Macbook pro and apple support 😟

[katbel]

The other day my MBP retina display 13" 2015 battery died.
Probably the extreme heat we were having played a role in the sudden passing.
Anyway it was 6 years old, time to go.
I chat with the Apple Support, because I need to know how much will cost the battery replacement
It's a simple question, after I gave all the infos about the model of my MBP.

AS: Are you sure it's dead?
Me: Yes I'm , I get the read battery icon of death 0% charge, not charging
AS: I need to know which system do you have
Me: Mojave
AS : you should install Big Sur
Blah Blah Blah
25 minutes of questions and not one answer about the price
I didn't want to be rude, patiently I answered but kept asking about the price

Me: Could I have the price of a replacement battery, PLEASE?
AS: My system isn't providing any carry in options but I am seeing that
the estimated cost to send it in is $759.36

I live in a big city in North America, not in the Antarctica 🐧!​

I'm so disappointed in Apple Support , am I the only one?!
Anyone knows the price?
iFixit has a page but it's deemed too difficult

 

[ian87w]

If it's just battery, Apple has the prices listed:

Mac Repair and Service - Apple Support

Need to repair your Mac? See your service options, their costs by coverage type, and how long they take.

support.apple.com

 

[katbel]

If it's just battery, Apple has the prices listed:

Mac Repair and Service - Apple Support

Need to repair your Mac? See your service options, their costs by coverage type, and how long they take.

support.apple.com

This is exactly the link I followed 😟

 

[ian87w]

This is exactly the link I followed 😟

Did you tell that to the support person, and ask why the discrepancy between the listed price and what he/she quoted?

 

[katbel]

Did you tell that to the support person, and ask why the discrepancy between the listed price and what he/she quoted?

Of course, but that was his price on the screen, sic
And stubbornness does not go along with common sense.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Of course, but that was his price on the screen, sic
And stubbornness does not go along with common sense.

I have had that kind of quote from support before. They just giving you the worst case scenario. Support did actually tell me the battery price in addition to the worst case quote.

It sounds like the person you talked with was not normally a support person.

 

[GumaRodak]

I believe the customer support is outsourced…dont expect that smart ppls are working at the call centers…some do, but that most likely high technical support levels etc… they just follow process made for stupid…so it can be cheap…

 

[katbel]

I believe the customer support is outsourced…dont expect that smart ppls are working at the call centers…some do, but that most likely high technical support levels etc… they just follow process made for stupid…so it can be cheap…

You are right, but you don’t need a PhD to tell the price of a battery

 

[Fishrrman]

Katbel --

Do you have a brick-n-mortar Apple Store anywhere near?
NOT a 3rd-party provider -- a REAL Apple Store?

If so, make an appt for the genius bar and take it to them.
It may be worth the trip.
Let them look at it.
Here in the USA, battery replacement is $199, which gets you
- a new battery
- labor charges
- a short warranty.

 

[DeltaMac]

Why not consider replacing the battery yourself?
The iFixit steps are listed as "difficult", not "impossible, don't even think about it..."
Good steps, with links to tools and everything that you need to do the job.

MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Early 2015 Battery Replacement

Use this guide to remove the glued-in battery from your MacBook Pro. This is best done with the help of an iFixit battery replacement kit; the...

www.ifixit.com

 

[katbel]

Why not consider replacing the battery yourself?
The iFixit steps are listed as "difficult", not "impossible, don't even think about it..."
Good steps, with links to tools and everything that you need to do the job.

I love iFixit, done several repairs/batteries changes in the past. This time is too complicated for my knowledge.

 

[HDFan]

I believe the customer support is outsourced…dont expect that smart ppls are working at the call centers…some do, but that most likely high technical support levels etc… they just follow process made for stupid…so it can be cheap…

What is the source of this statement? In the 100's of calls I have made to Apple Support:

1. I always ask their location - and it is always in the U.S.
2. 99% of the time their English is good enough that it is likely not an overseas call so they aren't lying.
3. There have been numerous posts in MacRumors about how to get a job working in Apple support
4. I have never read any article referencing Apple using outsourced support centers
5. You wouldn't want to give an outside supplier access to Apples' internal support notes or development

They do reduce costs by using remote analysts in less expensive locations. They do outsource some things, such the folks who (did?) listenen to Siri requests to try to make them better. And there are always variations in 1st and 2nd level support individuals. You sometimes get a dud. But in the majority of cases if you take the time to work with them they do find a solution if it is available.

 

[Pinkie Pie]

I had the same question about my 2013 rMBP last week, except my battery has 64% of its original capacity, not 0%.

First I talked to Apple Support online, via chat. The agent told me it would cost $129 to replace the battery. This number is wrong.

Then I went to the Apple Store and talked to a Specialist who told me she didn't know the answer and I couldn't talk to a Genius without an appointment. I was told to call Apple Support.

The next day, I called Apple Support on the phone and they confirmed the price was $199.

 

[leman]

Sounds like you got a bad luck with the supporter... you should definitely give your feedback to Apple on this. They do take their support quality very serious. Personally, I've had good experience around 80% of the time (and I used to have a lot of calls with Apple support due to my job as director of IT).

And yeah, battery replacement is $199. Please do note that your machine could also have an additional hardware failure which might battery replacement more tricky. Since Apple is liable, they will run a diagnostic before replacing the battery and it is possible that they will quote you a higher repair cost if they find some other problems.

Anyway, as your machine is already this old, have your considered getting a new one instead? Generally, I do not recommend spending money on fixing such an old computer, its rarely a good deal.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

You didn't acknowledge my reply about going to an Apple Store.
If you live in the USA or Canada, near a "big city", then there ought to be one there.

If you want it fixed, and fixed right, this is what you need to do.

 

[katbel]

OP:

You didn't acknowledge my reply about going to an Apple Store.
If you live in the USA or Canada, near a "big city", then there ought to be one there.

If you want it fixed, and fixed right, this is what you need to do.

I did it, with a thumb up 👍 on your first message

 

[pshufd]

I replaced the batteries on my 2014 and 2015 MacBook Pros in May. Just made Genius Bar appointments, brought them in and they told me $200 and I said fine.