Worst AppleCare Experience!

[sturob]

I just thought I'd share (just because I feel like complaining) that I am in the middle of the WORST AppleCare experience ever.

I waited about 30 minutes to talk to the least-knowledgeable person I've ever come across at Apple. I'm now in another holding pattern, waiting to talk to someone else who might actually know what's going on.

First, I just (on Thursday) got my MBA. Yes, exciting, sexy, the whole thing. I paid the $70 or whatever to get iWork preinstalled, but I have not yet gotten a serial number for it. I have looked through everything I have, and no #. She told me that when iWork is preinstalled, it's just the demo version, and I have to buy the software. I told her, no, I did buy it. I looked at the MBA's box, and it said, "1.8/yada/yada/WORK/OS US." I then checked the receipt, which confirmed that iWork was preinstalled and that Aperture, Final Cut Pro, and whatever else were not preinstalled. She said, yes, and I have to buy a serial number. I said, no, when you clickthose boxes to order a Mac, you have to pay for the software. I have no idea what demos Apple puts on stuff, but I have already paid for iWork. She then said well, I'd have to talk to the sales group. Fine.

Second, and I fully admit that this is my fault, my forgetting the password for my WPA-protected AirPort network has caused the whole network to lose its mind. I don't know if any of you have ever tried to reconfigure an AirPort network with more than one base station . . . like when you use an AirPort Extreme as a base station (WDS) and an Express as a remote station. . . but in my opinion, AirPort is incredibly clumsy and hard to use. Maybe I just suck as a home-network-administrator, but it's neither intuitive nor easy to use. I can't find the AirPort Setup Assistant software, only the AirPort Utility software. So I mentioned to her that I had had to reset the base stations and try to re-configure my network now that I have an MBA, since I've forgotten the password for my network. She said yes. I told her I was having trouble setting up a WDS with the Express extending the range of the network, and I asked if I could do it with the AirPort Utility, or if I'd need the Setup Assistant. She said I could do it with APU. I said OK. Silence. For like a minute. I said, "Um, how?" She said she didn't know. More silence. So I asked, well, does anyone know how? She said there's a wireless support group, and that she could transfer me.

Now, I'm on hold again. It's been an hour.

Sigh. I guess if this is good customer service, I'd sure hate to experience bad customer service.

Stuart

 

[ewxlt]

Ouch! good luck!

 

[deniser]

I received my MB ACD and applecare and a sleeve last Thurs. The MB has deep scratches on the lid and is being exchanged (I was told it would be collected in the next few days and was told I would be without a computer from then till my replacement MB comes which is not due to ship until the 13th. I live in the UK so no quick delivery here.

I got the ACD out yesterday and got it set up to find it is faulty. Another call to Apple and that is being replaced too.

When I went to see how I register my AppleCare. I found I needed a number that came with it. I have no sheet of paper like the one shown on the Apple site with the number on. All I got was a booklet and CD. They were not even boxed but loose in the box the sleeve came in.

There you have it, 4 items bought on the same order and only one functional

 

[iSee]

I've had really good experiences with Apple Care (I used to have to use them frequently because I had one of those iBook G3s where the logic board would go bad every three months).

Except once I got a guy who was obviously new or clueless or just plain dumb. It ended up causing me a bunch of aggravation. I'll skip the whole story--it's pointless and boring--but I realized what I would do next time:

It was pretty clear early on that the guy was clueless. If ever happens again, I'll just hang up on 'em and call back to get someone else.

 

[KiDFuZioN]

I received my MB ACD and applecare and a sleeve last Thurs. The MB has deep scratches on the lid and is being exchanged (I was told it would be collected in the next few days and was told I would be without a computer from then till my replacement MB comes which is not due to ship until the 13th. I live in the UK so no quick delivery here.

I got the ACD out yesterday and got it set up to find it is faulty. Another call to Apple and that is being replaced too.

When I went to see how I register my AppleCare. I found I needed a number that came with it. I have no sheet of paper like the one shown on the Apple site with the number on. All I got was a booklet and CD. They were not even boxed but loose in the box the sleeve came in.

There you have it, 4 items bought on the same order and only one functional

If you bought applecare with the MB and ACD it should have been automatically registered for you. To check it go to apples website and enter the serial number of the macbook and it will tell you how long the warranty is. Here's the link https://selfsolve.apple.com/GetWarranty.do

 

[sturob]

It gets WORSE!

