My MacBook is a dud. What can I reasonably expect from Apple customer service?

[joseph85]

I'm SOL because I didn't buy the expensive warranty.

And yes, believe it or not, my MacBook fell apart under normal use. There are at least two design defects in my MacBook, so this is not a case of "wear and tear." It's a case of poor quality.

The lesson here is that you should buy AppleCare, because you're going to need it.

$250 is a lot of money to have Apple stand behind their product for over a year.

 

[Vulcan]

WillMak, you must have talked to the right person or have better luck than I do.

I called them just a few minutes ago and they are not fixing or replacing anything.

I'm just going to buy a new computer.

You should try to fight 3 and 5 further.

 

[thecartoonguy]

The power adapter will likely be swapped if you walk into an Apple Store.

At 2 years, the battery will likely be a new purchase even if you had Apple Care.

As a former Mac Genius, I can say with out a doubt, Apple will replace the power adapter as they would not want the bad press of a fire or worse. Regarding the battery, unless the computer is under Apple Care or is under a year old, you would be directed to the floor stock to purchase a new unit.

 

[alphaod]

1. In 2006, it would shut itself down intermittently. Fortunately, this problem occured during the 1 year warranty, so Apple fixed it.

So I'm guess this is resolved?

2. The battery wont hold a charge. It works for about an hour and then it goes to sleep. While charging, the battery icon switches back and forth between "x amount of time until full" and "calculating time until charged."

If the battery is to blame, you will need to buy a new battery; batteries don't last forever and batteries normally aren't covered by AppleCare.

3. The power adapter wire looks pretty bad. The outer insulation is broken where the wire meets the connection to my MacBook. I can see the shield, but the center conductor is intact and it provides power to my MacBook.

This is covered:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1977
With regard to the part where they said take it to the store, you can call.

4. The LCD screen is very dim. It was brilliantly bright in 2006. In 2008, I can barely read text.

This is what happens with fluorescent lights and thus normal. However it shouldn't happen so soon, so it may be covered.

5. The palm rest area looks pretty bad. It's cracked and slightly discolored. The cracks are right along the bottom edge where the LCD rests against the case.

Apple may say this is cosmetic, but this shouldn't happen. Of course you don't have warranty, so it may be difficult to get a free repair.

6. The right arrow key on my keyboard doesn't work.

Could be keyboard or did you spill anything before?

What can I reasonably expect from Apple when I can call them?

Usually CSRs are sympathetic and easy going, but it would be difficult for them to help with some of these because you don't have a warranty. You best bet would be to email Mr. Job at sjobs@apple.com

I'm guessing you won't be recommending Macs to any of your buddies because of all these issues, so detail that into the email.

Of course you should call first and if they say no, you can have say you tried.

Good luck.

 

[skubish]

WillMak, you must have talked to the right person or have better luck than I do.

I called them just a few minutes ago and they are not fixing or replacing anything.

I'm just going to buy a new computer.

You will get a better result if you go to an Apple Store in person. Especially if you were to go when the store is crowded.

 

[California]

I have found with Apple that yes one should ALWAYS get Applecare.

The other thing I have found is to document all complaints with phone calls and case numbers.

I am the one who was so nervous to put new memory (an apple upgradable part by the customer) in my Powerbook, that I had apple on the phone with me and it was the LAST day of the three year warranty.

It was a first gen Tibook. I snapped the memory holders off the logic board.

They basically sent me a new computer... because I was on the phone with them when I did it.

My latest powerbook has a bad battery that was a replacement battery. I documented this with them at the time, several months ago. Since I rarely take it on the fly, use it as a desktop with a monitor, I'm waiting until work lets down before I go in to see a "genius". And I still have one year Applecare left on the thing. Document document document your problems with a phone call.

On the other hand, if i was the OP and it sounds like he did not document it, I'd buy a replacement top case and swap it out myself. I do like the look of clean laptops. Or I'd get Apple to send me a new one at cost or something after sending them photos of it.

I've really never had a problem with Apple, tho and I have owned thirty macs in twenty years. They are still amazing machines.

 

[California]

I'm SOL because I didn't buy the expensive warranty.

And yes, believe it or not, my MacBook fell apart under normal use. There are at least two design defects in my MacBook, so this is not a case of "wear and tear." It's a case of poor quality.

