Refurb problem story - advice appreciated

[ClaphamChris]

Hi all. Advice on this one greatly appreciated.

Bought a refurb 1.25Ghz PB from the UK online Apple Store. It arrived on Wednesday, so Wednesday evening out of the box it comes.

Boot up, get the install/restore DVD out of its (battered) sleeve and pop it in the Superdrive. Clunk, whirr etc for a couple of minutes, and it ejects. Hmm. Check the DVD, and the coating's badly damaged, like there's been some adhesive stuck to it at some stage. Ho hum.

Reach for the Panther retail install disks I already have and install. All good. Get the iLife 04 DVD out and pop it in the drive - clunk, whirr, eject. Try a few other DVDs - same scenario. So here's problem 1: Superdrive can't read (or presumably write) DVDs.

Call tech support, get offered a refund (which will take 3 weeks to process, they say) or a repair (which will take 3 weeks too). Arrange a compromise - carry-in to local service provider, which should cut it down by a week. New install/restore DVD will be posted.

Not delighted, but let it go. Decide to keep the machine until Monday, so I can play with GarageBand over the weekend (installing using disk images via my iBook in FireWire target disk mode).

Thursday night, I notice that the numbers on the second row of the keyboard don't light up with the backlit keyboard on. And today, some keys on the keyboard don't register unless I tap them 3/4 times.

I'm now seriously grumpy. Cosmetic damage is one thing - prepared for that as a trade-off for price. But this machine looks like it hasn't been refurbed at all - just shipped straight out.

Monday morning will bring a conversation with Apple customer services. My questions are:

1. Has anyone had an issue like this and if so how did Apple respond?
2. I'm going to ask them to ship a replacement machine as soon as it's confirmed I've brought this one back to the local service centre, despite the T&Cs saying it's refund or repair only on refurbs. I think this is reasonable - I'd be happy with a refurb (so long as it works and it's got no dead pixels on the display). If they won't do that, I'm going ask for an immediate refund. How do you rate my chances?

Any help/advice greatly appreciated. Dead frustrated by this. And as a by the by, this is my third Mac. History goes:

1999 - iMac - dead on arrival. had to wait five weeks for them to come back into stock.
2003 - iBook - bought Airport Card (faulty), which exposed the logic board as faulty too. Repair took three weeks.
2004 - Powerbook - as above.

Am I the unluckiest man in the world, I wonder....


Chris

 

[IndyGopher]

I have purchased a couple of refurb Macs from the US store (online) and not had any problems with them. In fact, my refurb dual 800 powermac didn't even have any cosmetic problems... however, they did use mismatched screws to mount the hard drive, which I am just anal enough to have replaced with matching screws.

The refurb stuff carries the same warranty as the new stuff, so I would not hesitate to give them grief on it until they make it right. Complain enough and you might even get a new one.

 

[HexMonkey]

Re: Refurb problem story - advice appreciated

Originally posted by ClaphamChris
Am I the unluckiest man in the world, I wonder....

No, some people use Windows.

 

[MacRAND]

Re: Refurb problem story - advice appreciated

Originally posted by ClaphamChris
...Bought a refurb 1.25Ghz PB from the UK online Apple Store. ...So here's problem: Superdrive can't read (or presumably write) DVDs.
Call tech support, get offered a refund (which will take 3 weeks to process, they say) or a repair (which will take 3 weeks too).
Arrange a compromise - carry-in to local service provider, which should cut it down by a week. New install/restore DVD will be posted.
Not delighted, but let it go. Thursday night, I notice that the
numbers on the second row of the keyboard don't light up with the backlit keyboard on. And today, some
keys on the keyboard don't register unless I tap them 3/4 times.
I'm now seriously grumpy. Cosmetic damage is one thing - prepared for that as a trade-off for price. But this machine looks like it hasn't been refurbed at all - just shipped straight out.

