Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

My MBA died just after the 12 month warranty!

JohnH108 said:
The European & UK Governments beg to differ.

My laptop broke itself because of a manufacturing defect
Would you be happy replacing a $2000 or $3000 laptop every year or so?
Click to expand...

yes i know that - that's why i said in my opinion.
no of course i wouldn't be happy with that, but if these devices really broke down with any regularity after 1 year then people would not buy them and the demand for them would go down as well as the price.

i am not saying whether companies should or should not have 1, 2, 3 or 50 year warranties - i'm saying government getting involved drives up the price.
this is why Europeans, such as myself, who live in America are forever having laptops, cameras, ipads etc show up at our homes from relatives who would rather buy them on Amazon US and have us mule them home than pay high european prices and taxes.


i've had 4-5 apple computers over the years. i've never purchased the APP and i've never had a computer fail before its time. for repairs i've paid out of pocket here and there. i've saved money in the long run. there are a million stories like mine and another million stories that laud the APP as the greatest thing ever. the point is, it's a choice.


but like i said - this is politics. you do of course have the option to insure or purchase additional payment plans. this keeps costs down for everyone. it would be nice if all companies stood by their design but sadly that's not always possible nor practical when it comes to some industries - technology in particular.
 
palmharbor said:
No matter what kind of mac computer you buy ALWAYS buy the Apple Care extended warranty. I did in 2009 and I am now on my third MacMini.
when I got the third unit...I bought AppleCare for that unit too.
Europe and the UK have consumer protection for their citizens in the US it is a distant memory...thanks to Republican opposition to any kind of consumer protection.
Click to expand...

Companies learned long ago that the increased cost of compliance with nanny state laws is simply passed on to all consumers. You're not a deep thinker are you?
 
In the UK & Europe the manufactures of very expensive items such as Apple laptops are deemed to be reasonable, for up to six years
(Sale of goods act etc)

This at the very least must concentrate manufactures minds to build better quality longer lasting products.
This would also benefit US/worldwide consumers.
 
palmharbor said:
No matter what kind of mac computer you buy ALWAYS buy the Apple Care extended warranty. I did in 2009 and I am now on my third MacMini.
Click to expand...

This is not always good advice. If I buy a refurbished 11" Macbook Air for $850, spending $250 on the extended warranty doesn't seem worth it to me. I'd rather bank the $250 and take my chances. Where the tipping point is for you between the cost of the computer and the cost of the warranty is a function of your personal financial position.

Remember, Apple wouldn't offer an extended warranty on any of their products if they weren't making money on them...
 
JohnH108 said:
In the UK & Europe the manufactures of very expensive items such as Apple laptops are deemed to be reasonable, for up to six years
(Sale of goods act etc)

This at the very least must concentrate manufactures minds to build better quality longer lasting products.
This would also benefit US/worldwide consumers.
Click to expand...
You clearly think this is free, it is not. The costs are passed on to the consumer. Why people like you and your ilk won't comprehend this is a side effect of the religion that has as it's only two beliefs;

1. "The state can do no wrong."
2. "If the state mandates it, it is free."

I look forward to the day when a company like Apple tells the govt busybodies, and their nanny state regulations, they will solve the problem by not doing business in their country.
 
TC25 said:
You clearly think this is free, it is not. The costs are passed on to the consumer. Why people like you and your ilk won't comprehend this is a side effect of the religion that has as it's only two beliefs;

1. "The state can do no wrong."
2. "If the state mandates it, it is free."

I look forward to the day when a company like Apple tells the govt busybodies, and their nanny state regulations, they will solve the problem by not doing business in their country.
Click to expand...

What's my ilk? Somebody who wants a $2000 product to be high quality & last a long time?
If so then that's my ilk. :)

I don't think Apple will stop trading in Europe any time soon, they make far to much money here.

1. "The state can do no wrong." where did I say that?

2. "If the state mandates it, it is free." where did I say that?


Like I said legislation such as the sale of goods act in the UK or Europe must benefit consumers in other parts of the world.
YOU will get better quality longer lasting products.

Do you want products that only last just over 12 months? Do you want consumers to get shafted? 'cos if we lived in the world your ilk want that's what'll 'appen!
 
JohnH108 said:
What's my ilk? Somebody who wants a $2000 product to be high quality & last a long time?
If so then that's my ilk. :)

I don't think Apple will stop trading in Europe any time soon, they make far to much money here.

1. "The state can do no wrong." where did I say that?

2. "If the state mandates it, it is free." where did I say that?


Like I said legislation such as the sale of goods act in the UK or Europe must benefit consumers in other parts of the world.
YOU will get better quality longer lasting products.

Do you want products that only last just over 12 months? Do you want consumers to get shafted? 'cos if we lived in the world your ilk want that's what'll 'appen!
Click to expand...