The lesson here is that you should buy AppleCare, because you're going to need it.

$250 is a lot of money to have Apple stand behind their product for over a year.

I never buy Applecare at retail prices. You can always buy it on eBay or some other discount manner, like through a school.

 

[Abstract]

2. The battery wont hold a charge. It works for about an hour and then it goes to sleep. While charging, the battery icon switches back and forth between "x amount of time until full" and "calculating time until charged."

Luck of the draw. Two years isn't an unreasonable amount of time for your battery to work. They last 1.5 to 3 years. Actually, they last around 300-600 total cycles, but they also deteriorate with age regardless of use.

3. The power adapter wire looks pretty bad. The outer insulation is broken where the wire meets the connection to my MacBook. I can see the shield, but the center conductor is intact and it provides power to my MacBook.

I believe Apple fixes this for free. SEE HERE.

4. The LCD screen is very dim. It was brilliantly bright in 2006. In 2008, I can barely read text.

That happens with all LCDs as they age. Same thing happened with my 12" PowerBook, although to be honest, I think the dimming has been faster on my MacBook than my previous 12" PB, which was 3 years old when I finally got my first MacBook.

5. The palm rest area looks pretty bad. It's cracked and slightly discolored. The cracks are right along the bottom edge where the LCD rests against the case.

VERY common problem. Ridiculous, isn't it? Phone AppleCare and see if they'd replace it for free. It's ridiculous that they don't right now.

6. The right arrow key on my keyboard doesn't work.

You're out of warranty. 😉

 

[DesignerOnMac]

I'm SOL because I didn't buy the expensive warranty.

And yes, believe it or not, my MacBook fell apart under normal use. There are at least two design defects in my MacBook, so this is not a case of "wear and tear." It's a case of poor quality.

The lesson here is that you should buy AppleCare, because you're going to need it.

$250 is a lot of money to have Apple stand behind their product for over a year.

I use to work retail selling computers. The store sold extended warranties. With every warranty I sold I received $1.00. The extended warranties were a lot more money than the '$250 is a lot of money' your suggesting. Over a 3 year period that is nothing compared to what the individual cost for parts and/or having a technician install them.

I am not a huge fan of extended warranties, but AppleCare is reasonably priced in my opinion. And I recommend AppleCare to ANYONE who buys a laptop!

I would call AppleCare again and explain the case, battery, and power brick to them again. Ask for the manager or anyone else higher up than the initial person that takes you call.

A friend of mine has a 3 year old 12" iBook, with a bad logic board. Apple replaced it for free.

Good luck.

 

[MacBiscuit]

I don't agree with the point of view expressed by many here that 2 years is a reasonable lifespan for a laptop, and that he should have purchased Applecare.

We have a G3 iBook pushing 6 years old and just starting to show signs of age. Now that was a quality product and justified the premium Apple ask. The recent machines do not match up to that standard. OS X on it's own is not enough to justify the premium...

And, no, an expensive extended warranty as touted by some on here as an 'essential' purchase, is not the solution. I don't expect to have to insure myself against poor quality components with a short lifespan, as the OP appears to have suffered.

 

[ishopukisfake]

The thread starter is justified in his frustration with Apple I think. There are so many issues with apple laptops its amazing. I had an old pc laptop for about 3 years and the screen was rock steady for all the time and no issues other than a loose power cable which was due to knocking it a few times.
People go for apples because they are supposed to be higher end and better than pc's, yet they seem to have many more problems than pc laptops from my experience and observation. When you pay three times the price for a mac you expect the thing to work at least for the first year, but I have had two mac laptops now and both have had several issues within the first year outside of any of my own maltreatment.
And apple has the nerve to use the slogan "it just works" lol
I'm one week away from the end of a one year warranty and about to take a black macbook back to a genius bar yet again, after their repair of a faulty backlight just broke down again. Asked for a replacement, because there is every chance the backlight will break after a week again and then be without warranty and free-repair, they said they would only try and repair it again. Pretty disappointing from Apple.

Buying extended warranty's shoudn't be part of the deal or safety net when your paying over the odds for a laptop and a mac. They really should be far more stable and dependable than they are.
I like apples products, but I won't defend them in the face of obvious shortcomings.