Monday morning will bring a conversation with Apple customer services. My questions are:
1. Has anyone had an issue like this and if so how did Apple respond?
2. I'm going to ask them to ship a replacement machine as soon as it's confirmed I've brought this one back to the local service centre, despite the T&Cs saying it's refund or repair only on refurbs.
I think this is reasonable - I'd be happy with a refurb (so long as it works and it's got no dead pixels on the display). If they won't do that, I'm going to ask for an immediate refund.
How do you rate my chances?

Reaction: "unlucky", hell, this really sucks.
1. Different issues, Apple found major problems with my laptop when I sent it in for a minor repair, Apple's repair response was excellent. But, unlike me, YOU have a "contract" problem, and that's a bit different. Apple has "terms" to follow.
2. Your return & replace while reasonable, getting Apple to agree is another story - policy problems.
Suggest you get your local Apple Authorized Dealer to champion your cause** with Apple, sometimes they can get stuff done we cannot, sometimes the other way around.
**King Arthur & his roundtable of Knights, and all that sort of rot. Make him your Sir Lancelot, just keep him away from your wife if her name is Guinevere.

Initially, don't tell the Dealer this (wait until all other choices are exhausted) -- consider Return & Refund, but buy what you want NOW through your dealer and get him to take the expected Refund check as partial payment LATER - it's better than no sale at all for him.

Bottom line: I really think you do have a "lemon" and you should return it, don't just fix it, even if you've got 3-years of AppleCare - that could be a 3 year nightmare.

Refurbs are generally ok.
We buy Macs because they work properly right out of the box. That is the "experience" you deserve. Bitch & Moan until they treat your right, be FIRM just don't raise your voice or use naughty words. Apple people are human and their tendancy is to take care of your needs regardless of written terms & conditions of sale, unless you ruffle their feathers - then they fly away leaving you in the lurch.

Monday, box it all up, fly to your local Dealer, and get him to get you a proper deal and a PowerBook you can use...NOW!

 

[ClaphamChris]

Cheers MacRAND and IndyGopher - excellent advice, I think. I'll give Apple the chance to go "above and beyond" the T&Cs - and I hope they will. If not, your strategy is very sound indeed - and would never have crossed my mind.

And you''re right HexMonkey... it could be worse


Will post again Monday and let you know. But thanks again.

 

[ClaphamChris]

Latest update.... 2.30 Sunday - keyboard has now died completely. No response in any app to any key.

Thank goodness I've still got my iBook.

Can it get any worse? We'll see what tomorrow and Apple's customer service team will bring.

 

[MacRAND]

Re: Re: Refurb problem story - advice appreciated

Originally posted by MacRAND
Reaction: "unlucky", hell, this really sucks.
Bottom line: I really think you do have a "lemon" and you should return it, don't just fix it, even if you've got 3-years of AppleCare - that could be a 3 year nightmare. Get rid of it!

Monday, box it all up, fly to your local Dealer, and get him to get you a proper deal and a PowerBook you can use...NOW!

Has anything really changed? The good news is - you won't have any problem convincing Apple there are serious problems...unfortunately.

 

[cubist]

Sounds like the machine has severe PHYSICAL damage. I wonder if the machine could have gotten battered in shipping - dropped several feet, for instance?

 

[hardon]

sorry bout your probs...

was this company Cancom by any chance!

i had a very bad experience myself

 

[ClaphamChris]

Thanks again, MacRAND - right on the button again.

And that's a very good point you make, Cubist - I've been thinking it looks like it just hasn't been refurbed at all, but it's entirely possible it got banged around during shipping.

I bought it direct from Apple, Hardon - although I did drop into the Cancom Croydon store yesterday to pick up a wireless mouse and mentioned it to them. They said it's very rare for them to have a problem with an Apple refurb. Clearly you've been on the wrong end of one too - sorry to hear that.

Will post again after speaking to Apple tomorrow. Thanks once again, one and all.


Chris

 

[ClaphamChris]

To summarise the 1.5 hours I've spent on the phone to Apple today...

1. Operator sympathetic, agreed the machine was unacceptable but unable to offer anything than a refund (probably take three weeks). Said I wanted to escalate it, promised a call back from a supervisor, which still hadn't happened five hours later.

