great experience with applecare today

[bluush]

i havent been on these forums in a while but i wanted to share a cool thing apple did for me today. my 24" imac had been showing increasing burnspots on the screen over the last year and i waited til last week (with 2 weeks left on my applecare) to take it in for a screen replacement. they told me to leave the computer there, that they'd order the part and call me when the imac was ready to be picked up. they called me back after a week, the girl apologized and said she accidentally scratched the new screen while replacing it and that yet another screen needed to be ordered. she said i could pick up the computer in the meantime if i wanted to keep it over the weekend and bring it back once the 2nd replacement screen arrived, so i took the computer back home only to find out the screen wasn't working at all now. i called and let her know and she apologized profusely and said she'd call back with my options. when she called back she said i could either wait for the 2nd replacement screen, or i could bring in my imac in exchange for another imac, and that it'd take a couple hours to transfer my data to the alternate mac. i called this morning to ask about what kind of replacement they had in mind? (i anticipated, and was fine with, a refurb 24") -- to which she responded "well my manager approved you for a brand new 27 inch imac", i kinda stammered and she laughed and goes "i thought you might like that". so now my 24" 3.06ghz core 2 duo 2gig ram/500gb hd mac is now a 27" i5 4gig ram/1tb imac (with wireless keyboard/mouse which my last one didnt have), ive been playing around with it all night and im still in shock this thing is sitting on my desk crazy good customer service

 

[aziatiklover]

Congrats dude and yea that's why I love Apple so much for their customer service.

 

[iSayuSay]

Yeah .. if you have a quite old iMac (which in your case nearly 3 years old) and you bought AppleCare for it, Apple tend to replace the whole unit instead of specific broken parts of your iMac.

It's considered to be more economical for them since Apple hardly produce 24" screen anymore, or any parts for that old iMac. It's more expensive for them to order old parts that have been discontinued.

That's what great about 3 years warranty from AppleCare. Congratulation on your replacement man

Hope I can be as lucky as you were in the future when my 2011 iMac getting old
One more proof that not buying AppleCare for your Mac is a BIG mistake

 

[Moccasin]

I think your story should be quoted whenever "non-believers" go on about apple tax etc.

Great customer service with my iPhone 3G and 4 is one of the things that turned me from the dark side and convinced me to buy my MBA and is now getting me thinking about buying an iMac. I know that if something goes wrong, I can take it into my local Apple store and expect good care. That certainly beats Sony who wanted to charge me £300 for a new battery for my 2 year old Vaio (I tried cheap replacements to no avail).

Whenever people complain about the perceived high cost of Apple hardware, my view is always that you get what you pay for. Good service and peace of mind is worth more to me than saving a few pounds. How many of us have bought a cheap electrical device and had to replace within 6 months or so? Or found that it didn't work very well?

 

[Hamilton1963]

There is nothing like AppleCare! Thanks for sharing your experience with AppleCare.

 

[Lankyman]

I think your story should be quoted whenever "non-believers" go on about apple tax etc.

Great customer service with my iPhone 3G and 4 is one of the things that turned me from the dark side and convinced me to buy my MBA and is now getting me thinking about buying an iMac. I know that if something goes wrong, I can take it into my local Apple store and expect good care. That certainly beats Sony who wanted to charge me £300 for a new battery for my 2 year old Vaio (I tried cheap replacements to no avail).

Whenever people complain about the perceived high cost of Apple hardware, my view is always that you get what you pay for. Good service and peace of mind is worth more to me than saving a few pounds. How many of us have bought a cheap electrical device and had to replace within 6 months or so? Or found that it didn't work very well?

Personally I will stick with the John Lewis warranty as their CS is renowned for being second to none plus much cheaper than AppleCare e.g. 2 year standard warranty and just £60 to extend it for a further year = £60 for 3 years. As for your last point about buying cheap and requiring replacement within 6 months - never. There's an old but true saying, "buy cheap and you buy twice". That's why I find it a false economy to buy cheap - in the main.