 

[miiles]

WillMak, you must have talked to the right person or have better luck than I do.

I called them just a few minutes ago and they are not fixing or replacing anything.

I'm just going to buy a new computer.

That stinks. I'm pretty sure you will be able to buy a new power adapter for a whole lot cheaper if you can find a used one that's in good shape. Maybe they sell them as refurb items? I'll check it out for you. (EDIT: This is a list of some power adapters for ya.) Two years ago Apple recalled some batteries because of manufacturing faults, you should check to see if you have one of these batteries because I'm sure you can still replace it for free.

Its probably too late now since you are going to buy a new laptop. Sorry you've had a poor experience with Apple.

 

[J&JPolangin]

I don't agree with the point of view expressed by many here that 2 years is a reasonable lifespan for a laptop, and that he should have purchased Applecare.

We have a G3 iBook pushing 6 years old and just starting to show signs of age. Now that was a quality product and justified the premium Apple ask. The recent machines do not match up to that standard. OS X on it's own is not enough to justify the premium...

And, no, an expensive extended warranty as touted by some on here as an 'essential' purchase, is not the solution. I don't expect to have to insure myself against poor quality components with a short lifespan, as the OP appears to have suffered.

This whole thread is bothering me...I've decided that Vista stinks and I just ordered a new eeePC1000H (winXP since I won't switch to Vista) to hold me over until Apple does the much anticipated macbook/pro refresh...

Once the eeePC arrives it will be a current machine but my current computers are a Sony TR3A (6+ yrs old), a Toshiba 1905-s303 (8+ yrs old) and a Dell 8100 (9+yr old desk top)...all still work fine for the specs they are and the basic functionality they hold.

Two yrs isn't a reasonable time to have this many problems with any machine.

When I make the switch to a macbook/pro, I hope they last as long as my Sony/Toshiba's have...

 

[haze]

When I make the switch to a macbook/pro, I hope they last as long as my Sony/Toshiba's have...

I don't know about the MB or MBP, but my Powerbook G4 is still absolutely perfect. I have a 1999 PowerMac G4 400 in my lab at school and used it 24/7 as a Web server with 36 students hitting it at once no problem and acting as drop box. I use a PowerMac G4 733 DA as a media server at home, zero problems.

I have only had my MBP for a year, but not one issue.

 

[ra noodle]

joseph85

really sorry to hear you have had macbook problems...i really should have bought the macbook- the choice to increase ram and put in larger memory drive really is desireable and i had to get MBP because for the physical issues i have- i needed the backlit lettering.....

repairs like you mention are really a day to day thing at any Apple store- really because it depends on how they are feeling-come on guys it really does- sometimes they will do everything and more that you need and sometimes they will simply demand this and that and hand out it will cost you line....and it also depends which social/money class you are in...if youve bought all the One on One etc they will be all over you helping you but if you haven't and show no credit cards and come in not meeting their standards Him has decreed you will be left hanging.....

and i agree with others that Applecare is a must with laptops...i am sorry it might anger some but APPLES quality and fit and OSX's are going downhill, Him has begun using to much cheap junk for construction of its product-why-because not enough of us stopped buying his product to wake Him a##'s up and realize we want and are paying for quality...and it has become total ripoff for a laptop to start having problems from the start if not crap out after a year or even a week after a year.....

 

[ra noodle]

haze

I Also Still Have My Pb12....using It Right Now And This Is The Model For What Should Have Been A Priority To Improve Not Drop As "him" Has!

 

[gazfocus]

Unfortunately, my MacBook has given me a lot of problems...

...I've owned my MacBook now for 2 years. I did not, much to my aggravation, purchase the AppleCare warranty. In the 2 years I've owned my MacBook, it has given me a lot of problems...

...1. In 2006, it would shut itself down intermittently. Fortunately, this problem occured during the 1 year warranty, so Apple fixed it...

Personally, if a compute fails within the first year, the first thing I would do is buy AppleCare

 

[gnasher729]

2. The battery wont hold a charge. It works for about an hour and then it goes to sleep. While charging, the battery icon switches back and forth between "x amount of time until full" and "calculating time until charged."

Batteries don't last forever. They are good for about several hundred charge cycles, not more. At some point you will have to buy a new battery.