2. Same conversation as 1 when I called back - but unable to do anything other than offer the 3-week refund.

3. Transferred to a supervisor who was much more direct. The refund or repair is what's on the table, take it or leave it. Round this circle a few times. Explained what I wanted was some sort of gesture from Apple to acknowledge how below standard this is. She said she can't, I said that it's not that Apple can't - it's that the policy says that you won't. Ended in deadlock - write a letter if you want, but the 3-week refund is our best offer.

I'm unwilling to let this drop now - the lack of customer care has made me want to pursue it to a bitter end. Any thoughts on how to proceed?

Thanks in advance


Chris

 

[Roger1]

Call them back and tell them your going to become a switcher-to Dell. That might get their attention.

 

[MacRAND]

Take the REFUND; Apple may have done you a favor.

Originally posted by ClaphamChris
To summarise the 1.5 hours I've spent on the phone to Apple today...

1. Operator sympathetic, agreed the machine was unacceptable but unable to offer anything than a refund (probably take three weeks). Said I wanted to escalate it, promised a call back from a supervisor, which still hadn't happened five hours later.

2. Same conversation as 1 when I called back - but unable to do anything other than offer the 3-week refund.

3. Transferred to a supervisor who was much more direct. The refund or repair is what's on the table, take it or leave it. Round this circle a few times.

Explained what I wanted was some sort of gesture from Apple to acknowledge how below standard this is. She said she can't, I said that it's not that Apple can't - it's that the policy says that you won't. Ended in deadlock...

...the lack of customer care has made me want to pursue it to a bitter end.

Any thoughts on how to proceed?

Chris, It's time to get practical. Remember when I said these things?

2. Your "return & replace" while reasonable, getting Apple to agree is another story - policy problems.
Suggest you get your local Apple Authorized Dealer to champion your cause** with Apple, sometimes they can get stuff done we cannot, sometimes the other way around.
...but buy what you want NOW through your dealer and
get him to take the expected Refund check as partial payment LATER - it's better than no sale at all for him.
Bottom line: I really think you do have a "Lemon" and you should RETURN it, don't just fix it, even if you've got 3-years of AppleCare - that could be a 3 year nightmare.

The nightmare needs to stop, RETURN it and ask them to process the REFUND expidetiously.

Yes, it sucks, but the people at Apple that you are talking to are stuck - with the CONTRACT. And, so are you. That's why there are written contracts and policies.

You do have an alternative--to let AppleCare fix it. That is not a good choice because if they do FIX IT and return it to you, it may still be unsatisfactory. There is a chance that it is so messed up, they will choose to box up a new Mac at their discretion (different serial number) but there is no guarantee aof getting a New MAC, except by taking the RETURN and delayed REFUND.

Oddly, Fry's Electronics and probably Best Buy and CompUSA, do have a provision in their "extended warranty" program that provides you with a "swap out" of your machine for a new one until the old is repaired. I'm not sure whether that would cover the delay period while waiting for a refund. As an aside, the reason we don't go for the Store's Warranty plan is that it does NOT include 2 years 9 months of over-the-phone AppleCare advice (which you might not care about if you already had it on another Mac! making the stores warranty superior )
You have fallen into an odd area of NEVER NEVERLAND.

Talking with Apple on the phone at this point is not likely to get them off the dime. Have you talked to the Manager at the local Apple Store?
How about an interest free loan until the Refund Check arrives, sort of a credit on account with a temporary delay? Negotiate locally, not over the phone.

BENEFIT: during the next 3 weeks as the computer world turns, there may well be a bump in speed or a new release; so, the delay could be a blessing in disguise.

During the hiatus, make yourself an expert in warranty contracts - between AppleCare and a store like Fry's - whatever. Look at the terms that make you happy, but don't lose sight of future events that have nothing to do with a "lemon".

There is only a very small "profit" in the sale of new computers by Apple or an authorized dealer, so there is not much room to make you happy as a customer without them losing their profit - thus contract terms. But, I'd look at using a credit card (VISA has some really outstanding "return" and "Lemon law" provisions to protect their customers) and consider getting a super "tax free" deal through a catalog company.