Well, not really.

I waited 2 more hours on the phone (speakerphones are nice for this) for the wireless group help, and they never answered. In fact, the system just hung up on me.

Ugh.

Stuart

 

[Sesshi]

That seems like a walk in the park compared to some of my Applecare experiences. You've not had anything fail, overheat, melt, drop off, warp, etc yet, so I wouldn't get worked up now over something like what you mentioned - otherwise you might have a coronary when it actually does break.

 

[sturob]

Oh, I'm not worked up. I actually (1) took a nap and (2) fixed the AirPort problem myself within those 2 hours, so no big deal.

I just have to figure out about how to get my serial number for iWork; that problem is a little strange. And, of course, that woman I spoke to at AppleCare was completely wrong about the hours of Apple Store Customer Service, so I'll have to wait to call them tomorrow.

Stuart

 

[jaw04005]

So out of curiosity why didn't you call Apple Store customer service first? They are the ones you need to talk to—not AppleCare.

AppleCare can't give you a new serial number. When you talk to Apple Store Customer Service request a refund for the iWork pre-installed option. You are clearly due one.

The AirPort issues were clearly your own doing (as you freely admit). You should have just asked us on here to help you. Many of us are AirPort Utility experts.

By the way, setting up a WDS distribution system with AirPort Utility (despite its many flaws) is much easier than any other router available (including Belkin, LinkSys, etc). However, I agree with you it's still a hassle.

 

[deniser]

If you bought applecare with the MB and ACD it should have been automatically registered for you. To check it go to apples website and enter the serial number of the macbook and it will tell you how long the warranty is. Here's the link https://selfsolve.apple.com/GetWarranty.do

Yes I did that and it only gives me the 1 year and 90 days of phone support

 

[ruokay]

The MB has deep scratches on the lid and is being exchanged (....

I had the same problem too, twice.

1st macbook pro.... 2 scratches on bottom of laptop near screws, 1 on each side.

2nd macbook pro..(same month)... SAME SCRATCHES IN NEARLY THE SAME PLACES!!!


I THINK IT HAS TO DO W./ THE GUYS IN CHINA OPENING THEM UP TO PUT CUSTOM ORDERED HARDDRIVES IN .

SUCKS.

 

[deniser]

I had the same problem too, twice.

1st macbook pro.... 2 scratches on bottom of laptop near screws, 1 on each side.

2nd macbook pro..(same month)... SAME SCRATCHES IN NEARLY THE SAME PLACES!!!


I THINK IT HAS TO DO W./ THE GUYS IN CHINA OPENING THEM UP TO PUT CUSTOM ORDERED HARDDRIVES IN .

SUCKS.

The scratches on my MB lid are so deep you can feel them easily when running a finger over the top of the lid, plus they were full of dirt. My was CTO only because I had a mini DVI adapter. Its my first MB (Just sold my iMac) and when you get it you want it to be perfect. Now if I had done it myself that would be my problem.

 

[Killyp]

RE the AirPort thing, I've always found AirPort and the AirPort menu to be a LOT better than Windows' (which I almost never manage to get working properly, and is far more buggy than OS X's).

 

[Dave00]

Well, I for one have had a fabulous experience with the Apple Store as far as problems with my computers. I have an iMac G5 I bought in 2004. Couple years ago, there was some sort of problem with the power supply, got some smoke coming from the back. Apparently this has been a problem, and they replaced it immediately, no charge. Then two weeks ago it just wouldn't turn on, after random catastrophic shut-offs over the previous months. The guy took it apart, showed me where the capacitors had gone bad on the logic board. He found a way to get it replaced - a $700 charge - free. Mind you this is on an older computer that is off waranty. I was ready to send the old boy to the scrap heap.

So, probably some of it is just variability in who you get. I love the new store concept with no cash registers, makes for a much more open design and quicker shopping experience. Although I think they probably have too many sales people and not enough geniuses.

 

[andiwm2003]

ok, sorry for your bad experience!

about airport WDS: airport setup utility gets removed when you install airport utility. you do everything in airport utility now.

airport utility sucks. you have to restart it for every basestation you configure. i had to and there was somebody on the web who had the same problem. if you do that it works quite fine. in my case it would not update the information what network a wds remote has to join. i had to put that in manually after restarting airport utility.

hope that helps.