HD crashed. I'm not from the US and don't know what to do.

[Nartub]

Hello. I just registered and this is my first post. I'm from Argentina.

I'm having an HD problem with my Mac (13-inch MBA, 2012), tragicomically two weeks after its warranty expired. I took it to an authorized service center in my town, but they're charging me with ARS $10000+ for the repair (that's more than a new MBA costs in the US). After calling to the 1-800 in the US and confirming that there's no exception, even when the problem arose two weeks after the expiry of the warranty, and even more, being this the second Mac that I have with and HD problem (2011 MBP had an HD failure three weeks after purchase), I decided to shop for an SSD online and replace it myself.

So, I came across OWC's SSDs, which look great. But after some research I found that there have been some issues with those drives. I talked to the OWC support regarding my concern, and they told me that there haven't been problems with those drives recently. Then, here are my questions:

- Aren't there "official" ways to get replacement parts for my computer? Suppose I need to get a new logic board, what do I do?
- I sincerely trust OWC, but could I get some input from a recent customer of this product?
- What would you do in my situation? I'm asking because I feel little to no support from Apple side.

What I'm really worried about OWC is that I'll have to return the drive from Argentina (and pay for the shipment) in case something goes wrong.

I'm a bit disappointed with Apple. Their hardware is the main reason I made the switch, but from my standpoint it looks like their products have an average lifespan of 6 months, and you're on your own when the warranty expires.

Thank you for reading.

 

[ylrd]

Pretty sure AppleCare would've covered that. I'm sorry, but I doubt there's anything you can do.

Apple products are top-notch, so I think you got a defective one from the start but didn't realise it until months later. This is why intensive testing and benchmarking are must-dos whenever you get a new machine. I for one got a Haswell MBA with what it seems to be a defective GPU, but if it wasn't for the intensive use, I would've never discovered it (luckily my replacement is on it's way).

Anyway, what else can I say? Sucks to be you, man. Especially since there are no Apple stores in south america (as far as I'm concerned).

 

[ZBoater]

I'd give the OWC drive a try. What is their return policy?

 

[Nartub]

I've used the computer daily for a year (well, a year and two weeks) pretty heavily and non-stop.. I think is more than enough test for an HD, don't you? I know that the Apple hardware is top-notch, that's why this feels now so bad.

OWC said that the customer pays for the return shipment, and they cover the shipment from OWC to you. And their warranty lasts for 3 years. As of now, it still is my preferred action course (to be fair, I don't have a lot of options).