If you do use a "credit card", by the time the 3 weeks is up, you will have the "float" (legally) to cover your credit card payment and NO INTEREST during the time period if you wait to "buy" until after the cards monthly cycle passes closing old charges. Hell, call your credit card company and ask about the timing of purchases, buy you might not want to "share" your dilemma in detail (they don't care, in fact they may get nervous, unjustifiably, I might add).

You have alternatives, but giving Apple the "finger" and "holding your ground" on a demand for an immediate refund or exchange is not one of them. Use the system, go indirect.

Are you going to go "refurb" next time? Remember, your case is one out of 10,000 and the odds on the dice coming up "snake eyes" is just that.

Delivery - is another problem. Even if you pay full price (no refurb deal) your local authorized store can only deliver NOW what it has in stock NOW.

Is no one among your family and friends a "student" entitled to an EDU discount? Have you no child even in Kindergarten? Play the angles. Besides, regardless of who "buys" the Mac, it's who REGISTERS the serial number that counts, I think even including who pays for AppleCare - which is open for 12 months AFTER you buy the Mac, unless you want to cover "phone" HELP after the 90-days expires.

That's my Legal Opinion as a (damn) Lawyer. Fee - never ending respect for the legal mind (no matter what you may think about attorneys as people, and we are - because I could easily be in your shoes, my friend) instead of $200/hour. (this post took over an hour to right right )

CONSULATION and LEGAL CONSULTATION: from a
• "human" perspective of fairness (Golden Rule, etc.), you are right - Apple really should just swap it out, but they won't. Regardless, you being "right" won't get you an immediate "credit" because from a strict
• "legal" perspective, Apple Computer Inc. appears to be within their contractural rights when selling your this refurb "Lemon". Except, if
• "Lemon" laws locally provide an exception for such a return, requiring an immediate refund from Apple Computer Inc. - worth checking out with a local attorney.

Since your "location" is not part of your profile (always helpful) I can't make any suggestions on how to find an attorney who would help you. The Better Business Bureau has a "Lemon Law" staff. I guess you live in the UK, but not sure where.

 

[MillieWales]

I realise this is not going to be helpful, but legally they are right. All you can do is try and take it up the ladder to someone who has the power and will to help you.

I have checked this over with a corporate lawyer, and they have done nothing wrong, apart from being unfair in consumer land. It would be better for them to sort this out for you though, so point that out to them.

Good luck mate, so unfair for you, keep at it.

Marc

 

[MacRAND]

PowerBook bump in G4 speed

Looks like Apple may have to give us a bump in speed with the G4 chip before the PB gets a G5 chip. Check the current news on MacRumors page 1:

TheRegister.co.uk reports on an updated PowerPC MPC7447 from Motorola.

The updated version of the chip (7447A) runs at 1.5GHz. The previous version of the 7447 processor is currently being used in Apple's PowerBooks.

TheRegister speculates that this may power an updated G4 PowerBook revision while we wait for the G5 PowerBook. Previous comments by Apple execs have noted that "it's going to be a while" (stated in Nov 2003) before the G5 makes it into a PowerBook.

Could well be, a new PB release is imminent. A 3 week wait could land you an upgraded PB. Let's hope so.

 

[hob]

i'm very interested reading this thread - what IS the UK "Lemon Law"?

My iBook G3 is suffering from the ol' Logic Board problems, which of course I did not know about before buying...

...I would like them to refund me my money so i can buy something else.

Is there anything legal about this? I've sent it back twice to have it fixed and i'm annoyed it will keep needing it....

Sorry to usurp your board, but i don't think it's too off-topic!!

Hob

 

[MacRAND]

Originally posted by hob
1. i'm very interested reading this thread - what IS the UK "Lemon Law"?