 

[bizzle]

Yeah .. if you have a quite old iMac (which in your case nearly 3 years old) and you bought AppleCare for it, Apple tend to replace the whole unit instead of specific broken parts of your iMac.

It's considered to be more economical for them since Apple hardly produce 24" screen anymore, or any parts for that old iMac. It's more expensive for them to order old parts that have been discontinued.

Except everything you said is wrong when it comes to having the parts available. Also, it's not more economical. You do realize that service parts are refurbished? It costs nowhere near the same amount as building a new one. Read your repair paperwork sometime.

I was a Genius for a few years and the reason that these machines end up getting replaced is they don't want the customer angry that it took several weeks to repair it, so they just hand you a new one. There are times (rarely) that parts are unavailable at a warehouse, but most of the time they are found at another store and transferred.

 

[bluush]

Whenever people complain about the perceived high cost of Apple hardware, my view is always that you get what you pay for. Good service and peace of mind is worth more to me than saving a few pounds. How many of us have bought a cheap electrical device and had to replace within 6 months or so? Or found that it didn't work very well?

i agree. and i had just started saving up for a new imac to replace my 24" inch (my initial plan was to have applecare fix the screen on it, then i'd craigslist it and spend the rest out of pocket for one of the i5 27" imacs) - but instead apple simply handed me a brand new one because, aside from a series of events that stalled my repair, my applecare plan was still good. that 24" imac was the first apple product of the many i've bought over the years that i also got an applecare plan for, and it has now been shown that i'd be a fool not to get applecare for everything i buy in the future. the service is completely worth it.

the only drawback is that i cant get applecare for this new imac, but that's completely understandable as id rather have a free imac with no applecare than a $2k imac with applecare, any day!

 

[henry72]

Cool story bro I have to say Apple care is worth the money!!
However, I really hope this kind of services can apply to world wide

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I think your story should be quoted whenever "non-believers" go on about apple tax etc.

Great customer service with my iPhone 3G and 4 is one of the things that turned me from the dark side and convinced me to buy my MBA and is now getting me thinking about buying an iMac. I know that if something goes wrong, I can take it into my local Apple store and expect good care. That certainly beats Sony who wanted to charge me £300 for a new battery for my 2 year old Vaio (I tried cheap replacements to no avail).

Whenever people complain about the perceived high cost of Apple hardware, my view is always that you get what you pay for. Good service and peace of mind is worth more to me than saving a few pounds. How many of us have bought a cheap electrical device and had to replace within 6 months or so? Or found that it didn't work very well?

Agree!! You get what you pay for.
I had a DIY PC few years ago, now when I think about it (is still working but not a great experience), it is totally A WASTE OF MONEY. I wish I've bought the iMac

 

[Apple OC]

That is why Apple is rated the best in customer service ... AppleCare is well worth it

 

[Hamilton1963]

But you still got the faithful 1 year warranty, right?

the only drawback is that i cant get applecare for this new imac, but that's completely understandable as id rather have a free imac with no applecare than a $2k imac with applecare, any day!

 

[Lankyman]

That is why Apple is rated the best in customer service ... AppleCare is well worth it

I really think it depends on the level of consumer rights in the country of purchase though. As I said in an earlier post we in the UK have pretty strong consumer legislation plus there are a number of UK retailers that can match Applecare for service but for a lot less money. I get a standard 2 year warranty with my iMac that covers me for most eventualities. The last time I had to return something back to this particular store I was even reimbursed for my fuel driving to and from the store.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

Did they tell you you can't buy AC for it?

My Dad dropped his 17" off for a screen replacement on friday at 5:30pm. It was being done as an extension for the program they had in place for those - but had expired. They quoted him 7-10 days.... And my mom got an email at 9am saying it was DONE. I guess the part managed to get ordered Friday!

