This is my story, for anyone who cares. I sent a slightly different version of this letter to Apple earlier today. Thanks to everyone on these forums for speaking up on these issues.
October 15, 2003
Dear Apple,
I have been using your computers since the age of three. Apple has always been my first choice and recommendation in personal computing.
When I called Apple on September 19 to order a new Powerbook G4 (15.2/1.25GHZ/512/80/SD/AP/BL/LL), I was told the unit would ship in 2-3 days. Problems began almost immediately:
1) For unknown reasons, I was not charged tax on my order, and was told on 9/23 that I was in debt to Apple for the tax amount of $158.59. This delayed the order process by several days.
2) When I attempted to pay this tax by electronic check, Certegy (the company that verifies electronic checks for Apple) would not allow my payment. This was because I had exhibited high velocity spending in the past week. This spending, of course, was $2773 on my Powerbook. For this reason, I was unable to complete my payment by check with Apple. After hours on the phone with both Apple and Certegy, an Apple employee was able to find a workaround using my debit card.
3) After being told that my order was processed on September 19, and that the computer would ship in two to three days, I did not receive a shipment notice until September 30. No one at Apple ever informed me that I would have to wait for my computer to clear customs, and that this would create additional delay. I feel misled about the amount of time it would have taken for my Powerbook to reach my door.
4) When Airborne Express picked up my shipment to deliver, they used Ground Delivery instead of Second Day Delivery that I requested. I did not receive the computer until October 6.
5) When I did receive the Powerbook, it was defective. The latch holding the screen closed never worked properly, meaning that I could not close the computer. Although I needed the computer to create important presentations throughout that week, I was forced to call Apple and request an immediate replacement. I returned my faulty computer via FedEx on October 7.
6) It is now October 15, nearly a month after my initial order placement, and my replacement computer has yet to ship. I have spent no less than six hours on the phone with various Apple representatives attempting to get a functional Powerbook, and I have unwillingly reneged on numerous work and class assignments because of my lack of a Powerbook.
The problem is not that you will loose me as a customer, but that you will loose my advertising and loyalty. Because of my extensive experience in multi-platform computing, friends, classmates, and co-workers often seek my purchasing advice when searching for a new personal computer. I can no longer recommend Apple Computer to these friends and acquaintances. I would love to praise Apples products and services, but in light of my recent experience, I simply cannot. The service I have received from Apple Computer is infuriating, and, in my opinion, totally unacceptable.
After researching the Powerbook latch issue online, it is clear that my faulty unit was not unique. Numerous other purchasers have reported the same issue. I would hope that Apple has some sort of quality assurance in place to prevent such a defect, but this may not be the case. Ultimately, I feel the facts listed above speak for themselves, and that it should be understandable why I am upset with this purchasing experience.
My purpose in writing this letter is to let you know that at least one faithful Mac supporter is very upset at Apple right now. Please let me know if what steps are being taken to remedy the Powerbook latch issue.
And please, most importantly, give me reasons to be proud of Apple once again.
October 15, 2003
Dear Apple,
I have been using your computers since the age of three. Apple has always been my first choice and recommendation in personal computing.
When I called Apple on September 19 to order a new Powerbook G4 (15.2/1.25GHZ/512/80/SD/AP/BL/LL), I was told the unit would ship in 2-3 days. Problems began almost immediately:
1) For unknown reasons, I was not charged tax on my order, and was told on 9/23 that I was in debt to Apple for the tax amount of $158.59. This delayed the order process by several days.
2) When I attempted to pay this tax by electronic check, Certegy (the company that verifies electronic checks for Apple) would not allow my payment. This was because I had exhibited high velocity spending in the past week. This spending, of course, was $2773 on my Powerbook. For this reason, I was unable to complete my payment by check with Apple. After hours on the phone with both Apple and Certegy, an Apple employee was able to find a workaround using my debit card.
3) After being told that my order was processed on September 19, and that the computer would ship in two to three days, I did not receive a shipment notice until September 30. No one at Apple ever informed me that I would have to wait for my computer to clear customs, and that this would create additional delay. I feel misled about the amount of time it would have taken for my Powerbook to reach my door.
4) When Airborne Express picked up my shipment to deliver, they used Ground Delivery instead of Second Day Delivery that I requested. I did not receive the computer until October 6.
5) When I did receive the Powerbook, it was defective. The latch holding the screen closed never worked properly, meaning that I could not close the computer. Although I needed the computer to create important presentations throughout that week, I was forced to call Apple and request an immediate replacement. I returned my faulty computer via FedEx on October 7.
6) It is now October 15, nearly a month after my initial order placement, and my replacement computer has yet to ship. I have spent no less than six hours on the phone with various Apple representatives attempting to get a functional Powerbook, and I have unwillingly reneged on numerous work and class assignments because of my lack of a Powerbook.
The problem is not that you will loose me as a customer, but that you will loose my advertising and loyalty. Because of my extensive experience in multi-platform computing, friends, classmates, and co-workers often seek my purchasing advice when searching for a new personal computer. I can no longer recommend Apple Computer to these friends and acquaintances. I would love to praise Apples products and services, but in light of my recent experience, I simply cannot. The service I have received from Apple Computer is infuriating, and, in my opinion, totally unacceptable.
After researching the Powerbook latch issue online, it is clear that my faulty unit was not unique. Numerous other purchasers have reported the same issue. I would hope that Apple has some sort of quality assurance in place to prevent such a defect, but this may not be the case. Ultimately, I feel the facts listed above speak for themselves, and that it should be understandable why I am upset with this purchasing experience.
My purpose in writing this letter is to let you know that at least one faithful Mac supporter is very upset at Apple right now. Please let me know if what steps are being taken to remedy the Powerbook latch issue.
And please, most importantly, give me reasons to be proud of Apple once again.