2. My iBook G3 is suffering from the ol' Logic Board problems, which of course I did not know about before buying...
...I would like them to refund me my money so i can buy something else.
...I've sent it back twice to have it fixed and i'm annoyed it will keep needing it....Hob

1. Maybe someone in the UK can answer the "Lemon Law" question, in the US there are 50 states and that many laws (or not) that apply, since there is no "Federal" Lemon Law common across the land (not even a "uniform" law.
2. Oddly, Apple discovered my "Logic Board problem" when my iBook had to go in for a minor cosmetic repair on the battery. Unbelievably, Apple tried to blame me! and I didn't even know about it. But the Apple Authorized Dealer stuck up for me and Apple replaced the logic board and some other expensive parts - nearly $1,000 worth of parts and labor - all free under AppleCare's 1st year warranty.

Unless you do qualify under the "Lemon laws" in your local (2 or 3 times in the shop with the same problem + add up all the days without use, may qualify technically),
your choice is simple: turn it in for Apple to fix...or not. "Refund or replace" are not contractual remedies in this case. (But, check with your local barrister/lawyer).
Apple has the choice to either fix or replace, but "replace" is only their option, not yours. To them, "refund" is out of the question. :sad:

Remember, you have had valuable "use" of the iBook since you bought it, and there is a depreciation in its worth simply in the passage of time even if you never took it out of the box; i.e. G4 iBooks and faster clock speeds.
REFUND is just not an option for you, without a "Lemon Law" to back you up.

For information on Lemon Laws in the USA:
http://www.mylemon.com/
CLICK above, not below on the lemons.

 

[MacRAND]

USA Lemon Law help

UK either has a Lemon Law or statute, or not.

If not, England invented Common Law and "claims in equity" to avoid harsh inequitable results.
Me thinks it started with the Norman Conquest shortly after 1066 AD when King William appointed his buddy Lanfranc Archbishop of Canterbury (primate of all England) in 1070, directing him to take an accounting of all property in his new realm (for taxing purposes, including people) and to determine what the "common law" of the people was, which at the time was a hodgepodge mess from manor to manor, shire to shire. After about a dozen years, the Bishop delivered the Doomsday Books to the King, which in effect codified English Common Law at the time - it's a progressive thing.
Just think how much easier that job would have been had Lanfranc had an iBook with FileMaker Pro 7, inDesign 2.0, and MS Office on it. But, then the y would have had to wait until the printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-1400's, along with Adobe fonts, and some other stuff, just to get it off the iBook and onto paper.

By the way, Lanfranc was sort of sneaky because he got the King to establish the Church's Court system (Lanfranc's ) in England which was the Court of Equity.
The King's Court was the Court of Law - enforcing the Laws (Criminal, Civil and Tax) of England. In limited ways, Courts of Equity can modify the effect of the King's law, sort of a check and balance.
(What the King taketh away by divine right, the Church can sometimes giveth back in divine fairness).

Have you seen CANON's new wireless business printer - the Gutenburg?
only $50,000.00; duplicate original, lifetime guarantee; provide your own printer's ink.
ADOBE has already announced cross-platform support (Mac, Linox Lindow's, MS WindowsPX, etc.) and promises at least 13 hardware based fonts of movable type will be ready by the end of some year:
Linotext, Goudy Text, Old English, Charlemagne, G•Spot Script, Wittenberger Fraktur, Fette Fraktur Std, Wiener Snitchzel von Frankfurter, Wilhelm Klingspor Gotisch, Letter Gothic, and a number of fonts from Adobe's "Type Before Gutenburg Collection": Notre Dame Std, Pompeijana Std, Duc De Berry Std, and Engravers Std. Duc de raz Berry™ and Don Juan de Marco® types promised by the end of the century.
Neither Apple, Adobe nor Canon plan to provide a "printer driver", so owners will have to hire their own "printer's devil" assistant for manual operation. Microsoft plans for certification.
PRESS REVIEWS: Classic printing, workable, stylish, timeless design, a real original. A bargain at any price.
MacAddict's Hardware Editor gives it 3 thumbs up, "Never seen anything like it. Really, I've never seen anything like it. Very energy efficient and ecologically sound...what else can I say?"

 

[hob]

thanks for your 1 constructive and 1 mildly humorous post

I'm thinking I could argue the point that - yeah, it's depreciated - but it's their fault i'm in this predicament!! It's disrupting my study!!