3. The power adapter wire looks pretty bad. The outer insulation is broken where the wire meets the connection to my MacBook. I can see the shield, but the center conductor is intact and it provides power to my MacBook.

You might be able to get a replacement for free, because that shouldn't happen.

5. The palm rest area looks pretty bad. It's cracked and slightly discolored. The cracks are right along the bottom edge where the LCD rests against the case.

6. The right arrow key on my keyboard doesn't work.

That's out of warranty.

 

[dimisam]

Lovin' the powerbook

On the subject of old macs being tanks- I'm still using my 15" Aluminum Powerbook that I bought in July 2004, and it's still going strong into its 5th year barring a very worn down battery. The screen is still very bright too. I even dropped it recently, while it was on and there was a heavy dent on the top of the superdrive, but even that still works! I'm hoping apple will resolve any quality issues they currently have with their new rumored Aluminum macbook which I intend to get. Also- I vote to reinstate the name Powerbook which sounds a whole lot better than macbook pro.

 

[joseph85]

I didn't buy a new laptop. I bought a iMac instead.

Here's a condensed review:

The aluminum construction seems more solid than the all plastic construction of my MacBook. It looks really nice and doesn't show finger prints, smudges from skin oil, or scratches like that damn shiny plastic does!

I like the compact size and lack of clutter. The stand is well designed. I can adjust the screen easily and have no concern about the computer tipping or falling over.

The keyboard is aluminum as well and does the job; however, the USB ports are difficult to use. I'm forced to lift the keyboard off my desk when I want to plug a USB connection into it.

The mouse does the job; however I don't care for the scroll ball nor the shiny plastic construction. The little scroll ball is too small, makes an annoying noise, and will stop working frequently. Isopropyl alcohol rubbed on the scroll ball will fix it. I suppose the scroll ball mechanism is very sensitive to skin oil. The shiny plastic construction is extremely easy to scratch and shows finger prints and smudges from skin oil.

I do like how the whole mouse is a button. That's pretty cool.

The remote control is cool, but it has that damn shiny plastic. It's covered in finger prints, smudges, and scratches too 🙄

The LCD screen is beautiful. I got the "smaller" one and after using the 13 inch screen on my MacBook, this screen looks amazing. The brightness is about 3 times as bright as my MacBook.

And, yes, I did buy the AppleCare warranty 🙄

If I could buy a non Apple computer with Mac OS X I would, but I can't. So because I really enjoy using OS X and many of Apple's other software programs, this is the best I can get in my opinion.

I do understand that there are hacks and at least one company trying to stand up to Apple, but it's something that Apple is working against, so trying to use a non Apple computer isn't good long term solution in my opinion.

 

[moslayne]

The reality is that notebooks break and have numerous issues. It isn't just Apple. It's not like they intentionally set out to cause you these issues and by the sounds of it you haven't done anything about seeing if issues 2-6 can be resolved. As you can see from WillMak's comments Apple will sometimes go the extra length.

Technology isn't at a point where every $1300 notebook can be made to last for years without fault. For some insight, I believe that average failure rates within the first year are still around 15% for notebooks (some ranges/models/companies are obviously alot higher). One of the biggest problem is that consumers aren't aware, especially first time notebook owners, that there is such a chance of problems. All you can really do is consider that to guarantee a Apple notebook will last you 3 years is to get Applecare.

On the subject of this site, I have found that there is alot of anger towards Apple on the subject of quality and there don't seem to be many Apple apologists when it comes to this sort of thing. People are just telling you how it is, it's the internet and people will often be blunt. It would be no different at somewhere like the notebookreview forums.

Yeah you are exactly right. And another point is that anything that is produced is prone to have problems some time. I've owned many apple computers and only one of them has had a problem. I've used a 5 year old powerbook that ran like a champ. I've seen brand new macbooks that are slower that that powerbook.

Just because one is bad doesn't mean that all of them are. Yeah, it seems that when you pay the apple premium every single computer will be perfect. Many of them are, but not all of them. It's just like cars. Honda and Toyota make amazing cars, but that doesn't mean they don't need a part replaced every once in a while.

Apple computers are good. My guess that if you spend less than 1000 dollars on a computer you'll be *more* prone to get a dud.

 

[J&JPolangin]

Joe, good luck with your iMac I hope it treats you better than your macbook did...