power company.

If only your computer was damaged as a result of the storm, they you might have a claim against your Home Owners/Renters Insurance.

You brought this on yourself when you volunteered too much information to Apple. Had you walked in and said ...... " I think it is broke. " and shut up. It would have been up to them to decide and they probably would have done the repair.
Click to expand...

What is "other external cause" if it's not an act of god. If they are saying its electrical that's worded in the new policy, with act of god, and other external cause listed. If they include electrical from a electrical storm that is an an act of god and it shouldn't need to be listed twice; therefore, what is an act of god or other external cause?
 
miles01110 said:
No, but I'm intelligent enough to know that Applecare doesn't cover "accidental" damage or damage from an "other external cause", broadly worded clauses in your agreement that could certainly include lightning. Just because your agreement doesn't explicitly state "lightning" and the new one does state it outright doesn't mean lightning damage is covered in the original agreement.

So now you have the long way of saying that you are wasting your time trying to get Apple to cover this. It's not going to happen, as it shouldn't.
Click to expand...

Well like I said, I already have a manager overide with a CSR exception. I just wanted to know if Apple was trying to screw people by not looking up the policy scope at the time they purchased the covered mac using the serial number. I have very good documentation and pre-paid legal at work, but it won't go that far because I have a lot of time on my hands! lol

----------

fluctuation or surges of electrical power, lightning, static electricity, fire, acts of God or other external causes

Why do they need to list them differently if they are all the same?

----------
miles01110 said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_of_God

If you want to hire a lawyer to hash this all out for you I can pretty much guarantee it'll cost you more than it would to suck it up and pay for whatever repair you need.
Click to expand...

Pre-paid legal (I work for the State)
 
rkahl said:
Well like I said, I already have a manager overide with a CSR exception. I just wanted to know if Apple was trying to screw people by not looking up the policy scope at the time they purchased the covered mac using the serial number. I have very good documentation and pre-paid legal at work, but it won't go that far because I have a lot of time on my hands! lol

----------

fluctuation or surges of electrical power, lightning, static electricity, fire, acts of God or other external causes

Why do they need to list them differently if they are all the same?

----------



Pre-paid legal (I work for the State)
Click to expand...

There you go, put our taxes to work the honest way :rolleyes:
 
Utilize your renters or homeowners policy if you have coverage. If you had your Ethernet cable run through a surge protector make a claim with the manufacturer.
 
tigres said:
There you go, put our taxes to work the honest way :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Uh, it's called a benefit. Don't hate because you don't have good benefits, that's your fault not mine. I graduated from college.
 
Have you tried an authorised apple reseller/repairer? Surely they will be able to repair your iMac under AppleCare warranty but might not hae access to the apple store notes?
 
tigres said:
It's called a ridiculous benefit, and one I dare say is only available to govt workers; not availabe to those of us in the private sector. College has nothing to do with it.

Fight and pay for your own battles.
Click to expand...

Get a degree then or work on your negotiating skills. It's an awesome benefit.
 
The two contracts are separate . You can't use one to disprove the other. All that matters is the one that covers your agreement, which is that lightning is not covered as it is an other external cause. You're better off saying you banged the daughter of the first store owner and that's why they wouldn't cover the repair.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I think anyone with an ounce of intelligence would know that the warranty and AppleCare extended warranty cover manufacturer defects. Lightning storms != defects. That's what homeowner's or renter's insurance is for - also acts of god might not even have a deductible depending on your coverage and you might have gotten a new computer in return.
 
rkahl said:
Prove to me that my logic board failure was an act of god and I'll provide an 18 page forum where people's logic board went out right after their warranty expired. If I knew what was wrong with my computer I wouldn't need to rely on a genius.
Click to expand...

The burden of proof is on you. You've already said you have access to free legal resources to help you - seems to me that you'll have a lot better luck with them as opposed to arguing on an internet forum.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back