How does Apple hardware support work?

[jhewes]

I'm getting ready to retire my Dell laptop and move to a Macbook Pro, probably in September.

How does AppleCare service work? With my Dell, I can contact tech support, (I usually use the live chat) and once they diagnose the problem, they will either send a user-replaceable part to me second-day, or will arrange a visit from a technician to come to my house within two days and install a part. What is the equivalent method of service from Apple?

Let's say the screen fails, or the optical drive fails, or something that is not user-replaceable. How do I go about reporting the problem, and how does Apple usually deal with the fix?

Any insights appreciated.

Thanks,

Joe

 

[-Ryan-]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7A341 Safari/528.16)

Book an appointment with a Genius in a local Apple store, or speak with a rep on the phone and post off your computer to Apple. Apple don't currently offer at-home servicing.

 

[jhewes]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7A341 Safari/528.16)

Book an appointment with a Genius in a local Apple store, or speak with a rep on the phone and post off your computer to Apple. Apple don't currently offer at-home servicing.

Thanks. Do they do repairs at the store or just ship it off?

 

[Schtumple]

Depends whether they have the hardware in stock, regardless, it probably will be a good week long before you get it back.

Also make sure you have no dents or large scratches at all on your machine, they get really really funny about it.

 

[Makosuke]

A week may actually be on the long end; I've never needed to have anything of my own shipped off, but in dealing with repairs for other people I've seen things back in hand in four days. If it's user-replaceable (not much on a laptop, but say if the adapter fails) they'll usually overnight it to you.

Almost every time I've dealt with them I've found Apple's hardware support to be amazingly responsive. The exact opposite of the couple of times I've had to work with Dell's phone people, though that was a while ago.

 

[miles01110]

Thanks. Do they do repairs at the store or just ship it off?

Usually they are able to do the repairs in-store, but I've always found the Geniuses extremely (and annoyingly) conservative in their time estimates. 1 week for a SuperDrive replacement? Please.

 

[-Ryan-]

If the part is not in stock, and the computer can still be used, the Genius will allow the computer to be taken home, where you will then receive a phone call to have the part replaced when it has arrived. It will be done there and then if this is the case. 🙂

 

[SaSaSushi]

I think a lot of it depends on what country you're dealing with AppleCare in as well. The last time I had to send in my mid-2007 iMac for flickering (inverter) issue in the display they had the courier out to my house with the packing materials to pick it up, got it in the service center in Tokyo (an hour flight from here) the next morning, promptly replaced the LCD panel and shipped it back and I got it back the day after that (2 days after they picked it up).

I'd say that's excellent service but I've heard it varies according to location so YMMV.

I don't have any Apple Stores within a reasonable distance of me so I send my Mac in whenever it needs servicing.