The market did not mandate 'very expensive items such as Apple laptops are deemed to be reasonable, for up to six years', the STATE did and YOU think it's a good idea. Ergo, you think the state can do no wrong. When the inept, overbearing, state gets involved, everyone pays more. It COSTS money to warrant 'very expensive items' for 6 years'. COSTS that EVERYONE pays, even if they get a new phone every 1 or 2 years when new models come out.

Consumers are free to spend their money wherever they want. They are also free to read the warranty and determine whether they need an extended warranty. No one takes their money or forces them to buy anything. Consumers should make an informed decision and live with the consequences of that decision. Far too many people run to the govt and want the nanny state to 'make things right' and they do, with taxpayer's money. Consumers VOTE with their money and if enough of them vote elsewhere, the company changes or goes out of business. It is self correcting.
 
TC25 said:
The market did not mandate 'very expensive items such as Apple laptops are deemed to be reasonable, for up to six years',.
Click to expand...

Well Apple eventually agreed with me that my four year old laptop should not have broke & fixed it for me free of charge.

I really don't understand why this would upset you so much.

If they wouldn't have repaired it I would have thought twice about buying another mac laptop & I would not have recommended them to anybody else. As it is they did & gave me three months warranty on the repair. So I will buy more mac laptops in the future & would probably recommend them to others.

So the end result was Apple kept a customer ( My house if full of Apple stuff ) & will probably gain others.
All for the cost of a repair that probably cost Apple a couple of hundred dollars.

The legislation may raise prices (although I'm not sure it does much) but it also raises quality.

Just wait it your $3000 machine dies you might see another point of view.
 
JohnH108 said:
Well Apple eventually agreed with me that my four year old laptop should not have broke & fixed it for me free of charge.

I really don't understand why this would upset you so much.

If they wouldn't have repaired it I would have thought twice about buying another mac laptop & I would not have recommended them to anybody else. As it is they did & gave me three months warranty on the repair. So I will buy more mac laptops in the future & would probably recommend them to others.

So the end result was Apple kept a customer ( My house if full of Apple stuff ) & will probably gain others.
All for the cost of a repair that probably cost Apple a couple of hundred dollars.

The legislation may raise prices (although I'm not sure it does much) but it also raises quality.

Just wait it your $3000 machine dies you might see another point of view.
Click to expand...

doesn't the fact that Apple chose to repair your machine kind of prove the point that the state doesn't need to be involved?
and it absolutely does raise prices - that's why they're more expensive in Europe which they absolutely are.
 
Last edited:
Whoops! Never could have imagined my simple thread would have led to a political debate here.... nevertheless, I appreciate all comments and suggestions offered here. Well, I'm just glad that my experience with Apple went well. I'm located in Singapore, and the consumer protection laws here have only very recently been picking up. The "lemon law" only came into effect earlier this year, and even that does not cover "out of warranty" products.

Anyway, I'm awaiting for the repaired notebook to be returned to me and now that i've got a new machine, i'll reformat the old one and pass it to my wife.
 
dkl said:
Whoops! Never could have imagined my simple thread would have led to a political debate here.... nevertheless, I appreciate all comments and suggestions offered here. Well, I'm just glad that my experience with Apple went well. I'm located in Singapore, and the consumer protection laws here have only very recently been picking up. The "lemon law" only came into effect earlier this year, and even that does not cover "out of warranty" products.

Anyway, I'm awaiting for the repaired notebook to be returned to me and now that i've got a new machine, i'll reformat the old one and pass it to my wife.
Click to expand...

Ah, Singapore, that explains it a bit.
It's the State/country where you buy anything and even if it fails after 1 week you have to contact the manufacturer/service provider directly instead of going back to the shop where you bought it.
Had that once, couple of years ago, find it odd I had to do so, where I am from you go back to the shop where you bought it for warranty.
Is this still the case in SG?
 
justperry said:
Ah, Singapore, that explains it a bit.
It's the State/country where you buy anything and even if it fails after 1 week you have to contact the manufacturer/service provider directly instead of going back to the shop where you bought it.
Had that once, couple of years ago, find it odd I had to do so, where I am from you go back to the shop where you bought it for warranty.
Is this still the case in SG?
Click to expand...

Yup! Still very much the case over here... I can't explain why, but that's the way things work here. Similarly, I've got friends over here who rave about the level and quality of service whenever they shop in the States. =)
 
justperry said:
That wasn't political.:p, at least not meant to be.

Blame palmharbor #18, that was political.
Click to expand...

hehe - yours turned it political, his turned it nasty and mine made it inevitable by demanding we not talk about politics and then injecting my own politics.
:D
 
DisplacedMic said:
doesn't the fact that Apple chose to repair your machine kind of prove the point that the state doesn't need to be involved?
and it absolutely does raise prices - that's why they're more expensive in Europe which they absolutely are.
Click to expand...

