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How to handle Apple Not Fixing Computer

DEXTERITY

DEXTERITY

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 14, 2004
687
363
not sure if this is the proper place for this, but I have to vent somewhere.

I started out with a simple sleep issue with my G5. Apple sent a service tech to replace the logic board. After they replaced the logic board my firewire ports stopped working and the sleep issue still existed. Tech comes back out today (a second time), now I have a computer which won't even power on.

Apple wants to send another tech out here once the parts arrive. Is there any type of compensation (new computer, coupon, hell at least a sorry, something for being out of business for a week now)I can ask for? The person I spoke with (a manager on the service side of things - was not in customer relations) acted like they were doing me a favor by fixing my computer for me.It is covered under Apple Care.

i went from having working firewire ports and a computer which powered on fine, to them having to replace the logic board again, my firewire ports again and now the panel on the front which controls the power. All which worked fine before they touched my G5.

I make a living off my G5 and having them make it to where it is not even operable is beyond excusable. yeah they will fix it, but how one goes from having a minor computer sleep issue to a computer filled with bad parts or whatever they did should never ever happen.

Would appreciate any thoughts or opinions. And I'm not one of these dudes looking for a handout. Im screwed because of their actions not mine. At least after the first time I still had a way to conduct some business via email and fulfilling orders. Now I can't run the studio much less turn on my computer.

My old G4 is the one thing allowing me to type this and it is on the fritz (sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't - another issue apple failed to resolve way back when it was under warranty).
 
I thought Apple only did on site for large scale servers and the like. Even though an Apple service provider is supposed to be on par with Apple themselves, they some times are not. I have an Apple authorized repair center by my place and I will go out to the Apple store with any issues.
 
Is there a Lemon Law in effect where you live? 3 times fixed, still no go, it gets replaced?

Remember: Never yell at tech support. They often have no control over what the other guy did, and your best bet is to make friends with them. Then they'll be more inclined to help you.

I've had nothing but good experienced with AppleCare; sorry to hear you are having trouble with them. Same question others have asked: Is this Apple or an Apple Authorized Center?
 
Thanks for the replies. Its an Apple Service Center tech that they sent on site. They do on site for desktop computers under apple care. I already had a bad experience with my local apple store. Besides having to carry a big G5 through an entire mall they take weeks to fix things and that was for a hard drive.. nice pattern developing here.. . I couldn't afford to wait that long. The service center calls the same day they receive the part and actually ends up coming out that same day. apple encourages them to not keep customers waiting, which is impressive. Just not impressive with the scenario I'm in.

I think Jersey does have a lemon law, but I have to check. I didn't argue nor was upset at the tech, wasn't his doing. The guy appears to know what he is doing. Its the people at apple who act like their doing me a favor by fixing what they destroyed. cant run a studio with no computer.

Not sure what kind of refurbished parts apple is using these days. Its beyond me how i go from a perfectly fine working G5 to a non working one in a matter of a week. The price tag on the logic board is billed as $1500, of course i'm not paying anything, but thats two logic boards so far.
 
Good to see that Apple is doing on-site repair. Not way many businesses would buy a mission critical computer that did not have on-site support.

If your business depends on a working computer you need a plan for how to operate when the computer is broken. What about fire or theft? What is you plan? You need one.
 
Tell them that logic boards are really, really expensive, and that if they dont replace it(maybe a 17-inch 2GHz Core 2 Duo iMac) it will a waste of their time and money. Dont forcefully explain it, but try and reason with them.
 
DEXTERITY said:
I make a living off my G5...
Click to expand...

if that is the case, you must have you own 'back up plan'

as which you should have 2 macs (or pc's or what ever) so you can get by while the other is applecared.

It''s like a back up, but for hardware.

Don't mean to sound harsh, but I have been in your place and learned that Apple does not care what you need to do today or next week.
 
Have to agree with them. Apple's warranty specifically mentions that they don't compensate for lost time or business due to technical issues. They'll fix them, but what happens while it's being repaired is something you really need to prepare for yourself. Have a backup computer (even if it's an older/slower one to do important tasks) or some way of having access to a computer for business tasks while the main unit is being repaired.

I know it's costly to have two computers in case one goes down, but if it's that critical to your work and you can't be without it, better safe than sorry.
 
G4 Mac Mini's are pretty cheap... grab a used one of those for emergencies. And if you don't tell anybody, you probably won't have to purchase a second license for all your software, provided you don't use it as a production machine.
 
I can't imagine some of you guys wouldn't be pissed if it was the other way around.

My plan for fire or theft is the insurance I have and an american express card to buy another knowing I will be reimbursed. If I didn't have that, then I know that is the chance I took and its on me.

my plan for apple making my computer which worked fine to a computer which does not work at all, well never thought that could happen and that is something which is due to no fault of my own. Kind of like taking your car in to get the oil changed and ending up with one whose transmission or engine doesn't work. I can safely assume I would be driving a loaner right now or something more would be done. I damn sure know that wouldn't happen. I shouldn't even be in this predicament due to their actions. yeah I have an old G4 but thats only good for typing this.. my plan for data failure the 6 hard drives I have one which I never touch..
 
DEXTERITY said:
I can't imagine some of you guys wouldn't be pissed if it was the other way around....

