How to complain to corporate

[gsusser]

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum but couldn't find anyplace appropriate.
There used to be an email address to write to, tim@apple.com I think, though I tried it once and didn't get a response. I'm tired of apple tech support not following up with issues and want to write to someone in corporate - that is, if it will do any good. My last issue was purchasing a Apple USB Superdrive only to have it stop functioning after a month. I live in Colombia and the authorized Apple stores do not honor warranties in the US. I spoke to a supervisor in tech support who said he was going to send a new one, but was having computer problems (ironically) and that he would call me later that day (2 days ago) to get mailing info. I heard nothing and no response to an email sent to him. Unfortunately, I've experienced this lack of support way too often. Now I'm out about $70. This is bad enough, but having no one to complain to, or having to have to jump through hoops to do so, is just as bad.

 

[HDFan]

I'm tired of apple tech support not following up with issues

It they don't call you back then you call them. If, after a few rounds you are still not satisfied then ask that the issue be escalated to their supervisor. When you contact executive management you need to demonstrate that you have exhausted all available avenues to solve the issue. You need to keep working it with support. If not resolved in a couple of weeks then you'd have a good case.

 

[gsusser]

Unless things changed from a year or so ago when I tried to go up the totem pole, the buck stops at the senior advisor. It's not possible to go further. He says he will forward the complaint to whomever.
Apple support is great when it comes to routine matters. But anything out of the ordinary, it's iffy at best. It's that much worse if you live outside the US or Europe.

 

[HDFan]

Unless things changed from a year or so ago when I tried to go up the totem pole, the buck stops at the senior advisor. It's not possible to go further. He says he will forward the complaint to whomever.

Confess that of the close to a thousand issues I have logged with Apple Support I have never had to escalate an issue. My response was generic in the sense is that is what works with most companies. Most recently I engaging the U.S.president of a router company. He quickly got a non-responsive development department to start working my case after I had struggled with their poor support department for a year. I gave him extensive documention of supports incompetence.

But you have to keep in mind their are at least two kinds of issues. In this case it is the simple replacement of a super drive. You just keep pounding them until they say that they aren't going to do it.

If it is an issue relating to a bug, or a software issue, then it is much more complicated. If they don't know about it it has to be put in a queue and prioritized for consideration based on factors such as severity, # of users affected, etc. If you are lucky and they can identify the problem, then resources have to be scheduled and prioritized to fix it, based upon those same considerations. Even with the fix then there is the decision as to what release version should include it. No amount of complaining is going to get this moving any faster, unless you are a journalist or have a very popular Youtube channel, etc. In this case the resolution period is measured in months, maybe years.

I encountered a problem with an iCloud backup service which has excellent support. Turns out they have to make code changes on their backend servers, and they were upfront that they did not know how long it would take, but the time would be measured in months.

This is a simple drive replacement. Keep at 'em until they either do it, or say they won't.

 

[gsusser]

There comes a point when one has to ask, is it worth it. In my case, it's not, at least to me. It is time consuming and aggravating. As it turned out, I did not buy the superdrive from Apple. I bought it from Amazon. It took 20 minutes of explaining the issue to an Amazon supervisor and in the end, my money was refunded. Amazon had no obligation to address the problem since it the 30 day return policy expired and it was not cost effective to return it from Colombia anyway. No threats, just a reasonable conversation.

Both companies have their philosophies about customer service and apparently, the paths they chose work for each of them. I will always choose Amazon over Apple when given the choice. I am not going to stop buying Apple after being a customer for so many years and they probably know that, but I am less inclined to buy unnecessary products like a superdrive or other peripherals from them in the future. I'll stick with the iPhone and possibly Mac, and that's it. I'm guessing one reason Amazon refunded my money is that I'm a 20+ year prime customer and they looked at my record. Apple couldn't care less about loyalty.