He's happy, i was somewhat surprised they fixed it based on reading here, but I guess it was the luck of the parts availability.

The genius wanted my MBP for a look-see but i expected to have a few more days to get it ready to take it. I had a fiasco and a half with a repair on it last year and the experience still leaves a bad taste in my mouth....

Enjoy your 27" OP!!!!!!

 

[bluush]

But you still got the faithful 1 year warranty, right?

no because technically my original purchase was 2 years, 11 months and 2 weeks ago, and the warranty is based on the original purchase. a replacement for an original purchase is fantastic since you get upgraded to the current model (at least in my case) but it doesn't entitle you to refresh the warranty cycle, and understandably so.

and for the record i'm in portland or.

edit: i should add, the genius gave me the offer of transferring the remaining 2 weeks of my applecare to the new computer, or refunding it back (pro rated, something like $5), i declined both offers.. i was too excited to get home with my new imac

 

[Sodner]

Gotta love Apple. I've read so many nice stories like this it really shows how first class their customer service is.

Wow. Way to go Apple.

 

[Lankyman]

Gotta love Apple. I've read so many nice stories like this it really shows how first class their customer service is.

Wow. Way to go Apple.

At the end of the day it's a full comprehensive insurance policy, similar to the one you would get for your car. I don't love my insurance company, I'm paying for their service, ditto Apple, where's the mystery?

 

[Moccasin]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_5 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8L1 Safari/6533.18.5)

I agree that John Lewis are generally good with, for example, free 5 year warranty on TVs however I'm not sure how they compare to Apple Care? Cheaper maybe but what service do you actually get? While included in the price, are the warranties any better in JL than the ones you pay for at Currys, Argos etc? Are they not fulfilled by a third party? The benefit of Apple Care is that you can go to a Genius and get a problem sorted without too much hassle.

I'm not questioning what you say, just genuinely curious. What do JL actually do if you invoke the warranty?

 

[TraceyS/FL]

no because technically my original purchase was 2 years, 11 months and 2 weeks ago, and the warranty is based on the original purchase. a replacement for an original purchase is fantastic since you get upgraded to the current model (at least in my case) but it doesn't entitle you to refresh the warranty cycle, and understandably so.

and for the record i'm in portland or.

edit: i should add, the genius gave me the offer of transferring the remaining 2 weeks of my applecare to the new computer, or refunding it back (pro rated, something like $5), i declined both offers.. i was too excited to get home with my new imac

Interesting... When i worked at best buy many years ago when we replaced something, that ended that service plan, BUT, you could buy coverage for the new device and it obviously had the manufactures warranty.

I find it odd that you basically have NOTHING on the computer. At the least you should have 90 days - in thinking about it, that is what my daughter got on her iPod when they replaced it the day the warranty was up. I wouldn't have bought AC on it as it was a 3rd gen nano that was refurb to start with, replaced with a refurb, and I never asked anything else.

All service comes with a 90 day warranty, so I feel better in that you probably have that! LOL!!

 

[bluush]

Interesting... When i worked at best buy many years ago when we replaced something, that ended that service plan, BUT, you could buy coverage for the new device and it obviously had the manufactures warranty.

I find it odd that you basically have NOTHING on the computer. At the least you should have 90 days - in thinking about it, that is what my daughter got on her iPod when they replaced it the day the warranty was up. I wouldn't have bought AC on it as it was a 3rd gen nano that was refurb to start with, replaced with a refurb, and I never asked anything else.