My plan for fire or theft is the insurance I have and an american express card to buy another knowing I will be reimbursed. If I didn't have that, then I know that is the chance I took and its on me.

my plan for apple making my computer which worked fine to a computer which does not work at all, well never thought that could happen and that is something which is due to no fault of my own. Kind of like taking your car in to get the oil changed and ending up with one whose transmission or engine doesn't work. I can safely assume I would be driving a loaner right now or something more would be done. ...
Click to expand...

They're just trying to give you some advice, if downtime is a significant problem for you, than you should have a backup plan in place to insure your data and your ability to produce.

The problem with the car/computer analogy is you didn't have the oil changed, you had someone remove the engine and then your shifter fell off. It sucks and Apple needs to fix it ASAP, but remember to consider that computers, like cars, are complex and belligerent beasts and sometimes strange things happen.
 
thanks..don't get me wrong, I appreciate their advice, i just get this feeling, like its ok for this to happen when it isn't. I was going to buy another computer to replace my G4 (was my back up) which is funny acting. I was waiting to see what may be coming down the pipeline since my G5 was working fine before Apple got involved. three repairs on one computer, going on 4 just doesn't seem right to me.
 
Your situation does sound familiar. I had a powermac g5 1.6 that had an intermittant logic board fault. the logic board got replaced 4 times. Which were all the logic boards apple had in the UK!

Finally after many letters and phone calls i got the machine replaced. I also got to speak to someone of authority(management not customer services. and they then gave me a £100 voucher. better than nothing.

The time is the most annoying part. To which apple cannot be bothered to address. Backup machines are relativly cheap for the time£ that you can save.
 
speaking from the repair side(since its what i do)
the replacement parts that apple sends out for warranty repairs are not always good, some are doa, there supposed to b checked before they get shipped but some make it out anyways, the onsite place is only getting paid to go out once so believe me they are not trying to screw you over it happens w from time to time where you just get bad parts
 
The only thing you can really do is call Customer Relations and explain your problem. While they won't compensat you for lost time and income, they may give you a new computer simply because they can't fix it.

Give em a call and see what they say, it's your best bet.
 
thanks for the replies.. wow, 4 times. yeah that would be annoying and the time spent trying to fix it, wait for someone to fix, etc is annoying.

i'm definitely not faulting the repair guy, he is a good person. As stated, they are sending bad parts which just shouldn't happen. I noticed the repair guy looking over the logic board to make sure it looked ok as they do apparently use refurbished parts. just baffles me how i go from a minor problem to a dead computer.. on hold with customer relations now.. guess I will know in a few...
 
in case anyone cares lol.. I've now had my logic board replaced for the third time along with the power supply. guess what. STILL DOESNT WORK lol. .yes I have to laugh.. one hard drive, three logic boards, one firewire panel and one power supply...and to add insult to injury my second hard drive no longer mounts and the new problem are the fans... gotta love this. Apple did even bother to schedule another repair with the technician, so I guess we shall see what happens..

.Apple's quality control on the refurb parts must be a joke. I probably have everyones returned parts whomever had one of the 6 different problems I've experienced.. Thank God I'm a back up freak since losing my first hard drive. still waiting for the person from apple care to call me back.

So I'm assuming I get a new computer and not a refurb. at this point I dont trust anything apple has previously fixed nor them... and the saga continues.
 
Not for nothing, but could it really be possible that all those parts were bad? That seems almost impossbie lol. Obviously it sounds like the tech is very experienced and knowledgeable, but wow those are a lot of parts to be delivered faulty. You would think that Apple would have realized it was not cost effective for them a long time ago. They might as well give you 2 Power Macs with the amount of money they have put in between parts and labor.
 
Frankf300 said:
Not for nothing, but could it really be possible that all those parts were bad? That seems almost impossbie lol. Obviously it sounds like the tech is very experienced and knowledgeable, but wow those are a lot of parts to be delivered faulty. You would think that Apple would have realized it was not cost effective for them a long time ago. They might as well give you 2 Power Macs with the amount of money they have put in between parts and labor.
Click to expand...

I work for a computer reseller (including Apple) and often times our service department received defective motherboard/logicboards for warranty repairs.

Just last week my tech ordered a replacement motherboard for a $10,000CAD Server (Not Apple), and it took 4 boards before we got one that worked..3 of the 4 replacement boards were defective..
 
I know it seems quite the impossible lol.. Thats my luck for you though.

If emac has experienced the same thing (different computer), I really wonder what goes on out there with these companies when it comes to parts. Starting off new, I haven't had too many problems (just hard drive issues to the great maxtor drives apple uses lol), but apparently fixing anything else is an issue.
 
You could get a used G5, or an Intel Mac Mini - as they are faster than G4's, but you'd have to upgrade all your apps to universal versions.

Always have a backup scheme - even hardware, when mission critical...
 
emac82 said:
I work for a computer reseller (including Apple) and often times our service department received defective motherboard/logicboards for warranty repairs.

Just last week my tech ordered a replacement motherboard for a $10,000CAD Server (Not Apple), and it took 4 boards before we got one that worked..3 of the 4 replacement boards were defective..
Click to expand...

What some companies are doing now is testing the boards they get back and if it passes their benchtest, they make it a spare.

Just because it passes a "bench test" doesn't mean it'll pass on an actual machine in the field.
 
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