I appreciate this conversation. I realize now that there is no point in pursuing this just on principle. There's no need in getting aggravated over a principle. Nothing is going to change. And in the end, I suffered no loss. Honestly, if Apple told me tough luck from the beginning I would have accepted it. But fresh on my mind was just being burned after having suffered a $300 loss from buying Apple Care plus for my iPhone, useless in Colombia.I didn't read the fine print, mea culpa.

 

[HDFan]

My last issue was purchasing a Apple USB Superdrive only to have it stop functioning after a month.

As it turned out, I did not buy the superdrive from Apple.

If Apple did not sell you item then that makes things much more complex. I have returned a lot of items to Apple and have never had a problem.

 

[retta283]

Interestingly Amazon is much more ready to make things right than Apple. Personally in Canada/US I have had even better luck with eBay support than Apples. The times that I have received messed up items from Apple the return/refund process was much more painful than it had to be. Returning my 2009 27" iMac for example took ages because they didn't want me to mail it back, they persisted that I take it to Apple genius bar.

eBay and Amazon don't want to get involved in big arguments with how many users they have that get bad items, so they are much quicker to make things right. Apple, not so much. Their online sales are much less, so they are overall less helpful. I imagine this is much worse in your country too, unfortunately so.

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

Apple support has absolutely tanked. I got a solo loop with my Titanium Apple Watch purchase and ended up with burns on my wrist. I contacted support because hey, this $100 band is unwearable and I didn’t think it was too much to ask to swap it out with something I could actually use. That was almost 2 months ago and it’s been crickets from Apple, even after I reached out to the representative that was handling my case.

Fast forward to this morning. I’m out walking and wanted to check lyrics on a song but no, every single track I play through Apple Music the lyrics button is grayed out. I checked around here and Apple Support forums with no luck so figured since I’m out I might as well chat with Apple. After asking me 10 different ways if I have restrictions on explicit content, I was told it would have to be escalated to a senior advisor and it has to be a scheduled call. First available appointment... Wednesday. Okay fine.

So tonight, I check my email and have a confirmation email for the scheduled call.... with my wife’s phone number listed. I have no idea how it even got on my account. I go into my Apple ID settings and see nothing but my own. Checked trusted phone numbers at appleid.apple.com and same. Reached out to support again and was told “I will be happy to reschedule the call but not to correct number”. No joke. I tell them that‘s a little concerning that they scheduled a call using a number that’s not on my account and can’t tell me where they got it.

So anyway, they reschedule the call after confirming my phone number. Got the email confirmation and they scheduled it with my wife‘s number again. It’s just infuriating. I’d be willing to bet good money that I won’t hear anything back from them unless I reach out to schedule again. Even then they’ll end up telling me I have to have a call scheduled with a senior advisor.

It’s such a sad story because I’ve always promoted Apple‘s customer service via word of mouth and around here. This is combination with the sad state of the software these days has me considering another company for my future phone needs.

 

[Eminemme]

In Australia we have fair trade ombudsman. They are very strict and help solve issues as such within 7 days of lodging a complaint.

 

[Tech198]

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum but couldn't find anyplace appropriate.
There used to be an email address to write to, tim@apple.com I think, though I tried it once and didn't get a response. I'm tired of apple tech support not following up with issues and want to write to someone in corporate - that is, if it will do any good. My last issue was purchasing a Apple USB Superdrive only to have it stop functioning after a month. I live in Colombia and the authorized Apple stores do not honor warranties in the US. I spoke to a supervisor in tech support who said he was going to send a new one, but was having computer problems (ironically) and that he would call me later that day (2 days ago) to get mailing info. I heard nothing and no response to an email sent to him. Unfortunately, I've experienced this lack of support way too often. Now I'm out about $70. This is bad enough, but having no one to complain to, or having to have to jump through hoops to do so, is just as bad.

That email still exsists.. All the times i emailedabout how Apple handles things only a few issues i got a call back on...

eg... if it's enough criticism to get their attention, they will wanna contact you. It won't be from Tim, but it will be from their corporate affairs/public relations team.