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Questions About Apple Replacement Laptops

T

thirdykal

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 27, 2010
61
1
After a second Logic Board failure in addition to NUMEROUS other repairs done on my poor little Macbook (Mid-range Mid-2007 one, so warrants a MBP 13" replacement), it's on the verge of being replaced. My question is when should I ask for a replacement?

I've been involved with the Arrendale thread for a while now, and it seems most likely an update will come sometime February, probably late like the last February update. When the update does finally come out, do they send out old models as replacements until they're all out? Does anyone have any prior experience about this? Should I wait a couple weeks after they come out?

I would have no problem waiting until they are released, except the reason my Logic Board needs to be replaced again is because of the Ethernet port dying. In March, I go back to Nanjing University for my Chinese course and they only have wired internet, so I kinda need a replacement by then. If I get my replacement, do I get the same treatment as if I bought new (ie. if Arrandales are released in the following 2 weeks I get to trade-in?)?. Sorry, I'm cheap, I need a good laptop that'll last me as far into college as it can when I go to Emory next year.
 
They've been out of 2007 models since.. 2007. Anyways the representative promised me the model I receive will be brand new, and I doubt there are any of those still lying around.
 
i had exactly what you had last year "4 strike policy". if you phone them up and speak to them about a what you should do they will ask you to take it an apple store where they will confirm it with apple then give you a case ID and from there on they will negotiate with you for which machine is equivalent and you can pay extra for a better machine like i did. once this is done you can delay the replacement as long as your applecare does not run out.
 
Yep im on the confirmation stage. Since my motherboard's dead again, it's the 5th major repair I've had done on it.

I'm preparing for the negotiation stage, I don't think it would be necessarily fair that I would only get a Macbook and not a Macbook Pro 13".

I bought a middle range Macbook, if someone were to get their base level 2007 Macbook replaced today, which model would they get, probably the base level Macbook? How is it fair that I paid 200 bucks more and get the same replacement model?

if I had it replaced in 2007, I would have gotten the same model, valued at 1299USD, why if I replace it now should I get a product that is valued at less than 1299USD?

If you think about it, back then there were 3 13" models, I got the mid-range one. Now there are 3 13" models, I should get the mid-range equivalent, it's only fair, I paid a premium, I should get a premium replacement.
 
thirdykal said:
I bought a middle range Macbook, if someone were to get their base level 2007 Macbook replaced today, which model would they get, probably the base level Macbook? How is it fair that I paid 200 bucks more and get the same replacement model?

if I had it replaced in 2007, I would have gotten the same model, valued at 1299USD, why if I replace it now should I get a product that is valued at less than 1299USD?

If you think about it, back then there were 3 13" models, I got the mid-range one. Now there are 3 13" models, I should get the mid-range equivalent, it's only fair, I paid a premium, I should get a premium replacement.
Click to expand...

This doesn't make sense because your MacBook isn't worth $1299 anymore. You paid a premium for a better product at the time. Your warranty means that you're entitled to have a computer no less capable than the one you've got -- it doesn't mean that your product won't depreciate in value. Otherwise, everyone would be lining up every time there was a refresh to trade in their product for a new one of the same original purchase price.

Apple's current pricing is arbitrarily decided by them and has absolutely no bearing on something you purchased in 2007. My 24" 2008 iMac (purchased for $2200) was just replaced by Apple with a $1700 27" model -- I haven't been robbed of $500, I've been given an upgrade for free, and I'm thankful for it. I'm not entitled to a bigger upgrade just because Apple's dropped their prices since then.
 
Zortrium said:
This doesn't make sense because your MacBook isn't worth $1299 anymore. You paid a premium for a better product at the time. Your warranty means that you're entitled to have a computer no less capable than the one you've got -- it doesn't mean that your product won't depreciate in value. Otherwise, everyone would be lining up every time there was a refresh to trade in their product for a new one of the same original purchase price.

Apple's current pricing is arbitrarily decided by them and has absolutely no bearing on something you purchased in 2007. My 24" 2008 iMac (purchased for $2200) was just replaced by Apple with a $1700 27" model -- I haven't been robbed of $500, I've been given an upgrade for free, and I'm thankful for it. I'm not entitled to a bigger upgrade just because Apple's dropped their prices since then.
Click to expand...

Yes, but if someone were at the same time to get a replacement authorized for a base level Mid-2007 Macbook, they would end up getting a Macbook. I did not buy the base level, why should I get the same replacement as someone whose laptop is now valued at EVEN less than my own? Worse comes to worse, if the Arrandales come out I don't mind paying an extra couple hundred bucks to get one of those as opposed to a 2009 model as a replacement.
 
You'll get an equivalent model to the level you ordered then. If you had the 2nd tier model, you'll get the current 2nd tier model. I had a 2nd tier MacBook replaced, in fact nearly the same model, and they gave me the better model Aluminum MacBook that was out at the time (this was just before they became MacBook Pro's in the 13"), and even increased the RAM because I had upgraded it myself (and my new RAM was still in the old machine that they had). They're very fair about that.

That said, chances are they still have plenty of the current models to ship you, so you'll probably get what's out now. If by some miracle they didn't, however, they would give you the next model when it comes out, but that's a bit of a wait probably.

jW
 
thirdykal said:
Yes, but if someone were at the same time to get a replacement authorized for a base level Mid-2007 Macbook, they would end up getting a Macbook. I did not buy the base level, why should I get the same replacement as someone whose laptop is now valued at EVEN less than my own? Worse comes to worse, if the Arrandales come out I don't mind paying an extra couple hundred bucks to get one of those as opposed to a 2009 model as a replacement.
Click to expand...

Well, I'd just say that the person who bought the base level MacBook got luckier than you. Someone who buys a computer that breaks and gets replaced after two years ends up better off than someone who buys the same computer and has it break after only one year -- that's just luck of the draw. You'd both still come out ahead, so the only possible grievance you could have is that someone else got it better than you.
 
miles01110 said:
You'd be surprised. Just because they don't sell them in stores or online doesn't mean they didn't save "brand new" units for replacements.
Click to expand...

He's right, I'm in the UK and they managed to find a brand new 16GB 1st Generation iPod Touch for me two weeks ago,
 
thirdykal said:
After a second Logic Board failure in addition to NUMEROUS other repairs done on my poor little Macbook (Mid-range Mid-2007 one, so warrants a MBP 13" replacement), it's on the verge of being replaced. My question is when should I ask for a replacement?

I've been involved with the Arrendale thread for a while now, and it seems most likely an update will come sometime February, probably late like the last February update. When the update does finally come out, do they send out old models as replacements until they're all out? Does anyone have any prior experience about this? Should I wait a couple weeks after they come out?

I would have no problem waiting until they are released, except the reason my Logic Board needs to be replaced again is because of the Ethernet port dying. In March, I go back to Nanjing University for my Chinese course and they only have wired internet, so I kinda need a replacement by then. If I get my replacement, do I get the same treatment as if I bought new (ie. if Arrandales are released in the following 2 weeks I get to trade-in?)?. Sorry, I'm cheap, I need a good laptop that'll last me as far into college as it can when I go to Emory next year.
Click to expand...

Doesn't hurt to ask, but I doubt they'll oblige.

Good luck,

Habitus :apple:
 
i am almost sure that they will give a current model macbook. they alwayd give current model for laptops.

as for the ipod, its not uncommon for them to have many refurbs and thats what they gave you
 
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