I spite Applecare - Advice anyone?

[iceybigred]

so i have a G4 powerbook that has already had its logic board replaced once, about a year ago, but is now in need of another replacement...i have applecare but of course, i have a dent in my computer right by where the power adapter pugs in that is preventing me from getting any service from apple.

i was thinking about just replacing my bottom casing myself so i wouldn't have to pay the insane $1000 to have apple do it but will apple take it in, dentless, if the casing was replaced but not by them? since the serial number is printed on the casing, i think it will be pretty obvious that the casing was replaced. any ideas? i don't want to replace the logic board myself because i think there may be other problems also, possibly electrical. i get a funny vibration from my computer. basically i'd like to do whatever i can to get me back in applecare's good graces.

last night i opened my baby up and tried to punch out the dent myself but no dice.

please help! i am poor and cannot afford apple's ridiculous rates right now.

 

[DeaconGraves]

Slightly confused:

Has Apple told you they won't service the computer due to the dent? That doesn't seem to be something that would void your warranty (or at least void servicing the logic board, I could understand them not wanting to fix the dent if you caused that).

 

[Trepex]

so i have a G4 powerbook that has already had its logic board replaced once, about a year ago, but is now in need of another replacement...i have applecare but of course, i have a dent in my computer right by where the power adapter pugs in that is preventing me from getting any service from apple.

i was thinking about just replacing my bottom casing myself so i wouldn't have to pay the insane $1000 to have apple do it but will apple take it in, dentless, if the casing was replaced but not by them? since the serial number is printed on the casing, i think it will be pretty obvious that the casing was replaced. any ideas? i don't want to replace the logic board myself because i think there may be other problems also, possibly electrical. i get a funny vibration from my computer. basically i'd like to do whatever i can to get me back in applecare's good graces.

last night i opened my baby up and tried to punch out the dent myself but no dice.

please help! i am poor and cannot afford apple's ridiculous rates right now.

Unfortunately, as you guessed, Apple will not accept your changing the bottom case. The only way to regain your AppleCare coverage will likely be to pay for whatever they determine is the damage that has affected the system. Are they really implying that the dent is the cause of the logic board failure? Perhaps just escalating the issue to a Level 2 rep would help...

Edit: Also note that if you have already had Apple take a look, they will have documented the damage and so even if they didn't notice the new bottom case, they'd realize as soon as they read the work log.

 

[iceybigred]

Unfortunately, as you guessed, Apple will not accept your changing the bottom case. The only way to regain your AppleCare coverage will likely be to pay for whatever they determine is the damage that has affected the system. Are they really implying that the dent is the cause of the logic board failure? Perhaps just escalating the issue to a Level 2 rep would help...

Edit: Also note that if you have already had Apple take a look, they will have documented the damage and so even if they didn't notice the new bottom case, they'd realize as soon as they read the work log.

so i should spend $1000 to fix cosmetic damage? i mean if my decision comes down to that, i would just suck it up and buy a new one (which must be apple's motive in having applecare set up this way...). apple is implying that my dent caused my logic board to fail...again. the dent happened after my logic board was replaced the first time. but apparently the dent didn't cause my new logic board to fail until 12 months later...i'm sure the refurbished logic board they replaced my original with has no part in this new problem...I just think it's a little insane to pay $350 for a warranty that has such limited coverage. tons of people get cosmetic dents that don't impact any internal operations!

 

[rapps]

buy

insurance separately for it next time (I did through state farm). We had coverage for about $50 a year and apple wouldn't fix it due to a dent and the insurance covered the $1000+ repair charges.

 

[southbark]

insurance separately for it next time (I did through state farm). We had coverage for about $50 a year and apple wouldn't fix it due to a dent and the insurance covered the $1000+ repair charges.

What kind of insurance coverage did you have or what was it called through state farm i never heard of insuring a laptop before

 

[sjobs@apple.com]

Do you have a picture of the dent and where is it on the bottom?

Also which powerbook g4 is it?
12
15
17 and speed

sorry you already said it was where the power adapter is.

My thought was if it was in the front it was no where near the logicboard.

But it is right by it. Is the dent bad?
If its not bad then i might try fighting them and just keep complaining.

 

[southbark]

I just looked at safeware insurance for portable electroncs and for 2500.00 worth of coverage or if you bought your computer from amazon for 2500 like i did it runs 150.00 a year

not bad considering

 

[mavherzog]

I don't know what you have available in your area...but I'd try and find a sane Apple Authorized repair partner to deal with. I reside near Madison, WI (well, when I am not in Iraq, that is) and I always deal with Madison Computer Works. As long as it is apparent that I didn't cause the damage, I've never had a problem with getting warranty repair through them.

I'm sure there are other, willing repair partners willing to take Apple's money to fix something that SHOULD be fixed under warranty.

Also, instead of Applecare, next time buy your laptop with an American Express card. (pay it off right away...I NEVER advise financing computers) They will double the manufacturer's warranty. (which is great for me because I can't remember the last time I had a laptop for more than two years)

 

[Ken Wind]

I just looked at safeware insurance for portable electroncs and for 2500.00 worth of coverage or if you bought your computer from amazon for 2500 like i did it runs 150.00 a year

not bad considering

Not bad! That is a ridiculous amount to pay. You can add accidental damage protection to a 3 or 4 year Dell warranty for $99, Sony offers a $200 2 year onsite repair and accidental damage protection warranty ($300 for 3 years), and Asus gives you a year of free accidental damage protection (in the US).

