I'm happy to say this saga came to a satisfactory conclusion. I called Apple today and explained the situation. I asked if it would be possible to send two of the video cards back, with the expectation of paying a restocking fee. The customer service person immediately got a supervisor, who gave permission to return the cards without any fee.
I'm very pleased about the outcome and Apple's cooperative spirit, and my mom's gonna get about $300 back on her credit card.
Looks like I spoke too soon.
When I got my good news about returning the two extra vid cards on Tuesday, I was told the FedEX return label would arrive in my email probably in 10 or 15 minutes, but might be delayed up to 24 hours because there were a lot of after-Christmas returns to process.
Fast forward to today, Friday, and I still haven't gotten this emailed RMA. A call this morning led me to another rep who looked up the case, but can't locate the return order. She says she'll put the request back in again, and to check my email in 10 or 15 minutes.
Several hours later, still no email from Apple. I call back yet again.
This time, when the representative investigates, she tells me that what I was told on Tuesday was incorrect. Apple will not allow me to send back the video cards. The request was cancelled by the returns department and kicked back to the representative.
I ask to speak to the floor supervisor. He comes on, and is friendly enough, but is firm in his stance that video cards cannot be returned by themselves. My only option is to ship entire computer back, and repurchase again. He helpfully suggests that if the funds are available, I can order the new system now, and then get a refund that would be processed within a certain many business days after Apple receives the original system. Hmmm... let me just pull another 3 grand outta my mom's pocketbook... just for a little bit.
We politely but firmly went back and forth for a bit. I expressed my extreme displeasure about the situation, and reminded him what a faithful customer of Apple my mother has been over the years (never anything new for herself, always to give as gifts to others, spreading Mac love far and wide). I reminded him another supervisor/rep combo had ok-ed the card return and told me I was all set, back on Tuesday. But no dice. It's the whole computer or nothing.
I ask if I can take the system in to the Apple store in King of Prussia. No, he says, shipping it back is the only way.
Finally, in a conciliatory move for which I do give him credit, the supervisor offers to give my mom $100 back on the order, and I don't send the cards or the computer or anything else back. I didn't jump up and down for joy, but I pondered for a few moments and figured out that's probably the best I was going to be able to do... and based on my experience this week, I had better make sure it was a done deal before I got off the phone, or the next supervisor I would have to call "might not know anything about what was said or not said in an earlier call" (paraphrase of his words to me about the reason my mom would buy 3 video cards in the first place). He then makes a little joke about how maybe I'd someday need three video cards anyway. Hah. Yeah, if that day ever comes, let me make sure I take a real close look at the competition for Apple's displays.
So, here are my gripes about this situation, in chronological order:
- Apple sells my mom something she doesn't need. This point is universally agreed upon by several Apple customer service reps and a tech rep, whom I called for an unrelated reason (and who asked me if the computer was stock config or upgraded, and got an earful of a reply).
- Apple customer service rep+supervisor tell me a return of the cards is A-OK, and tell me I'll be receiving a return label ASAP.
- return is denied by another department at Apple, kicked back to the representative
- said representative does not contact me, as I was told he should have, to inform me of the changed status of my case
- rep #2 can't find the return request, but tells me that she'll prepare another one and I'll get it in 10-15 minutes
- rep #3 looks up the order number, and sees that the email address, assumedly entered by the rep #2, was none@nowhere.com or something like that. Great... if it had been approved, I wouldn't have gotten it anyway.
- Supervisor (Friday) does not honor the agreement I made with rep+supervisor (Tuesday).
Now, just to balance things out, here are the positive sides of this situation:
- My mom gets $100 from Apple (part of me wants to say "I'll believe it when she sees it" but I'll be charitable). I have two extra video cards, which I may or may not be able to sell for some reasonable amount of money to put into my mom's upcoming birthday present (she won't take the cash from me).
- I have a very nice new computer that I should be reading the results of the 2012 elections on and still be thinking "damn this is a nice computer!"
- I'll be giving my folks my Power Mac G4, about 4 years old and still a very, very slick machine (looking at it, I'm reminded why I still love Apple, despite my current annoyance). This will be replacing an ancient iMac G3 that they inherited from me. (some pics from the "changing of the guard" http://flickr.com/photos/26004465@N00/ )
- someone will probably post in to say I'm a spoiled brat who had it coming to him anyway, and everyone reading can have a good-natured chuckle at my expense.
