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My PowerBook died

S

shakespeare

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 29, 2002
294
0
Portland, Maine
I was working on my PowerBook last night, when it abruptly and without warning closed all my applications and shut down. Subsequent attempts to launch it had no effect, nor did the suggestions from the Apple Support representative I called this morning. So, tomorrow, they're going to send a courier over to pick the thing up, and they're taking it out to California.

I've never had to send my computer away for repairs. What kind of service can I expect? How long will it take? And what happens if they can't fix it? (I have AppleCare.)
 
I am in California.
My iBook has seen a lot of use and thus has seen Apple Care a few times. I have never had to wait more than 3 days, including shipping. I find it funny that it is going to California, as I thought Apple sent most everything in the western U.S. to Texas. In any case, I have found them speedy and fairly competent.

Expect AirBorn
Write and attach a note, sometimes secondary problems can be solved this way.
Pay the data restoration fee if your data is important. It was 60$ U.S. and it only is charged if it is necessary and if it works.
 
expect good service, expect it to take no more than 5 days MAX, and expect your powerbook to come back working like new. :) if your lucky theyll even clean it for you, screen and all! Apple has probbaly the best service/repair of any computer type company out there, all should be well when the laptop is returned.
 
This is all very good to hear. I have never had a catastrophic failure of an Apple computer and I am delighted to hear that they fix them as well as they build them. I can't wait to have my darling laptop back where it belongs!
 
I used Applecare last week for my PowerBook

Picked up Wednesday 2pm by DHL in the UK
Shipped to Frankfurt
Returned to me 11am on the Friday....

Either way you look at it, that's fast as f**k!!

But in contrast my previous experience to that, it vanished without a trace for 2 months +
 
I shall keep you posted. And you're right about its being sent to Texas - I guess I just jumped to conclusions about the California bit. The courier dropped off the mailing equipment (foam, boxes, packing instructions) but didn't stay to take the assembled package - so it will be picked up in the morning.

I hope this is all as fast as you say!
 
Okay, I've got a big problem. Apple says tells me there was accidental damage. There wasn't, so far as I am aware. They want to charge $1000 or so to repair it. I am trying to pay my way through med school on a struggling actor's salary, and I just haven't the money. The thing is, I have a few graphic design clients on the side, and I need a Mac.

Is there a way to appeal this? I'm not trying to cheat them, I just want a computer, and bad. And I want it without dropping out of med school.

Gaaa! I hate this. What do I do?
 
Originally posted by shakespeare
Okay, I've got a big problem. Apple says tells me there was accidental damage. There wasn't, so far as I am aware. They want to charge $1000 or so to repair it. I am trying to pay my way through med school on a struggling actor's salary, and I just haven't the money. The thing is, I have a few graphic design clients on the side, and I need a Mac.

Is there a way to appeal this? I'm not trying to cheat them, I just want a computer, and bad. And I want it without dropping out of med school.

Gaaa! I hate this. What do I do?
Click to expand...

Isn't applecare suppose to cover it?
 
if you have applecare, they should cover it. dont let them try and get you to admit that the damage was your own fault. just be stern with them and MAKE SURE they know that you had no involvement with the damage. if theres phisical damage to the computer, then just make sure you have a good reason for it. and a little tip, if it WAS your fault, dont tell them this, or even "stretch the truth" maybe. really, its worth saving you the $1000 and no ones going to know better. someone told me they dropped their own powerbook, busting one of the hinges, and applecare took care of it. weather that person told them that exact story im not sure of, but nevertheless it did get repaired. good luck, and i hope the best for you in this situation.
 
I do have AppleCare, but they say it doesn't cover accidental damage, which is silly - that three hundred-odd dollars ought to pay for a lot, especially considering that it was unlikely I should ever have this problem.

I'm going to call them in the morning to see if I can get them to budge. They're telling me now it was a spill of some kind, and the lady I got on the phone was not at all sympathetic. I'm going to try again, and be firmer.

Thanks for the support; I'll let you know what comes of this.
 
It honestly looks as though you believe that it wasn't accidental damage. Be firm, and AppleCare doesn’t cover accidental damage. Have them explain why they think that it is accidental damage.

What exactly is wrong?
Point them here to see running commentary about your computers problem.
 
The lady I got this time (and who was much kinder) told me that the engineer is unequivocally certain that a spill fried the optical drive, most of the keyboard, and a host of things that I had no idea what they were.

I couldn't understand how this could be, until I remembered that many months ago, I was stage managing a show (running the sound from my PowerBook) when my ASM spilled coffee on the keyboard. It was just a little bit, and I wiped it up, and needed only to replace the keyboard. An engineer I spoke to said that it could take some time for the internal components to erode from the spill, as apparently has happened.

So I now do believe it was accidental damage, and I have accordingly asked them not to repair it (I haven't got the cash) but simply to do what they could do for free and then return the computer. Maybe the engineer will get mixed up and fix it anyway, who knows. :D

So now the question arises: what computer do I replace it with? (I can get a loan for it; I just figure that if I spend money, it should be for a new system.) I travel internationally a lot, and I'm a student, so I'd like a portable. But I'm also very speed-conscious. I'd order the 17-inch because it's so cool and I don't mind the size, but it's going to take so damn long to get here. Or maybe I should get a Power Mac and an iBook. I don't know what to do. Any advice?
 
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