 

[Sun Baked]

Not bad! That is a ridiculous amount to pay. You can add accidental damage protection to a 3 or 4 year Dell warranty for $99, Sony offers a $200 onsite repair and accidental damage protection warranty ($300 for 3 years), and Asus gives you a year of free accidental damage protection (in the US).

And it is also worth checking what you get free with your credit card, and if you have several -- knowing which card offers the best protection or warranty extensions helps also.

 

[MacAficionado]

My question is: What is wrong with the computer now? Does it turn on? charging issues? Why do they want to charge $1000? This doe not seem right. What are you not telling us?

 

[oduinnin]

WOW! I never would have thought that Apple would treat their Applecare customers this coldly.

I have previously only heard good things about Applecare.

An engineer I work with has had a G5 iMac for three years and he bought it with extended Applecare. Well, the G5 motherboard has gone bad 3 times! And, as he puts it, in three years, he's only gotten about a years worth of use out of it. On my advice, he "switched" from PC to Mac the day he bought it and consequently, he hasn't hesitated to let me know that "Apple, the company that makes computers that just work, has let him down once again. In August, he informed me of the third motherboard breakdown. He said he was ready to give up on the Mac even though he loved OS X and that his Applecare warranty was running out in a week. In exasperation, I suggested he write a polite letter to Steve Jobs, outlining how he had listened to a friend and switched to Mac only to have this ongoing problem. Further, he would be switching back to a Windows PC after he got the iMac back, which he would sell or just give away.

Of course, he has never gotten a reply from Steve Jobs. He did however get a phonecall from a "senior" Applecare manager whom explained that Apple was genuinely interested in what might be causing the iMac motherboard to go out so often and wanted to know if it would be alright for Apple to send him a "Complimentary" new 24" Aluminum iMac and retain his older iMac for labratory testing. BTW, the manager also said he knew nothing of the letter sent to Steve. In a followup letter he was also granted an extended Applecare warranty to go along with it.

My friend has decided to stay with Mac a little while longer.

Perhaps writing a letter may help your case as well.

 

[iceybigred]

My question is: What is wrong with the computer now? Does it turn on? charging issues? Why do they want to charge $1000? This doe not seem right. What are you not telling us?

$1000 to replace the casing. they won't go near my logic board until that's replaced.

 

[iceybigred]

I don't know what you have available in your area...but I'd try and find a sane Apple Authorized repair partner to deal with. I reside near Madison, WI (well, when I am not in Iraq, that is) and I always deal with Madison Computer Works. As long as it is apparent that I didn't cause the damage, I've never had a problem with getting warranty repair through them.

I'm sure there are other, willing repair partners willing to take Apple's money to fix something that SHOULD be fixed under warranty.

Also, instead of Applecare, next time buy your laptop with an American Express card. (pay it off right away...I NEVER advise financing computers) They will double the manufacturer's warranty. (which is great for me because I can't remember the last time I had a laptop for more than two years)

i can take it to another place for repair, but replacing a logic board is around $500 and then if anything else goes wrong in the future i have to pay for that also. i have applecare so it's stupid to pay someone else to do this stuff. and i hate the idea of having to put up about 1/3 of the cost of the machine for one repair when i paid $350 for applecare.

 

[iceybigred]

new idea...

ok i think i have an idea, hear me out....

so i replace my casing with a new case that is 'slightly worn' and take the serial number sticker from my old casing and put it on the new case. then take in to apple for repair. assuming apple has no record of my dent, could this work?

 

[Queso]

wanted to know if it would be alright for Apple to send him a "Complimentary" new 24" Aluminum iMac and retain his older iMac for labratory testing.

There's a lot of that happening at the moment. It seems like Apple would rather replace broken iMac G5s than keep a stock of spares for them for repairs.

 

[Reflow]

$1000 to replace the casing. they won't go near my logic board until that's replaced.

That can't be right. As I had my 12 PB bottom casing replaced for a grand total of 303.00 at the KOP store. What else is included it that price? Should only be labor and parts. Also I just noticed that the new bottom casing does not have a serial number on it.. I guess if it goes back into repair they will look in about this mac to get the serial number

 

[iGav]

Take insurance out on it now, wait a month and then claim the repair on that. Naughty yes, but it'll get the repair done and your warranty reinstated.

Just a thought.

 

[iceybigred]

That can't be right. As I had my 12 PB bottom casing replaced for a grand total of 303.00 at the KOP store. What else is included it that price? Should only be labor and parts. Also I just noticed that the new bottom casing does not have a serial number on it.. I guess if it goes back into repair they will look in about this mac to get the serial number

it's $1000 at apple, not normally. i can get it replaced anywhere else for $350 or i can do it myself. part of apple's business strategy is to only provide service when there is no cosmetic damage but a lot of computers get some kind of cosmetic damage so then they charge an insane rate to fix this damage so the customer can then use apple care to fix the other damages.

 

[Reflow]

it's $1000 at apple, not normally. i can get it replaced anywhere else for $350 or i can do it myself. part of apple's business strategy is to only provide service when there is no cosmetic damage but a lot of computers get some kind of cosmetic damage so then they charge an insane rate to fix this damage so the customer can then use apple care to fix the other damages.

That's got be including the motherboard in that price. Noway it should cost that much. I would look again at another store.

 

[MacAficionado]

it's $1000 at apple, not normally. i can get it replaced anywhere else for $350 or i can do it myself. part of apple's business strategy is to only provide service when there is no cosmetic damage but a lot of computers get some kind of cosmetic damage so then they charge an insane rate to fix this damage so the customer can then use apple care to fix the other damages.

What is the problem you are having with the logic board? The RAM slot issue? Does it turn on?