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New MBP meets the Genius Bar...a story

J

jtimcampy

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 11, 2013
13
0
So I bought my MacBook Pro 13inch, 2.9Ghz, 8gb Ram on March 3rd, it has only been a week. This is my first mac and this is also my first Laptop. I have always only had PC Towers.

Yesterday the fan randomly started running super loud at max speed (The MBP was working Perfectly Fine!). The laptop just randomly went poop on me. I ran hardware test and found out that the temperature sensor died... causing the fan to run wild and the kernel task to go over 300%.

I looked up this issue on google, seems like the only way to get it fixed was to send it to an Apple Store.

So I did. Today I went to the Apple Store Genius Bar @ SoHo at about 9AM in the morning and they tested the hardware twice and there was definitely a problem with the temperature sensor.

They told me to drop off the MBP and they gave me a receipt that indicated: Estimated Turn Around Time: We'll call you in 3 -5 days. Right now is 8PM, and I checked the repair status and it still says: "Shipment to repair center pending"

I didn't get the chance to ask some questions at the Genius Bar since I had to go to class soon.


--------------
Here are my questions

I want to know if I can really get my laptop back in 3 - 5 days, or if it is even possible to get it back even earlier than that?

I want to know if "Shipment to repair center" actually mean that they will send it back to like.. I don't know.. California to fix it and then send it back? Or can it mean that they will get the repair materials to the Genius Bar and fix my laptop there? (Is there a way I can find out whether they are sending it back or ordering parts?)

Do hardware failures on new MBP happen often or is this by chance? I'm worried I might have done something wrong to make the laptop hate me (since I'm inexperience when it comes to Mac and laptops). It just bothers me that such an expensive equipment can be so... ehh



TL;DR: I just want to get some insights on Apple Repair (Genius Bar) and MBP in general. My questions are under the dotted lines.
 
Usually they order parts in and repair it there and have the machine ready in a few days.
 
You should have it back on Thur-Sat

I dropped my MBP off at Apple on Monday morning and they had it back to me Friday morning - they replaced the screen/top case and also the diagnostics found out a sensor was broke and they replaced the logic board. My MBP was shipped to a repair center.

This was my experience about 1 1/2 months ago.

Laptop can fail - Apple will do you right!
 
Thanks for reading my dumb story guys! I really appreciate the insights!

And I also forgot to ask: do these kind of repairs usually wipe your hdd? (I know it shouldn't wipe the hdd but, I was just wondering if it happens more often that they wipe it or not)
 
jtimcampy said:
Thanks for reading my dumb story guys! I really appreciate the insights!

And I also forgot to ask: do these kind of repairs usually wipe your hdd? (I know it shouldn't wipe the hdd but, I was just wondering if it happens more often that they wipe it or not)
Click to expand...

They may install ASD - Apple Service Diagnostics on the HDD or may boot if from external (they added a partition to my SSD when they had it - and forgot to delete it). They also run ASD to see if there are any other problems with your machine.

Short answer - It is possible that you HDD could come back with a fresh install of OS X.
 
jtimcampy said:
Thanks for reading my dumb story guys! I really appreciate the insights!

And I also forgot to ask: do these kind of repairs usually wipe your hdd? (I know it shouldn't wipe the hdd but, I was just wondering if it happens more often that they wipe it or not)
Click to expand...

it shouldn't, since it was just the Temp sensor. I may be wrong though.

and no, problems like this don't happen especially since you just got your machine. you were just unlucky and got a bad one :/
 
So you bought the MBP 8 days ago and you're letting them send it away for 3-5 days for repairs? No way, you are still within the return window so you should have them take back the defective unit and exchange it for a brand new MBP still in the shiny shrink wrapped box.

In fact, I'm surprised they didn't just initiate the return right there for you. Get a new one and tell them to keep the old one.
 
AFDoc said:
Agreed. OP why would you settle for being without a computer for so long when your machine was only 8 days old? It's within your 14 day return window, should of told them you wanted to return it for a different one.
Click to expand...

Yes

So you bought the MBP 8 days ago and you're letting them send it away for 3-5 days for repairs? No way, you are still within the return window so you should have them take back the defective unit and exchange it for a brand new MBP still in the shiny shrink wrapped box.

In fact, I'm surprised they didn't just initiate the return right there for you. Get a new one and tell them to keep the old one.
Click to expand...

Yes

Go back to the apple store and tell them you want a refund, and buy a new macbook
Click to expand...

Yes
 
I bought my macbook from Bestbuy, would I still be able to exchange it for a new one at the Apple Store?
 
jtimcampy said:
I bought my macbook from Bestbuy, would I still be able to exchange it for a new one at the Apple Store?
Click to expand...
No, but Best Buy should have let you return it back to them as defective, and then sell you another one.

The Apple Store I worked at would ship notebooks off to "the depot" for repair, when they hit a certain number of Macs waiting for repair in the store. It was the quickest way to handle the load.
 
@ the OP...

I'm in NYC as well, I visit the soho location on the regular...For the most part they're pretty cool in there.

However if you want to get this accomplished like quick, and painless...Return it and get a new one! for such a new machine you shouldn't be without a machine that long...No way!!!