Hob

 

[MacRAND]

Originally posted by hob
I'm thinking I could argue the point that - yeah, it's depreciated - but it's their fault i'm in this predicament!!
It's disrupting my study!!

Hob, I paid about $1700 for my G3 iBook 700 in July 2002. It's depreciated (and I wrote it off on my taxes as a business expense) down to about $600, if that. Look at the price of a new G3 iBook 900. It's hard to accept, but it's a fact of life in our open economy.

"Fault" is like trying to define the word "grace", semantically speaking.
I agree with you, I think Apple's negligence and year and a half of wrongful denial over the problem has caused the problem and you might even be able to prove consequential damages. I don't have a copy of the purchase agreement and Apple's policy statement, but I'll bet that you gave up the right to collect such damages specifically. It's a standard clause in such contracts.

I agree with you, Apple is NOT being fair. What we do not see is the need for time Apple has to deal with verifying the validity of your original payment, the status of the product, and some other very time consuming procedures. Apple gets defrauded all the time by slick operators, and so they have a procedure to protect themselves from paying out a quick refund on a payment that could still get reversed on them - they'd be left holding the bag, and could be out several thousand dollars.

Apple is not holding onto your money in an interest bearing savings account along with the rest of their $4.3-billion in cash so they can make money off your money.

If you paid by credit card, especially VISA, the transaction my still be "outstanding" and "incomplete", you can still request a refund from VISA through reversal of your credit card authorization. And, a DOA product may be covered under VISA's purchase protection plan, if you used their credit card. Did you?
Fair to you - NO! But, legally supportable in court by specific contract terms, yes.

You've been given some viable alternatives, what are you doing about them so you can "study" and get on with your life?

I sincerely wish you a good, quick and truly equitable resolution. The little bit of humor I've injected was to help ease the pain you must be feeling. Sugar coating for a sour pill.

 

[hob]

Thanks very much, i'll let you know

Hob

 

[Applespider]

If you paid for it on a credit card, then your card company are jointly liable for any problems if the item cost over £100 (Consumer Credit Act). I'd give them a call, tell them it's not working and that it's going to take 3 weeks for a refund and see if they will refund immediately and then keep Apple's refund when it comes through later.

I understand the point about perhaps being defrauded on a sale that's raised above but retailers can get chargebacks for up to 6 months after purchase so don't think that's the full story. Those fraud checks should be done upfront.

Secondly, whether it's refurbed or not, you still have rights under the Sale of Goods Act. Unfortunately, these basically extend to you're entitled to a refund which they've offered even if it is going to take a ridiculously long time.

Question, is that 3 weeks from now assuming you ship the PB immediately, 3 weeks from arrival back at their depot or a maximum of 3 weeks they quote to cover any backlogs/holiday periods.

I had a problem with my AlPB15 when I got it in Jan and frequent kernel panics (nothing as concrete as keyboard/Superdrive issues). Thankfully I hadn't bought it from Apple but John Lewis who just replaced it with minimum of fuss.

 

[ClaphamChris]

Seriously considering trying to rename this thread "MacRAND is a legend"....

Briefly - for character-count reasons - MacRAND your advice over the past few days has been unquestionably 100%. My heartfelt thanks - lots of words, lots of time, for some bloke in the UK you've never met. If you're ever over here, I should stand you beers and a night out. And I mean that.

Long and short: MacRAND is of course absolutely right. So says the head. But the heart aches: just a gesture, just some movement. Didn't post this earlier (space) but asked - in order to expedite - could my money be held by Apple as a credit, rather than a refund for a future (imminent) purchase. This would have saved me 2 weeks - a week for the card refund to process, a week faster in shipping. Answer? No. Which confirms that it's all about Apple and a big two fingers to their customers. This is what really makes me angry. Shipped an unacceptable product and their systems don't allow them any flexibility. It's not can't - everything is possible. It's won't. And won't upsets me in this case.

Where do I go from here? Well, MacRAND's right. Contractually, I've no case. Morally? Well, for you to decide. I'll think overnight about abandoning the principle and taking the cash or holding out for a virtuous (perhaps to be vainglorious) battle.

Marccarter - many thanks for your trouble. Again, hugely appreciated.