All service comes with a 90 day warranty, so I feel better in that you probably have that! LOL!!

i dont know, i may very well have 90 days coverage. i guess i could call and ask if i have any coverage on this but i'd feel kinda greedy even asking for a warranty since i didnt pay anything. in reality, all i deserved was a refurb 24". to get a brand new 27" is far more than i felt i deserved - plus, the genius said i had the option of transferring over my existing applecare (all 2 weeks left of it) to this new imac, so i think thats fairly indicative that the warranty still applies to my original purchase date. and like i said, i think thats completely fair. the warranty is a guarantee of reliability when you put your money down. if you are given a free imac out of sheer courtesy, i think its best to simply accept it in the spirit it was given. just my 2c

 

[Apple OC]

touch wood ... you won't need warranty ... the Apple Angels were watching out for you already

 

[Kebabselector]

The benefit of Apple Care is that you can go to a Genius and get a problem sorted without too much hassle.

That's probably the best reason to use Apple Care - John Lewis will send your item to their 3rd party repairers to solve any issues you have. So you'll have to wait a bit longer I suppose. That said it saves you around £130* so I can live with that.




*approx 2 years Applecare (Macbook Air) cost

 

[Lankyman]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_5 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8L1 Safari/6533.18.5)

I agree that John Lewis are generally good with, for example, free 5 year warranty on TVs however I'm not sure how they compare to Apple Care? Cheaper maybe but what service do you actually get? While included in the price, are the warranties any better in JL than the ones you pay for at Currys, Argos etc? Are they not fulfilled by a third party? The benefit of Apple Care is that you can go to a Genius and get a problem sorted without too much hassle.

I'm not questioning what you say, just genuinely curious. What do JL actually do if you invoke the warranty?

Well as an example I had a faulty high end audio system right at the end of the two year warranty. I phoned JL and they asked if I wanted the item collected or did I want to return to store. I returned to the store, CS asked did I want a refund or did I want a replacement, I opted for replacement, they brought a new one out of storage and also paid for my fuel for the round trip. Not sure how it can get much better than that. I think you will find that's a world away from what you get get from the purple shirt brigade.

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That's probably the best reason to use Apple Care - John Lewis will send your item to their 3rd party repairers to solve any issues you have. So you'll have to wait a bit longer I suppose. That said it saves you around £130* so I can live with that.




*approx 2 years Applecare (Macbook Air) cost

AppleCare also use third party repairers, not generally known by a lot of folk.

 

[wavey.dave]

Well as an example I had a faulty high end audio system right at the end of the two year warranty. I phoned JL and they asked if I wanted the item collected or did I want to return to store. I returned to the store, CS asked did I want a refund or did I want a replacement, I opted for replacement, they brought a new one out of storage and also paid for my fuel for the round trip. Not sure how it can get much better than that. I think you will find that's a world away from what you get get from the purple shirt brigade.

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AppleCare also use third party repairers, not generally known by a lot of folk.

Applecare only use a third party if you opt for collect and repair. If you take it to an Apple Store, it gets repaired in store by a genius.

My iMac was recently sent away to a third party for repair, I was less then impressed by it. I will never send it away again, I will make the 120 mile round trip to store.

 

[John T]

AppleCare also use third party repairers, not generally known by a lot of folk.

Apart from those who look at the Apple website! In actual fact, these so-called third party repairers are approved by Apple and, to all intents and purposes, are an offshoot of Apple, issuing Apple Warranty to all work carried out.

As an afterthought, John Lewis don't sell high-end audio equipment.

 

[zarf2007]

i dont know, i may very well have 90 days coverage. i guess i could call and ask if i have any coverage on this but i'd feel kinda greedy even asking for a warranty since i didnt pay anything. in reality, all i deserved was a refurb 24". to get a brand new 27" is far more than i felt i deserved - plus, the genius said i had the option of transferring over my existing applecare (all 2 weeks left of it) to this new imac, so i think thats fairly indicative that the warranty still applies to my original purchase date. and like i said, i think thats completely fair. the warranty is a guarantee of reliability when you put your money down. if you are given a free imac out of sheer courtesy, i think its best to simply accept it in the spirit it was given. just my 2c

I would definitely enter your serial number on the apple site and see if its eligable for applecare. Chances are as its a 'brand new' system it will be. You can then sign up.


worth a shot...