I'd take a treck down to 5th ave..open 24hrs:D and get that machine replaced ASAP.
 
Sean76 said:
@ the OP...

I'm in NYC as well, I visit the soho location on the regular...For the most part they're pretty cool in there.

However if you want to get this accomplished like quick, and painless...Return it and get a new one! for such a new machine you shouldn't be without a machine that long...No way!!!

I'd take a treck down to 5th ave..open 24hrs:D and get that machine replaced ASAP.
Click to expand...

The thing is, I would love to return it for a new one, but I bought mine at Best Buy and as aristobrat said, I can't return it for a new one at the Apple Store now. Since they're holding on to it now, I think I have no other choice but to wait til I get it back and if it turns out that the repair has made it worse (hopefully not) or if the macbook doesn't look new and clean anymore, I might return it to Best Buy and get a new one there.

*question!* Do Apple repair do their repairs really carefully and as clean as possible? I have heard instances where someone would bring it to repair and get it back all damaged and maybe scratched, etc. Does this happen or is this just me worrying too much?

When I get it back, would it be in the same shape and form that I dropped it off with?
 
JeffiJers said:
8 day old computer? they should have fixed it by handing you a new box.
Click to expand...

x2, I am concerned that this didnt happen. On my old classic macbook pro that was 2 months old, they just gave me a brand new one in the box, and took my old charger and macbook back.
 
iPhonesandMacs said:
x2, I am concerned that this didnt happen. On my old classic macbook pro that was 2 months old, they just gave me a brand new one in the box, and took my old charger and macbook back.
Click to expand...

I don't mean to just single you out, as others have done this as well, but come on guys, is no one even reading this thread?

The OP bought the computer at Best Buy, hence could not just exchange it at the Apple Store (though they are known to do this on occasion if they're feeling generous).
 
jtimcampy said:
The thing is, I would love to return it for a new one, but I bought mine at Best Buy and as aristobrat said, I can't return it for a new one at the Apple Store now. Since they're holding on to it now, I think I have no other choice but to wait til I get it back and if it turns out that the repair has made it worse (hopefully not) or if the macbook doesn't look new and clean anymore, I might return it to Best Buy and get a new one there.

*question!* Do Apple repair do their repairs really carefully and as clean as possible? I have heard instances where someone would bring it to repair and get it back all damaged and maybe scratched, etc. Does this happen or is this just me worrying too much?

When I get it back, would it be in the same shape and form that I dropped it off with?
Click to expand...

3 repairs - no damage
 
jtimcampy said:
The thing is, I would love to return it for a new one, but I bought mine at Best Buy and as aristobrat said, I can't return it for a new one at the Apple Store now. Since they're holding on to it now, I think I have no other choice but to wait til I get it back and if it turns out that the repair has made it worse (hopefully not) or if the macbook doesn't look new and clean anymore, I might return it to Best Buy and get a new one there.

*question!* Do Apple repair do their repairs really carefully and as clean as possible? I have heard instances where someone would bring it to repair and get it back all damaged and maybe scratched, etc. Does this happen or is this just me worrying too much?

When I get it back, would it be in the same shape and form that I dropped it off with?
Click to expand...


accidents happen.... but apple is a good company so i would like to say you're in good hands.
 
jtimcampy said:
I bought my macbook from Bestbuy, would I still be able to exchange it for a new one at the Apple Store?
Click to expand...

No. They're different retailers. For returns and exchanges related to the original purchase, it is basically determined by the policy of the store that sold it to you. Problems do happen, but on an 8 day old machine that is a QA failure. There was an article on here regarding fan issues in the recent models.
 
So bring it back to best buy...You have 30 days from the date of purchase.

I would have left Apple with my macbook in hand, and headed straight for Best Buy and exchanged it. Listen man, ya live and ya learn. Check it out when you get it back, or visit Apple tomorrow and tell em your not happy about an 8 day old computer being repaired so soon and that you'd like it back to return to best buy for a brand new one...Unless of course they'd like to play the nice guys and allow you to exchange it there...50-50 shot of you getting a cool Mgr to handle that for ya...Either way, good luck man
 
jtimcampy said:
I just want to get some insights on Apple Repair (Genius Bar) and MBP in general. My questions are under the dotted lines.
Click to expand...

So let us know how it turns out; either way. Even if they get it fixed, seems to me you bought a refurbished macbook for full price. If they really want to take care of you; they will compensate you for that.
 
bbucy said:
So let us know how it turns out; either way. Even if they get it fixed, seems to me you bought a refurbished macbook for full price. If they really want to take care of you; they will compensate you for that.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'll see what happens.
I mean if the repair goes fine and the laptop is still in good shape, I won't complain. It does seem like it could be a refurbished macbook but I hope it's not (Refurbished probably has less problem than new ones haha).
When I bought this, I was really looking forward to it for the next 3-4 years... who would have thought that it would only last 1 week. I'm hoping this is just some bad luck that I ended up with a defect and that after this repair, nothing will go wrong... Spending part of my college savings to invest into this macbook was really big for me.
 
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