And Hob, hope you get some satisfaction. Happy to hand the thread over to you - your situation may move further than mine. Whichever way, I wish you good luck.

Just as a by-the-by, as marccarter says, everything Apple is doing here is within UK law. To dangerously precis UK law, refund or replace are generally both acceptable - whichever is the most economically viable is the winner. Cost Apple £50 to replace buit £30 to repair? Repair it is, and you've got no choice. Their terms on the refurb store are, of course, completely above board.

It's their customer care I'm finding lacking - a point I've laboured today for absolutely zilch result. Quote of my day? "Our managers don't speak to customers" when asked to be put through. Says it all, huh?

Money has been taken from my Visa account. The refund (if that's the way I choose) starts to be processed once the machine is checked in and examined in Eindhoven, Holland - after arranging a pick-up and 5-6 days travelling. Hence the 3 weeks before it hits my Visa. No other means is acceptable to Apple (ie no local service centres). Whatever happens, I'm gonna pay interest on the Visa bill for this purchase, cos I ain't got the means to repay otherwise. I'll gladly pay my bank interest if I've got a PowerBook running on all cylinders. But interest for what? A defective refurb that's never worked out of the box?

And where is Apple in all this? Intransigent. Saying they can't when actually they won't. Applespider - will try the Visa route, but the transaction cleared my account almost a week ago.

We'll see. It's not the end of the world. But it upsets me that a company I (and everyone on this board) support don't want to go an inch for a let-down customer, let alone a mile.

Upside? The support and advice received on this post. Don't want to sound melodramatic, but it has meant an awful lot.

Hob - if it's any consolation, I'm typing this on an iBook G3 900 which had a dud logic board. Since it was replaced, the machine's been a dream. Hope the same pans out for you.

Thanks again, one and all. If I don't post again, it means I've lost the will to argue and accepted the 3-week refund. But on the other hand....

With much appreciation again.



Chris

 

[MacRAND]

Use VISA to buy another Mac NOW!

Originally posted by ClaphamChris
Seriously considering trying to rename this thread "MacRAND is a legend"....
Long and short: MacRAND is of course absolutely right. So says the head.
But the heart aches: just a gesture, just some movement. Didn't post this earlier (space) but asked -
in order to expedite - could my money be held by Apple as a credit, rather than a refund for a future (imminent) purchase.
Answer? No.

Which confirms that it's all about Apple and a big two fingers to their customers. This is what really makes me angry.
Shipped an unacceptable product and their systems don't allow them any flexibility.

Where do I go from here?
Well, MacRAND's right. Contractually, I've no case.
...I'll think overnight about abandoning the principle and taking the cash or holding out for a virtuous (perhaps to be vainglorious) battle.

... as marccarter says, everything Apple is doing here is within UK law.

It's their customer care I'm finding lacking - a point I've laboured today for absolutely zilch result.

Money has been taken from my VISA account.
The refund (if that's the way I choose) starts to be processed once the machine is checked in and examined in Eindhoven, Holland - after arranging a pick-up and 5-6 days travelling.
Hence the 3 weeks before it hits my VISA.

No other means is acceptable to Apple ...
And where is Apple in all this? Intransigent.

Upside? The support and advice received on this post. Don't want to sound melodramatic, but it has meant an awful lot.

Chris, I knew you were suffering over this and that's why I went the extra mile for you. I've sent you an eMail with text that's too specific for a forum.

Since Apple will credit VISA directly, then you have an assurance they will get paid if they increase your limit to buy a replacement Mac now instead of waiting. I know it will, I've had similar problems and it was a great solution...from my Dad.

So, keep us informed. All of us care what happens and we want to know how you are doing.

 

[Applespider]

Originally posted by ClaphamChris
Applespider - will try the Visa route, but the transaction cleared my account almost a week ago.

Time of transaction is irrelevant. Credit card company is jointly liable with supplier for any items supplied being up to scratch. Even if a company's gone bust, you should be able to get the cash back from the credit card company. It's one of the reasons that they charge varying processing fees to companies dependent on the level of risk they're taking on.