If uk consumer law in the wasn't so good do you think Apple would've repaired it?

As for the price, most of Europe has a Value Added Tax rate around 20% so that explains the price.
 
Kebabselector said:
If uk consumer law in the wasn't so good do you think Apple would've repaired it?

As for the price, most of Europe has a Value Added Tax rate around 20% so that explains the price.
Click to expand...

yes, and these kinds of policies explain the VAT. that rate is triple the tax i would pay on this item where i live and some US states have no sales tax at all.

this is obviously every bit as anecdotal as his story, but i have had apple repair out of warranty items for me on multiple occasions. it's called keeping the customer happy. i have no problem with the policy, i have an issue with the law.

As i said originally, if Apple computers broke down after a year or less with any regularity, the demand would go down and therefore so would the price. i understand that this policy incentivizes companies to make quality goods as well - but don't underestimate the market's power on these issues either. it works, especially when it comes to highly elastic luxury goods such as computers. The incentive is almost always going to be less when it's a government subsidy vs market pressure. That's why everybody has a cell phone today - and an awesome phone at that.

i personally am willing to pay top dollar for a mac because i have never had one fail before its time. While i think the days of the absurdly expensive macintosh have come and gone as the ratio of what you get to what you pay has drastically increased since around the time they started putting pentium chips in there, they are still top-dollar machines.

i can get a reasonably similar windows-based machine for half the price of a macbook - but i won't because i've had too many bad experiences with both the device itself and the customer service.

when the state gets overly involved all of this gets drastically diluted.

obviously this is just my personal opinion - and there is a wide range of opinions on how to define "overly involved" but for me, having lived under both systems i think the American position on this issue is superior.


Right now on the apple store UK, the 13" I7 MBA works out to about $1800
I would pay $1500.

the APP would be another $250.

so really it's not a huge difference for the consumer....does the state even need to be involved at all?
what's really happening there is that I have a choice. If i "risk it" i still get a year + the good graces of the kid at the genius bar, but i also save that 250+interest that i can put towards repair later.

i think the bottom line is that Apple makes money off the protection plans - otherwise why would they offer them? so if that's the case, who is making those same monies over in Europe? It is just another tax under the guise of being about "consumer protection"

And in my opinion, what it really is is just another violation of liberty.
 
Last edited:
TC25 said:
Companies learned long ago that the increased cost of compliance with nanny state laws is simply passed on to all consumers. You're not a deep thinker are you?
Click to expand...

And you apparently don't have any manners.

Then again, I think your sig says a lot about you.
 
DisplacedMic said:
If i "risk it" i still get a year + the good graces of the kid at the genius bar, but i also save that 250+interest that i can put towards repair later.
Click to expand...

So at today's interest rate you will have about $251 to put towards your repair :p

The repair on my laptop would have cost me about £700 $1,052
logic-board & display

Just to add Apple didn't make the process at all easy (obviously)

Three trips to the Liverpool Apple store each a twelve mile round trip £6 parking each trip several emails & phone calls two thirty mile round trips to the authorised dealer and they insisted on me providing the original sales receipt even though they already had all the details they needed just from the serial number. The hassle factor alone would put a lot of people off claiming

One more thing having my laptop repaired out or warranty by Apple don't make me a Pinko Commie or any kind of ilk :D
 
JohnH108 said:
So at today's interest rate you will have about $251 to put towards your repair :p
Click to expand...

ha, if that.

and no - taking advantage of the offers available to you doesn't make you anything other than reasonable. The same rules of economics that suggest why this kind of law might not be the greatest policy also explain why people would take advantage of them. Why wouldn't you? people respond to incentives.
 
Just an update.... The good folks at the repair center called me - just 3 days after I've sent it in. I've collected the repaired computer and couldn't be happier... =)
 
DisplacedMic said:
i think the bottom line is that Apple makes money off the protection plans - otherwise why would they offer them?
Click to expand...

Two other reasons:

1. Some people _want_ extended warranties, insurance, protection plans etc.

2. Some people would look at product A offering a protection plan and product B not offering a protection plan. They would conclude that A is making money by selling a protection plan, which means A must be well-built. And they conclude B wouldn't make money by selling the same protection plan, so B must be built less well. So it seems logical to not buy B, but to buy A without protection plan.

----------
DisplacedMic said:
yes, and these kinds of policies explain the VAT. that rate is triple the tax i would pay on this item where i live and some US states have no sales tax at all.
Click to expand...

VAT is a pure tax. Apple doesn't keep any of it, it goes straight to the state. VAT doesn't pay for better consumer protection. If Apple has additional cost because of better consumer protection, that money comes straight out of Apple's profits.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back