iBook repair woes

[nhcowboy1]

The kid's ibook fell on the floor and broke. Took it to a local independent apple dealer for repair. Replaced the bottom case and the frame around the screen. Got it home again. No sooner did I open it up and turn it on than the screen went black. It came back, but then spontaneously went black again - as if the wire controlling the display light was somehow caught in the hinge. Took it back to the dealer. She couldn't identify the problem, but adjusted all the wires and gave it back to me. (No charge.)

Fast forward to three days later. Took the ibook out of its case for the first time since leaving the dealer. Found the computer ON. The bottom case misaligned - leaving a large gap next to the panel of connector sockets (where USB cables, etc. get plugged in). And the top case sufficiently misaligned that the computer would not latch closed. The bottom case, when I squeezed it, snapped back into place. The top case - well, it still won't latch. So now I have to go back to the dealer again. And, just for the record, it's an hour and a half to get there and back.

I need someone to tell me I'm not being unreasonable, and that I have a right to be upset at this point. I am just really not thrilled to have to go back with it yet again, and don't really know what to do. Just the fact that it was left on was quite careless, it seems to me. And the problems with the case . . . well, if anyone had looked at it before giving it back, it wouldn't have happened.

So, at this point, what do I do, what do I say . . .??? I like this shop, so I'm not out to burn bridges . . . but this shouldn't be happening!!!

 

[l.a.rossmann]

It sounds like bad worksmanship.

I'm not going to make myself out to be some kind of god that never ****s up. This is why I buy broken gear and experiment on it, before reselling it. I do this for long periods of time before taking on new kinds of repairs, since my work will have to stand up to the scrutiny of a customer who pays via paypal on ebay. Once it's good enough for that, then it's good enough for people seeking me out to perform repairs on their stuff.

From studio recording gear to laptops, I **** stuff up like crazy on the road to understanding how to do a proper job. I avoid certain pitfalls based on my experience working with really great people in high pressure environments, but still feel I have a curse. I learn slower than most people. yet my method of learning earns me a greater understanding of the topic once I've learned it.

It makes it sound like the person who worked on your machine was using your machine as part of her learning process. In this case, you should be mad.

However, there are times were the physical damage on the machine is enough that you can

a) Patch things up and quote a very cheap price.

b) Put in new parts for a price that doesn't make it worth it unless the machine has sentimental value.

If you paid for B, and got the service you would expect from A, be mad. If you paid for A, and got A, you got what you paid for. I typically go for A, because B just isn't cost effective compared to selling the damaged machine, buying a used one in good condition, and putting the drive into it.

My personal take is that I absolutely can't stand opening iBooks. They are a royal pain in the ass. I do not do case based repairs for this reason. I can totally see how someone could make these mistakes. Fixing gear and recasing it completely are, in my experience, two different tasks altogether. A lot of the studio gear I've seen repaired by good people, short of the best techs there were with lots of experience on a particular piece of gear, would lose screws, slightly misalign things. It happens, and I am not surprised to see it happen on something like an iBook which is a design clusterf*(# compared to more modern apple notebooks.

Whether this makes it acceptable depends on your standards, and what you paid for the repair. Short of a very cheap job, I would be mad.